#aaron and nickys complicated relationship

[andreilslovechild]

Aaron and Nicky

Okay so I vaguely discussed this on my previous post about Aaron and hatred, but I needed to say more on the topic bc it kinda just recently popped up in my head again and it's just...ugh so good.

When Aaron moved to SC, he was 13, and Nicky was like 17ish. So, depending on what year he was in, he would have been either in his junior or senior year of high school. Assuming he was in his senior year, Aaron would have only had around, let's say... around 7-8 months with him assuming they moved during the summer.

Aaron would probably have talked to Nicky a few times a year before this. Maybe once every month or two when Luther talked to Tilda, but not really anything special. They probably saw each other a few times for holidays when Luther would pay for their plane tickets. You know the classic long-distance cousins. You don't talk much, but you still know things about each other.

Then, once Aaron moved to SC after finding out about Andrew, he would have been reeling from that discovery, alone, and in a new city he'd probably only been in once or twice before. And even then, he'd probably only been to nickys house, church, and back again. So he would have clung to whatever familiarity he could find.

Him and Nicky would hang out or talk on the phone when Tilda was too high to care, and Aaron used him as an excuse to get out of the house and away from her heavy hands and the crushing silence that echoed in the new house that was already falling apart. He would have picked up on the type of language older kids used, even kids his own age really, would have tried to fit in by using it, and at the time homophobic or vaguely offensive language would have been the norm. Aaron himself may not have used them against Nicky specifically, but Nicky would have heard Aaron using things like "fag" or "gay" as an insult.

Whether Aaron knew Nicky was gay is up for debate, but it's probably likely he knew that Nicky had "strayed from the path of god" or so Luther would have put it. He'd probably heard about the conversion camp in passing, though he likely didn't know what it really was. I think it was mentioned too that Nicky tried to act straight after his experience at conversion camp somewhere in the EC, so Aaron was probably under the impression that Nicky was "cured" like Luther and Maria were.

But long story short, during those 7-8 months, nicky was Aaron's closest friend. I doubt Aaron was very social, so even after school started, he probably didn't make friends that easily, so he hung out with nicky most days, and they did their homework together or whatever. Very sibling like. I think Nicky was the one to convince Aaron to reach out to Andrew against Tilda wishes, and probably the one to comfort him when he recieved a big fuck you back. He was the closest thing Aaron had to real family.

He probably noticed nicky wasn't as happy as he liked to seem, but he was a kid and the most he could do about it was spend lots of time with him and try and get him to genuinely smile now and then.

And then there was the Germany trip.

Aaron wasn't happy Nicky was going on the trip, and Nicky was probably a bit guilty for leaving Aaron behind, but Aaron wouldn't have stopped him from going when Nicky so clearly wanted to. He thought it'd be 5 months or so, and then he'd be back. Just 5 months of crushing loneliness, and he'd have his cousin back.

I think Aaron started using properly for the first time while Nicky was gone on that exchange trip. He'd used a few times here and there before, but not regularly. And certainly not enough to crave them. But with nicky gone, he didn't have any other way to escape. He told himself he'd stop when Nicky came back, except Nicky didn't come back. Not really. He was back for maybe 2 weeks total to officially graduate and pack up his things, and then he was back to Germany because he'd found some perfect gay lovestory there. So he kept using.

I think Aaron resented Nicky leaving him for a long time. He left him alone to suffer his mother and their crazy family by himself. He may not actively realize it, but it also makes him resent nickys sexuality a bit too because if Nicky wasn't gay this wouldn't have happened, and he'd never have left him.

Then three years has come and gone, and andrew is there, Aaron's no longer alone, but Tilda dead. And then Nicky comes back to take care of them. Fights for them. Makes sure they stay with him. And he's nothing like the Nicky Aaron remembers. Well, he kind of is, but not really. He's more flamboyant and bubbly and waaay to talkative and sexual and Aaron isn't sure what to do about it. The first few times were an accident, tired and hurt, and going through withdrawal as he screamed insults at the locked bathroom door. He heard nickys voice and begged him to let him out and then insulted him when he didn't.

But he also notices afterward how they make nickys smile turn a little bit tight. And then the insults become a test. A way to push even more to see if Nicky would break. If he would hit and scream like Tilda or glare and use the stick like Luther. But he didn't. Not even a little bit. Not even once. And slowly, Aaron forgets that that's what the words were supposed to be. He just uses them casually, the insults at the tip of his tongue whenever nicky does something he can comment on. It just becomes normal. And he sees the way nicky brushes them off, but not really. He can see through the mask. But he just can't stop.

It takes years of practice and therapy and more than a few seriously uncomfortable conversations for Aaron to properly get his tongue under control. But he tries. And trying is enough for nicky when it comes to them. After all, nicky had dealt with Andrew, too, who was arguably worse in some ways.

Nicky and Aaron's relationship is infinitely complicated in so many ways. They went from distant family to friends, to strangers, guardians, and children, to finally being just cousins. It takes a long time and probably isn't until after both of them have graduated and Nicky is back in Germany, but they get there in the end, and that's the important part.

