time loves the game

did I really just make an all for the game blog? yes... yes, I did. they/them | pan/aro | @storiestoldbytime on here as well (love_lytime on twitter)

[hamrikaa]

[i-cant-swim-actually]

jean and his lil peach has me emotional

[cordaloo]

Reading TGR and I can't stop thinking about the photo of Neil trapped on the stairs between Kevin and Andrew at Aaron's trial. I assume Neil was supposed to watch Kevin, since Andrew couldn't that day (like at the end of TRK.) But Andrew's in so much pain... and of course angry. No doubt pushing everyone away cause he absolutely cannot stand to be vulnerable. Can't be viewed as weak in anyway. And Neil knows this, knows he wants to be left alone...but

[i-cant-swim-actually]

how are we feeling about the new book this week chat

[timeandthegame]

This is nothing

[inafieldofstarflowers]

i cannot pick a favorite trojan because like on one hand there’s derrick and derek just being absolute bros and learning a minuscule amount of french to give jean a nickname to but then there’s cody winter being iconic and supportive but then there’s xavier (who did not have heart surgery) being like “i think i hate coach moriyama 👍” but then you have tanner imprinting on jean like a duckling but THEN you have—

[jabberwockymoreau]

....all this speculation about who might throw a punch to protect Jean and here comes James Rhemann with a steel chair

[ohsleepie]

I have no excuse for this one. I woke up from a fever dream with this prompt in my notes app. I think Neil just really reminds me of a scruffy scavenger animal you'd find in a trashcan. Anyway bonus panel:

[inafieldofstarflowers]

chapter fifteen really has it all

[xhoneyghost]

andrew as a joke gave neil a necklace with those dog's pendant that goes " if found return to Andrew Minyard" + phone number

neil wears it every single day.

[blondeheartgirl]

neil is so funny because throughout all three books hes like “i dont need to know these people”, “useless information about my teammates is taking up space in my brain”, “i pulled back to not get attached”, “everyone here is insane and sucks” while simultaneously inserting himself into everybodys business

[timeandthegame]

Cat is teaching me.

"I like it. It makes everything go away for a while."

[polartss]

let them smooch!! 

((neil is bending his knees a lil so andrew can reach🙏🏻🙏🏻)

[swordofazrael1992]

how we feeling

[kururusti]

[pandaseek]

Head cannon time: Neil is smart.

I know what you're thinking, Neil is a math major, he's a polyglot, of course he's smart. But that's not what I'm talking about.

I'm saying that Neil is smart.

There is a reason why Mary had to force to do average at school and not draw attention to himself, because that kid was bringing home straight A's and getting awards for damn near everything. Something he was very proud of because it was the only time both of his parents would be nice to him. They might even give him a treat.

Mary forces him to become paranoid to the extent of making average grades to go unnoticed, but do you know how hard it is to make a certain grade? You have to know every answer on the test to calculate how much you can get right to hit that perfect C.

I think Neil sat there through every lesson and test running calculations in his head about how many mistakes he needed to make to go under the radar. To never win an award. To never get asked to join any clubs. Because he KNOWS that Nathan and his people are scouring any news about up and coming kids.

They're looking at all the finalist in the state and nationals spelling bee's. The decathlons. The sporting teams. Just waiting for Nathaniel to grow egotistical enough to get the spotlight again.

But Mary doesn't celebrate his achievements anymore. At best he'll get a pat on the back if his report card is filled with the most mundane, 'I have no clue who this kid is' language from his teachers.

And Neil is desperate for that crumb of affection.

So he only goes back to Exy after she dies, and he plays down his talents until Kevin comes along. And when Andrew calls him out for knowing more than he lets on... Well, Neil is a real boy now, He doesn't need to hide anymore.

[numnue]

aftg is crazy because the whole time the narrator is trying to convince you that they're the most sane person in the room and that everyone else is crazy while also having the intensity and paranoia of a small, feral animal