#Neil josten the man you are

[amuli-jl]

“Jeremy,” Kevin said, half-away from the phone. Jeremy heard a muffled voice somewhere in the background. “No, Jean is fine. As fine as he can be, anyway. Yes, I know.” He sighed a little as he came back on the line.

“We’re about to head to the court. Is there anything else you needed?”

I love this detail because we are reminded once again that Neil cares about Jean, that he is worried. He could have waited until the phone conversation was over, but when he realized that the conversation was about Jean, he demanded an explanation immediately

[andrew-minyard-stan]

Someone mugging Neil, a knife to his throat: I’m going to kill you if you don’t give me your wallet

Neil: no, not with that knife. Is the dollar store selling my first knife kits now?? Also that grip is atrocious. If my serial killer dad was alive I’d ask him to teach you how to hold one. And another thing, does it look like I have money-

[daily-all-for-the-game]

"Focus,"

"I am,"

"They just scored an impossible goal and you didn't even twitch,”

“I should be on the court."

[andrewsleftarmband]

I think the reason that conversation worked so well with Ichirou is because he didn’t technically lie. He manipulated the truth to make it look like how he wanted to. And that’s an even greater skill than just lying.

I mean yeah we all know that Neil is a good liar and all, but I think sometimes we forget to what extent.

Like he got literally plucked from class one day and put in front of is father’s boss, totally unprepared, and put on an oscar-winning performance of a lifetime. Bitch was like “I am not saying your brother is out of line my lord 😔😔😔 I am afraid of what will fall back on you 🤔🫢 🤧” and fucking manage to convince ichirou to kill his own brother.

What a man…

[boringsideeffect]

one of the things i love about Neil Josten as a character is that not once did i have to go “god i wish the protagonist told the villain to go to hell. i wish the protagonist fucking killed the abuser and didn’t go Oh im gonna be the bigger person.” no. Neil went and did all those things i’m so proud.

[joejhang]

andrew is so real for thinking neil is a hallucination cos now that we have outsider pov on him it's actually insane that he's a real person. like this is neil josten: he's the prettiest boy you've ever met. he's the runaway son of a serial killer. he has a million dollars but is afraid of spending money. he folds his clothes a specific way so he can tell when someone's gone through his stuff. he keeps a stalker's journal on the two greatest exy players of all time. he wears coloured contacts and they're brown. he paid a busboy $100 to knock him out cold. he insulted a celebrity athlete on live tv after trying to keep a low profile. he says he's trying to stay alive while running towards death like it's a race. he mouths off to the mafia. he respects your boundaries and is the first person ever to take you at face value and not consider you an out of control psychopath. he orders hits on your abusers. he has the most electric blue eyes you've ever seen. he looks great in clubbing clothes but dresses like he's homeless. he insults someone for their "intricate and endless daddy issues" while his father is a convicted mobster and serial killer. he didn't give a fuck when his teammate was killed. everyone seems to like him even though it's clear he's hiding a million secrets. he doesn't catch on to the many many hints you're giving him. he calls you out not for being a danger to others but for being a danger to yourself. he thinks you should be protected as well as trusting you to protect him (and you think, how can someone be a victim and a protector?). he doesn't give a flying fuck what literally anyone thinks about him. he comes back from being waterboarded and tortured and abused for weeks (to protect you) and is still as feisty and bitchy as before. except now he's a redhead and has many more scars. he is possibly the first person to ever make the active decision to protect you. he's willing to put himself in harm's way again and again and again so he won't lose you. he always has a cigarette but he never smokes. he says "you're not actually a sociopath are you?" and "the next time someone calls you soulless i might have to fight them". even though he's messy and a little oblivious he's sees you. he might be the only person to ever want you off your drugs. he wants to see you lose control, is aware that you're not out of control, you're actually so controlled and restrained all of the time and he wants to see you feel something, he wants you to be angry, be angry at him. he riles you up on purpose to see you show emotion, feel something. he's a runner and yet he's still possibly the bravest person you've ever met. he gets kidnapped and comes back even more bruised and battered than before and he's still a mouthy little shit who bitches at the press and cuts deals with the yakuza. he's most of the reason why the worst team in the nation ends up winning championships. he shoves a guy clean off his feet because they body checked you. he punched celebrity athlete riko moriyama in public, for you. he threatens him, for you. he's almost killed on live tv. he mouths off to the fbi. he watches the (second) best exy player in the world get shot. he also watches his father, notorious serial killer and gangster, get shot in front of him. and he laughs. he smiles. he kisses you and is never gonna run again and he's free and he wants to be with you, he wants you.

