itsstickball

"Junkie" Fal/Muffin - AFTG blog - replies/likes with je-suis-muffin

[feverdreamsandlucidnightmares]

I think the overall dynamic between kandriel regardless of whether you’re shipping the three of them or it’s a qpr or they’re friends or whatever is funny bc their behavior is not inherently romantic and they all kind of coparent each other and it’s funny like Andrew and Kevin are like Neil I swear to God if you don’t turn your phone on and take care of yourself I’m going to kill you or you’re going to have a permanent babysitter, and Andrew and Neil are like Kevin for fucks sake stand up for yourself and enjoy your life a little (stab your abuser it’ll be fun), and Neil and Kevin are like Andrew you can’t live exclusively off of ice cream you have to exercise and plan for the future because guess what bitch you have one and we aren’t letting you out of it

[queer-lovebot]

Neil as a Raven is the most unsettling thing you could ever think of. He’s a guy who would stare a Lot. A silent stare. That butcher look that he wears? Yeah, that constantly. Some guy who plays with knives for fun and likes mind games.

And then you get him outside the Nest and he’s not only unsettling but super annoying and childish. He knows how to dress but purposely dresses terribly as a resistence against the Nest. Andrew would fall for him easily.

[nothatsmi]

Guys. I've done it.

The animatic is finally here!!!! YAhooo!!

I really hope you like it. Took me something like two/three weeks on top of an insane amount of work, I don't know how I managed both-

If you want you can (re)watch it on Youtube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mki1Vl3ylMM (yes this is self promotion)

[02511213942]

happy birthday @skvaaader!!! 🥳🧡 based on this clip; you're so right hehe it's kevin and neil in podcast form 🍎

[kevinssexy-deactivated20220310]

andreil soulmate au where there is a stripe of your soulmates hair colour on ur wrist; whenever they dye their hair, the colour changes

andrew looking at his stripe change every two weeks when neil is on the run and being so fucking confused

neil staring at his wrist whenever he has time because he can’t believe that he has a soulmate

[fortheloveofexy]

I see this and I raise you the following;

The stripe doesn’t change when you dye your hair, it stays your natural color

Andrew mostly ignoring the pretty red stripe hidden under his armband until he gets back from Easthaven and there’s Neil with the exact same shade of auburn and no no no oh shit oh fu-

Meanwhile, there’s Neil with the blonde stripe on his wrist and the whole time he’s just desperately hoping that it doesn’t belong to Aaron

[paradoxolotl]

Let me put this out there:

Katelyn and Neil have the same shade of auburn.

When Neil comes back Aaron is frantically trying to see if it’s just a little different than the colour on his wrist

[fortheloveofexy]

Ooooh yes, and consider:

Andrew being deep in denial that Katelyn and Neil have the same hair color

Aaron and Neil hating each other even more because of it

Aaron also being in denial because Katelyn’s hair is a much prettier red, shut the fuck up Nicky, they’re not the same, they’re not.

Betsy privately thinks it’s hilarious when it comes up in Twinyard therapy.

[i-dvnt-share]

Nicky at some point: you’re identical twins and have identical coloured stripes, isn’t that interesting

The twins: shut up Nicky

- fast forward to Neil’s first day back after the nest and Nicky and Aaron see his hair for the first time -

Nicky: hey his hair is the same shade as-

Aaron: don’t say it please don’t say it

Andrew, seeing Neil at the collection point of easthaven: oh shit shit shit no shit fuck

[paradoxolotl]

Don’t forget no one knew Andrew was gay except for Renee! So did everyone think Andrew hated Katelyn for not choosing him?

[fortheloveofexy]

Oh my god oh my GOD you’re a GENIUS Hahahaha the drama!

Can you imagine the betting?? The Foxes would have a field day!

[paradoxolotl]

The Foxes telling Neil about all of this: Aaron’s dating Katelyn, who may be his soulmate, but she may be Andrew’s because they both have the same coloured stripe. It’s why Andrew hates her and doesn’t talk to Aaron.