(Credit to creamka_ on ig for the art love them)

[joejhang]

my aftg hot takes

most of these are pretty lukewarm but i'm gonna get flamed for them anyway but whatever. spoilers ??? ahead ??? idk read at ur own risk

i don't think andreil ever say i love you to each other; i feel like the discourse about this is virtually endless ever since nora said it but honestly her explanation was so valid??? they're such a show not tell couple it just makes so much sense for them to show the "i love you" in their actions than ever saying the words out loud. esp bc neither of them have ever really heard those words and have them mean anything real or true or actually loving. personally i think their little percentages and the "i hate you"'s and kisses and keys mean more to them than an "i love you" ever could. i'm not a purist on this tho i do think i could visualise it happening maybe somewhere along the road i just think nora's explanation for this is very very in line with canon andreil.

i don't hate thea muldani; i've made a post abt this but basically my thoughts around her are literally just: she's a human being, and she's never gonna be perfect. i also find it very...interesting how the fandom likes to flame thea (an explicitly stated woman of colour) for being "problematic" and a "terrible person/character" when she doesn't act all that different from andrew, neil and kevin (white men) ??? idk it seems a little strange to me bc she seems pretty on par with them on whatever moral compass this batshit crazy fandom has decided to impose on these fictional and very much morally ambiguous characters. anyway go check out my post i go a lot deeper into thea's character and why she does a lot of things wrong but i don't rlly think she's deserving of the insane amounts of hate she gets in the fandom.

i don't think andreil ever get married; this MIGHT be me projecting bc the idea of marriage is just a very complicated and rough concept in my mind but also just i feel like there's something so beautiful about andreil never really putting a label on their relationship??? like they never define it by calling the other their "boyfriend" or "husband" they just are. they have nothing "concrete" binding them like a marriage certificate but they choose to stay with each other through everything. idk it's real to me but again i'm not a purist people can do whatever they want.

i've said it before but i'll keep saying it till enough people hear me: the aftg fandom mischaracterises literally the main fucking characters; i'm mostly talking about andrew and ESPECIALLY neil here bc neil is not a sweet, sunshiney, oblivious, blushy softboy and andrew is not a cold, unemotional, stoic, "conceal don't feel" stone. since i've already bitched on and on about neil's mischaracterisation let's just talk about andrew for a sec. i think andrew is actually a deeply emotional person and is fully aware of the feelings he experiences. does he vocalise or express them often? no but more often than not they show themselves anyway. him crashing out after neil was kidnapped, letting himself get walked like a dog by neil for three books straight, choking allison for slapping aaron, idk i could go on. but yeah you get it.

i don't actually think neil is that oblivious; before people come at me like "but nora said!" or whatever yeah, i know she said he's as dense as a brick when it comes to people flirting with him. considering how much of the ec the aftg fandom likes to disregard allow me to disregard this little bit of it, yeah? this isn't me tryna impose my own projections onto nora's characters, this is lit just me tryna explain how i understand neil josten (he's my bsf btw). he literally clocks his feelings for andrew in trk (after his deep convo™ with nicky) but he just files it away for later bc he doesn't consider attraction or romantic interest anything to be thinking about considering he's got the mafia and his serial killer dad on his tail. i also don't really blame him for not catching onto andrew's feelings earlier (tho doesn't he get pretty fucking close during that one convo they have in exites in trk???? someone correct me if i'm wrong but) bc dude andrew was out here sending fucking mixed ass signals like bro was saying "you are a pipe dream" and "i hate you" in the same fucking conversations like??? neil has always taken andrew at face value and he's not about to question him now. he's also never confused or uncertain about nicky or marissa and what their comments about him meant, he just genuinely does not gaf about them so he doesn't acknowledge them or pay them any attention in his narration. i truly truly think his dismissal of all the advances made upon him in aftg were borne out of indifference, not obliviousness.

have already said this in detail but i don't think andrew's actually a misogynist; the wording doesn't feel right. i'd probably describe andrew's distrust of women (esp. those in motherly/mother roles) as a similar ingrained wariness that neil has for older men. this is something borne out of trauma and shitty experiences that takes time and trust to unlearn. nora says a lot of things the fandom disregards and for me, this is one of those things i'm a little iffy about. misogyny actually isn't reflected in andrew's actions at all, i'd say. does he respect women? no. but he doesn't respect anyone unless they've actually earned it. and among the people he does respect and care for there are women (renee, bee). he doesn't treat women any differently and obv doesn't think they're any weaker than men are (considering renee wipes the floor w him their first sparring sesh). andrew's an equal opportunity hater and i don't think he actually has any sexist or even misogynistic tendencies. i think what is there is just a slightly biased worldview of disliking/mistrusting mother figures, given his bad experiences w tilda and cass (they've left him w more long-term emotional damage that's probably rlly difficult and complicated for him to work through esp considering cass did love??? him and he did want her enough to be willing to suffer dr*ke to be close to her; there's more to it but for the sake of word count i won't go into it) but honestly it doesn't actually show that much??? if people wanna say he hates women, sure, but for one, he doesn't hate a lot of things he's just very indifferent to them and two, he holds a pretty similar apathetic distaste for most people and things, so it's not like a very big distinction. i also think the whole "no girls" thing w aaron was very much a personal thing, and his mistrust of katelyn probably came from aaron's past (apparently negative) experiences w other girlfriends and friendships in general. and if i remember correctly the deal wasn't even "no girls" it was just "family only" which is why aaron didn't make friends w the rest of the foxes either. i digress but i don't think saying "andrew isn't a misogynist" is robbing him of any nuance as a character.

i like nicky and honestly feel similarly towards him as i do about thea; he isn't perfect and never will be and i think while the way he acts towards neil and others (see: matt, kevin) is pretty untoward and inappropriate, i also do see where he's coming from, esp after aaron's explanation of it. that it's a defence mechanism coming from someone who's experienced a lot of prejudice and harm because of his sexuality. obv i think everyone can agree his assault on neil was fucked up but i think nora was right in saying that nicky was high and drunk and not rlly in his right mind at the time, and he does apologise and i'm pretty sure she also said he and neil work it out privately anyway. he's a messy character and definitely not perfect queer rep but again, he's pretty realistic, and i think he's honestly a rlly well-written and complex character.

[the-fox-with-no-name]

Aftg Skit Tumblr edition: Anonymous question to the Foxes: “What happened to hey, hi, or hello, you wanna have lunch, or dinner, or wanna go on a date?”

