#and then she went and named her after him and ichirou was like (⁠‘⁠◉⁠⌓⁠◉⁠’⁠)

[unwillingtoreachout]

once again thinking about my ex-raven Neil au and 36 year old Neil meeting Ichirou's 15 year old daughter at a fan event

[constelationprize]

any stuart crumbs for us tonight?

I haven't really worked on it lately because I've been trying to focus on the fest fic (and coming up with a million other wips on the side to distract me from the fact that I cannot for the love of me get that fucking opening right). Buuuut here's a snippet from the funeral scene:

I feel like Neil and Stuart's relationship has a lot of potential, though it doesn't really get explored past the basic on this fic (at least not in my plans). I don't think they could ever see eye to eye in any universe that was not drastically different, and there is something to me that just feels right about this limbo they settle on, where Stuart is still protecting Neil from a distance but neither of them really have anything to do with each other, kind of like a mafia guardian angel. They both had one thing in common, and it was Mary, but even then she meant very different things to each of them. Now that she's gone, though, they remain connected by having been two people that loved her – and I think that does impact the fact that they won't let their relantionship evolve past being Mary's brother and Mary's son, as if they are preserving some part of her by refusing to let those versions of each other go, and allowing themselves to get closer as who they are now would shatter that illusion.

Also, I went through the last book and in his appearences after Baltimore, Stuart doesn't call Neil by name (granted, they have only one on-screen conversation), and in Baltimore, he calls him Nathaniel and not Abram – so though I do think Stuart refers to him as Neil in their conversations, in his mind Stuart will always think of him as Nathaniel. Because I think that while he doesn't resent Neil personally for it, Stuart is very aware of whose son he is.

(In a similar way, Stuart thinks of Ichirou as Ichirou even though he refers to him as Lord Moriyama most of the time before they get closer, because I do think fitting that a British man has some bones to pick with the class implications of the Moriyama's hierarchy and no one is stopping him from being blatantly disrespectful inside his mind. There is a pretty good case to be made in canon for the fact that Stuart doesn't really respect Ichirou at all even if he knows to fear him and that's a very fun balance to navigate).

It was also pretty fun to describe Andrew from the perspective of someone who is soooo indifferent to his existence. He's just a little guy to Stuart.

There's probably more I could say but I should really sleep now. So... Bone apple teeth?

[ch1ck3nnugg3t]

I feel like this whole thing is very confusing

Neil Josten real name Nathaniel Wesniski- when he was 10 he and his mother (Mary Hartford) took 5 million dollars and ran away from his abusive/serial killer dad (Nathan Wesninski) and went on the run for like 8 years I think. Mary took him and ran because Nathan was going to sell him to the Moriyama's side branch to play Exy when Neil was 10 they had him go to Edgar Allan for tryouts Neil just thought he was there to play Exy the next night Mary took him and ran. When Neil was 17 Nathan and his men caught up with them in Seattle where Neil and Mary are split up but then meet back again at a chosen location where they get in a car and drive Mary tells Neil to drive to the coast and Neil doesn't realize till it's too late that Mary had died he then proceeds to burn the car and bury the bones in the beach and from then he goes to millport Arizona for a year to be recruited by the foxes.

- through out his time in the run he has had 22 identities

- he does not find out till Kevin tells him that he belongs to the moriyamas(idk second or third book) or that the moriyamas are a mafia till wymack tells him (first book)

- his mother never told him why they were in the run

- Neil can speak three languages English German and French (and in the books he takes a Spanish class)

- in the books him and Andrew never officially started dating but yeah they're dating

Mary hatford (bc I feel like this needs to be explained)- the hatfords are the British mafia Stuart is Mary's brother also Neil's uncle Mary takes Neil to him for a little bit at the beginning but it was just exchanging one mafia for another Mary married Nathan with something to do with her connections to the Hatfords and Nathan's to the moriyamas ig (also btw we don't like Mary she was abusive to Neil on the run Neil will deny it was abuse but he is delulu)

The moriyamas- there are two different branches to the moriyamas the main branch and the side branch the main branch consists of kengo and ichirou (ichirou is kengos son) they handle the main stuff the side branch is tetsuji and riko (tetsuji is kengos brother and riko is also kengos son but he was the second born so he was put into the second branch(daddy issues😉)) they handle the Exy side ( in one of the towers during games the main branch does business there only during games tho as to prevent susiness) Nathan is the kengos right hand man (basically he kills people for them (really slowly))

Andrew minyard- him and his twin brother (Aaron minyard) were put up for adoption right after being birthed by their mother (tilda) but tilda took back Aaron right after leaving Andrew to go through the foster system where he went through many uhh not so nice homes (😬 SA) when he was like 13 (maybe???) he was put into cass spears home and he liked it there till her son drake spear came home from the military on leave (or smth) anywayyy he was also sexually abusing Andrew without cass finding out but Andrew liked it there so he put up with it till Andrew found out he had a twin brother and drake started saying some thing about liking twinsss(???) so Andrew told his brother to fuck off then got his self sent to juvie (I think he was 15) while in juvie he found out he was gay (yay?) at some point his uncle Luther came and got him out on early parole so he could go live with his brother (Aaron) and his mom( tilda ) Andrew tried to tell Luther about drake to prevent cass from fostering any other kids but he just called it a "misunderstanding" and that he just didn't understand "brotherly affection" Andrew only went to live with tilda because he found bruises on Aaron when he had visited the juvie so he had to go protect him. When he got out of juvie and went to go live with them he found out that Aaron hadn't had it so good bc tilda was an abusive mf and a drugie and probably got Aaron stuck on drugs anyway Andrew and Aaron made a deal that Andrew would get him off the drugs and keep tilda from hitting him and Aaron would stay with Andrew till the end of high school (they end up extending the deal to college when that happens) but she didn't stop so Andrew told her if she didn't stop he would kill her sooo that what he did he pretended to be Aaron got in the car with tilda and drove them into a tree or something it killed tilda that's what's important anyway so Nicky hemmick is Luther and Maria's son he is also gay and bc Luther is a crazy ass Christian he like disowned him or something Nicky went away in an abroad program for his last year of high school then decided to live there with his boy friend anyway Nicky came back for Andrew and Aaron when he heard about tildas death and became there guardian was supposed to last till the end of high school then he'd move back to Germany with his boyfriend but then he got the full ride scholarship with Aaron and Andrew and decided to stay till the end of the five year sports scholarship. So Nicky bought them and house in Columbia and got a job at sweeties while the twins were in high school at some point he gets him and the twins a job at edens (the night club(it's totally a gay bar)) sometime in Andrew's senior year he gets invited to the ravens by rkio and Kevin but he turns them down (not very nicely might I say) and as a respond Riko sends men to beat up Nicky while he's on a break at edens when Andrew hears about them beating his cousin up he rushes out there and beats the four men half to death at the court date he gets put on drugs bc he was unnecessarily violent. 

- Andrew started playing Exy in juvie and was crazy good at it for no reason he also claims to hates Exy (I personally think he's full of shit)

- Aaron and Nicky were totally only offered scholarships as a way to get Andrew in the line up but if Andrew had said no and Aaron said yes Aaron still would have been able to play bc wymacks not like that

- he wears the arm bands to hold his knives and to over his scars (SH scars btw)

Aaron minyard- kinda homophobic (blame the uncle) been abused by his mom an addict an asshole In general wants to be a doctor (I really don't like him in canon) 

The nest- aka the court at Edgar Allan uni there is an under ground area (they're gonna have vitamin D deficiencies )were the whole team lives it's not public knowledge everyone thinks they live in the housing areas (something like that) the nest has 16 hour days and most of that is spent practicing exy they are not allowed outside unless it's an away game or they're going to classes also they all have to take the same classes unless they can get someone else to take a class with them and they have to ask the master they are givin food that is measured to them (I'm convinced everyone there has an eating disorder bc it's so health it sickening) everyone in the nest has a partner (now they're going to have codependency issues) they share and room and have to be together all the time when one makes a mistake they are both punished for it (stg it's a cult) also they call tetsuji (he's the coach btw) the master (🤮)

Okayyyy Jean kevin and riko- (just so we're clear Jean is not pronounced gene it sounds more like john but with a French accent idk put it through google translate) okay so first of all Jean and Kevin are NOT dating 😭😭😭 can't say I blame you for thinking that tho and anyway riko is number one Kevin is number two Jean is number three and Neil is number four (unwillingly) Neil was meant to be number three but his mom took him and ran before that could happen the numbers are what riko wanted to be the prefect court he was number one bc we wanted to be the best then two saying Kevin was second best and so on. when they were little they would just write with marker the numbers but when they were old enough they got them tattooed so Jean was sold to the moriyamas to pay off debts his dad owed and (oh my poor baby went through it in the nest) Jean was treated as property Kevin had it slightly better bc he was just an investment never actually sold to them his mom Kaylee day ( that's not how you spell her name but I'm too lazy to google it) and tetsuji moriyama created Exy but when Kaylee died Kevin went to her friend tetsuji sooo don't hate Kaylee she didn't know how bad it would be also tetsuji I think set up her death it was someone in the moriyama family anyway so Kaylee wrote tetsuji a letter telling him who Kevin's dad was and guess what (it's wymack 😱) Jean and Kevin were friends and Jean taught Kevin French later Kevin and Jean were looking through tetsujis office and found the letter so years later when riko breaks Kevin's playing hand bc Kevin was better than him that's where he leaves my poor baby Jean in the nest and ( we don't victim blame tho so no hate on Kev at least for that now his attitude go ahead) goes to the foxes or to his dad wymack. Also in case it wasn't clear we don't like riko he's a psycho messed up in the head something (daddy issues 😉) 

Renee- oml this one she is a goalie for the foxes was adopted late in life my her mom Stephane walker she helped Renee, Renee became a Christian (not like Luther good lord) and is considered the sweetheart of the team her past now 😬 her real name is Natalie and she was in a gang shit went down ( meaning idk all the details ) and now she's all good she's like Andrew's only friend and the only person he'll tolerate and even likes every Sunday they like spar in the basement of the fox tower (pretty sure Renee like always wins) oh she also has got angle wins tattooed on her back (tho they look like devil wings)

Wymack bc I feel like i need to explain him- kaylee taught him how to play exy and he went on to make a program at the palmetto that only excepts people who wouldn't get excepted to other colleges (like people with records or past addictions) some people think it is a publicity stunt but it's not trust. in Neil's words he excepts "talented rejects"

Matt- aka Neil's bestie his dad got him hooked on drugs and he struggled with it till Andrew intervened in Andrew's freshmen year

Dan- is Matt's girlfriend she became a stripper in high school to help pay the bills ig she's also the foxes team captain

Allison- she got disowned from her family bc she wanted to play Exy and not take over the family business (plus she's like super rich or whatever ) (also btw like my fav character)

Seth - he dies at the end of the first book riko kills him (not personally ofc he gets someone else to do it) but he was allisons on again off again boy friend and he was a druggie

Exy- woah a lot with this one I don't think anyone could actually play with what with how much concentration would go into it okay so in order to have a full team to play you need at least 9 players. In the game at a time you have a goalie two backliners a dealer and two strikers. The court is like basically a big box the size of a soccer court there is typically walls the a roof to bounce the ball off of it's called plexiglass in the book.the goal isn't an actual goal with a net and all that it's just a box on the wall with sensors that light up when the ball hits it. If you have the ball you can only carry it for 10 steps before you need to pass it drop it bounce it off the wall something but you can't keep holding it. The goalie guards the goal. The backliners stop the strikers from scoring (at least try). The dealers deal and can pass to other players (preferably of the same team). And the strikers try and score points. Exy is a contact sport there is no tackling but you can check the other players but only if they have the ball (it's like lacrosse and ice hockey) 

These are all the players I can remember (I'm lazy and don't feel like googling the rest)

Foxes

Neil - striker

Andrew - goalie

Kevin - striker

Aaron - backliner

Matt - backliner

Nicky - backliner

Dan - dealer

Allison - dealer

Renee - goalie

Seth - striker

Ravens

Riko - striker

Kevin - striker

Jean - backliner

(I literally don't know anyone else) maybe Thea I think she's a dealer

Trojans 

Jeremy - shit actually idk

Uhhh??? U know what don't worry about it

Do you know what happened in the books bc this is all basically what happened before them

I legit wrote all this bc my computer was taking forever to update

SO im not into aftg I have not read aftg I follow the tag and reblog fan art because I am a fan of that fandom almost? Yall are just some of the most funny and talented people I've ever seen i love experiencing these sports mafia books second hand.

Here's what I know from the outside looking in:

Neil Josten- A fake name? His real name in every way that matters I think? Mafia family ties. Boy on the run. Dating Andrew Minyard(?). You can tell who he is in art because he's got reddish brown hair and face scars.

Andrew Minyard(?) - thats his last name, right? Short blonde and looks angry a lot of the time. Arm warmers are plot relevant cause hes hiding scars. Has had a REALLY bad childhood but idk if its mafia related or not??? Dating Neil.

Aaron Minyard(?)- Andrew's twin thats all I know

Jean and Kevin - Unclear who they are I was just already following the tag when Sunshine Court was announced so I see their names together a lot. Are they in love?

Renee- the one with rainbow dip dyed hair in fan art. All I know is people love her.

Riko- A name I have seen

Exy- Fake sport. Under the impression its a contact sport but I am realizing that these character might just be violent people??? Is it tackle lacross or did I make that up????

Thats all I got boys. Whats with the face tattoos? How many of these people actually have mafia ties? Idk how many people will see this but please infodump in the tags/notes. I would love a character cheat sheet so I understand more fan art but also just tell me anything about these freaks (affectionate).

[jostenjorts]

My thoughts everywhere at the moment so lets have some Nathaniel x Ichirou I guess, only subtle??? idk its there, romantic, platonic, take it as you will even as I lowkey write it as romantic lmao

These two were inseparable as children which continued on into their teen years, something which their parents highly encouraged. It was best they were in good terms over hating one another after all

The relationship Nathaniel had with Ichirou would have given him the rights to rule the ‘perfect court’ and to taunt Riko, hold it over the second Moriyama brother that hadn’t even met his brother or father

But he didn’t, finding it far more amusing to keep it a secret. Tolerating Riko’s behaviour was difficult, he almost gutted the asshole a few times over the years and would often complain to Ichirou about it, going into graphic detail of what he wished to do

He never did, still choosing to play the role of ‘Riko’s toy’. Allowed the three to be tattooed on his cheek, the perfect match to Riko and Kevin’s and later on Jean’s.

This was the life he chose after all and the one thing his parents taught him was to always go forward with a plan and never back out, even if it were life threatening

Ichirou hated it, offered to have his disowned brother removed. Have unfortunate circumstances happen that would wipe out Riko and would no longer be a bother

Nathaniel only laughed each time, saying he would rather humiliate Riko one day instead of have Riko be honoured for his tragic death every time his death date came around

And then, it got out of hand. Literally, Riko breaking Kevin’s hand with the intent of making him unable to play exy ever again, made the Wesninski heir furious

So a plan came into play; get Kevin away from Edgar Allan University. Get him the fuck away from Riko and the other Raven’s.