Neil, fully aware of the blond stripe on his wrist but oblivious as heck: huh. How does this effect exy?

[fortheloveofexy]

LMAO no wait wait… imagine how Seth reacts to the blonde stripe on Neil’s wrist when his very blonde on-again-off-again girlfriend hits on Neil in the beginning.

Neil, who at the time had dark brown hair that was eerily close in color to the stripe on Allison’s wrist. The dark brown stripe that did not match Seth’s hair at all.

However, if one happened to look closely enough at Renee Walker’s grown-out roots, one would find that it matched hers perfectly :)

[paradoxolotl]

YES YOU ARE BRILLIANT

This got me thinking. Unless Nicky or Aaron saw Andrew’s stripe and told the Foxes, no one would know what colour it was because it would be under his armband. So, maybe they assume it’s red. Or, maybe they assume whatever colour it is matches Renee, because SHE has a very pretty blonde and they hang out all the time, right?

Then Baltimore happens

[fortheloveofexy]

Then Baltimore happens, and all hell breaks loose:

Nobody fully realizes why Andrew is absolutely losing his shit so badly at first.

They’re all too worried about where Neil is.

Andrew is absolutely fucking spiraling. His soul mate is gone, his soul mate is gone his soulmate is-

Before, he didn’t believe in regret. He wasn’t lying, back then. He might make an exception now, though. Just this once.

His thoughts continue like this, spiraling and spiraling until he snaps and his hands find their way around Kevin’s throat.

And then - Neil is alive.

Neil is alive but Andrew needs to see him, needs to inspect him for damage, assess his own failure to keep Neil safe, deals be damned.

Its not until after he barrels through the door of the hotel room, dragging a handcuffed Wymack behind him that he can finally breathe

In his haste to get to Neil, his armband was jostled by the cuffs and slipped up just enough that his wrist peeks out.

But it isn’t until he puts his hand on the back of Neil’s neck that Allison gasps

Theres a lot of yelling and exclaiming going on, the Foxes are in complete shock and demanding answers

Their questions are all thoroughly ignored.

Later, when Abby is checking and cleaning Neil’s injuries, Andrew holds Neil up and stares at the ruins of Neil’s wrist. It’s bloodied and burned and it’ll scar horribly.

But, even now, he still can see the thin stripe of golden blonde peeking through the open wounds.

The Butcher tried his best, but even he could not take this from them.

[paradoxolotl]

Don’t mind me as I just SOB

[stabbyminyard3]

#aftg #andreil #soulmates #renison

[crows-and-crumbs]

Bee is the only person Andrew has ever yelled at

It says in the extra content that the only time Andrew's yelled at someone, it was when Bee told him she was fine after her heart attack.

All I can imagine is Neil and all the other foxes around the waiting room (cause they're all worried about Bee ofc) and when she pulls the forbidden "I'm fine" when Neil of all people asks her, Andrew just goes off.

“You are not fine and this is not fine and if you ever eat another piece of chocolate again so long as you live I will fucking kill you”

Everyone is stuck in stunned silence, eyes wide and Aaron and Nicky look like they might feint. Even Neil and Kevin have a look of surprise on his face because Andrew doesn't yell. Ever.

It's probably the closest to a crack in his facade the foxes will ever see, beside Baltimore, and they have no idea what to do. Partly because Andrew is scary enough when he doesn't yell, and they all silently appreciate that they are not at the receiving end.

He is the first to leave the hospital and goes to ransack Bee's office for junkfood before she gets out, and yes he is the one who picks her up a couple days later.

Anyways, Andrew does not yell at any point in the books (which honestly makes him more intimidating tbh) but I think it's an important part of his character. He is violent and unpredictable, but he is not loud and brash.

Andrew is a quite-spoken Shakespeare villain and I think we should all appreciate this part of his character.