Matt: “Hey, hi, or hello? I say that to Dan every day! Then we have lunch and dinner together because we’re basically living the rom-com life.”

(Ends with some cute emojis like ❤️🍕.)

Dan: “What do you mean? That’s literally how Matt asked me out for the first time. Guys, the classics still work if you’re sweet and not a jerk about it.”

(Attaches a cute throwback photo of them sharing coffee.)

Nicky: “Oh, honey, they’re too busy swiping on apps and using gifs for flirting these days. No one has the guts to ask someone out properly! But for real, if someone texted me hey, hi, or hello and asked me to lunch, I’d marry them on the spot, even if it’s, like, Taco Bell! PLEASE bring this energy back, the streets are lonely!!!”

#Love you Erik!!! 💋 😗 💏 😙 😽 😚 💋 

Kevin: “That’s because people are lazy and weak. They rely on ridiculous emojis and don’t understand how to communicate clearly. If you want something, just say it.

Also, 'hey, hi, or hello' isn’t even efficient these days.”

Neil: “I don’t understand the question. Are people not capable of saying this anymore? It’s a string of words. Just say it. Is this a real issue?”

(Blunt and confused, clearly missing the social context entirely.)

Andrew: “Because it’s pointless and stupid. Nobody needs to say all that. Either ask directly or leave me alone. I’m not interested. Don’t ask again.”

(Sounds like a threat and probably terrifies half of Tumblr into deleting their blogs.)

Nicky (freaking out in the tags): #oh my god andrew no one’s even asking YOU out calm down

#why are you like this??

#neil you’re not helping either WHAT IS THIS TEAM

#can we have normal answers for once??

Aaron: "I don’t see the problem. It worked fine for me. I said ‘Hey’ to Katelyn, and now we’re engaged. I mean, it’s not that hard. Just don’t overthink it."

Nicky (in the tags, of course):

#aaron THAT IS NOT HOW YOU ASKED HER OUT YOU WERE A NERVOUS MESS ESPECIALLY WITH ANDREW WATCHING YOU

#katelyn is the reason it worked don’t lie

#stop acting like you’re cooler than you are!!!

Neil: "I don’t bother with all that. I just ask Andrew if he wants to eat, and he usually just goes with it. It’s not complicated."

Nicky (in the tags, again):

#'he usually just goes with it' NEIL THAT’S A RELATIONSHIP RIGHT THERE

#why do you make it sound like you’re exchanging strategies in a war instead of planning a date

#these two need therapy but like… together??

#andrew is 100% glaring while neil types this

Kevin: "What’s even worse is that their entire relationship started because Andrew hit Neil with a fucking racquet that day in Arizona. That’s not ‘hey, hi, or hello.’ That’s assault. And somehow, it evolved into whatever this is. Neil asks, Andrew grunts, and people in this app call it romance. It’s frankly nauseating."

Nicky (in the tags, losing his mind):

#KEVIN YOU DID NOT NEED TO BRING THAT UP

#why are you like this

#also stop pretending you know anything about romance you're the LAST person qualified to comment

#i hate it here

Neil: "If you think about it, it was kind of breathtaking. Not just the hit itself, obviously, but what it led to."

Alison (texting the group chat):*"What the hell? How did we go from ‘hey, hi, or hello’ to breathtaking abuse? Can you fuckers stay on topic for five minutes?"

Nicky (back in the tags):

#NEIL WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS

#breathtaking MY ASS

#ANDREW STOP GLARING AT ME I CAN FEEL IT THROUGH THE SCREEN

#Alison is the only one making sense right now for once

Renee: "I think it’s sweet, in its own way. Everyone’s version of love looks different, and theirs just happens to involve... unconventional beginnings. It’s still love."

(She ends her response with a serene emoji, probably a 🌸.)

Andrew: I hate him

Matt and Dan (immediately in the replies):

Matt: “Nope. I’m out. This got way too out of hand.”

Dan: “Same. We’re done here. Good luck, everyone!”

(They both log off Tumblr for the day, probably to go on a wholesome dinner date.)

Nicky (in the tags, yet again):

#renee you’re too nice for this team i swear

#matt and dan are the only sane ones to leave

#meanwhile neil is calling violence romantic

#WHY AM I EVEN STILL HERE

Jean (enters the chat panicking): "Guys, Jeremy just asked me out on a date. Like, an actual date, with burgers and ice cream. WHAT DO I DO? Is this normal? Do people just... do this??"

(Long pause in the group chat)

Kevin, Nicky, Aaron (all typed together): "Oh, Jesus Christ."

Neil: "Just go. I’ll be fine."

Renee: "Aww, that’s so sweet! You’ll have a great time, Jean. Jeremy is such a wonderful person."

Aaron: "I completely forgot about this guy’s trauma."

Andrew:":| "

Nicky (freaking out in the tags):

#EVERYONE IS SO USELESS EXCEPT RENEE

#jean sweetie it’s NORMAL JUST GO HAVE FUN

#but also kevin why are you like this you’re supposed to be his FRIEND

#and andrew could you TRY to be more supportive?? no? okay cool

#poor jeremy he’s gonna have to deal with this team’s emotional mess

[queenclacker]

Okay so I know that aaron and andrew have a very complicated relationship but I would like to believe that after therapy they get really close like twin creepy close but only the monsters can tell them apart but how they tell them apart is diffrent .

Like nicky can just tell because he lived with them f0r so long.

