I was pleasantly surprised by the interest in Sam, the Exy RA last week. Thank you so much.
I am once again open for asks related to my current projects:
NAGAB Neil (Raven!Neil)
NAGAB Noah (Vixens, Palmetto State Shenanigans and Hatfords)
The foxes RA
If you have a specific character or aspect you're interested in, feel free to include that in your ask. I can't guarantee I'll be able to include it, but I'll try. Also, work was a lot today, so my apologies if I don't get to your ask right away.
NAGAB Noah and Andrew confrontation below the cut
Noah merely raised an eyebrow at Andrew's glare. He was used to being pushed around. He had been told what to do by much scarier people. As frightening as Andrew's reputation was, he'd only hurt four men, in a fit of rage. Maybe not even that if the school newspaper wasn’t above making shit up. The man was on parole. Getting into a fight like that would violate it and then bye bye bodyguard.
Besides, Noah didn't know how many men he'd hurt by this point. As much as his mother wanted him kept out of the family business, that wasn't always a possibility. It didn't help that Andrew was barely above five feet even in his mammoth platform boots. He didn't look peaceful by any means with his armbands full of knifes (standard assortment, quick draw possible on the four and six inch, none well-balanced enough for efficient throwing), but there was a difference between a threat Noah could handle and one he couldn't.
"Are you referring to Kevin or your cousin?" Their earlier confrontations had made it clear that Andrew thought Noah played a larger threat to Kevin than he did to anyone else but considering this was after Nicky had decided to help him, things were definitely in flux.
“I protect what's mine." Andrew clenched one of his fists at his sides as if resisting the urge to draw a knife in broad daylight in a very public parking lot.
Noah had been startled for sure, but there were also limits to how far Andrew could get when anyone could walk by. The fact he was currently violating parole could only make that worse.
"It does matter," Noah walked past Andrew. "Kevin isn't going to be an issue, but I need Nicky."
That comment made Andrew narrow his eyes slightly. "You need to be at the banquet."
It was another statement of fact. Andrew didn't seem the type to bother with questions. On one level Noah appreciated it, no questions meant giving up no secrets, no lying to a man who seemed like his own lie detector. But it also made him want to grind his teeth together.
"I do." Noah wasn't about to answer more than he had to.
Andrew peered at his face. "I don't deal in half-truths especially from the likes of you, an opportunistic nobody who can do some fancy flips. Especially when your timing is interesting."
"Timing?"
"You showed up as they're preparing to move south."
Please provide me external motivation to write by sending me asks. I'm hoping to have a couple chapters of Not all ghosts are buried to post in November for the fic's birthday. Options on offer:
NAGAB Neil (Raven!Neil)
NAGAB Noah (Vixens, Palmetto State Shenanigans and Hatfords)
The foxes RA (unposted, but I think self-explanatory)
My WIP Wednesday rules that may differ from others: Send as many asks as you want. I can post this and get 0 asks (AKA what happened last week), so if there's something you want to see, you'll have to ask for it. You can include a specific thing you're interested in seeing in the fic or just the work's name in your ask.
You don't need to be caught up on what I've written but previous Snippets linked here.
NAGAB Neil below the cut. Jumping back in time from last week's snippet.
Nathaniel doesn't know how he feels about Jean yet. It's like holding a heavy racket after playing for years with a light one. Sure he knows this is probably good for him, that he can't keep existing as he has been - talking to the voice in his head and stealing occasional moments when Kevin is slightly less of a dick than he could be. But he's also grown used to the solitude. It feels uncomfortable to look out for someone else again
Especially someone who can't get their new situation through their thick skulls.
"How do you expect to learn the drills if you don't even try?"
Jean glared at him. "I do not need to try. I will be leaving soon."
This isn't some vacation.
"That is obvious. No one finds Exy restful." Jean drawled, swinging the stick back and forth along the ground but refusing to hit the ball.
If you don't start bending, they will break you.
Jean eyes focused on Nathaniel's bruises and the splint on one of his fingers. "They will do that anyway."