It was easier then expected, having Kevin pick a university and team he would like to coach. The timing to get Kevin out went smoothly, bags packed and Kevin, still broken and healing, went along with it

The Moriyama’s weren’t aware of their star players swap from one university to another until it was all over the media. Nathaniel was at the dinner table with them when they found out and could only grin at the knowing look Ichirou sent him

Later on, while Ichirou was sitting on his couch watching a movie play, with Nathaniel laying on his lap did he ask. The redhead only hummed, refusing to answer until the Moriyama heir not so reluctantly begun playing with his hair

Even then, Nathaniel only closed his eyes refusing to answer as it was a dumb question to even be asking in the first place. Because of course he had something to do with it

He shifted, moving his body and head so that he was staring up at Ichirou and lifted a hand to cup the others face. Grinning, amused as he requested that he also be transferred over to Palmetto State University. Asked that he also play for the foxes

A week later he did, within that week he also managed to have Jean transferred so that he was playing for the USC Trojans. Something that was greatly appreciated as Riko was beginning to get aggressive with the other players on the Raven’s team

Nathaniel insisted that the foxes called him Neil, as he never debuted on the Raven’s team so his name wasn’t well known as Riko, Kevin and Jean’s. He had been the hidden player, the mystery that hadn’t shown in interviews or even on the sidelines during games

So, in entered Neil Josten. Played 10 for the Palmetto Foxes and was a mystery to even them despite sharing a room with Seth Gordon and Matt Boyd

Had the tendency to disappear after every practice, came back to the dorms late at night. Was only ever seen on the campus when he was in the library, studying for his classes. Other then that, he was seen by Kevin’s side on the regular if he didn’t disappear

Allison was the only person on the team that Neil did befriend. It was an absolute must in his eyes, and hers apparently, they just clicked from the moment she used him to make her boyfriend jealous and he played along with ease

The foxes were not ready for their friendship, and yet even Allison didn’t know where Neil would disappear off too. Kevin refused to tell anyone, being the only one who did know but would never tell unless Nathaniel told him it was okay

Neil took great pleasure when he had Andrew trying to follow him one day. Was amused that he had his brother and cousin in the car with him, and from the looks of it Kevin was also there

Kevin had called him to give a heads up earlier, knowing his friend would like to have a little fun and he did

Nathaniel walked into a sex store and bought some lollies, laughed at the message Kevin sent him. He walked out on the phone with Ichirou, asking if he would like some icecream later for tonight

Ichirou was questioning what was taking him so long to even show up at their apartment and grew annoyed when told the reason. Had to remind himself that this was the Butcher and Underground Doctors son that he was speaking with

That duo as parents resulted in a child who took pleasure in tormenting others, whether it be physically or mentally. A child who was always amused when someone stared at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking, who he was, if it was a mask or really him

Some days even Ichirou struggled to tell and he was one of the four who grew up besides Nathaniel, outside of his parents and whoever worked under them

Getting off the phone, Neil entered another store. This one selling alcohol and the employees greeted him, starting up a conversation as all he did was buy jerky and chips, not bothering with the alcohol since Ichirou had a supply on hand always

The next stop was a high school, where he just met up with a teenage girl and spoke with her for a few moments. Robin Cross was the closest thing he had to a sister, and oh how he had enjoyed it when he came across her and the man who claimed to be her father

She didn’t live with him, yet, but she took comfort being around him. Knowing he was the one who saved her, rescued her from a terrible man. Nathaniel offered to give her a ride, which she declined, her cheeks flushing as she mentioned that she was waiting for someone

Robin had to give him a jab to the chest and tell him to stop being overbearing and leave

Kevin messaged him once he was on the road again, letting him know that Andrew had given up. Had grown bored but he was still intrigued

Nathaniel grinned, hoping that Andrew would confront him next time. He was disgusted at the next text though, Kevin telling him about the comments Nicky made

He understood it, due to the stores he went to, but apparently Nicky’s comments took whole other turns

Shaking it off, he walked into a small apartment he shared with Ichirou and was instantly interrogated by the other

It all went ignored, the short man navigating around the other with glee to put his purchases down and spoke about Robin and ignored every question thrown his way

Before shutting Ichirou up by pulling him down onto the couch, and with ease moved into his lap, legs either side and teased by kissing everywhere by his lips

A tight grip on his waist had Nathaniel pulling back, which gave Ichirou the chance to swap the position they were in and had the redhead laying on his back, staring up with surprise before the two were sharing a kiss

anyway, I was watching Once Upon a Time as I typed all this out and didn’t read it over so like 😣

[lumilasi]

Update: I decided to make this into a more of a proper bio for her, given how much more active I ended up imagining her being in the “story” lmao (also small reminder, I’ve taken creative liberty with some details about her kind, that don’t appear in the actual legends of Jorogumo, as far as I’m aware)

Bio below:

Name: Yui

Nicknames: The Spider mother,(general) Yui-san (most people living in the island) Mother (Jurou, obviously) 

Age: unknown, though she implies she was past middle-age of her kin when Jurou was born, which would make her somewhere between 100-150 years old

Height: 178 cm (Human) Her Jorogumo form is difficult to measure as it seems to change size depending on who’s looking and the lighting

A jorogumo spirit living within her son’s soul

Role: A spirit companion to her son, surrogate mother/grandmother to Ichirou, Hitomi and Caelan in a way

Family: Son Jurou/Araknos, honorary sons/grandsons Ichirou and Caelan, honorary granddaughter Hitomi

Love interest: none

Friends: She’s friendly with everybody living on her son’s isle, but especially loves chatting with Yuushi and Katana

Rival: none

Powers:

Since she’s more of a spirit nowadays rather than solid being, Yui can do all the ghost stuff; turn invisible, move objects at will, phase through things, float around, etc. She can’t possess anyone though, because she is still tied to a living body, just differently from normal

She still has all her Jorogumo powers, such as ability to transform into one, or just summon shadowy spider legs or create webs.

She can communicate telepathically with her son, and anybody else she’s close with

She can create illusions and hallucinations using shadows.

Yui can turn solid within their home isle/anywhere Jurou is 

Weaknesses:

Since she no longer really has her full own body, Yui can only remain solid within Jurou’s isle, and only when he’s present. She can’t leave the island on her own, and needs Jurou to leave or alternatively attach her spirit to something belonging to her son temporarily that somebody else can carry, to be able to leave. If the object gets destroyed, she’ll return right back to Jurou.

As a more of a ghost, she can no longer do some things she could as a living spirit, such as create or spit venom, or eat souls. her solid form is also very vulnerable and can be destroyed easily, though she can’t be “killed” in the traditional sense, as she’s a ghost. To exorcise her you’d have to kill her son. 

Her relationship with Jurou is a little bit strained, because he holds bitterness towards her for omitting some details about what happens after a successful ritual. Even though she understands this resentment, Yui still feels hurt about it and tends to flinch and hide away for a while if he’s harsh towards her.

Personality:

Yui is often seen as a mysterious, calm and collected and even kind of unnerving presence at first glance. She does enjoy spooking people, and terrorizing those she doesn’t like. Yui also has a dark sense of humor and sometimes jokes with her son about devouring people’s souls, not that she can do it anymore. Another trait of hers is that she tends to break the fourth wall sometimes.

Beneath this however she’s actually quite friendly and even a little goofy, where she can get really excited even over smallest of things, and acts like a very proud (and awkward) mother over her son’s accomplishments. 

She’s very caring and motherly towards everyone she cares about, especially the kids such as Ichirou. In the same vein she is also fiercely protective over them, and will become extremely vicious if someone dares to try and hurt them. She’s also overtly sensitive towards her son’s mood towards her, making her behave pretty apologetic/defensive around him at times

BG Story

Yui, like her kin typically do, went through several partners to have a child - son to be exact - and Jurou was her ninth and final child, who managed to complete the maturing ritual. It is a fight performed at the age of 18, where the spider’s son is supposed to either win and destroy their mother’s mortal body, or be eaten and become her source of energy until the next ritual.

All her kind go through this cycle, where they need to perform this ritual in a timely manner to continue their existence, or have it finally end and allow them to pass on to the next life (although the mother can also choose to attach their soul to their son to watch over their life’s journey to it’s end, something Yui did due to guilt in a way). Only male children can perform this ritual, as daughters typically just become Jorogumos themselves.

Her relationship with Jurou is rocky, because she chose to omit a certain detail about what would happen if he did manage to win, wanting to make sure her son would give his all and not basically sacrifice himself to save the village he lived in. He’s still resentful towards her because of that somewhat, but not as much as he was in the beginning.

Fun Facts:

The maturing ritual is not something all Jorogumos necessarily enjoy doing; Yui is one of the few who wished it didn’t have to go that way, but she also felt she didn’t really have a choice. If the ritual is not completed, their soul will just wither away and not pass on to the next life cycle, a fate worse than death to many. 

Yui’s had nine sons and two daughters; she suspects that Ichirou’s spider mother might’ve been one of her two daughters

As part of this ritual, the spider woman typically devours the soul of the father, to make sure there aren’t too strong humanly connections for the son that could weaken their will to complete the ritual. Just like with the ritual in general, whenever the Jorogumo likes doing this depends on the person. (Yui didn’t mind in Jurou’s father’s case, as he was pretty neglectful and distant from his son anyway, too obsessed with his lover.)

Yui does not approve humans becoming soul eaters (like Azure), because it is unnatural to them and unlike natural ones like her, the soul might just get completely destroyed in the process; with natural soul eaters, the soul simply merges within the host’s own, and once the host dies the souls will be released to the cycle just like any other. Human soul eaters risk destroying the soul altogether and therefore forbidding it from continuing the life cycle of death and rebirth.

She can sign and has kind of a deeper female singer voice, that people often describe as “haunting, but beautiful”

[nekojitachan]

OK, so it took a while, but I got something written (I should say something completed). Let’s hope this continues.

That something is the next part of the raven!Andrew soulmate story. There’s a bit of a time jump here. But hopefully you’ll catch on to what’s happening.

Here’s a link to the first part.

*******

Andrew pulled the Maserati Quattroporte Ribelle into the only gas station at the exit; they were two hours from Abby Winfield’s house, timed to get there around 7am. That meant they’d drove through the night after leaving West Virginia, creeping out of the Nest past midnight like a pair of thieves – or escapees. However, Ichirou had granted them their (limited) freedom at last, even bestowed upon them the car which rumbled to a stop at the gas pump of some no-name town.

Nathaniel slumped lower in the passenger seat and tugged the hood of his black long-sleeved t-shirt further over his face while Andrew grabbed his wallet, despite the fact that they were the only one at the gas station/mini-mart. “Do you want anything?” Andrew asked his soulmate before he stepped out of the car.

“Uhm, something to drink?”

“One super-size atomic sludge freeze slushie, coming right up, sweetpea.”

The left corner of Andrew’s mouth twitched upward as Nathaniel called him an asshole and more, the insults cut off when the car door slammed shut; that was the most reaction he’d gotten out of his boyfriend since they’d left Edgar Allan. He couldn’t blame him, really, not when one had considered everything that had happened in the last couple weeks.

They’d succeeded in taking down Riko; the mentally unstable prick had finally snapped during the pregame session when the Ravens and Foxes were supposed to face off at the division championship. Considering that his little ‘tantrum’ had led to several players on both teams being injured, it was decided that the final game would be cancelled and the championship awarded to the team with the most points accumulated during the season, which of course were the Ravens. A lot of people weren’t happy about that since they’d looked forward to the face-off between the Foxes (Kevin Day) and the Ravens (Riko), but there was little that could be done in the end.

Especially when Tetsuji announced that he was stepping down due to ‘guilt’ from failing his nephew. Oh, there was a bit of an outcry about what was going on at the Nest to make Riko ‘snap’ like that, but it was mostly overridden by the news of ‘the Master’ retiring and the search for a new coach (as if Ichirou didn’t have one lined up already).

Mostly.

All that mattered was that Riko was shuffled off to some psychiatric center (never to return, not that Andrew would put money down on the prick lasting out the rest of the year), and that Tetsuji was gone, too (he’d give him maybe another year, just so it didn’t look too suspicious, both of them dying close together). Since Ichirou had taken over after his father had passed away in the spring, he’d made it clear that he intended to rid himself of the side branch for once and all; he broke no exploitable weaknesses.

Andrew had been more than willing to exorcise those weaknesses if it meant buying Nathaniel’s freedom.

(Or at least as much freedom as he could manage at the moment.)

With their ‘king’ and ‘master’ gone, some of the Ravens had flown far, far away from their Nest. A couple had been… strongly urged to leave (kicked out). A few had complained about the stress of the program and not wanting to end up like Riko, and been let out of their contracts (a good example of PR). And then there had been Jean, Nathaniel and Andrew.

Jean took the opportunity during one of the many ‘what are your thoughts on Riko’ interviews to announce that Jeremy Knox was his soulmate, so it didn’t come as a surprise to anyone that he accepted an offer to transfer to SCU. Since Aaron blew up all of his (pathetic) social media channels with how he’d found his own soulmate at last and that she was a PSU cheerleader, and Nathaniel always defended Kevin after he transferred to the Foxes, it didn’t shock too many people when Nathaniel and Andrew allowed PSU to release a press release a few days later (finally) that they were leaving Edgar Allan to join their former teammate in South Carolina.

It’s what Andrew had strived for all these months, yet… yet here he was at 5am in a random minimart, shoving energy and granola bars, bottles of green tea, cans of energy drinks, and whatever decent chocolate snacks he could find into the basket hung from his left arm, to be paid for (along with a tank of premium gasoline) by a fancy black credit card courtesy of one Ichirou Moriyama. Dressed in a black hoodie, his stare hostile as he dared the half-asleep attendant to say something as the teenager rung him up, he was half-tempted to demand a pack of cigarettes before he left to return to the car.

Nathaniel would be upset if he resumed the habit, so he didn’t do anything.

(Nathaniel was already stressed out enough with all the changes.)

Andrew grabbed the credit card and bag of goods then left the store to return to the car, and noticed that Nathaniel had locked it during his absence. His soulmate gave him an anxious smile as he fell into the driver’s seat (hmm, very comfortable) and handed over the bag before he returned the card to his wallet then fastened his seatbelt.

“Really? Most of this stuff is junk,” Nathaniel complained as he grabbed a green tea and granola bar for himself.

“Guess I don’t have to share,” Andrew said as he fetched an energy drink and chocolate bar for himself; he felt something settle inside of himself when Nathaniel smiled at the joke.

“You’re gonna have to put up with Kevin soon enough,” his soulmate warned as he unwrapped the granola bar.

“And who do you think is gonna win?”

Nathaniel’s smile softened as he reached over to tug back Andrew’s hood. “Try not to beat him down too much.” Then his smile faded into a guilty expression. “You okay driving the last bit? We can stop somewhere.”

Andrew held up the energy drink. “This will see me through.” He popped it open and took a sip. “Once we get settled in, we’ll work on your driving lessons.”

“Yeah.” Nathaniel nibbled on the granola bar for a moment. “I… this is… I don’t….”

Andrew reached out to slide his hand into the voluminous black hood, to cup the back of his boyfriend’s nape. “We’ve got time now,” he assured Nathaniel. “No one’s going to drag you back to the Nest,” or Baltimore, “and you’ll figure this stuff out.”

Andrew would make sure he did, that Nathaniel got a chance to learn all the things he’d been deprived of, between being locked up in the mansion (death house) in Baltimore then caged in the Nest.

It was quiet while he returned to the interstate (save for the purr of the Maserati’s engine), then Nathaniel let out a loud sigh. “I just… I’ve never done anything like this before.”

No, he hadn’t, and despite that fact, he’d agreed to follow Andrew out of the Nest, to leave behind Jean (his pillar of support for years) to face the unknown. Maybe someone wouldn’t consider it such a big deal, switching campuses and teams, but Nathaniel’s life had been strictly controlled by Nathan and Tetsuji, had been restricted to school and his ‘house’ (the mansion in Baltimore, then the Nest). He’d never once gone anyplace without it being approved first, had never roamed freely, had never been free.

Andrew might have been abused and passed around, but he had been able (mostly) to go wherever he wanted (except while in juvie). Hell, some foster parents hadn’t given a damn where he went, as long as they could collect a check while he was their ‘responsibility’. So Nathaniel out in the big wide world was a shock to the redhead, one that Andrew was trying his best to cushion.

(He was there for his soulmate, someone to ground him, and even after all this time was amazed how Nathaniel’s anxiety settled at his mere presence.)

The last two hours passed mostly in silence, with Nathaniel reaching for Andrew’s right hand after he finished the granola bar and two green teas. Andrew threaded their fingers together while he followed the GPS to Winfield’s house, pleased to grant his soulmate that bit of comfort, especially as the interstate gave way to city roads and then to neighborhood streets.

“It’ll be okay,” he assured Nathaniel. “Kevin said we could trust her.” If not, then Kevin would be eating his own pickled liver.

“I know.” Nathaniel shivered as he glanced at the ranch-style houses that lined the road they drove along. “It’s just… this is so new to me.”

Andrew was quiet a moment before he stroked his thumb along his soulmate’s left hand. “If she’s not an addict of some sort, she’ll be new to me, too.” He refused to think about Cass just then.

Nathaniel gave him a horrified before he shook his head, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “Don’t, okay? Now’s not the time for our ‘who had it worse’ game.”

“Which I won,” Andrew insisted, even though that wasn’t quite true; it was basically a tie on different fronts.

“Whatever,” Nathaniel snorted, yet the tension left his body and he gave Andrew’s hand a gentle squeeze. “You’ll just go on about sleeping on the floor all the time so you can hog the bed, I bet.”

“Sleeping on the dirty floor, which is why I get to hog the blankets,” Andrew stated in a bland manner.

“As if you’re not gonna hog all the blankets anyway.”

Andrew hummed in a noncommittal manner (yes, he was going to hog all the blankets, thank you) as he pulled into Abby Winfield’s driveway; it was a nondescript split-level ranch, similar to the others on the street, with several Foxes’ flags planted in the marigold and daisy flowerbed.

For a moment, he debated his decision to have him and Nathaniel play for the Foxes, before he decided that it would be even more painful to join the Trojans.

(Dammit.)

He turned off the Maserati’s engine then reached for his cell phone so he could text Winfield that they’d arrived while Nathaniel stared at the house while nibbling on his full bottom lip (not a distraction at all). To his mild surprise, it only took a minute after his message had been sent before the front door of the house opened to reveal a woman in her early thirties, dressed in a light blue robe, her shoulder-length blonde hair tousled and a gentle smile on her face as she motioned for them to come inside.

“Uhm, she looks nice,” Nathaniel said in a quiet voice as he fiddled with his seat belt. From the doubtful tone to his voice, it was clear how well he knew that ‘looks nice’ didn’t mean that the person was nice.