Neil can tell because to him andrew has a diffrent vibe and he just pays attention to the little details

But for kevin they look nothing alike to kevin they are saparate ppl (he has face blindness and focus on the gruff in their voices)

[seanleannan]

Okay so in no particular order, I haven't read the third book yet, but here are my opinions on The Foxhole Court and The Raven King (SPOILERS BELOW):

- I love Andrew SO MUCH. He's so complicated and funny and literally crazy and I think he's a brilliant character. I love Neil too, and I think Kevin is... fine. I like Nicky, I feel really bad for him. I didn't really form any set opinions on any character until near the middle of the second book, and when the whole scene where they drugged Neil happened I was like UM?!?!?!? Didn't like them for a good bit after that

- My heart actually broke because Neil just wants to play Exy, and he KNOWS he shouldn't sign to the Foxes but he just wants to play the game he loves for one YEAR THAT'S ALL HE WANTS

- The story of how Neil's mum died. And the whole trauma of having to burn her body, and not being able to keep anything of hers (even her phone, and then not having a phone until Andrew forced him) was horrific

- Andrew being physically small and then being the most terrifying, unpredictable agent of chaos is fucking phenomenal

- The other Foxes calling Andrew's gang "the monsters" is soooo good I love that

- I did NOT expect Seth to die and it threw me. I literally had no clue what this book was about when I read it lmao

- Andrew and Aaron's relationship. Oh my god. They literally killed for each other. I am not okay

- The Ravens, as Neil so aptly points out, are ABSOLUTELY A CULT. No one should ever care about anything as much as they care about Exy. It's insane. The matching outfits and the like secret hideout?? Nope. Get me out of there

- I actually can't even talk about the whole bit with Drake because it was so awful, all I'll say is I'm glad that mf is dead

- Andrew trusting Neil with his car AND to protect Kevin?? They're in love, your honour. A weird, fucked up kind of love, but in love nonetheless

- Neil spending Christmas with the Ravens. The forced tattoo. The literal near-death beatings and abuse. All for Andrew

PREDICTIONS FOR THE FINAL BOOK

- Neil's dad is going to appear somehow

- Neil and Andrew are going to have some weird kind of relationship that neither one wants to define and it'll probably end badly and break my heart

- Riko dies (I'm crossing all my fingers and toes for this)

[codename-adler]

hi queen (ignore this if i already sent this in, but i was really not sober when i sent in the first one so i can’t remember if i actually sent it or not god bless) but if it’s not too late for the WIP game what is the aftg x tlou wip 🙏 i’m obsessed with both tlou and aftg so im so curious

i realize i've answered you months ago but i'm in a yapping mood about that wip so hiiiiiiiii (i need to vent about Abby Winfield so this does not end up in the fic)

one of my BIGGEST struggle so far is to not make Abby unlikeable...

(if you are new to the blog, Adler does not like Abby here✨)

but because this is a Wymack-centric, Wymack pov fic, she's gotta be there, and i gotta respect Wymack's choice, so i gotta do her justice somehow

(no there will not be Wymack/Abby in this fic, nor any of mine ever, bc i cannot stand this puta)

now here is my dilemma: who tf do i cast her as?

obviously it should be Tess. obviously. i can work my way around making them NOT in a relationship, that's fine, Joel/Tess is complicated and murky too; what i cannot seem to reconcile is how Abby is so meek compared to Tess...

pros: Abby still being a nurse in this verse would give her the curiosity to prob at Neil's case of immunity

cons: it's Neil she's dealing with. never gonna get anything out of him, no chance in hell. so if she does not have the info on a potential cure, if she does not get hopeful, what is her motivation here? why would she care about him? the Foxes are not a thing, Neil's 18, plus she's not doing it for Wymack bc he doesn't want to have anything to do with Neil!

why would she sacrifice herself for Neil's "cause" ???

i love how all of this bs is just me trapping myself with personal hcs✨ (ut then it wouldn't be my fic otherwise, would it?)

so if she's not Tess, who is she?

she could be Rhemann's wife in /Jackson/, but AGAIN, Maria is strong af, and Abby is... Abby. Rhemann could build the commune and Abby be his nurse/medic wife, but that's erasing a woman in power, a Black woman no less, so i don't really vibe with that... plus now i just got a lightbulb moment, so yeah, ok, she could be just a wife with no real purpose in /Jackson/ (hey, that sounds an awful lot like her role at PSU... jk jk)

but more importantly, if she's not Tess, who is?

Rhemann, Kevin, Neil, Andrew, Aaron, Jeremy, Jean, Thea, Matt, Seth, Robin, Renee, Allison, Stuart, Ichirou, Riko, Tetsuji, Mary, Nathan, Lola, Nicky, Erik, Tetsuji, Kengo have all alreayd been cast/have a role 😅

who's left: Laila, Cat, Katelyn, Dan...

could it be Dan? his second-in-command, his captain, yes, but he's already lost Kevin, and killing off one of his adoptees for another does not make sense 😭

ok i'll admit all this mental gymnastics was really fun + i figured it out while ranting, so yay! yay me! thanks Jess for letting me use your ask to go a little mad 😅🫶

stay tunèd <3

[themundanemudperson]

okay kevin day for the character thing :(

- @you-know-i-get-itt

ask game

yay Kevin!!!

First impression: not really too sure (it's been a bit) but I liked him from the get go. Bitchy characters are some of my faves and Kevin fits that to a t

Impression now: Kevin my dearest darling beloveddd. He is such a complicated guy (with his trauma responses and all) and he's still an iconic dive <3. Not my number 1 little bitch babygirl (that's Phillip) but he is certainly one of them

Favourite moment: basic answer ngl but switching his raquet from his right hand to his left during the final match against the Ravens. He was so cool for that. I'd watch so many edits of that moment if I could

Idea for a story: I lowkey wanna write an outsider POV fic of his classmates in his history classes just like. reacting to THE Kevin Day. and how he's kind of an ass. It needs to from the POV of someone who has never been interested in exy in their life. And in the end Kevin grows on them (like he did with the Foxes) so he gets new friends!!!! (who will argue about history with him)

Unpopular opinion: don't really have one? I guess I prefer aroace Kevin to bi Kevin but that's not much of a hot take

Favourite relationship: Kevin and Aaron. What are they doing in the dorms while Andreil are on rooftops and Nicky's in class...... /hj Genuinely I just like them. Platonic and romantic. Aaron's take no shit attitude and Kevin's diva demeanor mix very well (for me)

Favourite headcanon: the older he gets the more he looks/acts like Wymack. He still looks just like Kayleigh, but he crosses his arms when he's yelling the same way Wymack does. Develops the same frown lines. Stuff like that

[ok555ficideas]

With all mine Aaron&Neil posts, I thought it is important to mention that although they are prime besties material in my eyes I am well aware that the spot is already occupied in Neil's life by Matt, so here is something for them from my fic where Neil has amnesia

they are drunk here, btw:

They sat there in silence for a while when Neil turned around to face Matt and saw his friend's sad expression. 

