purpleshadow-star

[purpleshadow-star]

I love Nora for having the love interest say "I'm not your answer and you sure as hell aren't mine" to the main character in regards to their trauma and healing. I love her for giving both characters external support systems and healthy relationships outside of each other.

I love that Andrew and Renee are best friends and have been before Neil ever entered the scene. I love that he's an active participant in therapy.

I love that Matt and Neil are best friends and built their friendship prior to Andrew. I love that Dan is protective over him and was the first after Andrew to reach, hug, and talk to Neil both after Baltimore and Riko trying to kill him.

I love that Wymack is an authority figure to them both in different ways. I love that Kevin has equally close but unique relationships with them both. I love that Nicky lowkey adopted Neil as well.

I love that Nora has shown from the GET GO that consistent, enduring love can be/is such an essential part of healing and growth but that it's not exclusive to romance and that platonic and familial love is just as important.

[purpleshadow-star]

romantic relationships blah blah blah okay but what about risking everything for your sibling. what about the unwavering love and care that can only come from a parent to a child. what about someone who just wants their best friend back. ever thought of that.

[purpleshadow-star]

Andrew is a defence power that Neil always needed.

Neil is a vital energy that Andrew always lacked.

[purpleshadow-star]

I can’t stop thinking about 19-20 year old Nicky getting called into a guidance counselors office because they’re not quite sure what to do with Andrew. He has never turned in a single piece of homework and doesn’t seem to care about or show interest in anything in particular but he’s still passing all his classes because he somehow has perfect scores on every single test. They thought he was cheating at first but they’ve secretly been giving him papers that are different from everyone else in the rooms’ to test that theory and he blows through them at a speed that makes it seem like he’s choosing answers at random but every answer he picks is correct. The school isn’t sure what to do with him because even though his test scores are exceptional he is still required to do homework and he’s gotten into a few fights with other students but he doesn’t accept any disciplinary action from the school. And none of this makes sense to them because they don’t have these kind of problems with Aaron, and yes they’re aware the twins grew up separately but they are still twins after all. And Nicky— stressed, overwhelmed, and way in over his head with two traumatized teenage boys— desperately wants to say that he’ll talk to him about it, even though he’s never managed to get Andrew to say more than a few words to him at a time, and he’ll get it handled because that’s what a guardian would do. Instead he utters one simple sentence with a voice so quiet and cracked that the counselor isn’t even sure the words are meant for them. He doesn’t even mean to say it, it’s just that he’s seen Andrew memorize things in a split second and pull information from a seemingly infinite well of knowledge in his head, and he doesn’t know what to do with any of it because Andrew is so closed off from everything. He says “I think he’s a genius.”

[purpleshadow-star]

I feel like the only one who got a proper full description in the books from Neil's perspective was Andrew. I have no clue what Coach Wymack looks like but I know the exact layout of his apartment and every other room/house/building Neil has ever been in.

[purpleshadow-star]

Neil: i’m fine, i absolutely don’t have an anxiety disorder

Also Neil’s inner monologue every two pages: Neil’s stomach was knotted up. Neil felt his stomach in his shoes. The feeling in his gut. Neil felt sick to his stomach. Neil felt nauseous. Neil’s stomach bottomed out. It was too much to stomach. Neil felt his stomach drop. Neil couldn’t stomach it. The sinking feeling in his stomach-

[purpleshadow-star]

Hearing Neil say he didn't think Andrew would fight for him must have been a shock to Aaron because I know he was thinking

--what the fuck do you mean my brother who never visited his family visited because you asked him too, my brother who nearly got shot by a federal agent because he needed to touch you and make sure you were okay, who was ready to attack Abby of all people when she tried to take up time with you, my brother who hates cops insisted to be in the interrogation room with two fbi agents bc he didn't trust them with you, who strangled kevin because he knew and didn't tell him/stop you that guy wouldn't fight for you

[purpleshadow-star]

wymack to andrew

[purpleshadow-star]

neil josten, man with the butcher of baltimore for a father, somehow manages to have mommy issues dominating every crevice of his brain instead. "god my mom would KILL me if she knew my dad found out where i was" like dude

[purpleshadow-star]

AU where aaron is a detective struggling with a case and just like sherlock he stands up, sighs, and says “guess i need to bring my brother into this” and his team is like wtf you have a brother??? your very own mycroft? and hes like yeah he has an eidetic memory and insider mafia knowledge and an incredible ability to read people and scrutinise their personalities and motives and he majored in criminal justice. he works as an exy goalie

[purpleshadow-star]

andrew has the ability to shut neil up like no one else and i just know kevin wishes he would use it for good. like kevin was there to see neil sitting quietly staring at the floor for an hour after the whole ”doesn’t mean i wouldn’t blow you” convo. he knows andrew could drop a bombshell 2 minutes before an interview and kevin could have a moment’s peace. but andrew loves hates neil’s shit-talking mouth too much to ever do that

[purpleshadow-star]

Andrew being a goal keeper was quite literally the peak of character building in the entire literature history.

wdym he is THE protector of the team during a game? he is THE last line of defense? he has EVERYONE’s back? and he is AMAZING AT IT?!

and not just in the metaphorical sense (although as establish that too) but down to a literal physical level too. like? oh my god of course the character with the best reflexes that won’t let a ball past him is the character that grew up abused and constantly aware of his surroundings. and of courseeee the character that has issues with being touched and struggles to protect himself from abusers is the one wearing the most padding on the court.

nora you own my heart

[purpleshadow-star]

Andrew smiles then. It's barely there and almost immediately gone, just a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth, but his eyes shine and Neil- Neil would move mountains for that smile. Would give up everything he's worked so hard to get just to have it directed his way again.

[purpleshadow-star]

Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 3, based on the third book The Titan's Curse, it is now in production. This means that the gap between seasons 2 and 3 will be considerably shorter than seasons 1 and 2. Hopefully, we will see it by the end of 2026.

[purpleshadow-star]

Neil: Why are you squeezing me when sleep?

Andrew: So you don’t run away.

Neil: I just went to get some water.

Andrew: Exactly. Suspicious.

[purpleshadow-star]

POV: your Andrew and you said something slightly positive about exy

[purpleshadow-star]

I recycled the party hat from Andrew’s birthday drawing. But that’s okay, I like to think they reuse the decorations, just like at my birthday parties when my mom pull out the ones my uncles had bought for my cousins 😂 I know, it’s a silly thing (and Neil could definitely buy new ones), but it feels so human 🫶🥹