Please provide me external motivation to write by sending me asks. I'm hoping to have a couple chapters of Not all ghosts are buried to post in November for the fic's birthday.
NAGAB Neil (Raven!Neil)
NAGAB Noah (Vixens, Palmetto State Shenanigans and Hatfords)
The foxes RA
Prompt of your choosing
If you read the most recent WIP Wednesday snippets, you might see a little bit that looks familiar, but a lot of Jean and Nathaniel below the cut.
Once Nathaniel’s settled next to him on the bed, holding one of the pillows to his chest, he muttered darkly, “He’s an idiot.”
Jean hums thoughtfully. “As one would expect since he has one for a brother.”
“I’m being serious.” Nathaniel shoves the pillow into Jean’s chest.
“So am I. Suicidal plans to save everyone apparently run in the family.”
This time it’s Nathaniel’s turn to laugh. “You’re ridiculous. It’s not everyone.”
Jean groaned and gestured to himself.
“That’s proactive self-defense. You’re my partner. You’re basically me. That doesn’t count.”
“And Gonzalez? Or what about Karim?”
“I don’t like how they scream when they mess up the drills. It’s in my interest anyway. Them understanding the drills faster means our team gets better.”
“You practically let Brooks walk out of there with a warning and some screaming.”
“I’m not letting Riko win. That’s not suicidal. That’s taking back control.” Nathaniel flexed his right hand near his waist as if wishing for the knife he only had access to when Riko wanted his own sort of justice.
Typically Riko liked feeling the dirty work himself, wrapping his own hands around the victim’s throat, having Nathaniel pin them down while he did the real damage. But some things were too trivial for the King to deal with. Some subjects were beneath his attention.
Nathaniel isn’t gentle with his subjects. There needs to be evidence, bruises shown in the locker room, and screams heard by the neighboring rooms. Nothing to let them know he’s fair game, that he’s gone soft. The nest is a bird eats bird world after all. If one wasn’t careful it could be your carcass feeding the carrion.
“He’ll want to see you limping. Do I need to mark one of your legs so you remember? Or have you found your brain since practice?"
He doesn't need to dig the knife in most of the time. The threat of it is enough. They know better than to move when being educated. A Raven should understand that resisting only made things worse. It was their own fault when the blood hit the sheets.
At least that’s what he told himself. Because he wasn’t lying to Ez-, Noah, he wasn’t lying to Noah. They’re changing him into a butcher or at least trying to. And he can’t fight everything here. But this is one battle he doesn’t think he can bear to lose.
If he doesn’t act how Lola taught him, if he doesn’t draw out the process, if he doesn’t aim to break. If he doesn’t truly use his father’s weapon they’re not the same.
“Merde!”
Nathaniel doesn’t so much as register Jean until he has closed the gap between them, their knees touching, a hand squeezing his own tightly.
“I need you to focus on me. Breathe with me. In, Out.”
Nathaniel knows he says more, but Nathaniel can’t focus on the words, just the lull of Jean’s voice. He wiggles the hand between them. All fingers accounted for, sore but not worrisome. Back aching but the pain anchors him. It’s the dull sort of ache from hard work and punishments past, not present worries. He counts each of his toes in English, in French, in Japanese, in Italian and in Spanish. The tutors have always prioritized reading over speaking. It’s not every language he knows. But it’s still grounding to think the sounds to himself.
“Cody is convinced she can convince the nutritionists that she needs soul food, something rich and heavy, if they expect her to not blow away whenever she leaves the nest. You can imagine how that’s going. I saw Akari roll her eyes and you know how-”
“She should be arguing for extra protein.” Nathaniel is able to force himself to say even though his mouth still feels like it’s full of cotton. But he’s here, not stuck in his own head. Listening to Jean complain about the rookie’s antics.
“She’s still thinking about what she wants as opposed to how to solve the problem.” Jean responds keeping his tone purposefully light.