“Matt, Dan only went to the bathroom, no need to miss her already.” Neil said. 

Matt shook his head. “It’s not about Dan. I miss you.” 

“I’m right here.” Neil said although he suspected that was not what Matt meant. 

The thing was that he knew he and Matt were friends before Neil lost his memories. He felt it deep in his bones. He was so focused on repairing all of his other relationships that he kind of forgot to do that with Matt.

“You’re not.” Matt whispered and Neil saw the tears that started gathering in the backliner’s eyes. 

“I’m sorry.” Neil said and scooted closer to Matt on the couch. 

“It's not your fault that you don’t remember.”  Matt said through the lump in his throat. 

“I knew we would be alright.” Neil said and after seeing Matt’s confused face continued. “Aaron and Kevin took me by surprise. I had no idea that me and Kevin even were friends until he spelled it out to me; and it was always easy to find the time for him, because time with him equals time with Exy. Aaron was not my friend before, but somehow that little bastard slid his way into my heart.” Neil said, his speech slurred a little from the wine. He pointed a finger at Matt or at least tried to, but probably failed. “Don’t you dare tell him that. Anyway, I had to get to know Nicky more, because I felt like he was important to me and my last memory of him was not very good, so I had to replace it. I kept calling the girls, first with some problems, but then thought that I wouldn’t be seeing much of them so I needed to put in some effort. Andrew was complicated. I had to know what it was about him, that made me feel like I have never felt before. All of those relationships were in some way complicated and I felt the need to solve them. You and me, though.” Neil gestured between the two of them, before saying more. “We’re not complicated. I knew you’d be here. I don’t remember much of you, but I just knew that you’d wait for me.” 

Matt burst out crying at that and although Neil usually had no idea what to do in a situation like this he surged to hug his friend with no hesitation. 

[playthe-piper]

WE GOT MY LITTLE SISTER INTO AFTG LETS FUCKING GO

current predictions: she’s gonna love andrew and jean, absolutely despise kevin and jeremy (in the beginning), she’s gonna have a complicated relationship with aaron but will like nicky and neil. she reminds me of Renee so let’s see how this goes.

[theartistichuman]

can you explain everyone’s role in your alpha/beta/omega dynamics? like what is kevin n why?

Absolutely I can! A lot of these are going to be betas because in my au secondary gender status has a threshold for diagnosis and there’s more than 3, but only 3 are societally recognized. I have more more dumps here and here

- Kevin is a beta who does not experience ruts/heats. He does not for the life of him understand the experience of a rut/heat and he does not care to, because it’s in his periphery.

- Neil is, obviously, an omega. Amab omegas aren’t rare, but he is the only one on the team. Because amab omegas are the only group of people that can be assigned omega at birth, theres a lot of them, but because of stereotypes they’re considered ‘unsuitable’ for sports. Male omegas face a lot of problems because they’re considered sex-crazed and weak, that they’re somehow ‘wrong’ men.

- Dan is also an omega. Her status as both a woman and an omega get her backlash for being the Captain. Being an omega doesn’t mean that you’re less anything, but Dan has to fight it anyways.

- Matt is a beta who experiences ruts. They’re really not obvious and for the most part no one notices when they happen, but there’s a solid week where he gets really really angsty about everything and needs to eat an insane amount of fried food.

- Allison is an alpha. Afab alphas are the only group of people that are alpha at birth, and as a result there are more afab alphas than amab alphas. Afab the social expectation for them is that their partner has kids, but they themselves raise them. Male omegas are supposedly only for female alphas because they’re “easier to impregnate” (obv not true). Allison does not want that, and is loud about her desire to never have to raise kids. This makes her controversial.

- Seth was a beta who just missed the threshold for alpha. As a result of internalizing shitty ideas, he made this everyone else’s problem.

- Renee is also an alpha. She has a lot of shame surrounding it, because she’s internalized the idea that alphas are aggressive. She views herself as aggressive and feels that a majority of her worst impulses come from her status.

-Andrew is an alpha. Amab alphas aren’t rare, but they’re certainly less common. The expectation of Amab alphas is that they date within the beta pool, or are with a female omega. This makes his and Neil’s relationship queer in two ways: homosexual and against secondary social norms. Andrew was initially worried about Allison as a dating prospect for Neil when he first arrived.

-Aaron is a beta who just missed the threshold for alpha. He didn’t have any problems with it until he met Andrew. In all actuality, Aaron likely could change his marker, but the thought doesn’t occur to him.

- Nicky is a beta who experiences heats. It’s a big spot of controversy in his family because Nicky has a complicated secondary gender status. He could have been assigned omega, but his reproductive system was discounted as too small. His father hates that his son could have been an omega and hates that Nicky experiences heats and can produce slick. It doesn’t help that Erik is an omega, and Nicky doesn’t have a ‘strong alpha influence’ to ‘fix him’

- Wymack is a beta who does not experience heats or ruts. Neil is still only wary of him because he’s a man his father’s age

- Bee is an alpha. Not much to say about that

-Abby is also a beta, but she experiences heats the way Matt experiences ruts. (Very minimally)

[rileychester]

We all know that Aaron and Chas have one layered, complicated, and volatile relationship.