[thespineoftherighteous]

hc that Coach develops a habit of automatically assuming that Neil is behind every problem that arises until he gets confirmation that Neil was in fact not involved (ironic really, considering the other 8 troublemakers he has. but then again nobody troublemakes like Neil Josten) and that starts a thing where he just goes "dammit Josten" at every minor inconvenience.

and the foxes catch on to it very quickly and it quickly, unironically, becomes the Fox version of "thanks Obama," good for any situation ranging from a stubbed toe to accidentally leaving Nicky behind on a road trip and not realizing it for twenty minutes

[matthcwboyd]

everyone always talks abt neils iconic “im fine” but are forgetting his other dismissive one-liner.

neil says “yes, coach” TWENTY TIMES throughout the trilogy, mostly while completely defying what wymack is instructing of him. “im fine” displays neils lack of personal processing, but a contradictory “yes, coach” really just accentuates the bone-deep sass neil possesses & i live by that

[corvidhours]

my current obsession is Matt hightailing it out of the dorm before The Shower Scene. He said ON GOD Neil I will not cockblock you bro. He said Andrew sir I am not looking, I am respectful. He saw the sexual tension and homeboy RAN I’m-

[triquetrine]

if aftg was an anime neil would have an abundance of edgy, hoarse-voice internal monologues and kevin would constantly “war cry” or “battle scream” on the court and andrew’s manic smile would be perpetually drawn with a glint on the canine tooth or something/his sober eyes would be semicircles because “heavy lidded gaze” and also there would be a lot of dilated pupils all around and dramatic gasping and exactly one (1) bead of sweat on people’s faces at all times because they’re never not stressed and

[triquetrine]

more examples of how aftg fulfills certain anime tropes

absolutely batshit protagonist: neil

tall arrogant asshole who’s a perfectionist/obsessed with their occupation and has a lot of trauma: kevin

insanely powerful character who everyone admires but is also terrified of: andrew (bonus points for being devoted to batshit protag)

loner who eventually gets pulled into the friend group: aaron

sunshine/comic relief-y characters: matt and nicky

uwu sweetheart who is secretly a badass: renee (bonus points for colorful hair)

hot lady who can and will destroy you: allison

tough paternal character who cares a lot about their unofficial kids: wymack

the Leader who everyone loves: dan

crazy sports

evil dad/evil sibling

people just casually carrying around weapons

the yakuza

[cowboymoonking]

will I ever stop with Snapchat aus? No

[andrews-jort-loving-pipe-dream]

When Neil walks into the house, Andrew is lying on the couch, practically glaring at the ceiling. He shuffles through the mail, checks that the cats have food, and gets himself a bottle of juice before walking towards the couch.

He picks up Andrew's legs just long enough to sit down before dropping them into his lap. He cracks open his juice and says, "You finish your book?"

"Yes."

Neil nods, barely concealing his amused smirk, sipping his juice. "Did the ending disappoint you like you said it would?"

Andrew huffs, his glare intensifying, and says, "No."

Neil laughs softly, shaking his head. "You have problems."

"Fuck off."

[palmettios]

interviewer: so, do you think you’ll make it to the pros?

neil: are you asking me if i think i’ll survive until then or get recruited?

interviewer: what

neil: it’s a serious question

[veeaziel]

every day i am percieved™️

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

There is a reason for this though!

The original tweet summarizes it pretty well. Fanfic tends to be popular among certain types of neurodivergent people (aka people most likely to read excessively as a child, and have burnout as an adult) for the same reasons that we tend to hyperfixate–neurochemical signaling (I hope I’m using that phrase correctly). What I mean is, for people who are really dependent on changes in dopamine/serotonin/neurotransmitter levels, who have low levels or wonky neural reward systems (perhaps the most common types of neurodivergence)…people like us rely on dependable external sources of those neurochemicals. In order to function, we spend a lot of our free time trying to level out our brain chemistry using things that can reliably bring us a steady stream of joyful moments (rewards) without costing too much of the mental effort that is already in short supply. 