It’s an easy topic. Nathaniel’s lived through eight seasons of rookies already. They’re all the same really, desperate to improve and willing to test the boundaries until they break or fall in line. It doesn’t matter that Cody is the same age as him, he already knows how this plays out.
Jean peers into his eyes to make sure Neil’s really here with him, not slipping back.
“I shouldn’t have brought up the others.” It’s not an apology, just an acknowledgment.
“I was on edge already.” The words are English instead of French now, although Nathaniel didn’t consciously make the switch.
“You’re pushing him away.”
“Wouldn’t you?” There’s so much more he could add, but for now that seems like enough.
“It isn’t me.” Jean states firmly as if they haven’t carried the same burden since he arrived.
“But did you see them at the banquet? He’s still shorter than me.”
“Truly a miracle.” Jean snarked before he began humming a children’s tune and sat with an arm wrapped around Neil to feel the moment his breathing quickens.
“Do you think you can sleep? I’m not going to carry you if you fall asleep on the court tomorrow?”
“Like that’ll happen.” Neil got up anyway to brush his teeth and turn off the lights.
Tonight he’s the one closer to the wall, curled gently around Jean, letting their breathing fall into sync. He can see the door, but he isn't standing guard. It isn’t often that he lets Jean sleep in the danger spot so to speak, closer to whoever may enter, not that it really matters, the crack of the door will have both their eyes shooting open.
The last time I tried this was a while back, but I want to do it again. Submit an ask from whichever one you'd like to see a snippet of.
Options are:
NAGAB Neil (Raven!Neil)
NAGAB Noah (Vixens)
The foxes RA
Prompt of your choosing
NAGAB Snippet featuring Neil and Jean below the cut:
Jean had seemed fine until he suddenly wasn't. When Nathaniel looked up again, Jean was too still, even as his eyes darted around.
He pulled the laptop into his hands and read, his heart sinking as he got further along. Jean's Google News alerts on Marseilles were having a field day. Nathaniel quickly found the article that had likely sparked the panic.
Local Businessmen and Family Perish in Fire
Firefighters were alerted to a raging housefire at the home of multi-million-dollar businessman Pierre Moreau around four this morning. Despite his fame, help was not dispatched until the house was already on the verge of collapse. Upon putting out the fire, two charred bodies later identified on Moreau and his wife, Cecilia Moreau nee Roche, were found. Their fifteen-year-old daughter is missing, likely deceased as no body was found. The speed and heat of the fire have caused the fire department to launch a preliminary arson investigation.
Moreau is known for his vast real-estate empire within the city with no accurate estimate of his net worth. Information regarding business dealings stored in his home office are presumed to have been destroyed.
Nathaniel closed the laptop with a decisive snap. He pushed his own things haphazardly into his bookbag before starting on Jean's since the other boy still hadn't moved. He carefully marked Jean's place in the textbook, knowing otherwise he'd be scolded for it later. When he was finally done Nathaniel slung both bags on, he hovered his hand over Jean's shoulder.
"It's just me. It's Nathaniel. I'm taking you somewhere safe." Nathaniel wasn't sure if Jean could hear him. He just knew that he wasn't going to be one more person taking away his decision.
He waited a few seconds before gripping Jean's shoulder tightly and leading him through the black hallways. If he thought Jean had been still before, it was different actually touching him. Every muscle in the much taller boy's body was flexed, itching to fight or run or both.
THANK YOU!!! Oh, I'm so excited! (Technically Neil with a focus on Noah.)
WIP Wednesday NAGAB
Nathaniel wasn't sure when he started to breathe again. This wasn't happening. Couldn't be happening. He hadn't spent his entire life keeping his brother safe just for Ezra to waltz into enemy territory like nothing was the matter.
He tried to keep his head down. He had simple orders for the night. Intimidate Kevin using the list of approved insults. Well, Jean said there was a list of approved insults. Riko hadn't handed him anything directly, so he assumed he was allowed to let himself go wild.