Caleb and Nicky also seem to have a layered, complicated, and volatile relationship too.

Where Cain had a much more solid relationship with Aaron, than Chas ever did through the years.

I wonder will that happen with his new nephew Nicky too?

That Cain becomes a closer parental figure in Nicky’s life than Caleb after all this comes out?

[ilektrasteam]

*Sigh* here we go again. Been in 2 other fandoms that confuse unsettling behavior for paraphilias. Thankfully here majority know that, but when people label an antagonist without any implications from the plot (hell, in one fandom the villain is explicitly stated that their motive behind their actions is NOT sexual in nature), it especially annoys me because it waters down a complicated character to the average discord gooner. It appears to me that some people forget that a person can be unsettling, obsessive or abusive without any "weird" incentives. Though, if that person has only watched the show so far and hasn't gotten involved with the rest of the franchise, I can see why someone may be confused with theodore's behavior with the way he talks about Nicky in s2, because the AS hasn't told its audience yet that Nicky is correlated with the Peterson's, or the complicated relationship of Nicky, Aaron and Theodore, or mr Peterson's mental issues. Or the implications that the Peterson's view Nicky as a close family friend (ok idk about theodore, but Mrs "just call me Diana *kisses Aarons and Nickys foreheads*" peterson definitely doesn't mind Nicky being around). But in the scene where he visits Trinity's parents the objective is clearly to intimidate her away from investigating

Alright, so, I was scrolling trough someone's tumblr and I wanna talk about this (no hate, it's just my opinion)

Theodore Peterson is NOT a pedophile, if he was, Aaron would also be traumatised in the game, and would probably hate his father. I feel like people tend to forget that an adult smiling in a weird way can also mean that they're planning to kidnap or kill the kid. Plus the reason of why he grabbed Trinity in ep 6 s1 was because he wanted to at least make sure Trinity wouldn't tell ANYONE about the kidnapping. Theodore is NOT a good person, but he would NEVER go this far. He has a son, Theo has a bit of decenty in him, he knows to NOT grape (without the G) kids.

It's just my opinion tho

[professionalfangirl24601]

I've always wondered if Andrew slept on the top or the bottom bunk. Since he's afraid of heights, I thought it was the bottom bunk, but then we know he gives his bed up to Robin and shares with Neil in his last year. So he must be sleeping on the top bunk at one point of the books.

I know that Andrew intentionally goes to the roof to feel fear, but there's time and place for everything. Nothing bad has happened to Andrew on a rooftop (that we know of), so it's a safe place to practice feelings. Plus, he decides when to go there. I don't think feeling afraid in his bed would be a good idea for him.

Today I've solved this dilemma by deciding that Andrew used to sleep on the bottom bunk, but then moved to the top one. He doesn't feel afraid because he has a wall against his back and a Neil in front of him.

[xmelimelonx]

Reasons I relate to the AFTG characters.

Neil: complicated relationship with mom. like running.

Andrew: overprotective. very blunt.

Kevin: annoying.

Nicky: extroverted and gay.

Reene: try to be nice, would kill a bitch tho.

Allison: like pink. very much a material girl.

Dan: hate men except for like 2 exceptions.

Matt: malewife energy.

Aaron: a nerd.

Bonus.

Riko: I, too, have intricate and endless daddy issues.

[altruistic-meme]

AFTG fic recs

Hi all! I just wanted to share some of my all-time favorite fanfics for aftg, for no real reason other than I want more people to read them and send their love to the authors :) 

Under a readmore because it got. A little long. But please enjoy!

WIPs

Dangerous Habits by LovelyLittleGrim ( @lovelylittlegrim )

Andrew has run into problems while on undercover jobs before. None of those problems were anything like the troublesome runaway that is one Nathaniel Wesninski

Aka: the fic where Andrew is undercover as a hitman for hire and Neil is the guy who hires him. Things get complicated from there.

Undercover Andrew? BAMF Neil? Hitman AU?? Absolutely. I’m in love. The story is just *chef kisses*

Chapters: 8/9

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, past rape/non-con, Drake Spear (who is his own warning), Butcher Neil, 

--

Negotiations by elesary ( @elesary )

This is what Andrew Minyard knows: his brother is dead, killed by a petty Raven prince who has never learned to keep his hands off of Andrew's things. His brother's daughters are his responsibility, a job that is made infinitely harder when their shitty grandparents want custody. Nathaniel Wesninski is a liar, but he might be the only way to avenge Aaron and protect his nieces. All Andrew has to do is watch Nathaniels - Neil's- back as he carves out his own life and identity from everyone who thinks they own him.

Andrew has always been good at upholding his end of the bargain, has he finally found someone willing to uphold theirs?

This fic has got me fucked up, honestly. I’m emotional over it. It’s fantastic.

Chapters: 11/?

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, attempted sexual assault, Butcher Neil,

--

the upper hand by plantelty ( @plantelty  )

Shortly after losing his mother, Neil arrives in the small town of Palmetto, South Carolina, alone in the world and with an impossible plan to carry through.

At the age of eighteen, Andrew ends up helping a boy stage his own death.

-

Just two fucked up boys learning to trust each other during the course of a summer, but also: multiple references to songs, twinyard angst (Nicky tries his best), The Plotting of Neil Josten's Gruesome Demise, and shit hitting the fan in a variety of ugly ways!

The cliffhanger has got me on the edge of my seat, but it is 100% worth the read and the wait for the last chapter!! 

Chapters: 10/11

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Canon typical violence, 

--

The Butcher’s House by Fire_Bear ( @fire-bear )

Andrew thought something was odd with the house the Foxes had to move into after their Athletes' House had been burnt down. He just wasn't prepared for what was actually wrong with it.