“Stay behind me,” Andrew ordered; his boyfriend gave him a cool look for a moment before he nodded once.

Nathaniel may be the Butcher’s son, may be a Hatford, but they’d worked out over the past year or so (with a bit of trial and error) that Andrew faced the dangers first. Nathaniel was the one who knew Ichirou’s deepest secrets, who the Moriyama heir (and now lord) favored the most, so Andrew took the hits (and took them well, if at all), because if Nathaniel was hurt… well, it wasn’t good for either of them, if that happened.

Andrew protected Nathaniel, because Nathaniel was the one Ichirou needed the most. Nathaniel wasn’t happy about that, but Andrew didn’t know everything that his soulmate did, nor could he step in to Nathaniel’s spot if something happened to the polyglot idiot.

(He didn’t mind taking the blows when he knew his boyfriend was upset with each one that landed, when Nathaniel would gladly take them in his place. Nathaniel – Nat – never took him for granted. Never.)

(Nat was the only one who never did.)

They left the car and approached the small porch, Andrew in front, while Winfield’s smile brightened the closer they got. “You’re a bit early! I’d just put on a pot of coffee when I got your text.”

“No traffic,” Andrew said as he followed the woman into the house; Kevin swore that she was trustworthy, that they’d be fine staying with the team’s nurse until the dorms opened up in June. He wasn’t pleased to live with a stranger for several weeks, but it would attract less attention than if they rented a hotel room.

“I hope it wasn’t too bad of a drive,” Winfield said as she led them to a kitchen painted a bright yellow with yellow and white checkered curtains on the window and a table with six chairs; the aroma of brewing coffee filled the air, and a carton of eggs was set out on the counter. “Coffee will be ready soon, and I’ll make breakfast in a minute. Sit down, I’ll be right back,” she excused herself as she left the room, her left hand clutched on the front of her robe.

Considering that they’d been in a car for the last few hours, Andrew and Nathaniel remained standing; Nathaniel shuffled around the kitchen as he checked out the unfamiliar space, his movements jittery with anxiety. Andrew left him alone for a minute, then grabbed the hood of his shirt as he walked past to reel in him. “It’ll be okay,” he murmured in German as his soulmate slumped against him.

Nathaniel nibbled on his bottom lip while he nodded. “It’s just… this is all so… so weird.” He shivered a little before he rested his chin on Andrew’s left shoulder.

While Nathaniel was ecstatic to be rid of Riko and Tetsuji, he’d spent almost half his life in the Nest, and the other half had lived in constant fear while in the Butcher’s house. He was used to following rules (his small rebellions aside), to contained (twisted, stressful, dangerous) environments, to an existence that was anything but ordinary. He knew several languages, he knew how to take apart and put together a gun while blindfolded (and to shoot it), he knew dozens of ways to kill a person and how to maneuver through a good bit of the crime syndicates in North America (knew enough to bring down a good bit of the crime syndicates in North America), but he gazed in confusion at several appliances in Winfield’s kitchen, couldn’t drive and was floundering without Jean’s presence (even though he had told his partner to go join his soulmate).

Adjusting to the ‘real’ world was going to be quite the adventure for Nathaniel Wesninski.

(Andrew found it ironic as hell that he was the ‘well-adjusted’ one in that regard out of the two of them.)

Andrew had taken to massaging the small of his boyfriend’s back, which had prompted an appreciative murmur, right before Winfield returned to the kitchen, her cellphone in hand and dressed in pink sweatpants and a white t-shirt. “I’ve never heard David so cheerful this early on a Saturday morning, he-oh!” She smiled yet again to see them so close together, the expression tender; Nathaniel only pulled away a little so he could watch her movements. “He said he’ll be here with Kevin soon, so I guess I better make a lot to eat!”

“Uhm, thank you,” Nathaniel said in a quiet voice. “And thank you for letting us stay here.”

“It’s nothing, I have Foxes in and out of here all the time!” Winfield motioned around with an egg in her right hand before she cracked it into a large bowl. “Let me get this started then I’ll show you your room and you can bring your stuff in.” She gave them a wink while she continued to crack the eggs. “Kevin said you’ll be sharing a room, right? That means Aaron won’t be sleeping on a couch when he arrives.”

“Yes,” Andrew agreed as he gave Nathaniel’s right hip a quick squeeze then let go so he could pour himself a cup of coffee; there were mugs set out by the coffee machine, along with a small pint of cream and a bowl of sugar. He held up the pot before pouring a second cup, which he did after Nathaniel nodded.

He’d just prepared his drink to his satisfaction (with Nathaniel wrinkling his nose over the amount of sugar and cream dumped into the mug) when Winfield stepped away from the stove. “Okay, now for a quick tour.”

They’d already seen the living and dining room from the kitchen, so she took them down the long hallway to their bedroom for the next several weeks, pointing out the linen closet and bathroom along the way. The room had a queen-sized bed, a nightstand and a small dresser that would easily hold all of their belongings during their stay, decorated in pale cream and blues. Nathaniel blinked a couple times after entering the room, probably never having witnessed something so… ‘homey’ in his life, while Andrew could put up with the lace curtains and flowers on the bedspread since the space was clean and not painted black.

Winfield next showed them the lower level as they went to the car for their belongings, which housed the washer and dryer, along with a den with a television and gaming console (which would make Aaron happy when he returned from visiting Nicky in Germany), and a treadmill (which would make Nathaniel happy) along with some other exercise equipment. While she returned to the kitchen to resume making their breakfast, Andrew and Nathaniel fetched the few bags they’d brought with them from Edgar Allan.

Most of the belongings were Andrew’s, were what he’d taken to the university back when he’d been a freshman and what he’d collected over the last two years (mostly books). Nathaniel owned very little in the way of personal items, and they’d both agreed to leave behind as much as they could that was tied to the Ravens and Edgar Allan, so he didn’t have anything other than a few changes of clothes, a suit gifted to him from Ichirou (necessary for when he was called on for ‘business’), things he required for school and those rare personal items.

Shopping was at the top of their agenda.

It didn’t take them long to unpack; they returned to the kitchen to refill their coffee mugs and help Winfield (well, Nathaniel offered) set the table. Shortly after that was done, the front door of the house opened and a loud voice called out. “Abby! Get your sutures ready, there’s a mouth I need you to sew shut!”

“But it would be so much better if we-“

“For the last time, we’re not completely revamping the practice schedule! Another word out of you and not only will I sew your lips shut, but I’ll take away your keys to the court!”

Nathaniel shuffled closer to Andrew as David Wymack, coach of the PSU Foxes, stomped into the kitchen, a large box of what appeared to be donuts held in his left hand; he was dressed in dark blue sweatpants and a faded orange and white t-shirt with the team’s logo on front. Right behind him was Kevin, dressed in his usual black jeans and a black t-shirt, who smiled when he caught sight of the two of them then rushed over to give Nathaniel a hug.

“You look good, both of you do,” he told Andrew’s soulmate, who allowed the embrace for a couple seconds, while in the background Winfield chided Wymack about the whole ‘sew mouth shut’ thing. “Glad to be here?” Once he let go of Nathaniel, he gave Andrew a polite nod in greeting.

“It’s much better than the Nest,” Nathaniel hedged, which really wasn’t much of an answer since juvie had been better than the Nest, in Andrew’s opinion. Still, Kevin didn’t seem to pick up on it, especially since his father decided to join the conversation right then.

“I have never seen this one,” he gave Kevin’s dark hair an affectionate tousle, “so wide awake this early when practice isn’t involved. I thought I’d have to drag him out of bed, but all it took was hearing that the two of you were here and he got up right away.”

Kevin frowned as he attempted to restore order to his hair then gave a gentle shove to his father’s side. “We’ve been waiting for them to join the team for how many months now,” he complained; Andrew ignored the father-son bonding (or whatever it was) so he could investigate the box of donuts, with Nathaniel right behind him despite the fact that he disliked sweets. Wymack noticed Nathaniel’s ‘clinginess’, especially when redhead didn’t grab a donut for himself.

Then again, Nathaniel had been cagey around the man whenever they’d met (when the Ravens had played against the Foxes or at the district banquets), under the premises of Nathaniel talking to Kevin (supposedly to come back to Edgar Allan). He’d made sure to stay out of Wymack’s reach the entire time they’d given an update about how things were going with Riko, wary of any adult male who reminded him of Nathan Wesninski.

“The board will be happy to know you’re finally here, considering the fits they threw over me holding open two spots on the team so late.” Wymack slowly backed away and leaned against the counter, his tattooed arms folded across his broad chest. “Though they feel it’s worth the aggravation in the end, considering we signed two more Ravens.”

“Ex-Ravens,” Nathaniel murmured as he gave Andrew a queasy glance for the large bearclaw he picked from the box for his second donut, the cream-filled one already devoured.

Wymack huffed in approval while Kevin glared at Andrew (and was blithely ignored). “Yes, exactly. You two are officially Foxes now, your gear’s in your lockers and your numbers locked in.” He gave them an amused look while Kevin appeared smug. “You’re lucky your numbers were available, though part of that is nobody wanting to touch #3 and Renee being willing to change her number for her last season.”

Andrew narrowed his eyes while he swallowed a bite of pastry. “Why did she do that?” Players tended to be attached to their numbers for some reason, not that he gave a damn about his own, even if it was tattooed on his left cheek.

Wymack glanced at Kevin before he spoke. “Because she’s not planning on joining to the pros once she graduates; she enjoys playing Exy, but she accepted the scholarship so she could get a college degree and she believes what we’re doing here with the Foxes. She feels that you’re more invested in the sport than she is, so she’s fine with changing on her number.”

Didn’t that sound like everything he knew about one Renee Walker (at least officially)? Andrew didn’t give a damn about Exy, it was just something that had allowed him to get out of a bunch of boring therapy sessions, to keep an eye on Aaron, to give Aaron a chance of a university degree, to allow him near his soulmate, to protect said soulmate….

It gave him Nathaniel.

So what if he ended up playing it for the next decade or so? Nathaniel would be by his side (except for the year where he went to the pros and Nathaniel remained behind for his last year in university) while he ‘suffered’ through it all; it didn’t matter what number he wore on his uniform or what team he played for as long as his soulmate was there beside him.

“It’s just a number,” he muttered before he tossed another piece of pastry into his mouth.

“You know it’s more than that,” Kevin argued as he rubbed the ‘2’ on his left cheek. “There might not be a Perfect Court anymore, but we’re still considered among the best players in Exy. There are… certain expectations for us.” Judging from the way he glanced at Nathaniel then back at Andrew and Wymack’s expression hardened while he talked, he didn’t mean their fans.

Kevin might not know where all the bodies were buried or had played a major part in taking down the side branch, but he still answered to Ichirou in the end.

“We’re well aware of what’s expected of us,” Nathaniel said as he stared Kevin down.

It was quiet in the kitchen after that, until Winfield cleared her throat a couple minutes later. “Breakfast is ready so why doesn’t everyone sit down?” She gave them a nervous smile as she motioned to the table; once they shuffled toward the chairs, she brought over a large pan filled with scrambled eggs, cheese and hashbrowns, followed by a plate of sausage.

Nathaniel eyed the meal with trepidation, but at least helped himself to the egg mix, probably thinking with longing of his usual oatmeal and fruit, while Andrew would have been fine with the donuts. He noticed that Winfield and Wymack bore the same soulmate marks on their forearms (what looked to be a daisy-like flower and tower), which might explain why Katelyn Day had kept Kevin a secret from the man. Winfield told them that they could help themselves to whatever was in the kitchen or make their own meals, and that she was willing to cook around any dietary requirements.

“Ah, we don’t want to bother you,” Nathaniel said as he picked at his food (at least until Andrew gave a light kick to his right ankle). “We don’t eat anything too complicated, just….”

“I’m familiar with Kevin’s diet,” she told them as she gave their friend an affectionate look. “And he told me that you like fruit. “We’ll work something out that’ll fit in with what you’re used to but won’t be as strict.”

“Or flavorless.” When Nathaniel gave Andrew a narrow look for the complaint, he rolled his eyes. “Try to tell me that you weren’t bored with steamed fish and rice.”

The left corner of Nathaniel’s mouth quirked upward as he flicked aside another piece of hashbrown from his eggs. “I think all that chocolate you eat ruined your tastebuds.”

And who was it that gave him said chocolate, often smuggled into the Nest? Andrew huffed as he scooped up the potatoes to eat himself.

“So, your uniforms and gear’s ready, it arrived the other day,” Kevin said as he pushed his empty plate aside. “We can start practicing tomorrow, I’ve some ideas that-“

“No.”

Kevin gaped at Andrew for that flat denial, while Wymack held his mug between his hands and leaned back in his chair, Winfield got up to clear the empty plates from the table and Nathaniel stilled. “What do you mean, ‘no’? You came here early to-“

“We came here to get out of the Nest, since it’s crawling with reporters and we’re no longer Ravens,” Andrew reminded Kevin and Wymack. “And to give us,” more Nathaniel, “time to adjust. Which means Exy’s going to wait a bit.”

“But-“ Kevin, the Exy addict that he was, turned to Nathaniel, the other Exy junkie at the table. “Don’t you want to get back out on court as soon as possible?”

Nathaniel let out a slow breath and scooted his chair away from the table until he could bring his right knee up and hug his bent leg against his chest; he looked so small and uncertain while hunched over like that, looked so helpless, but Andrew knew that it placed his hands near the knife holstered around his right ankle. “You forget that Jean and I had next to nothing that wasn’t given to us by the Moriyamas,” he reminded Kevin. “Andrew and I need to go shopping tomorrow.”

“You can-“

Wymack cut off his son with a stern look before he nodded at Andrew and his soulmate. “The court’s not going anywhere, get settled in first. I can give you the team’s p-card if you’re low on funds.”

“Did you see the car outside?” Kevin muttered, appearing upset over having his Exy playtime denied, only to wince when Winfield get a slight smack to the back of his head before she rejoined them at the table. “Ow!”

“We’re fine,” Nathaniel answered while Andrew shook his head; while he wasn’t a big fan of accepting handouts from anyone, especially a Moriyama, he figured that Nathaniel was owed for all the work he’d done over the years so Ichirou could pay for a few new wardrobes (at the least).

“Right, how many times have I-“

“Dad, the car!”

“Leave them be, David, I’m sure they’ll ask for help if they need it.”

Wymack scoffed at that remark but dropped the subject after giving Andrew and Nathaniel a dubious look; the rest of the meal passed in relative silence. Before Wymack and Kevin left, Wymack handed over a set of keys to them, which apparently would let them into the Palmetto Court (so would the lock picks in their possession, but there were some things their new coach didn’t need to know). “Call me when you’re ready to practice so I can show you around and give you the code to get in.”

“It’s going to be great to be on the same team again,” Kevin said in passing. “I’ve got all these ideas for us.”

“Don’t scare them away, you moron,” his father chided as he shoved Kevin toward the front door. “It’s not too late for them to run for the hills.”

Kevin mumbled something about it being all right, his voice cut off by the door closing behind him.

Nathaniel stared after the two men, a slight smile on his face, only to twitch when Winfield stood up from the table. “It’s so nice to see Kevin excited again. He’s been a bit depressed about the championship game, but you coming here has cheered him up.”

“Oh.” Nathaniel shared a look with Andrew; they knew that Kevin, for some strange reason, had been upset over the whole ‘Riko locked up’ thing (what had he thought would happen to the psychotic prick?), but they let Winfield think whatever she wanted about the matter. “Uhm, we can help,” he offered when she started to clear off the table.

“No, it’s all right, why don’t you two go rest or something?” she told them. “You look tired. I’m going to let the dishes soak then run some errands.”

Andrew didn’t need to be told twice (not that he wanted to do chores in the first place); he grabbed his soulmate’s left hand and pulled him away from the table before Nathaniel got them stuck washing the dishes or something equally lame.

The bedroom door had a lock on it, but it was the basic type found in most houses and could easily be broken with a bit of effort; Andrew resolved to get a better one while they were out shopping tomorrow. For the time being, he piled their bags in front of the door, so at least they’d have some warning if anyone tried to enter the room while they slept.

Nathaniel sat on the bed and watched him ‘barricade’ the door, a slight smile on his face. “Suspecting Kevin to burst in here to drag us off to court?”

“Would you even put up a fight if he did?”

“Hmm, maybe not if it’s after our nap.” Nathaniel tilted his head back as Andrew approached the bed, his smile growing as Andrew combed his fingers through his soulmate’s unruly hair.

“Why do I put up with a junkie like you?” Andrew murmured as he rubbed his thumbs along Nathaniel’s elegant cheekbones.

“Because I’m your sweetpea,” Nathaniel reminded him, amusement and affection bright in his pale blue eyes.

Andrew made a gagging sound as he pushed his soulmate down onto the bed. “The lack of sleep has made you delirious. Take off your clothes.”