significantly: the investment of reading has to be balanced with a steady “return on investment”–and this return has to start fairly quickly. because again, we don’t have a lot of attention/energy to invest on tiring things. we have perpetual “low batteries” in that regard.

that doesn’t mean these stories are “simple,” or that they lack complexity or value–only that the reward has to come in short regular intervals, and it has to have a low “upfront cost.” which is why fanfic stories are so perfectly formulated for neurodivergent readers–they are often beautifully written, but skip a lot of the upfront costs (of introducing new characters, of world-building, of getting the audience emotionally connected to the story elements).

the nature of fanfiction is that the reader has a pre-existing relationship with this world and these characters. that–combined with the shorter average length of fics–means that fan fics very quickly start “rewarding” the reader in a way that traditional fiction struggles to. that’s not a bad thing! and maybe it’s something more traditionally published writers should be paying attention to.

Fanfic, as a genre, has been uniquely helpful and accessible to many neurodivergent readers who would otherwise struggle to immerse themselves in stories. I’m glad so many of you have found a way to love and enjoy reading again! The important thing is that you are spending time inside stories you love–the way those stories are published or presented to the world is just one detail.

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

*holds your hand* no, we’re ALL bitches

[onlyhappyendingshere]

I used to devour books as a kid, could read a 400 page book in one day. I read at school, during lunch break, while walking home, while eating, before sleep, just every moment I could. Then I hit twenties and I just can’t read like that anymore. I now have a short attention span, have to reread paragraphs, and oftentimes I get to the end of a page only to realize that I have no idea what I just read. So reading books became a chore. Reading fanfiction is much easier, though sometimes my attention drifts even when reading them.

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

I did the same thing as a kid, and interestingly enough I found that as my overall level of stress and daily discomfort improved, I spent a lot less time reading. Over time I’ve realized that the type of reading habits described above–spending every free moment of my day reading, at the cost of everything else–that was a maladaptive coping mechanism.

As a kid, I didn’t read just bc I chose to. I read bc I couldn’t choose anything else. I had no control over my environment, I was constantly overwhelmed, overstimulated, unhappy and isolated. I didn’t have much internet access, certainly not in class, so immersing myself in printed things was my only escape option. That’s what it was all about–escaping.

In hindsight, a big reason I was able to concentrate on longer fiction when I was younger was bc I didn’t have that many options. I didn’t have access to wifi during school hours, and running out of reading material was a huge risk (bc engaging & being aware of my environment was just that painful). Given that it took a large word count to distract myself consistently through the day, reading large books made more sense. When I was a kid, long fiction offered a better “payoff”, the way fanfiction does now.

That is to say: I chose books for many of the same reasons I later chose fanfiction.

The fact that my reading habits have changed has less to do with the fact my brain had changed, and more to do with the way my environment has changed. My brain has options now it didn’t have before. And it turns out, fanfic is a pretty useful option. I’m gradually transitioning to reading more long & traditionally published fiction, but I’ll never forget that fanfic writers were there when I needed different options. I’ll never forget how much that genre helped (and still helps!) when I was struggling.

[triquetrine]

the foxes + being protective of each other

one time aaron makes an excellent block against this really pissy opposing striker, so naturally the guy decides to punch him

because they’re far away enough from andrew and aaron doesn’t seem that close to the team so it’ll be fine, no retaliation right

(wrong)

before andrew can even take a step out of the goal, the striker turns around and realizes that although the scary twin may not be close enough, allison reynolds is

allison, throwing a BRUTAL right hook: “bitch you THOUGHT-”

cue: *guy goes sprawling* *kevin grabbing allison to stop a fight* *neil zooming past him* *kevin trying to grab neil but with one arm* *matt grabbing neil out of the air when he yeets himself forward*

in the months after TKM, the team has to deal with some really pushy crowds of press

kevin has had a lifetime of practice, but he has never had to deal with them asking extremely invasive questions about evermore

trying to go anywhere off campus means getting ambushed by paparazzi, and because andrew has neil, renee takes kevin

she links their arms and he holds on for dear life and she tells him to ramble about some historical event to distract him as they rush past

but one day kevin’s hand is shaking violently in hers and she has HAD IT so renee gracefully spins around with the most terrifyingly calm smile the world has ever seen