For this was a house full of monsters.

Ghost story! Ghost story! Ghost story! I literally think about this fic every other day, it’s fantastic. 

Chapters: 6/?

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Warnings: character death (major or minor is unclear), injuries, 

--

Promise of an Unbroken Boy by elesary ( @elesary​ )

Neil is caught by the police with Mary's burning body and is sent to juvie in Oakland where he is assigned to share a cell with one Andrew Doe, who promises him Exy, if only Neil will tell him all of his secrets. With no access to tinted contacts and hair dye, he agrees, it's only a matter of time until he's killed after all. What does he have to lose?

But Andrew's found someone who knows what a promise means, and he'll be damned if he lets that go without a fight.

Ngl this is definitely in my very top favorites -- I LOVE the idea of Neil and Andrew meeting pre-series, and this fic just BLEW my expectations for that plotline out of the waters

Chapters: 14/?

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, Underage, attempted rape/non-con, canon-typical violence, 

~~~~~~~~~

Complete

The Nameless Monster by kanekicure ( @kanekicure )

Nathaniel Wesninski wants nothing more than to see his father dead and buried. But when his father promises him the title of The Butcher, Nathaniel quickly realizes that his destiny of following in his father's footsteps is closer than ever before.

So of course, when he gets forced to go undercover for the Baltimore police, he starts seeing what living could truly be.

-

Andrew Minyard is a newly recruited police officer for the worst precinct in Baltimore, who is dedicated on hunting down the notorious Butcher and his unnamed underling. But when Neil Josten is thrown into his midst as his civilian consultant; he starts to realize some things don't quite appear as they seem.

I love the story telling -- the secret identities, the plotting, everything.

Chapters: 14/14

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, Butcher Neil, implied/referenced rape/non-con, implied/referenced child abuse, implied/referenced slef-harm (I believe there is a scene that is somewhat detailed on this subject), some characters also get drugged at one point, 

-- 

that’s just something people say by nanatsuyu ( @theoctopusnods )

Neil makes the mistake of stealing the wrong car. Andrew makes the mistake of offering a ride to a liar. They both make the mistake of turning the whole affair into a road trip ‘home.’

Gonna be honest; the summary does not give a big idea as to what is in store and i am SO GLAD I gave this one a try so i’m telling you that you will be too

Chapters: 24/24

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Warnings: implied/referenced child abuse, panic attacks (somewhat grahic descriptions of)

--

The Story After You by kanekicure ( @kanekicure )

Andrew Minyard does not understand how Riko Moriyama landed Neil Wesninski.

How the snot-nosed, small dick, rich brat, second son of the Moriyama family who also just so happened to own the largest EXY gear and merchandiser company in the world “RAVEN” - had landed smart mouthed, quick witted, stupidly blue eyed Wesninski, was beyond him. Well, unless Wesninski was a gold digger, but Andrew doubted it.

-

Or; how Andrew Minyard says he doesn't get into messy situations, until he meets Neil and suddenly he is in the most messiest possible situation ever imagined in his life - oh and also, he might be becoming a homewrecker.

Ok I am behind bc I haven’t read the final chapter of this but!! I love the story, it’s very emotional and moving, and I love the characterization in it.

Chapters: 10/10

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Abusive Riko/Neil, abusive relationship, implied/referenced rape/non-con, implied/reference child abuse, implied/referenced self-harm, graphic depictions of violence, some descriptions of injuries/scarring, 

-- 

This Complicated Life by 5a5b5p5 ( @andrewsbutterflyknife )

“This is exactly why I don’t want you and Andrew to meet,” Aaron says grumpily. “You two would get along far too well.”

Neil grins. “I just like pissing you off,” he says, “It’s not my fault your brother does such a good job at it.”

—

Neil doesn’t expect much from his Sophomore year of college, but when he becomes a waiter at the Palmetto Bistro, his life gets a whole lot more interesting. As it turns out, maintaining friendships new and old as well as navigating an interesting relationship with the head chef of the restaurant—who just so happens to be his best friend’s twin brother—is a lot more complicated than he’d thought it would be.

A much more light-hearted fic than most of the others! Includes a secret relationship, and also chef Andrew >>

Chapters: 10/10

Rating: Mature

Warnings: 

--

When I Fade, Keep Me in Your Memory by demesh 

Neil Josten has a secret: he can flicker out of existence.

He can vanish with the turn of a thought; click his fingers, and suddenly he’s not there anymore. Invisible and untouchable, he becomes a living ghost.

Having promised his mother never to let his ability go, Neil teeters the line between faded and real, a person and an echo. He can’t risk getting hurt.

But then, one day, someone sees him when they shouldn’t be able to.

 A (flower-shop) AU about how a faded and lonely Neil finds it in him to become someone real.

Another fic that I need to catch up on ;; but anyway it’s amazing and I love Neil’s ability in it, it’s so well explained and well-written about

Chapters: 12/12

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Warnings: mentions of past abuse, panic attacks

--

12 Ways to Woo a Minyard by NikNak22 ( @knickknacksandallthat )

Neil is a math nerd who, by a stroke of dumb luck, falls into a group of friends that are the closest thing to family he’s ever had. So, when he tells them about his new mysterious crush, he shouldn’t be surprised how immediately they come up with a plan to help win them over. One they insist that if Neil follows it, he’ll have them falling for him in no time. But things don’t always go to plan – or do they?

Nicky wants to set him up with someone else. Matt and Jeremy are confused but supportive. Allison and Seth offer lewd suggestions, while Dan does her best to keep everyone in line. Jean and Renee know something, Aaron doesn’t really care, and Kevin just wants Neil to join the lacrosse team.

But one thing’s for certain – whether Neil’s successful or not, everyone’s got money riding on this.

The romance-trope-filled fanfic of my dreams. Sometimes you just need a fic of pure joy -- this is that fic. 