“That doesn’t sound like we’ll be sleeping then.” Nathaniel laughed for the first time since Jean had left for California, the sound short but teasing, when Andrew threw his own shirt at the idiot’s face.

“I’m about to smother you with a pillow,” he threatened as he shoved down his jeans (and refused to be unaffected by the sight of Nathaniel shimmying out of his own pair, those long legs bared and pert ass- not now).

“I thought we were supposed to talk about new kinks beforehand.”

Andrew sighed as he slid between the sheets (baby blue, but soft so he’d bear with them). “Nat… shut up and sleep.” His boyfriend got like this sometimes when he was stressed, would be one flippant comment after the other in a show of false bravado. Nathaniel’s wry smile faltered for a moment, then he curled up close to Andrew while giving him an almost pleading look.

Clicking his tongue over the idiot’s concern, Andrew pulled Nathaniel against him. “I’m going to gut Kevin if he does break in here,” he said while he removed his armbands (to tuck beneath the pillow), once his soulmate was settled against his left side.

“Hmm, okay. He should know better, though, after I threw a knife at him the one time.”

Huh, Andrew hadn’t heard that story yet. He made a mental note to ask about it after they woke up, then pushed all thoughts out of his mind (everything they had to do, Ichirou, Kevin, the Foxes, checking up on Jean…) so he could fall asleep, Nathaniel’s breath and slow even against his shoulder.

*******

Yeah, I just couldn’t see writing yet again the whole ‘we’re gonna take down Riko’ storyline, so I skipped it. Now to show Andrew and Nathaniel joining the Foxes (and obviously, the impact that has on them, especially Nathaniel). Aaron will be joining shortly, and Jean will show up long-distance-wise for now (can’t pull him away from Jeremy now that he’s finally with his soulmate).

Oh, and Kevin obviously has a really good relationship with Wymack here. Confessing the truth earlier helped a lot in that regard (something Jean and Nathaniel got on Kevin to do).

I guess I gotta come up with a title for this? *sighs*

[percontaion-points]

King’s Men chapter 16

Click to see the rest of the snark & image descriptions.

Chapter 16

"She made it clear he had two choices: he could settle this quietly between us or she'd get all her industry friends to run with news of Evermore's violent hazing.”

Hazing? HAZING?! I'm sorry, but the ravens have literally held people against their will (don't tell me that Neil was the first one) and this shitty excuse for a story is going to reduce what the ravens are doing to childish pranks?

"He was invited to the funeral. Riko wasn't."

Kevin's flinch was full body. "No."

Riko was his father's son in name only; he had been estranged from his father and brother his entire life. Despite that cold shoulder, Riko always believed he could win his father's attention and approval through his successes on the court.

I feel sorry for Riko, because being cut off from your parent and deemed “never good enough” sucks. But lots of people have shitty relationships with their parents and they don't turn into kidnapping, murderous sociopaths.

“With no one there to stay Riko's hand or distract him from his furious grief, Jean hadn't stood a chance.

"Mr. Andritch let me take Jean away when he saw the shape he was in," Renee said. "I left him my number and promised to keep in touch while the school investigates. Abby has also promised to keep them updated on his recovery. Unfortunately—or not—Jean is unwilling to name names or press charges. He is not happy to be in South Carolina. He has already tried leaving twice."

"To go where?" Nicky asked. "Not back to Evermore. Is he crazy?"

"It's self-preservation," Neil said. "If Riko and Tetsuji think he's pointing fingers behind their backs, they'll kill him.”

Right. And remind me again why Jean thinks that Riko wasn't going to kill him even when he was at Evermore?

When the bell sounded at the end of his last class...

I DON'T THINK THAT THE AUTHOR KNOWS WHAT COLLEGE IS.

"My father is dead at my uncle's hands and the FBI is investigating what is left of his ring. I am a loose end that must be dealt with one way or another."

"I could stop it," Ichirou said, and Neil believed him. It didn't matter that the FBI already had boxes full of Neil's stories and names. If Ichirou wanted the story killed and rumors quieted, he could do it with a couple phone calls and enough money.

Maybe he could stop the press from running with the story, but not the investigation. That's not how the police works.

Neil thought about it, but not for long. "Never been better."

Chapter 16 summary: The team does some typical holiday in the mountains stuff. When they get back to the cabin, they talk about how Neil will be benched for the next game while he heals. Neil doesn't like this, but he has to face reality. They all have some more drinks and go to bed.

In the middle of the night, Renee knocks on Neil's and Andrew's bedroom door and says that Riko's dad died, and she needs to go collect Jean. When she comes back later, she tells them of what happened: she went to the Edgar Alan dean and demanded that he produce Jean. When the dean refused, Renee got her step-mom involved, who threatened to blow the whistle on the shit that the ravens have been doing. Since the school doesn't want egg on their face, they went over, and the dean was so horrified at what he saw in the stadium he just kind of let Renee leave with Jean. Jean was in a bad way following a beating from Riko. Riko is the second son, who was cut out of his father's life because of this, yet turned into an exy machine to earn the family money. Riko wasn't even invited to daddy's funeral, and he took it out on Jean. Neil pointedly tells Kevin that he needs to pull rank on Jean to get him to obey for now. So they pack up and go over to Abby's house, where Jean is under her care.

From there, David talks about how the press is running wild with the story of Neil. Neil and David then go to the university dean's house, where they get on conference call with the school board about the entire situation. However, it basically comes down to how much money that Neil has already made the school by playing exy. David also tells them that Kevin is his son, although he's getting a paternity test done so that it'll be on school file.

The next day, school starts up again. After Neil's classes are over for the day, Neil is grabbed by this Japanese guy and taken to see Riko's brother, Ichirou. Neil talks a lot about how he was supposed to have be groomed to play for Edgar Alan, but then he calls out Riko's shitty behavior instead. He says that he could never, would never, play alongside Riko. Not while he's like this. Ichirou kind of agrees that his brother needs to be pulled back into submission. But then he agrees not to kill Neil in exchange for 80% of Neil's earnings. Neil's and Kevin's and Jean's.

Neil leaves Ichirou then, and goes to get Kevin. Together, they go to Abby's place, and Neil explains this to the two of them. Later, he tells Andrew about this, and Andrew is livid over the entire thing. But his anger mostly seems to stem from the idea that Neil is turning exy into his sole personality.

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

Comatose.

Ah, good. You’re all here.

And Kaede too...

I’m sorry if I’m not welcome, but I need to hear what he has to say...

That’s fine. He’s in the interrogation room right now.

*Kyoko leads Shuichi into the interogation room.

What about us?

We wait on this side while the two of them question him. If you guys have any questions, you can let them know.

So, you’re Saihara, right? This is the first time I’ve gotten a good look at you without the mask on my face.

Yes, I’m Shuichi Saihara. Both Miu Iruma and Kaede Akamatsu are on the other side of that glass. Kaede is the one who you were holding hostage in that house.

But she told me that you didn’t try anything with her, and you were actually quite respectful of her privacy. For that, I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.

Thanks for that I guess...

I have a few questions I’d like to ask you myself, Mr Asahina. For starters...I’ll be blunt.

How did you survive that explosion?

Huh? You mean the one that blew my arm off with the wristband?

Komaru Naegi and Toko Fukawa watched as you tried to swim off shore, only for your bracelet to detonate and presumably kill you. 

Well, that’s the thing...I...I really don’t know what happened after that.

I felt my arm vibrate, and the next thing I knew I saw the explosion and blacked out...And then I woke up on a hospital bed...

[Flashback]

Nrgh...

H-Huh?

*Yuta sits up in his bed. As soon as he does, a doctor comes in.

Ah...thank god. I knew you’d wake up eventually...Didn’t think it’d be today of all days though. It’s the anniversary of that event after all...

Huh?

Funny how the brain works, doesn’t it?

W-Wait, slow down. Who are you?

Oh, don’t worry. I’ll answer all your questions.

My name is Dr Ichirou. Now, do you remember your name?

Huh? S-Sorry, I didn’t catch that.

Huh?

Oh, right, his ear...Hold on, I’ll go the other side of you.

(I can’t hear through my left ear...and there’s a ringing in my head...)

I’ll say it again. Can you hear me this time?

Yes.

I’m Dr Ichiroi. Do you remember who you are?

Um...I’m...Asahina. Yuta Asahina.

Yes, that’s right. Yuta Asahina, brother of Ultimate Swimming Pro, Aoi Asahina, and a “survivor” of the Towa City demon hunting game.

Demon...hunting...?

Ah! K-Komaru! Toko! Are they ok!? They-

Relax Mr Asahina...I’m sure your friends are fine. Everyone who was a participant of that game got out alive in the end.

W-Wait a second...

M-My arm! What happened to-!?

Calm! Down! Mr Asahina. I just told you I’d explain everything to you, didn’t I?

You see, 8 years ago, you tried to escape Towa City by swimming off the mainland towards the nearest city to get help. In the process, the wristband the Warriors of Hope strapped onto you exploded. You almost died, and you would have had you not washed ashore and some of the adults found you.

While you escaped with your lives, your symptoms include damaged lungs, a ruptured left eardrum, and...well, no left arm. In the meantime, you can keep that prosthetic we gave you.

Wait a second...You said the Demon Hunting Game was...8 years ago?

Oh, yeah...Look, to tell you the truth sir...

You’ve been in comatose for 8 years. You’ve only just now woken up...

...

Huh?

You’ve been in a coma for 8 years...!?

Yeah, I was pretty terrified when i found out. That’s a huge chunk of my life that went missing...

But well, look on the bright side. I’d rather lose a couple years of my life than lose all of it. And that almost happened too! Haha...

That explains why you haven’t been in contact with your sister since the end of the tragedy phase.

Yeah, the doctor told me about that too. Boy I missed a lot...

How long have you been awake for?

A couple weeks. I think? I kinda lost track of time.

Moving on from that, after they released you, what did you do?

Well, I couldn’t do anything really. I was still in Towa City at the time, which looked a lot better since all...That stuff happened.

But I didn’t have anywhere to go, so I ended up going back to the apartment that I’d been trapped in for a year or so. I didn’t exactly have anywhere else to go.

While I was there, that’s when I started looking for work. And this one company decided to take me in.

But they left out the important detail that I had to hold someone hostage for a few hours in order to prove I could do it.

And you still didn’t back out when they told you?

Hey, I thought it was some kinda stunt! I didn’t think it was real and that I’d actually get arrested!

I probably should’ve realized it was for real when they gave me that crappy costume and mask...

What job did they say they would take you on for?

I was applying to be a night-time security guard at a cabaret-establishment. I think the name of the location is “The High Roller” I think?

I recognize that name...I believe it’s a club within the Kisaragi Foundation’s jurisdiction area.

Yeah, and they said they’d pay me a lot of money for the job so I could get by. I didn’t realize it was a front.

It’s still my fault I guess. I’m too easily manipulated.

Did anyone actually meet with you face to face though?

No. The only time I saw anyone was when they handed Akamatsu over to me to watch, and even then, they had the masks on at that time. I don’t even know who my employer is.

I see...

Well, for now, I guess I’ll buy that you were none the wiser to the situation.

Yeah...I guess...

...But...hey. Saihara?

Yes?

You know what the weirdest thing a person who’s already put you through so much crap, hurt your friends leg, held your girlfriend hostage and gave you several injuries and stitches could say at a time like this?

...?

...I’m sorry...I’m sorry for everything...I promise, I’m not that bad a guy, but if I didn’t get the job, I might not have had another shot...

...

...

You know what the weirdest answer that person could give to you in response?

...?

Apology accepted. From the way things sound, it wasn’t your fault what happened.

I still feel guilty but...

Thanks...I hope you recover from your injuries soon.

They don’t hurt as much as they did this morning, so that’s a sign I guess...

...

[sadboyayeron]

THE ONLY VALID MORIYAMA Nikoshi Doe

I came up with this Idea of Kevin having to raise Rikos son who’s name I decide would be Nikoshi Doe aka Niko

Enjoy

So If you Read “Tapping on my Chamber door” 

You know Nikoshi’s mother, Naima Dixon was born in Jamaica but came to the states at a young age after her mom past away.  She lived in the Bronx with her Aunt. She had tight curls aften in box breads or corn cornrows and dark skin with light brown eyes. She was 5’8.  Had a muscular build from all the years of track and had a scholarship to run at Eager Allen University. She was soon to have a spot on the olympic team for long jump, 100, 200 and 400 meters. She was then pregnant with Nikoshi after her and Riko started there little hook up.  The knew of each other but they first met in class.  She noticed Riko looking at her.

“Like what you see.”  I was trying to catch him off guard but he didn’t even look surprise.  But then he smiled.  Something sharp that left me feeling tingly, similar to how I feel before racing.  

“Not to bad, no.”  He chuckled, looked me up and down before he landed back on my eyes, “Want to sit.”

He left me in a trance and I took a seat next to him and sat my books in front of me.  I tucked some braids behind my ear and looked at him again, he was looking back with a smug smile on his face.  

At first I was thinking Nikoshi was Rikos frozen sperm and his mother was forced by Rikos uncle to have him BUT I decide that Riko died before he knew about Naima being pregnant She found out she was pregnant and went to Riko’s uncle for help and he said to give him the kid and she could get her scholarship Back.  So she agreed naming him “Nico” but sadly she died while giving birth from bleeding out. Tesuji doesn’t use that name and changes it to ‘Nikoshi’ stripping him of any last name (Doe) putting the kid into the system in the same place she grow up in Bronx. Ichirou is informed of Nikoshi ten years later after having his Uncle killed. Who then informs kevin.

Nikoshi is from the Bronx has a accent when he speaks. He knows Spanish because of the amount of Dominican and Puerto Rican foster parents he’s had.  Kinda understands broken english two because one of his foster brothers was from Jamaica which is cool because he knows he’s half Jamaican and some type of asian. He wears beat up high top jordan 1s baggy ripped jeans and long sleeves with a baggy jacket. He plays soccer because the system put him on a team and he’s very fast. He didn’t have much clothes but his best ones are the uniforms and he’s fine with that. He also plays street basketball and baseball with some kids in the area.

Kevin has to take Nikoshi in, according to Ichirou. Bringing Neil and Andrew with him. Ichirou just sent him a picture a kid and he was confused until he got that call that explained everything. He doesn’t need to explain who the kid is because you can clearly tell from the picture. Though the kid has milk cholclate skin, and curly hair that falls around his head in a fro.

When he frist sees Nico he has a scrape scab on his cheek, bruises on his wrist and purple knuckles. His ears a surprisingly pierced.

They find out Nikoshi Doe goes by Niko, he likes chocolate and cafe con leche (coffee), he likes shoes, he likes the color green, he uses a lot of slang and sometimes uses broken english and spanglish words, he’s quite but hyper and doesn’t know how to say still, asks why a lot, he hates math and likes to read, he loves listening to music it’s his safe place, he was diagnosed with ADHD/ADD and takes a pill in the morning and after noon on school days, he doesn’t like the way the pills make him feel, he likes Bee, Bee suspects Niko my be Borderline but it’s hard to tell, Kevin explains Riko was too.  When they go to pick up Nikoshi they are informed of his diagnoses. 

“So Kevin Day, It is very nice to meet you my husband loves watching you guys play Exy,” She smiled at them and then opened a drawer in her desk pulling out two folders.“ Now these paper were just printed out today.  One from Nikoshi’s Doctor and another from his psychologist.”  Kevin straightened his back more at that.

“Psychologist?”  She looked up at Kevin.

“Yes, a lot of children in foster care go to see a therapist.  It helps cope with abandonment and makes sure the kids are transitioning well in their new homes.”  She opened one of the folders.  “Nikoshi saw a therapist who recommended him to a psychologist.  He was diagnosed with ADHD/ADD and given medication.  He went through three different medications before he was put on Focalin XR.  His biggest issues are impulsivity, managing feelings, and energy.  There is more information in the folder with getting the prescription at a pharmacy and things to know about his behavior.  He takes Focalin every morning before school, its not needed on the weekends but to long off it isn’t the best idea.  Though if you want him off the medication, if you ever come to adopting him you can do that.”  She looked towards the other two. “Will you two be helping take care of Nikoshi.”

“Yeah we are, is there anything else we need to know.  If he needs a therapist we already got that covered.  We can send her the information.”  Neil replied with a bored tone but

“Thats good to know, he just saw the doctor last week.  He gained some weight and is now at a more healthier weight then he was before.”  She sighed. “You have to reminded him to eat, he forgets to and he doesn't ask for food.  The foster home he was just at was good with keeping a schedule, he ate, took his meds, ate at school, had a snack at home, soccer practice and then dinner.  He gets distracted and has little habits that cause him focus to much on random things.  The meds take away his hunger also, so it important that he finishes.”  She then closed both folders and stacked them together before sliding them to Kevin.  