That was one thing that Nathaniel had allowed Riko to take advantage of. It didn't mean much that he could seemingly narrow in on someone's biggest insecurities without a second thought. It wasn't like knives, he wasn't like his father. There was something delicate and precise about words in a way knives never were. You could deny words were a weapon entirely. Just walk away leaving nothing but a sharp grin.
After dinner, there might be a chance to talk to Noah if he played his cards right and he needed to play his cards right.
I am once again open for asks related to my current projects:
NAGAB Neil (Raven!Neil)
NAGAB Noah (Vixens, Palmetto State Shenanigans and Hatfords)
The foxes RA
If you have a specific character or aspect you’re interested in, feel free to include that in your ask. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to include it, but I’ll try.
NAGAB Neil below the cut. (Nothing graphic but it's the nest)
“The master won’t be happy. But you’re not getting on that court today.” Jean’s voice had a harsh edge that it typically lacked as he forcibly pulled Nathaniel back to the present.
But then it softened ,“You shouldn’t have let them do it.”
Nathaniel forced himself upward ignoring the stabbing sensation in his ribs. He wanted to be able to look Jean in the eyes for this conversation.
“It wasn’t letting them do anything. Riko owns us. It’s merely being put to use.” His words echoed last night’s taunts, but they felt truer in the light of morning with every part of his body screaming.
Jean stilled next to him. Typically, Nathaniel was the headstrong one, picking his battles carefully, but ultimately fighting things, bending to submission only because doing so allowed him to keep playing Exy. There were few times outside of Riko or the Master’s presence where he’ll admit to being owned. Like if he didn’t mention it, that tedious little fact of existence will disappear.
If Jean was someone else, he might try to illustrate that Nathaniel was so much more than property. To string together pretty words that painted Nathaniel’s strengths and his failings, and how he was a person not a thing.
But Jean wasn’t someone else. He didn’t have the optimism to say such things after six years in the Nest. More often than not it’s Nathaniel who had to do those things, who monitors the pain pills and sleeping aids on bad days. It’s no wonder Jean felt so awkward about this reversal.
“They were asking about Kevin. They would have stopped if you said something.”
Nathaniel gave a wry smile that turned into a grimace, “But that requires knowing something, doesn’t it?”
Some NAGAB Neil coming right up. (Actually, 2 little snippets since I'm super excited that you sent an ask.)
1 carrying on directly from yesterday's snippet left off
When they were safely in their room, Nathaniel guided Jean until he was sitting on the bed before maneuvering one of the desk chairs in front of the doorknob. It wouldn't hold long, and they'd likely be punished if anyone discovered they hadn't had free access to their room, but for now, they couldn't have any surprises.
Nathaniel looked back at Jean who still didn't move, but he didn't know how to reach him. Typically he'd recited little details about his childhood home, the eleven steps it took to get upstairs, the outrageous drawings that Elodie had drawn for him and he'd proudly taped to his bedroom wall complete with a written description of what the scribbles were supposed to be in case either one of them forgot as they grew up. Nathaniel might describe the glint of the sunlight off the Mediterranean even though he'd never seen it or what it felt like to bury Elodie partially in the sand so she had a mermaid tail even if he had to redo it several times since she couldn't stay still.
Those were happy memories. Memories that you savor so that everything else can seem manageable. It was the hope that one day, might not be anytime soon, but one day Jean would see his sister again. That if he was famous enough, wealthy enough, he'd be able to steal moments on international travel to find the one person who owned his heart so completely and likely didn't even remember him.
Now, there wasn't any hope left.
2.
Once Nathaniel’s settled next to him on the bed, holding one of the pillows to his chest, he muttered darkly, “He’s an idiot.”
Jean hums thoughtfully. “As one would expect since he has one for a brother.”
“I’m being serious.” Nathaniel shoves the pillow into Jean’s chest.
“So am I. Suicidal plans to save everyone apparently run in the family.”
This time it’s Nathaniel’s turn to laugh. “You’re ridiculous. It’s not everyone.”
Jean groaned and gestured to himself.
“That’s proactive self-defense. You’re my partner. You’re basically me. That doesn’t count.”