Chapters: 14/14

Rating: Mature

Warnings: 

--

finders keepers by moonix ( @annawrites ​ )

Andrew meets Nathaniel through a scavenger hunt app. As their team takes part in a hunt that sends each of them to creepy, abandoned places alone to solve clues and gain points, Andrew and Nathaniel begin a little treasure hunt of their own. The anonymity of getting to know each other in small increments, never meeting face-to-face, allows them a level of intimacy neither are used to. Meanwhile Renee’s friend Neil is acting weird whenever Andrew shows up…

This was one of the first fics I read for aftg!! And BOY what a great start!! All of the little pieces and parts that work together, and just the scavenger hunt itself is fantastic! (I also REALLY wanna know if there is an app like this out there because I would be down to do that)

Chapters: 8/8

Rating: Mature

Warnings: (these all come from the author:) “mentions of historical abuse in a mental asylum, mentions of suicide, mentions of murder and kidnapping, morbid facts, creepy abandoned places including a haunted house at a theme park with disturbing rooms, special appearance of a creepy clown doll, fatphobia and some introspection on body image/complicated relationship with food, mention of self harm scars”

-----

Scared to Live (But I’m Scared to Die) by Major_816 ( @major816 )

Neil Josten goes to the Nest for Andrew, but he stays for a lot more.

~

"I'm sorry Coach," he muttered.

"For what kid?" Wymack shifted. "You've got to give me something to work with here."

Wymack watched the thin traces of sorrow as paper exchanged hands and he was looking down at a contract with the Edgar Allan Raven's.

"I signed them Coach, I'm sorry."

~

The one where Neil doesn't come back from Winter Break.

It is VERY dark, and is one of very few fics that I have actually been almost unable to read one of the scenes, so DEFINITELY pay attention to the warnings -- both these, and the ones provided for each individual chapter. I did go through the fic to collect as many warnings as I could find in the chapter warnings, but be sure to take care of yourself.

Chapters: 36/36

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: rape/non-con elements, implied/referenced rape/non-con, discussions of rape/non-con, canon-typical violence, graphic descritions, physical abuse, panic attacks, descriptions of injuries (often graphic), psychological warfare, dissociating, psychological torture, physical torture, use of knives, alcoholism/alcohol abuse, pain-induced delirium, rape/non-con, emotional self-separation, suicidal ideation/thoughts of suicide, emotional distress (which sums up the whole fic and also me while reading it), handcuffs/chains used as restraints, referenced/implied abuse towards animals, vomitting, begging, excessive use of painkillers, drowning, waterboarding, physical restraint, mutilation of an animal, mild hallucinations, non-con drugging, sleep deprivation, starvation, humiliation, the Butcher, 

Also one of the first fics I read and 100% my absolute favorite fic!!! Which is adfjhsd a little worrying, considering, but it is what it is. Anyway. This fic absolutely wrecked me, and while it is technically complete, there is a sequel in the works! So! But I am so so excited for the sequel, and I am working on rereading this. It’s amazing. 1000/10.

[darkblueboxs]

What your favourite aftg ship says about you

Inspired by the eldena doubleca5t youtube videos 

neil/andrew: you are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of deep-seated mistrust. You likely spent your teenage years obsessing over edgy anime boys who have trouble talking about their feelings. 

kevin/andrew: your ideal relationship dynamic is either bodyguard x protectee or hamster x banana

neil/kevin: you spend your saturdays panhandling outside nora’s house for spare kevin character development

neil/andrew/kevin: you just wanted good things for kevin, and really, who wouldn’t?

neil/matt: you are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of two bros chillin’ in a hot tub

dan/matt: you are a firm believer in men! getting! pegged!

renee/allison: you want a girlfriend that not only can kick your ass, but will do so on request

seth/allison: your ideal relationship dynamic is sitcom wife x sitcom husband

kevin/aaron: your interest in these characters’ established relationships is outweighed by your need to make it gay

seth/kevin:  you are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of wanting to punch each other in the face

allison/kevin: you may be firm believer in the inherent eroticism of wanting to punch each other in the face, but you mostly just want allison to step on you

seth/aaron: you are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of homophobia

dan/renee: you probably read the extra content

dan/allison: same joke as renison but you have a complicated relationship with religion

aaron/katelyn: your ideal relationship dynamic is marrying your highschool crush.

erik/nicky: you just wanted good things for nicky, and honestly, who wouldn’t?

laila/alvarez: you are always a slut for minor characters in dire need of more screentime

neil/ichirou: you don’t understand why anyone would waste their time fucking around with jock drama when there’s a sinister mafia boss right there

stuart/ichirou: this is the same joke as neil/ichirou but you also have a crippling addiction to dilfs

nathan/ichirou: this is the same joke as stuart/ichirou but you also a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of murder

neil/jean: you are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of shared trauma

kevin/jean: your belief in the inherent eroticism of shared trauma is outweighed only by your love for the childhood friends to lovers trope

neil/r*ko: you like andreil in theory, but you just don’t think they spent enough time wanting each other dead

kevin/r*ko: your love for the childhood friends to enemies to lovers trope outweighs your interest in avoiding becoming the subject of a callout post

jeremy/jean: your ideal relationship dynamic is tortured edgy boy with a soft spot for one (1) ray of sunshine

jeremy/kevin: your ideal relationship dynamic is getting your senpai to notice you

abby/wymack: you’re either a sucker for a cutesy team mom x team dad slowburn or you have a crippling addiction to dilfs

kayleigh/wymack: your addiction to dilfs is outweighed only by your addiction to pain

jean/renee: you are a firm believer in mlm/wlw solidarity

kevin/thea: you are nora sakavic