Kevin didn’t know how to process that.  This information sounded to familiar.  He always had to remind Riko to eat something.  Riko would go days without eating, or sleeping, or even both.  It got so bad the master had to tube feed him because he past out and didn’t get back up.  Niko always got back up.  He was taken out of his thoughts when the lady, Jennifer stood.  He picked up the folders and got up following Andrew and Neil out the door.  Nikoshi was still sitting in his chair, he was singing his legs slowly and seemed fixated on his hands.

“Nikoshi, these gentlemen here are going to be your new guardians,”  Niko looked up at them.  He got a better look at there faces, now that the glasses were off he could easily recognize who the taller man was with the chess piece on his cheek bone.  He was confused o say the least.  This had to be some sick joke, or a stupid stuPID dream.  He looked at the other too, the screw that littered the red heads tan face and the man with blond hair and black studs.

“Deadass?”  He blurted out suddenly.  Fuck.  He did not mean to blurt that out.  Kevin day looked taken back by his statement and the other too snickered from slightly behind him.  The lady looked horrified.

Riko used to self harm, stop eating for days, wouldn’t sleep for days either.  His uncle had to force him into a tube feeder once because of this.  Kevin and Riko had to see a therapist and she diagnosed Riko. His uncle disregarded it and gave him sum type of pills that made Riko’s anger at himself turn down a bit but he was more depressed. He tried to commit 3 times after. Kevin made him promise not to. He flushed the pills and started to abuse others.

Kevin explains this to Neil and Andrew.  They then try to learn more about BPD.  They watch youtube videos, read articles and books on it till they had a better understanding of the disorder.  They learn about the self-destructive tendencies and suicidal gestures that are quite common with the disorder.  They all try there best to build a good support system. 

Niko has a hard time with his identity and ‘who he is’,  he tries to remember that Kevin wants him and isn't going to abandon him, he tries to keep his shifts in moods to himself but in only makes things worse.  He tends to shut down in his room more often then not.  He finds himself getting angry at little things knowing he shouldn’t but he still does.  Anger attacks aren't as bad as the empty feeling he gets sometimes.

When Niko meets all the foxes he drifts more towards Nicky for whatever reason.  He finds that he like Nickys happy vibes and feels it radiate from him.  He likes to soak in it.

Niko likes talking to Neil, he gets candy from Andrew, and he likes playing Exy with Kevin. He didn’t like school and says it’s hard for him but he still makes honor roll no problem.

During the second month of school when he first started living with Kevin he expriences racism for maybe the first time.  He didn’t have any friends, nor knew anybody.  He could tell he was different from the other kids.  They were mostly white with a splash of color here and there.  The way they talked and walked was different then how he did.  He didn’t grew up with white picket fences like they seemed to.  They dressed different too.  He didn’t like the stares he was getting from the kids in his class.

“Nice hair are you a girl?”  One of the boys said, with his little click at his back.  It was recess and Niko stuck to staying to himself drawling in his note book that Andrew gave him. 

“No.”  The boys continued to laugh.  He hated when people talked about his hair.  He didn't like his hair.  Especially when his foster mothers always tugged and pulled on it.  That wasn't just it though.  It reminded him of his foster father Mr. James.

“Such pretty hair.”

The boys crept closers and Niko started to feel closed in.  One of them pulled out scissors and two grabbed him by the shoulders.  One talked about how there dad said them Black boys need to cut there hair.  Another used a slur Niko heard a lot back in the Bronx, used it himself when with the kids in the neighborhood but he never heard it used like this.  He started to struggle but another one grabbed his face and held him down so his face fell between his knees.  He felt chuncks of hair being cut of from his head as they fell down his back and some at his feet.  

He felt his eyes water and struggled harder.  He kicked the one to his right in the shin, knowing how much it hurt from when he played soccer with out shin guards.  The kids let go of that shoulder and he swung his arm hitting another kid.  They all let go once they heard a teacher yell at them.  Niko reached for the scissors and threw them in the grass.  The boys ran away and Niko was left to look at the small and large chunks of his hair on the concrete.  He didn’t mean to bother anybody.  He didn't ask to have this type of hair.  He didn’t ask to be different.  Sometimes he missed the Bronx but then remembered his foster sister getting shot, and his doped up foster parents he used to end up with.  He didn't want to go back, but he found himself missing it sometimes.

Nobody asked abut his hair during the rest of the school day.  Not even his teacher.  Its fine he didn't want to bother anybody.  When Andrew came to pick him up he was wearing his hoodie.  Today Neil and Andrew were coming over, so was Aaron.  Aaron practically lived with him and Kevin now though.  He said nothing on the way home.  He didn't want to bother them.  He was trying his hardest not to.  

But then he got home he went straight to the bathroom and locked the door.  He didn’t hear Kevin nor Aaron calling him.  He stared in to the mirror and glared at himself.  Disgusting. You look like a girl. He ripped off his hood and he felt something in himself crack.  His hair was clearly uneven.  Some areas you couldn’t tell but he could see how his curls on his forehead were shortened compared to the pieces on the sides.  He could tell where every spot was that had been cut, like there were circles showing him where to look.  A broken sob cut through his throat.  The tears rolled down his cheeks.  He always thought he was an ugly crier.  He grabbed his hair and pulled.  He kept pulling till he felt arms wrap around his torso.  He wanted to fight who ever they were off but he couldn't.  They grabbed his hands but they couldn't pry them from his hair.  He heard someone calling his name and found a face to that voice.  He noticed another person accompanied him in the mirror.  Holding on to him.  It wasn’t his voice he heard though.  He saw the other three at the bathroom entrance but it was Aaron standing closest to him.

“Niko its okay, let go buddy.”  He didn’t know if he meant his hands or his feelings but he let them go.  He saw more pieces of hair fall through his hands but ignored it and them screamed.  Kevin turned him around and held him again.  Kevin lowered himself to his knees to let Niko cry and scream into his neck.  He rubbed his back till he calmed down.  Neil and Andrew left to prepare some ice cream and play music.  Kevin noticed the hair that fell to the floor and so did Aaron.  It didn’t match the amount that should still be connected to his head.

Niko told them what happened at school with less emotion then he displayed before.  They were all furious but chose to keep it inside to comfort Niko.  They called the school and told them what happened.  The school apologized but Kevin still wasn't letting Niko go back to that school.  He transferred Niko to another and reassured him it was okay and it was the same distance anyways.  They took Niko to the babor shop and they evened out his hair.  He got it cut some on the sides as well, allowing the back and top to be longer.  His hair showed more off his forehead and ear piercings now.  He felt more exposed, but was happy with the hair cut.

When he meets Dan she gives him oils and creams to put in his hair.  Even showed him how to wash it too, Matt helps.  He got to meet there kids.

Allison braided his hair down for when he graduated Elementary School.  She teaches how how to do other things like twist, braids, and box braids.

When he goes to college Renee helps him bleach the ends of his hair blond.

He has nightmares often. And likes to have hot chocolate to calm his nerves. He gets irritated easily, they learn. When he gets irritated he stops talking and fidgets, tapping his foot and cracking his knuckles. 

Kevin’s night terrors slowly fade as Riko’s dark shadow fades into Nikos warm glow.

Niko definitely learns how to skateboards when Aaron gives him his old one. Kevin likes to watch them practice it together.  Just like Aaron likes to watch Kevin teach Niko Exy.  He joins a team in Middle School.  He's definitely going to be something.

Hope you guys like this.  Leave ask and suggestions about Nikoshi Doe. I would love to hear about it and write the prompts.  

[luci-cunt]

Hey, idk I'd you're still doing this but for the AU prompt mash up thing, andriel with royal and criminal! 😊(only if you want to of course)

Yes indeed-y I am still doing this and loving it!! love you anon!!

[Psst– send me two fic prompts and I’ll tell you how I’d mash them ;)]

Oh boy I love royal aus and I love criminals and I love andreil so this is everything I hope you enjoy non!!!!

(sorry in advance I really couldn’t stop myself, it just kept. on. going. XD):

So, Luther is king of… we’ll call it something super original: Carolina.

He’s crazy, super religious and burns people for being “witches” and stuff.

Tilda is his sister (duh), she’s also crazy but in a “I’m-gonna-go-on-a-forty-day-bender-and-come-back-unwed-and-pregnant” kinda way.

When she actually does this, Luther flips, covers the whole thing up, and throws a ball to celebrate her very sudden marriage. At the ball tho, this old lady comes up and asks if Tilda wants to know the gender of the baby, which is crazy, cause no one knows she’s pregnant ‘cept Luther and Tilda. Luther tosses the chick into a fire but not before she can spout off a prophecy, something clever and pretty vague and easily mis-readable like–

“REUNITED TWINS WILL BE YOUR DOWNFALL YOU ROTTING SIRE! AND BEWARE THE BUTCHER’S HEIR!”

However, the prophecy counts death as a reunion, so Luther can’t just kill both of them and he decides killing one of them is too risky. Luther scars one of the boys so they won’t be so identical and then boots him.

And so, Andrew Doe grows up family-less and scarred while Aaron grows up a very well guarded secret who’s not allowed to leave the palace. No one knows that Tilda has a son– let alone two– and everyone assumes the only heir to the throne is Nicholas Hemmick who’s on a weirdly long business trip? 

(naw he ran and fell in love with his husband and is thriving on another continent)

That bit about the Butcher is pretty concerning, since Luther’s main executioner is Nathan Wesninski, the infamous Moriyama family Butcher who was given as a gift of good will to Luther. It’s not like he can kill Nathan, so he just bans him from ever having kids.

Nathan’s like “fine by me” so exactly 0 of the women he fucks survive to tell the tale.

UNTIL– Mary. She escapes just barely and nine months later Neil is born but here he’s called Abram and not Nathaniel for obvious reasons XD

Anyways, Mary raises Neil on the run at the same time as Andrew’s doing the opposite of thriving. They meet by accident, Mary leaves Neil in the town Andrew’s living in and Andrew tries to rob Neil and almost gets gutted for it.

They’re like, 13 so Andrew’s like “teach me how to do that now” and Neil’s like “no go away” and he bolts off to find a new hiding spot. Andrew finds him though, and Neil runs off again. Rinse and repeat. (look, Andrew’s like 14ish and bored out of his mind)

Eventually Neil gives in and agrees to teach Andrew to protect himself if Andrew agrees to steal some fresh fruit for Neil as payment

Andrew agrees, steals fruit and Neil starts training with him and they become quick friends. Neil mentions he wants to become a Knight someday and explains that him and his mother are running from his father (but doesn’t mention who that is)

Andrew spills that he’s never had anyone and that he thinks Knights are stupid.

But then Mary returns, she snatches Neil up and whisks him away to another town and Andrew’s alone again. He doesn’t like this, and there’s nothing in the town to keep him, so he finds Neil again.

Mary catches on and picks up the pace, threatens Andrew, and just tries to loose the kid any way she can but no matter what he always pops back up.

Eventually Nathan catches up to them, but this time Andrew is there. Neither he or Neil are fast enough to save Mary but they get themselves away to safety.

Together, in the dark of a barn with sheep and pigs rustling around in the warm night air, they make a vow. They swear to kill Nathan Wesninski.

Neil still wants to be a knight but he realizes that becoming one of the kings soldiers in order to kill one of the kings men isn’t exactly the smartest idea, so instead, him and Andrew go to Palmetto, a tiny little kingdom that’s on the verge of death and has an extraordinary crime rate. The queen, Kayleigh Day, died and her son went mysteriously missing, leaving the kingdom in turmoil.

Wymack is the leader of one of the largest gangs in Palmetto, but Neil and Andrew go to one of the smaller gangs first. They join, work their way up, and then talk to Wymack as equals, having taken over the gang. Wymack’s impressed, if a little wary of the two, and he offers Ally-ship.

(btw this takeover has taken years, they’re like, roughly 20′s now)

The two agree and tell Wymack about their plan to kill Nathan, Wymack admits to having contacts within the castle who could help but– it comes at a price.

He knows where the real prince of Palmetto is, and he needs them to go and rescue him. Neil and Andrew don’t like this plan but Wymack’s help is kind of necessary so they agree, queue a kickass rescue/ kidnap scene where Neil, Andrew, and the foxes all gang up to save Kevin who doesn’t know he’s being saved. 

During this tho, they run into Riko since Kevin’s basically his personal servant, his “2nd in command” blah blah or whatever

Riko has met Aaron, and he knows vaguely about the prophecy because it was kind of a hot topic, but, as far as he AND the Moriyama’s were aware Tilda only gave birth to Aaron, except, Andrew is just uncannily similar to Aaron and– oh is that Butcher hair? What did you say your name was? Neil? huh…

Riko manages to trick Neil into getting caught but Andrew and the rest of the gang escape with Kevin. Riko tries to get Neil to admit who he and Andrew are but Neil won’t admit he knows who Nathan is and he genuinely has no idea who Aaron is. 

By the time Riko finds out Kevin’s gone he’s beyond pissed. He doesn’t want to admit that he lost Day (who’s going by Kevin. No last name, the More-yams aren’t very good at hiding people) and he doesn’t want to hand Neil over without knowing that he’s the Butchers son. 

So he decides he’ll handle the whole problem himself, and then boast to Ichirou about how clever he is later, so he tells Andrew that he’ll give Neil back if Andrew gives Kevin back. 

Andrew’s like .2 seconds from doing just that but he also knows Riko probably doesn’t plan on giving Neil back at all, so he agrees to the deal but crafts a plan– he can’t kill Riko, but he can embarrass him to the point of Riko not being about to say shit without fucking himself over. 

And so Andrew takes Renee and a couple other foxes and they go to meet Riko, little does Riko know that Kevin is actually a bear enchanted to look like a man and also enchanted to be chill until they let him go (Renee’s a witch, forgot to mention that). 

However, little does Andrew know but Riko’s cursed Neil so that he has to come back to Riko in at least two days or Andrew will die. 

The deal goes down, Neil’s traded for bear-Kevin and it all seems to work out well since as soon as Andrew’s got Neil the whole group books it and once they’re out of eyesight they hear roaring and screaming. 

Everyone celebrates but Kevin knows it was too easy and he asks Neil about it, which leads to Neil spilling the facts. Kevin tells Neil that Riko doesn’t have that kind of power, there’s no way he could cast a curse that effects someone he’s never touched, but Neil doesn’t want to risk it. 

Unfortunately (or fortunately) for Neil, Kevin tells Andrew and so when Neil comes to do the whole “thank you, you were amazing,” Andrew just locks him in a room. 

There’s some tense waiting since there’s a slim chance that Riko does have that power and Andrew’s about to die– but then the deadline’s up and Andrews still around!

Now Andrew and Neil have another name on their list though, Nathan and Riko gonna die. 

Neil tells Andrew about Aaron, and they question Kevin, who barely knows anything but Andrew decides he wants to steal Aaron since their first kidnapping was so successful. 

Uuuuh, this is really long so: they kill Riko, Nathan, and Luther, Kevin is back to being king of Palmetto and quickly takes over Carolina and everyone lives happily ever after. 

(idk, if you want the ending or some shiz lemme know XDD or if you want a dif. prompt mash up also lemme know! This is so much fun XD)

[jemej3m]

Random au idea I had but will never work on but you might enjoy: Andrew is Kevin's bodyguard. Neil is hired to kill Kevin. (in my mind it was also a fantasy au because that's what I'm writing atm but it could work either way tbh idk)

i love this idea!!!! if you’re looking for something similar, with old courts and alliances, i can recommend @gluupor‘s version here!! its amazing 

but ur wish is my command lmao so heres 2000 words on neil and andrew with the assassin/bodyguard trope lmao

*

Neil eyed the gun with mild distaste. He knew Ichirou liked the finality of the gun, the fear it inspired in one’s eyes, but Neil just thought it was messy. 

Efficient, sure, but loud. And cumbersome. And so obvious you’re holding a gun. 

He had knives instead. 

Like father like son, his mother said scathingly. She was long gone, having taken his father right down to hell with her, but that left Neil with a criminal empire and his father’s shoes to fill. 

“Get rid of Kevin Day.” Ichirou had said, lounging in front of a fire. Neil had been seated next to him, taut and rigid, like he always was around Ichirou.

Neil wasn’t insane enough to ask why, but Ichirou soldiered on anyway. 

“My father wanted him as an asset but I see him as a loose end. I had to get rid of Riko because of that man and my brother’s jealous tendencies: He knows too much.”

Neil remembered that. He’d handed Ichirou the gun. 

“He’ll be dead within a month.” Neil promised, trying to not let his voice betray how husk-like he felt. 

*

The first problem he encountered was: Kevin Day was loved publicly, and for good reason. 

Whatever. Neil would poison him and he’d be dead before the weekend arrived, with slow-acting Ricin to put distance between Neil and Kevin’s soon-to-be-corpse. 

That would be, if Neil could even get remotely close to Kevin. 

But he couldn’t. 

He’d commandeered the neighbouring flat to Kevin’s, among the gorgeously glittering glass scapes of New York City. He lived here, too, but it was never in the metropolitan area. He lived on Ichirou’s estate with was further north, or spent time in his Baltimore jurisdiction. 