[unfortunately-not-a-chip]

Neil Josten is an amazing protagonist and here’s why‼️ first off he gets into the juicy stuff from page one! “Oh? Wanna hear about my dead mom? Sure! Why would I lie to myself when I can lie to everyone else?” Also ever read about a character being a bitch and you wanna jump their ass and tell them they’re a stupid bitch? NEIL JOSTEN WILL!! He will not hesitate to go for the damn throat. Abuser you wish would die? Boom he took out a hit on them. Character being a bitch? You know I get it. Also he sees problems and he fixes them‼️ bob the builder ass over here rekindling connections n shit. You see the twinyards and wish, damn wish they would talk to each other, well good for you Neil Josten is going to poke them with a stick until they do!! I just love Neil so bad can you tell…

[k-arina1-3]

No because Neil is the coldest motherfucker in all the world. He never falters.

Like Andrew, I get it. Doesn't mean I wouldn't blow him, too.

[ionlydrinkhotwater]

I still think about the fact that according to Nora, the man Neil and Kevin watched the Butcher murder in the East tower when they were kids was an assassin who came to murder Riko. And Riko MADE Kevin and Neil watch to send them a message. Especially Neil (you're dad works for ME and I can make him kill you too).

Then at the end of TKM Neil watches with satisfaction as Riko is murdered by his own brother who Neil manipulated into killing him. In the same east tower.

Also Tetsuji who tried to force Neil to bow was forced to bow his own head while his protégé was killed beside him and his exy career and legacy forever diminished.

Neil didn't just beat these guys at Exy is what I'm saying. Then he goes back to his team with a big grin on his face

When Jean thinks this about Neil RIGHT before the game where this all goes down:

"The smile that curved Nathaniel’s mouth was slow and hungry and hateful. It twitched a bit as Nathaniel tried to force it away, but he finally had to use the side of his hand to smooth it off his face. The look he turned on Jean was almost serene, but Jean still saw the madness in his eyes.”

I mean the layers to this are so good, I'm obsessed with the Neil/Nathaniel dynamic that goes on inside Neil

[falafels]

kevin to neil in tfc

[jeanmoreaux]

casually ordering a hit on one of jean’s abusers and being willing to pay any price for it and then simply going about his day, all with jean sitting right there, is probably just about the sexiest thing neil josten has ever done

[andrew-minyard-stan]

I will never get over the fact that Neil is constantly jealous of the other foxes parental issues. Or there horrible situations. Like when Renee is trying to have a lil heart to heart with him about her background and problems he’s just internally like “ugh lucky. I would KILL for your situation.”

AND THAT PART WITH ABBY SEEING HIS SCARS where she’s talking about how she’s probably seen a whole lot worse to make him feel better and he’s like “*sigh* fuck I hope not. I mean *sigh* honestly you can’t even IMAGINE the shit I’ve had to deal with.” Neil is so petty I love that man

[quiescentdestiny]

Getting Jean's perspective of Neil has casually reminded me that Neil really was out here in tfc acting like Andrew was insane for thinking he was a mole for the Ravens.

Like the man was so offended that Andrew would assume that, even though he spent every moment before that being completely fucking feral, having a literal shrine to Kevin and Riko in his bag at all times along with $250,000 in what amounts to cash, knew french well enough to not only yell at Kevin with no context, but say something that got Kevin to throw him against a wall in retaliation....

This is the man who had the audacity to act like Andrew's assumption that he was hired by the Moriyamas was completely unreasonable.

[itseyaaaa]

me when Wymack said this to Jean:

"(...)I know why you think you have to go back to Evermore, and I know what’s waiting for you there. I will burn this house down before I let him touch you again."

[kevindavidday]

okay but jean having a breakdown post tsc 2 interview and all three of his love interests rushing to him to console him in various ways and it overwhelms him so much he ends up leaving them behind to sit next to neil instead

[joejhang]

y'all ever think about when someone asked nora what would happen if the moriyamas killed andrew as a warning and neil crashes out SO BAD he literally ditches the "neil josten" persona just like that and reverts back to nathaniel hb pulled out ALL the stops he literally hunts down proust, goes to JAPAN just to give himself over as a HITMAN to the moriyamas' rival mafia family so he can take down the moriyama empire from there...thinking about that au. obv i would never want it to happen but GOD the power he holds.