“i think that’s enough, don’t you?” 

it’s just six words but it shocks them into silence and as the team escapes, maybe andrew is smirking a little

neil has some of the best reflexes on the team and they show up in some memorable ways

matt has his helmet off during warmups and isn’t paying attention when a stray ball rebounds and flies straight for his head

like some kind of cat, neil jumps up and smacks it away with his hand

neil, saluting: “gotta protect your pretty face, right?” 

matt: *CRYING*

conference panels/big press events are always stressful mostly because of certain Loud Mouths in their ranks

BUT there can be surprises

reporter: “so renee, i’ve read that you are a born again christian. did you seek out religion for guidance, or as compensation for the atrocities you committed as a young girl? or both?”

aaron, snatching the mic from wymack with righteous fury: “so asshole, did you start growing out your facial hair because you’re too fucking lazy to pick up a razor, or as compensation for your atrocious double chin? or both??”

(nicky fell off his chair after that one)

dan gets into a nasty collision during a game but she waves off everyone’s concern and the other foxes almost believe her and resume positions

but andrew, who saw it happen, slams his racket against the goal and makes everyone jump

it’s so quiet he doesn’t even need to raise his voice

“abby. now.” 

turns out dan sprained her ankle, so she spends the next two weeks  providing moral support from the sidelines

because of her crutches, andrew starts swiping her backpack off the ground without saying a word, and when dan protests he just gives her a Look before carrying it away with him

matt: “that was…kinda scary”

dan, smiling: “yeah, but it was sweet”

(andrew claims he only stepped in because everyone else is “too stupid” to take care of each other, but neil knows better)

nicky and allison eventually become inseparable and their relationship is both a delight and a nuisance to everyone else 

they will fight tooth and nail for each other on and off the court, and nicky half-jokingly decides to take it in a protective older brother direction

(even if they’re only a few months apart)

nicky, matt, neil, and aaron invade the girls’ room for food and instead find allison nervously getting ready for a date

they are very excited for her but nicky also INSISTS that he gets a few minutes to meet this date first and size him up

either way he trusts her to make good decisions for herself, but allison’s never had people want to watch over her like this and she quietly appreciates it

“this is unnecessary” “allison babe i say this with all the love in my heart but your taste in men is not what we call ideal”

she kinda smirks at that, but before anyone can ask there’s a knock at the door and nicky jumps to get it

he has this whole ~intimidating~ greeting planned out

imagine his surprise when he opens the door to see renee, all dolled up and shyly smiling, with the other half of their team hovering in the background in support

[bleekay]

i know there are posts out there saying that commenting is like a form of payment since fic writers write for free, but i don’t really like the “transaction” metaphor. commenting is about sharing your thoughts, acknowledging that you appreciated a story, making writers feel things the way they made you feel things, and maybe giving them something to look forward to after all the effort they put into their writing. we’ve all got stuff going on in our real lives, stuff that pushes and pulls our mental health around, work, school, family stuff, medical stuff, life stuff, and use fandom as a little escape from that. i know i do! so when you read something you enjoyed, i think it’s real nice if you just let writers know, Hey, This Made Me Feel Stuff Today, Thanks! it’s not a payment or requirement, and plenty of fic writers will write regardless of whether they get feedback, but it’s just a cool and kind thing to do anyway :)

(this is a positivity post encouraging interaction with fic, not a criticism of people who don’t comment out of anxiety; please don’t use it as such)

[imstupidremember]

Aaron: your insolence goes too far

Neil: wrong. It can go a lot further