Becoming Kevin’s new neighbour was relatively simple: He’d simply sent the old woman an invitation to an eternal retreat up in Canada, after looking at her search history (he never wanted to look at an elderly woman’s search history again). She packed up her bags, and Neil slipped in easily, paying the first three months of rent up-front and bypassing the security checks for such a prestigious living space with his new alias: Neil Josten. 

He liked the name Neil. Sue him. It was more comfortable to wear than Nathaniel.

It was upon moving into the apartment that he realised: Kevin Day was never alone. He was with his fianceé, Thea Muldani, who looked as equally adept in militant training as she was in Exy. He was surrounded by his team or the press. 

Or, as Neil reluctantly discovered, he was being watched by Andrew Minyard’s careful eye. 

A quick search on Minyard revealed many things. He’d been a Doe, he’d been to juvie, he’d been involved in multiple cases on child sexual assault as a witness. This wasn’t public information: This was just Neil’s awfully good technological ministrations. 

He also had a degree in criminology from Palmetto, which was where Neil assumed he and Kevin grew close enough that Kevin would trust his protection to Andrew. 

Context was great and all, but Neil couldn’t figure out a way around Minyard for the life of him. Sometimes, when they went out clubbing to a downtown establishment called Eden’s, he would disappear for ten minutes. It was an impossible window, seeing as Kevin was never alone. 

Neil decided the only solution was to grow close enough to Andrew that he could gain the man’s trust and slip around him. His habits were routine, and he took his smoke breaks on the balcony that aligned with Neil’s. 

So every morning, Neil would be leaning on the railing with a cup of coffee and a cigarette. Every morning, Minyard would slid open the door, and step out. He usually wouldn’t even look in Neil’s direction. No cordial good morning, not even a nod. 

Neil would have to catch the man’s interest. 

He’d been lucky in that his father had kept his scar-making to Neil’s torso. If Neil’d face had been disfigured, he’d be too noticeable as an assassin. He had recognisable features as it was: His red hair and blue eyes were recognisable as it was. 

So he wore an over-sized t-shirt that slipped off his shoulder and showed the worst of his scarring: a puckered bullet wound with an arc of a knife-blade through it for good measure, and the imprint of a clothes iron on his shoulder. Both were bright red against his skin and impossible to miss. 

A phone was jammed between his shoulder and his chin as he took a drag from his cigarette, hearing the door slide open. 

“…No, don’t be fucking stupid. No one can know about this. Can you imagine how much scrutiny I’d be under if they found out who it was? They wouldn’t be able to bring me down but I’d have a hell of a lot of work to do to avoid that. No, I have to go. Don’t fuck up whilst I’m gone.”

He threw his phone onto the ottoman and let out an aggravated huff, stamping out his cigarette on the railing. He shook his pack and found only a lighter, throwing the empty cartridge over the balcony with faux-frustration. 

“Quit being dramatic.” Came a voice to his right. 

Neil glanced to where Minyard was standing at the near-edge of the balcony, offering his pack. The two balconies were close enough that Neil could reach out, remaining hesitant, to take one. 

He lit it and brought it to his jaw, as was habit. “Thank you.”

“You’re wasting the nicotine.” The man insisted, with a detached gaze at Neil’s shoulder. 

Neil rose an eyebrow, pulling the shirt’s neckline up and over his scars to cover them once more. The man let his gaze flit from the shoulder to Neil’s face. “I’m more of a passive smoker.”

“Pathetic.” Minyard muttered. “You owe me a whole pack.”

Neil grinned. “Seems like a bit of a steep price.” 

“Interest rates are a killer.” He mulled. “I’m expecting it tomorrow morning, or I’ll hike the debt up to two packs.”

“Seems reasonable.” Neil let the smoke curl over his tongue before breathing it out through his nose. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning?”

“I’ll finish that if you won’t.” Andrew gestured to the coffee in Neil’s other hand. 

“Black and bitter? Not many people have my taste.”

The man made a scathing noise. “You’re a detriment to the human race.”

Neil put the cigarette between his lips and gave Minyard a two-finger salute. “See you tomorrow.”

Minyard hummed. 

Neil slid the balcony door shut behind him and grinned to himself. This would be fucking easy. 

*

Andrew didn’t know who Kevin’s (and by proxy, his) new neighbour was, but he was intrigued. By the sounds of the phone-call, he didn’t seem so noble, and neither did the curl to his grin. He owed Andrew for the cigarette which meant he’d see him again, and would be able to assess him once more. 

Kevin had slept like a black-out drunk after getting home from his away game, almost collapsing onto the couch. He hadn’t actually gotten black-out drunk for years, but sometimes Andrew wondered how someone acted like such a hangover without a single drop of alcohol in their system. 

He’d woken at six, as he usually did, feeling more than a little sleep-deprived. After a light workout on the rowing machine and breakfast in front of the TV, he took his coffee outside. 

There he was again. Andrew would be lying if he said the man wasn’t absolutely blessed in the appearance department, but it’d be entirely inappropriate to get with someone he’d have to see regularly after the fact. 

The man smiled from behind his mug, wearing a tight wife-beater and sweatpants that hung deliciously low on his hips with a dressing gown thrown over the top. No scars were on show, barring the slight raised bump across his hip that the tightness of his shirt revealed. 

“Here,” He said, throwing the pack at Andrew despite being probably 15 storeys above the ground. “I took one. Cash exchange percentage.”

Andrew scoffed. 

“I’m Neil, by the way.” He offered. “Neil Josten.”

“Andrew Minyard.”

“Thought so.” The man sipped on his coffee. Neil Josten. An ordinary name for such an eccentric person. “Didn’t want seem like a creep and start gushing about Day’s stats when we hadn’t even introduced ourselves yet.”

“Don’t you dare.” Andrew grunted. “I hear enough from the man himself.”

Neil laugh was a singular huff, twisting his face into something more gleeful. He leaned his elbow on the railing, facing Andrew with his head in his palm. “You’re not an Exy fan?”

“Over-exposed, you could say.” Andrew wanted to figure out Neil’s intentions. Not many continued to talk to Andrew, not when his resting gaze was somewhat murderous. What had Nicky once said? Bored murderer. Andrew would kill you and probably yawn whilst doing so.

“I gave up on pursuing it a while ago for more…” He cocked his head to the other side. “Lucrative occupations. But it’s still good to see a game every now and then. What are you, his boyfriend?”

Now that was an obvious question. “Bodyguard. Fucker seems to attract just as much bad attention as he does good attention. I’d rather throw myself off this balcony than date that mess of a human being.” 

Neil laughed again. He didn’t have a coffee or a cigarette: He’d come purely for conversation.  

Interesting, Andrew mused. 

*

Neil was getting bored, and the time constraint he’d set himself was coming to an end. He’d been living next to Kevin and Andrew for three weeks now, and Ichirou would be expecting some form of results in a few days’ time. 

Neil had met with Andrew for evening smoke breaks rather frequently, though mornings had become staple. Tonight Neil had offered a cigarette, self-rolled with a relaxant mixed into it so that he’d sleep heavily and let Neil do his snooping. 

When midnight had passed, Neil pulled his hood up and his scarf over his nose, swinging from his balcony onto Andrew’s. With a soft snick! the lock came clean under the ministrations of his picks and he slipped inside. 

He thought the place would be like Neil’s: Neither Kevin nor Andrew really seemed sentimental, or materialistic. 

Neil was horribly wrong. There was an old couch that looked like they’d hauled it from their college years all the way through to now. A knitted blanket throw was across the back cushions, facing the television. A gas fire-place had various photos on the mantelpiece, including Kevin proposing to Thea, Kevin and an older man who had to be his father and someone who would have looked like Andrew if it weren’t for the quiet smile hugging a heavily pregnant woman. Neil realised Andrew had a twin: Another photo of him showed Andrew, his brother, and a taller man with a darker complexion and a wide grin to contrast the twin’s blank faces sat toward the edge of the photo collection. 

It was odd, seeing how one’s life could expand to so many others. There was an odd sensation at the pit of Neil’s stomach: He grit his teeth and continued to the bedrooms. 

One was locked, the other wasn’t: Neil was right in assuming Kevin’s was the unlocked door and walked into his room. 

He was asleep, sprawled on his bed with his sheets wrapped around his waist. His fianceé was lying next to him, curled into his side with only a bra on. Neil wasn’t fazed: He’d killed people in far less favourable conditions, like that corrupt debt tycoon who’d hired Neil as a prostitute and welcomed him in only a leather harness. And when Neil said only, he meant only. 

Neil looked around the room. It was small, relatively neat, with large windows and an ensuite bathroom. He could stage an overdose: Kevin did have an alcohol problem in college. It seemed like the only viable option, seeing as Kevin was a world-class athlete with no recorded cardiovascular problems, no other drug abuses or suicidal tendencies. 

Neil sighed. He wished Ichirou would give him simpler jobs sometimes. He supposed that was his designed purpose: What was the point of sending out your incredibly precise and professional assassin to knock heads when their talents were best sharpened by intricate puzzles, forcing them to be as elusive as shadows in a crowd?

Neil brushed his fingers along the dresser, ignoring the photo hung on the wall of Kevin and Thea, not smiling, but completely vulnerable and open when looking into one another’s eyes. 

Neil wouldn’t lie and tell someone this job wasn’t isolating. He just didn’t have a choice. 

I don’t have a choice, He repeated to himself. I don’t have a choice. 

A shift on the mattress caught his attention. He glanced over: Thea was blinking up at him, rubbing one eye. 

“Andrew?” She muttered. “Is that you?”

Neil said nothing, slipping out of the room and out onto the balcony once more, retreated back into his apartment. 

He’d have to ask Ichirou for more time. He needed a better plan. 

*

Andrew seemed irritated the next morning when they met up again for a smoke and lazy conversation. 

“Are you alright?” Neil asked. 

Andrew sent Neil a scathing look and said nothing. He went through his smoke too fast and drained the coffee: Neil handed him another cigarette, free of relaxant this time. “Did you see anything of interest last night?”

“Not that I can recall.” Neil leaned a little closer. “Have you checked cameras?”

“Nothing.” He said sourly. “Kevin’s infantile lover-girl swore she saw me in their room last night, but I was dead asleep all night. If anyone had been walking around the apartment I would have woken up.”

“Interesting.” Neil said, hiding his smile behind his mug. “I’ll let you know if I ever notice something out of the ordinary.” 

Andrew nodded. 

The rest of their routine meeting passed in silence. 

*

im gonna write a p.2……how many times have i said that over the past few days lmao im a mess

[side-effect-of-the-meds]

Major angst and general pain warning. Rape mention. Blood mention.

I got an ask regarding Fem!Jean and I will be addressing it soon, but first, we need to talk about Riko. So... here’s that + the start of Jean’s bit.

So let’s start with her sexuality. She’s a lesbian but she doesn’t talk about it. 

Not anymore at least. 

The second Nathania Wesninski stalked into the Raven Court, Riko knew she wasn’t ‘normal’. All the girls on t.v. kissed boys. They all stayed up late talking about boys. They swooned whenever one of them smiled at them. Riko did all those things too but never about boys. Only about Nathania. Late at night, she’d lay awake gushing about how amazing Nathania was while Kevin tried to drown out the sound of her voice with his pillow. 

She was so pretty. Riko felt her heart swell when Nathania’s icy eyes thawed and her crooked smile broke out across her face. Nat’s fiery hair matched her fiery temper. All her life, Riko had lived under her uncle’s rules. Don’t do this. Don’t do that. Don’t touch that. Don’t go there. Don’tDon’tDon’tDon’t

Nat didn’t care. When Tetsuji said don’t touch the racquets, Riko watched as Nat waited for him to turn his back before racing over to the stand. Clambering onto the sofa, Nat turned to look at Riko. Pressing a finger to her lips, she turned back and reached up for the racquet. She dragged her hand across the length of the stick and tugged at the netting. Rolling up to the balls of her feet, Nat pressed a kiss to the joint where the head of the racquet connected to the handle. Just before Tetsuji could turn back, she hopped down and raced back to Kevin who was staring at her, his mouth wide open. He smacked her across the back of the head and scolded for directly disobeying The Master. Nathania scowled him. Seeing Riko still watching her, she gave her a wink and a smile. Riko thought she was going to die then and there. 

In the two years Nathania spends at Evermore, Riko’s feelings only intensify. She finds herself tripping over her own feet and running into walls because she’s too busy staring at Nat to watch where she’s going. 

Riko ends up watching some rom-com with Kevin, Nat, and their newest addition to the court: Jean!!!!

She sees a lesbian couple that gets one scene in which one of them kisses the other on the cheek when she catches the bouquet at the main couple’s wedding. 

Riko is shook. 

At practice the next week, Nat stops Kevin in an impossible move and Riko is starstruck. She runs over and hugs Nat close. When Nat pulls her helmet off, she looks so pretty. Riko can’t stop herself from pressing a rough kiss to Nat’s cheek. Nat is shook for half a second, before laughing and returning Ko’s kiss with one of her own. If Ania had stayed at the Raven Court, she and Riko would have been a thing and Riko would have been incredibly soft. 

Here’s where things get bad tho. After Nat left, The Master grabbed Riko by her hair and dragged her into his office. Jean stood paralyzed while Kevin banged frantically on the door, Riko’s pleas and sobs ringing through the locker room. Riko couldn’t walk right for the next few days. Neither Kevin nor Jean could discern why. All of Riko’s bruises had been on her upper body. There had been a few running up and down her neck, scratches over her back, and bruises on her wrists and hips. None of those should have inhibited her from walking. 

Back then, none of them had understood what The Master had done to Riko. A few years later, the three of them heard the word rape for the first time. The man on the t.v. provided a fairly in-depth explanation of it.

“How could someone do something like that to another person?” Kevin asked, horror painting his face. Suddenly, he gasped. When Jean turned to see what had happened, she had to stifle one of her own. Riko had gone several shades paler than usual. Her limbs trembled as tears poured down her face. 

“That- that’s what he does to me,” she whispered, pointing at the screen. “That’s what Uncle does to me.” In between her sobs, Riko explained to them what her uncle had been doing every night once the others fell asleep. Jean and Kevin knew he called Riko from her room every night but they had never once thought this was why. The Master was trying to use ‘corrective’ rape to ‘fix’ her. All Jean and Kevin could do was sit and stare. It took everything in them to hold their own tears back. Seconds, minutes, hours, days passed once Riko finished. None of them knew what to do. They couldn’t tell anyone. Who would believe them? 

“If- if you’re fixed, will he stop?” Kevin asked finally. 

“I’m not broken!” Riko cried. 

“If you pretend to be straight, will he stop?” Kevin amended. 

“I- I don’t know. Maybe?” she replied. 

“Then maybe you should just pretend,” he said softly. “Just for now. After we leave, you can do what you want. You’ve just got to pretend for… ten years?” 

“That’s a long time,” Jean whispered. 

“It’s all we can do,” Kevin insisted. “We’ve spent our entire lives pretending to be fine. What’s one more secret?” 

“But how?” Riko asked. Silence engulfed the three of them. 

“You could try kissing a boy,” Kevin offered. “Reyes isn’t all bad.”

“No. I don’t want him getting any ideas,” Riko snapped. 

“Then it has to be one of us,” Jean said. Riko looked between the two of them, a frown furrowing her brow. 

“It’s just pretend, right?” she asked. 

“Just pretend,” Kevin replied a little too quickly. 

After a moment’s consideration, Riko agreed. She picked Kevin as her ‘boyfriend’. From that they on, she held his hand and pressed chaste kisses to his cheek when The Master was watching. Their act worked perfectly. Maybe a little too perfectly. Somewhere along the line, Jean realized that Kevin wasn’t pretending to love Riko. Whenever she walked past, Kevin couldn’t take his eyes off her. When she brushed against him, he leaned into her touch. Kevin had caught feelings and he had caught them hard.  

 From the moment she and Kevin started dating, she began to shut herself down. Feelings had been the source of all her pain. If she didn’t feel, she couldn’t get hurt, could she? Jean watched as her best friend started to cut away all the bits and pieces of herself that made her Ko. 

Jean is trans and she’s amazing and I love her. 

Riko might have cut herself off from most of her feelings and desensitized herself but she still is soft for Jean… sometimes. 

Jean comes out to her and Riko is in pain. She doesn’t understand but she supports her bc Jean supported her. 

Jean can’t change her name to fit her gender identity because then Ichirou will find out and God only knows what he’ll do to her. 

And so the nickname, Jeanie, becomes a thing. 

Jeanie is close enough to Jean that Riko can deny any wrongdoing. Jean wishes that she could just change her name and fully lean into her gender identity but Riko will just look at her and Jean will shove all her feelings down. 

They tell Kevin and he agrees to call her by the nickname too. They also privately refer to Jeanie with ‘she/her’ pronouns because they know it makes her feel better. Most of the Nest is set up so that the dorms are separated by gender. Kevin and Riko’s are an exception because Tetsuji wants Riko to keep her eye on her pet. Jeanie ends up crashing there most nights so she doesn’t have to face being in the men’s dorm. She only ever uses the bathroom in the dorms because they’re private. The changing room is just something she has to deal with and she hates it so much. 

When Kevin leaves, Riko officially breaks. He promised he’d protect her from Tetsuji. He swore he’d always be by her side. When he leaves, Riko is convinced that he’s abandoned her. Jeanie can only watch in horror as Riko’s deterioration increases exponentially. 

She’s torn. She’s glad that Kevin left because he had to. Tetsuji broke his arm for nearly showing Riko up on the court. Riko had been treating him worse and worse too. She had never raised a hand at him but Jeanie knew she was manipulating him. She deprived him of touch and cut him up and used him to get whatever she wanted. It hurt Jeanie to watch all of it. They were her best friends, her only friends, and they were tearing each other apart. 

Also, Kevin isn’t innocent. There were so many times when Riko tried to break things off with him. He’d shrug and nonchalantly suggest that maybe it was better if Tetsuji went back to treating Riko like a blow-up doll. >:00000 

Truly despicable 

Kevin’s gone, Riko is in shambles, and Jeanie has never felt more alone. 

Two months after Kev’s flight from Evermore, he showed up as Palmetto State as the new assistant coach. Tetsuji is furious. He had beaten Riko black and blue when Kevin had first run but this was something else entirely. Jeanie had walked into The Master’s office to hand over some reports and found Riko bound and gagged with her face buried in the couch cushions, her uncle above her. The Master threw Jeanie out and locked the door. Jeanie banged on the door, kicking at it but it wouldn’t budge. She collapsed outside the door sobbing. An hour later, Riko hobbled out of the office. She was covered in bruises and one of her eyes had swollen shut. Her clothes were in tatters and she was limping. She grabbed Jeanie by her hair and dragged her back to the dorms. Riko didn’t speak for the rest of the month. She wouldn’t leave her room for the next seven months. 

Jeanie didn’t leave Riko’s side in those seven months either. It wasn’t wise to leave a pregnant woman on her own. 

The birth of Cleo Moriyama was Evermore’s best-kept secret. The team assumed that she was Kevin’s. They were wrong. Cleo was an abomination. She was the daughter of Tetsuji Moriyama. Since Riko found out she was pregnant, she had lost all feelings. The birth of Cleo gave her back only one: hate. 

Jeanie was horrified. Riko had wanted an abortion but Tetsuji had refused. As a result, Riko had only hate in her heart for her daughter. Cleo is left to cry all night and starve to death for all Riko could care. Jeanie spends her third year of college juggling school, practice, and a baby that isn’t even hers. 

On top of everything, Riko has no emotions. None. She looks at everyone and everything with a dead, hollow-eyed look. A thousand-yard stare. In front of cameras, she always manages to slip her ditzy facade on but she doesn’t keep it on any longer than she has to. 

Riko is picking fights left, right, and center. She’s always brawling on the court. No one interferes because it’s Riko. 

The first flicker of emotion that Jeanie sees is at the discovery of Ania Josten’s true identity. For the first time in nearly a year, Riko looks excited. A brilliant smile splits her face and tears flow from her eyes. 

“Oh, Nattie. How I’ve missed you, my love,” Riko whispers as she drags a hand across the screen of her laptop, paused in the middle of one of Ania’s interviews. Riko turns to Jeanie. She races over and grabs Cleo out of Jeanie’s arms. “How would you like to have two mommies, Cleo? Oh, I’m sure you’ll love your new mommy. Such a pretty face. Such a dirty mouth.” There’s a crazed glint in Riko’s eyes and Jeanie feels her blood run cold. It’s the same glint she used to see whenever Riko ran her blades over Kevin’s skin. It was the same laughter that rang through the halls when Kevin sobbed beneath the sting of her blade, parting his skin, carving into his flesh. 

The banquets occur and Ania comes to Evermore. 

Jeanie wants to grab Ania by the shoulders and shake her. She wants to scream at her to get out. She wants to help her run but she’s too afraid of what will happen to her and, more importantly, Cleo if she does. Instead, she does her best to help Ania keep up. It’s hard especially when Ania is so dead set on pissing Riko off as much as possible. Ania refuses to accept Jeanie’s help either. She shoves Jeanie away and does the exact opposite of what she’s told. She hasn’t changed a bit since she was a child. 

Since the birth of Cleo, Jeanie has had her own room that she shares with the baby. It’s right beside Riko’s room. Jeanie finds herself waking in the middle of the night to the cries of the baby and the screams of Ania in the room next door. Riko is undoubtedly cutting her up just like she did Kevin. IIt’s Cleo or Ania. You can’t save them both, Jeanie thinks to herself as the tears slide down her cheek. She rocks Cleo in her arms, wishing the baby didn’t have to hear the horrors of the room next door. One night, however, the pleas she hears sound familiar. Pressing an ear up against the wall, she hears Ania begging for Riko to stop. She hears Riko demand that Ania love her. Jeanie leans back puzzled. It takes a few moments for the pieces to fall into place. She’s out of her room and kicking down Riko’s door in a matter of seconds. Ania’s handcuffed to the bed, naked. Riko is kneeling above her, her own shirt off. Blood coats everything in sight. 

This is the final straw. Jeanie grabs Riko by her hair and throws her across the room. She undoes the cuffs on Ania’s hands. She carries her to the bathroom and cleans her up. Ania doesn’t seem to be all there. Instead, she sits quietly as Jeanie does her best to clean the blood off her and dress the wounds. 

She packs Ania’s things and grabs Cleo and drives them to the airport. She calls Renee before the three of them hop onto the first available flight back to South Carolina. 

Wymack is already waiting for them at the terminal. His eyes widen at the sight of the child in Jeanie’s arms but he doesn’t question it. He drives the four of them back to the team nurse’s home. Jeanie explains what happened at Evermore and, after some prodding, reveals the truth about Cleo. Abby is trying to contain her tears. She offers to watch Cleo while Jeanie sleeps. Jeanie hesitates but her fatigue wins out. She hands Cleo over and falls asleep the second her head hits the pillow. 

Jeanie hides out with the foxes, waiting for Riko to come and take her back. Not once do they call. Instead, Renee’s adoptive mother has forced Evermore to open an investigation into the Ravens. It’s only a matter of time before the Ravens fall.

Jeanie’s story will pick up from her arrival at Palmetto. 

[jostenjorts]

Basically an AU where Mary doesn’t take Nathaniel and run. She instead gets rid of her husband and his little whore and her two lackeys. Part 1/?

All started fairly simple, marry Nathan Wesninski and form an alliance between the Hatford’s and Moriyama’s.

Nathan was charming at first, treated Mary as someone to be respected, didn’t dare say anything that would have her walking out.

Only for Mary to fall pregnant and for her husband to drop the niceties

He informed the Hatford family that she was unwell due to the pregnancy and wouldn’t be able to get in contact with them for the time being.

Brought in his whore, Lola Malcolm, and her brother plus a man named Patrick, to watch over Mary - to ensure she couldn’t get in contact with Stuart.

Mary Hatford-Wesninski began to plot Nathan’s death around then, spent the 9 months pregnant studying poisons

Had fantasied all the brutal ways she could kill him, she even came across and read a fascinating article about a woman named Katherine Knight (this happened 2001 but we’re gonna ignore that-)

She considered aborting the child growing inside her - the pest that was holding her down - but then time flew by and January 19, 1988 at 4:30AM Mary gave birth to a baby boy who resembled Nathan Wesninski

It took everything in her not to puke

Mary wasn’t even allowed to name the child, watched as Nathan told the doctor and nurses that the child’s name would be Nathaniel Wesninski - though, she was able too tell them the boys middle name would be Abram

Then just like that, motherhood was before her. Raising a baby was hell, it cut into her planning time on how to get rid of the Malcolm siblings so that she could get her hands on Nathan

Even though she and her husband shared a bed, they were both light sleepers so any plans to kill him in his sleep had been thrown out the window long ago

The years went by, Nathaniel clinging to Mary whenever Lola tried to touch him and she found herself protective of the little boy - he was her flesh and blood after all

Just, some days, he was hard to look at because of him inheriting Nathan’s looks.

And then the Exy practices started, Nathaniel was introduced to Kevin and Riko, played with the two with such joy in his eyes that Mary would rather he stay with those two then be home

Only for her to learn that this was a test, a way for Nathan to sell his - no, her son - to the Moriyama’s

Patrick DiMaccio was the first to go

Mary had been washing the dishes, playing the part of an obedient wife, when he waltzed into the kitchen and had let it slip that Nathan, Lola and Romero were out on a job for the next few days

Had tried to touch her

She drove a fork through his hand and took enjoyment out of using her husbands torture room.

Patrick’s body was disposed of and despite the manhunt to look for the man, Lola and her brother came up empty as did all the Butcher’s men.

Nathan had suspected Mary at first, but over the years she played the part of a submissive fragile house wife so well that he shrugged the thought away, finding the very idea hilarious

Lola and Romero kept an eye on her even if their boss didn’t

And then Abram was being sold off, had a 3 being drawn on his cheek every day with permanent marker by Riko Moriyama

Mary smiled, showering her son with affection and taking him to all the practices while wondering if she should of ran before this happened

Read Abram to sleep which night and did everything she could to make sure Nathan didn’t raise a hand to either of them

Only for Nathan to spring on her at random, that Lola was to train Nathaniel with knives so that he could be a reliable asset to Riko when they were older

Mary bit her tongue, patching her son up every night so that he would be fine in time for his next Exy practice

Reasoned that this worked in their favour, had even slipped the thought to Nathan during sex that he should train Nathaniel himself to be the next Butcher

Had convinced her husband that Riko would want his own Butcher, just like his father, when he was older

A year later of Lola overseeing Abram’s training, Nathan took over. Bringing his son down to the basement and had him skin random people picked up off the street, see how skilled he was with a knife

Mary hated it, but she just had to be patient. Get Lola and Romero out of the picture

Then she could focus on getting rid of Nathan

But first, she needed to get in contact with her brother

watch me not even continue this lmao - tho if I do, Andrew will make his way in eventually same with Ichirou

ALSO THIS IS ALL JUST DOT POINTS SO LIKE IF IT BE LOOKING KINDA JUMPING PLACE TO PLACE - that’s exactly what it is cause I’m also sleep deprived when I typed all this out and didn’t go through to edit any of it

[lumilasi]

A new character! I will make a proper ref for him later, but I reallly wanted to start with something cooler looking heh. I repurposed an old design I had for this. 

Character bio below:

Name: Ichirou

Nicknames: Kiddo, little fluffball (Raitei) Shii-kun (Caelan)

Age: 14

Height: 150 cm

A “premature” Spider hanyou (half-blooded spirit whose mother was a Jorogumo in this case)

Role: Errand boy/unofficial little silbing to Caelan/adoptive son to Araknos

Family: Unknown; unofficial adoptive parent Jurou/Araknos, mother-like figure Katana and sometimes Rui, Jurou’s mother.

Love interest: No (he’s a kid)

Friends: Raitei, Caelan, Milo (later in the story)

Rival(s): None

Powers:

Ability to produce strong spiders web and use it to puppeteer anything and everything, from puppets to furniture, even trees, vegetation and other living beings

He can use these webs to also slash things to pieces or hang onto something - or someone.

ventriloquism; he can make it seem like its an object he’s controlling that talks instead of himself.

Ability to sense other souls and consume them as his kin are soul eaters. He can’t eat human souls fully however. 

he’s very quick and good at hiding

Weaknesses:

Ichirou is a “premature” spiderling, meaning he gained his powers at a too young age. This has resulted in stunted growth, making him look younger than he is, and also inability to control his powers properly. He can’t do most of the things his kin can, such as summon massive spiders out of shadows, morph his body parts into something suitable for weaponry, etc. 

He also can’t eat human souls fully, despite needing soul energy to sustain himself properly, as while he can still eat human food, it’s like being on a very nutrient deficient diet. Ichirou mainly either uses animal souls, or Araknos spares him some bits of a soul he devours when Caelan gets possessed again. (Long story explained in Araknos and Caelan’s bios)

He gets scared easily, and is highly afraid of being left alone again, to the point he might try and protect the people he cares for in a manner that puts his life needlessly at risk. He also gets triggered by his dolls being harmed somehow, where he basically gets enraged and loses control of his own power, making it destroy everything around him wildly while he screams inhumanely loud (to the point the sound can destroy things and rupture your eardrums) and this will only stop once he’s knocked out.

Personality:

Ichirou is a very shy and timid child who prefers speaking through his dolls. He’s curious despite his timidness and likes to lurk around and listen in on conversations. He can get emotionally overwhelmed pretty easily, especially if someone close to his age is nice to him, as he’s not used to it. (This resulted in kind of a funny episode within the story - Y’know, if I’d actually make it - where he’d stalk Milo and Silas for a while after Milo was nice to him.)

He’s very respectful and polite most of the time towards everybody, and is often afraid of doing something wrong (a remnant from his past before shit went down) panicking easily if he breaks something or takes something he wasn’t supposed to.

BG story:

Before Ichirou found himself in the care of a fellow, older Spider’s son, he was stuck with an abusive father who made him jumpy and apologize over minor things all the time, even hitting the poor boy. 

His spider mother in turn, had tried for so long to finally have a son, and now that she finally did have one, was much more protective over him than her kind would typically be. Watching this abuse unfold she couldn’t bear to watch it anymore, so she went on to kill his dad (as her kin typically do; in this case she did it sooner than she’d originally meant to) but unfortunately the people he ended up with weren’t much better. To help her son escape his situation, she attempted to give him his powers sooner at the age of 11 instead of 18, which of course goes against the nature rules governing her kind. 

As a result Ichirou lost both of his parents and was given an incomplete vessel for his new powers. Completely alone and eventually driven off his village out of fear as people assumed he’d eat their souls, Ichirou eventually wandered to the path of another Spider son, much older and stronger than him, which naturally scared the kid at first. This man, Jurou Hasegawa, also known as Araknos, took pity on him and decided to take him under his wing as well.

Fun facts:

Ichirou is stuck in this height and with more childlike features because of his premature “rebirth”

Ichirou can’t remember his mother’s name or face, only her kind voice. Katana’s voice reminds him of hers hence he’s fond of the amnesiac Demon hunter.

Jurou’s mother Yui taught him how to make dolls after he lost the one he was clinging to from his former home village.

Ichirou has dolls about every person around him, except Araknos and Yuushi; he finds making one of either would be disrespectful.

The way he treats these dolls reflects on his relationship with the person; He’s very nice to Caelan and Raitei dolls with quickly fixing whatever tears they may get, usually uses Katana doll as a teddy bear, whereas he might throw Claude doll around a little.

He eventually has a doll about Milo too, despite them being on the “opposing sides” technically due to an event where Milo helps him.

Ichirou likes to ride on Raitei’s back.

His outfit is one of Caelan’s old childhood ones, one that wasn’t worn much as Caelan preferred the blue ones over the purple.

[stickballl]

Sunshine After Moonlight Pt. 10

The Trojans were… loud was the best way to put it. The minute he walked into the lounge he was met with a wall of sound, enough to rival a stadium full of fans. Jeremy ran to the team as Jean stopped close to the door. The noise spiked his anxiety for reasons beyond his understanding. The Nest had never been like this. It’d always been quiet enough that you could hear a pin drop at the other end of the hall. On game nights, he could hear his teammates’ parties from his room as Riko celebrated privately with Jean, but that was always a distant shout. Now, the volume choked him and paralyzed him.

He closed his eyes and pressed a hand to his right ear, basking in a blissful silence. He gasped a breath, his head spinning slightly as he forced himself to breathe evenly. A new environment would be good for him, as the Foxes’ psychiatrist had repeatedly said. It would be the same no matter what campus he went to; sports obsessed assholes who only cared about one thing. Who only saw him as a means to an end.

Despite the air conditioning, sweat fell in rivulets down his neck and back. The beanie was burning his head and his sweatshirt suffocated him. He wasn’t used to this kind of heat. The Nest was always set to 65 degrees. He reached back to pull his beanie off before he remembered the patches of scabbed skin between unruly curls.

He let his hands fall to his sides, flinching at the roar of voices. He opened his eyes to see Jeremy gesturing for him to come over. Jean set his shoulders, reminded himself of Dr. Dobson’s words, and walked toward his new team.

Jeremy stood on a couch and called for everyone’s attention, waving his arms in the air like a complete lunatic.

“I’d like to have your attention,” Jeremy yelled. Jean rolled his eyes, standing back away from the crowd. “Our brand-new teammate, Jean Moreau, has arrived today. Please give him a warm, Trojan welcome. Don’t you dare scare him off.”

Jean shuddered at how much Jeremy butchered his name. He shook it off and faced the mass of people rushing over to him. Their smiles terrified him with their brightness, their ferocious happiness encroaching on him with each step.

He recognized all of them, their names rushing through his head, but they’d never looked at him with anything other than determination that bordered on hatred.

“Welcome to the LA, Moreau. Jason Armstrong, backliner,” one of them said. Jean nodded along. Jason Armstrong, 5’11”, 200 pounds, focused, fierce on the court. Willing to do anything to keep his goal safe. Off court, he didn’t seem like much. All goofy smiles and loose limbs. “Dude, you were terrifying with the Ravens. I’m so fucking psyched to have you on our side now.”

“It’ll be interesting,” Jean replied, a tight smile on his lips. Armstrong forcibly shook his hand before disappearing into the crowd. He kept his composure for the next couple of introductions until the feeling of breath down the back of his neck and everyone enclosing in on him became too much. With a muttered apology, he excused himself, rushing toward the nearest door he could find. It was a bathroom, filled with mint colored stalls and the stale scent of automated air freshener. Jean braced himself against a sink, avoiding his reflection at all costs.

He ran his hands under cold water, splashing it over his face. The water cooled his skin, shocking him enough to suck in a breath. They came faster then, shallower, heaving his chest up and down. His knuckles whitened on the porcelain as he stared at the pearl white. It was the one thing keeping him rooted to the spot, so bright compared to the black of Evermore.

“Hey, Jean, I brought some water if you want some,” a faceless voice asked to his right. Jean nodded and snatched the water, drinking it as quickly as he could. He threw the bottle on the floor. “Good. Can you tell me three things you hear?”

“You, the Trojans, the broken fossette dripping water,” Jean said. The person next to him, a girl he thinks, hummed and seemed to take a step closer.

“Three things you see.”

“The dirty sink, my shoes, my hands.”

“How are you feeling?”

His breath had slowed. His head had stopped pounding. He could focus on more than forcing oxygen into his lungs. It was the easiest he’d ever calmed down after a panic attack.

“Better. Thank you,” he said, voice gruff and throat raw. He pushed himself away from the sink and faced his visitor.

“Laila Dermott,” she said with a sweet smile. “I’m the starting goalie and a psychology major, so I’ve seen my fair share of panic attacks.”

He noticed for the first time the lack of fear in his gut as he faced this stranger. Meeting new people had never been Jean’s strong suit, shoved to the side to let Kevin or Riko bask in the spotlight with Jean as a silent spectator. Anything out of routine shook Jean’s foundations, made his life almost unrecognizable without the strict guidelines the Ravens had imposed. Someone new was the worst disruptor.

Laila seemed alright.

“You also ran into the girls’ bathroom which I’m guessing wasn’t what you meant to do,” Laila said. Jean shook his head. He’d only had flashes of the world around him. He’d needed an out and he’d found one. “Why don’t we go out and meet some more people? I’m sure Jeremy has given them a piece of his mind for setting you off.”

Jean nodded, jaw tightly clenched. He wanted to run as far as he could away from the USC campus, run until his body finally gave out. But he’d made a promise, to himself, to Jeremy, to Ichirou, that he would go on with his life and play for as long as he was permitted.

The rest of the team barely noticed when Jean rejoined them, too enraptured in their own conversations to care about some newcomer. Except for Jeremy and Sara Alvarez, who looked to be whispering to each other with their heads bowed together. They jumped when the door opened, smiles too wide to be considered anything but suspicious. Jean dug his fingernails into his palms to keep himself from sneering.

“Jean Moreau, Sara Alvarez,” she said, stomping toward her and holding her hand out. Jean stared at it, dazed and stuck in his own head, debating the likelihood of having another break down if he had to touch one more person. Laila acted before he did, stepping forward and threading her fingers through Alvarez’s and leaning her head on her shoulder. Alvarez shot her a weird look before dismissing it and looking back at Jean. “Welcome to SoCal, Moreau. Say hello to your new best friends.” Partners, Riko’s voice shouted in his mind. He tried to hide his wince, but the looks on their faces made it obvious he hadn’t done a good job.

“We were going to go out for some coffee and lunch after this meeting, if you’d like to come,” Jeremy said. “Everything’s on us, promise.”

Jean barely held himself back from rolling his eyes. A few dollars spent on coffee was not the biggest factor in making this decision.

“No offence, but it looks like you really need some caffeine,” Alvarez said, dragging a finger under her eye. Jean settled on a glare. In the back of his mind, he appreciated her blunt comment, but he’d never admit that.

“I’ll go,” Jean relented. If joy and flowers and everything embodying happiness could be shoved into one word, it would be the perfect thing to describe the expression splitting Jeremy’s face. He’d never seen anyone so happy with just two words. He didn’t think he’d ever seen anyone so responsive to anything.

Before Jeremy could voice his enthusiasm, Rhemann walked in and demanded everyone’s attention. The residual anxiety in Jean unlocked and he escaped to the wall, breathing fully and deeply for the first time that afternoon. Rhemann said a quick welcome to Jean before launching into the season’s plan. Jean settled into the ease of exy and relaxed.

[sparklyjojos]

KOMATSUKI MAKIKO summary

[Note: this short story centers Jirou from Smoke, Soil and Sacrifices, which I recapped here.]

[tw: gore, sexual content, mental health issues (mostly DID as understood by Maijo), mentioned child abuse, suicide?]

--

The narrator--Komatsuki Makiko--briefly remembers the time when Natsukawa Jirou was called a “man like the eternal return itself” by Salman Rushdie when the two had a chance conversation in a New York cafe in 1998.

Jirou once told Makiko in a quite philosophical conversation that God doesn’t think. Or rather, God “thinks” (ie. has thoughts, brain processes necessary to perceive things and work towards creating the world), but doesn’t really “ponder” (thinks about stuff, philosophizes etc.)--only humans do.

Makiko thinks that by saying this, Jirou is drawing a line between himself and humanity. Jirou certainly seems to just know the answer to anything without pondering it first.

Makiko notices that Jirou’s atmosphere of ‘just knowing’ was deftly put into the main character of Natsukawa Saburou’s book Tsukumojuku (!!!) -- as Jirou’s brother, Saburou would of course know Jirou as well as to capture the vibes he gave off. Although Saburou made Tsukumojuku “ponder” different things from around halfway through that novel, maybe Jirou would be okay with just “thinking”. To force him to “consider” would feel like trying to force God himself to do that.

As he is, Jirou is a genius. He can perfectly remember any image he saw even once and everything he read, and he gets through books so fast it looks like he’s just idly flicking through the pages. He can even memorize a hard scientific text verbatim and only analyze it later in his mind.

Jirou keeps his vast knowledge inside a memory palace--“Natsukawa Dormitory”--not unlike the one that the book character Hannibal Lecter has. But while Hannibal was the only keeper of his palace, Jirou has several.

Jirou claims -- and Makiko isn’t sure whether to believe him or not -- that he experimentally caused his own personality to split and create four additional parts. When Makiko first met Jirou in 1995, those four were as follows: Shi Un, a quiet and wise 14-year-old boy; Daniel, a 36-year-old part-time painter; Sugisaki Yuri, a 17-year-old ghost [who is also described as 性転換した, as in “sexually transitioned”; I think Maijo means just that Yuri’s female?], and Aka Tsuki (or just Akatsuki?), a 21-year-old elderly dog that speaks in a rough tone.

Jirou “raised” those four and eventually “overcame” them, after which he changed their names. Shi Un became “Ichirou”, Daniel - “Jirou” (not the surface Jirou we know), Sugisaki Yuri - “Saburou”, and Aka Tsuki - “Shirou”. Considering that these were also the names of Jirou and his brothers, you’d think that it was a bad idea, but Jirou seemed to be okay with it.

--

But anyway, Makiko first met Jirou in a cafe in Brussels, where she and her friend Toda Erika planned to take some photos (Makiko is a photographer). The instant Jirou saw Makiko, he called her by name and congratulated her on “fulfilling her wishes”. He explained that he once saw a middle school graduation book from Makiko’s school, in which she wrote down her wish of becoming a  photographer.

Ever since that first meeting everything’s been going well, Makiko says. It’s like Jirou is one of the Seven Gods of Fortune, Vaisravana. As if he’s the God who fulfills all her wishes and hears even the unspoken ones --  surely nobody except a god would have that power.

If we stretch the concept a bit, the other Natsukawa brothers would seem fit as the other Four Heavenly Kings: Ichirou the politician as Dhrtarastra who upholds the realm, Saburou the writer as Virupaksa who sees everything, and Shirou the successful surgeon as Virudhaka who brings growth.

--

Jirou likes to look through school graduation books, photos and anthologies of kids’ work, and gather them all in Natsukawa Dormitory. From what he says, back when he was 19-20 he used to sneak into schools in Japan just to page through these anthologies. When the two were in Jirou’s house once (which had only a few beds and piles upon piles upon piles of books as internal decor), Makiko asked him why he enjoys these child pictures so much. Instead of giving a straight answer, Jirou drew a picture...

...which Makiko recognized as the work of Ikihara Akira, her classmate from primary school. Jirou explained that after drawing this picture Akira was murdered and eaten by his mother. Apparently the police and everyone else thought the motive could be the mother doing it “out of love”, so that the boy would become her flesh and blood, but Jirou personally thought it was just something she did for her own enjoyment.

Jirou then talked about Hannibal Lecter playing a monster for amusement, and noticed that acting is a basis of human play. Even when people grow up, their tendency to act is still there, just moves from childish play to performing the role of “themselves”.

Akira’s parents lived in separation, but in the picture, he drew himself holding hands with them in harmony and wrote down yokatta (“I’m glad”, “everything went well” etc.). Even if nothing actually went well, Jirou still likes that yokatta, a simple wish of a child. Seeing as time doesn’t flow in this picture, nothing ever changes within it, maybe in a way Akira’s wish really did come true.

Makiko is wondering if you could really say that considering how Akira ended up. Jirou answers to this by flipping the page and drawing another picture that Makiko quickly realizes is how the original one really looked like.

The first thing Jirou showed was fake. Akira’s actual drawing looked like this:

Makiko really had thought the first one was the original until she saw this one. She wonders just how many memories of hers are actually faithful to life, and how many were altered with time. Maybe it’s that frail memory that makes her love capturing time in photos. Maybe Jirou, whose memory was perfect, preferred those emotionally charged pictures made by children.

Jirou said he’d be fine with whatever end awaited him.

But things don’t come to an end, Makiko thought. This is the eternal return. Things start and end and then happen again. If Jirou really was “like an eternal return itself”, then he would never end either… so maybe would never “be fine”.

--

Jirou sometimes killed that other “Jirou” in Natsukawa Dormitory, only to have him be reborn later. Maybe this repeated killing was Jirou’s attempt to reach some sort of an end--to finally “be fine”. A chase in the middle of eternal return.

Makiko wondered if the two ever changed places. Was the original Jirou still succesfully staying on the surface, or had he been pulled inside and exchanged for “Jirou” a long time ago? Was the Jirou she loved even a single person? Certainly she also had a fair share of experiences with those others.

After they returned to Japan and started living in Makiko’s family house in Chofu, she was once woken up by Jirou touching her body (and, er, himself). To her questions he answered awkwardly that “Jirou is asleep”, introduced himself as Shi Un, said he’s sorry, that Makiko and the family are really kind to him, and that he doesn’t really know stuff yet.

(And then Makiko instantly jumped to the occasion to have sex with him right then and there, because Maijo Otaro.)

When Jirou later renamed and “contain” the other four in Natsukawa Dormitory, Makiko commented that he seemed jealous of Shi Un, but Jirou just answered that this accusation didn’t even make sense--they were the same person, after all.

Makiko still isn’t sure whether the existence of the other personalities is real and not just Jirou putting on an elaborate play. Makiko herself remembers acting a lot in previous relationships. It’s different with Jirou, feels more real - instead of overthinking, her head just goes blank whenever she’s with him… though maybe her head going blank is also a sort of a performance, more to convince herself than him that their relationship is true? Then again, maybe every internal emotion is in a way “performed” when shown on the outside. Even assuming her emotions were “fake”, surely they wouldn’t fall that far off from the true ones.

When she was with Jirou, she felt like he’d know the answer to anything, and felt like it was just fine to stop thinking… or at least stop “considering”. There likely wasn’t a point to asking all those “ifs” like whether or not Jirou was actually Jirou.

When she once asked him why he repeatedly kills “Jirou”, he answered: “because I only kill myself.” Did it mean that the one he wanted to kill more than anyone else was himself? Or that if he had to kill, he wouldn’t do that to others, but to himself?

--

Just before they left Belgium, Makiko drove them to Bastogne while unusually serious Jirou recited Miura Tetsuo’s short stories from memory on her request. She wondered how he imagined things from the stories to look like and how close they were to her own imagination. Could imagined, fictional things also remain as memories?

They stopped by a residence that, according to Jirou, belonged to one of the world’s richest men, who out of paranoia hid himself inside a house filled with security. They said nobody was even allowed to see him without stripping completely naked and undergoing a body search.

Jirou left the car and went to the house with the security guards. He returned pretty soon, safe and in higher spirits. Makiko started driving to a restaurant, but Jirou asked her to park on the side of the road for a second. As she watched, he suddenly took off the entirety of his hair - apparently it was a wig hiding bare skin underneath - and then just as casually took off a part of his skull and retrieved from his own head a small knife, still red with the rich man’s blood. He asked Makiko to bring him the surgical tool set from the trunk and proceeded to carefully put his head back together.

When he was done, they went to the restaurant and ordered a meal. Jirou explained that he hadn’t killed the rich man, just roughed him up a little with the knife he’d hidden in his own head. It was the same knife used by the man back when he was a child… well, not the same one, but looking similar enough that the man would imagine it was the original thing.

Even if Jirou did horrible, horrible things to people, he never killed them. He only killed himself.

--

Three days after Jirou “conquered” Daniel and renamed him to “Jirou”, he killed him. About two months later “Jirou” showed up again, this time not as a 36-year-old artist, but as a shy six-year-old.

Jirou would have that child “Jirou” bullied, hit, kicked, and having unspeakable acts done to him. Throughout all that abuse, and being made fun of by “Ichirou”, “Saburou” and “Shirou”, “Jirou” would after some time grow up and become the strongest out of them. At that point Jirou would beat him to death. Later he’d raise him from a weak child to a powerful man again, and kill him again.

Makiko often cried when she thought about it, not sure if she emphatized more with the pain of the killed “Jirou” or the Jirou who killed. If time can flow differently inside one’s mind, then “Jirou” (or maybe even the surface Jirou, if they ever switched) could have endured horrible abuse for hundreds of years. Neverending death and rebirth. Like the eternal return itself.

Jirou didn’t kill others, but maybe the things he did to them were close enough to killing that you couldn’t really make a distinction. So maybe killing “Jirou” was also coming just close enough to death that it really felt like dying while still maintaining life.

Maybe that child that Makiko sometimes spotted in his expression was actually just the same child all this time, and Jirou just acted like he was killing him, an elaborate act of play-pretend for the world, or maybe just for himself.

--

Since ancient times - Jirou said - humanity had a concept of monsters. At first these were god-like beings removed far from humans, but then they started progressively approaching our kind. First as animal shapeshifters, then beings like vampires and Frankenstein’s monster that skirted the line between life and death, and finally as zombies, dead humans who ate others. Then there was Hannibal Lecter, not any undying being of any sort, but just a human gone mad.

Although, as Jirou points out, there was a hypothesis that Lecter wasn’t actually insane. At one point in Red Dragon Lecter says to Will Graham that “we’re just alike”. One could interpret this as Lecter assessing that Graham may end up becoming a criminal too, but in Jirou’s interpretation, Lecter meant that they both simply enjoy acting the role of a serial killer. In Graham’s case, that’d refer to his method of putting himself in the mindset of a criminal to investigate. In Lecter’s case, it’d refer to him being a genius who became so bored with humanity that he murdered and ate people just for the joy of play-pretend.

Makiko can’t help but wonder what exactly is the difference between Hannibal Lecter -- who in Hannibal would mix into society and have a certain woman be with him -- and Jirou.

If Jirou was a monster, then maybe the monster of our times was found inside humans. A monster creeping closer to us than ever before. Hiding inside our friends and families. Inside the people you love.

And--judging from what she could piece together using the few fragments of Jirou’s past he told her about--inside the Natsukawa family.

Every person has their own story inside them. In the stories of the Natsukawas, the rich man from Belgium, and all the people Jirou ever hurt, Jirou was no doubt the monster.

But he wasn’t one in Makiko’s story.

--

Makiko remembers the time Jirou was called “a man like the eternal return itself” by Salman Rushdie, even though the writer couldn’t possibly know about his internal death and rebirth. Rushdie also said that he had a strange feeling like he’s met Jirou somewhere before and had an important conversation with him, but couldn’t place it. Jirou just looked familiar to him. Makiko agreed worldlessly; she had the same feeling whenever she looked at Jirou.

When they were alone later, Jirou expressed the opinion that Rushdie had been sarcastic or speaking nonsense. Eternal return sounds like quite a pessimistic worldview that’d just make people feel that life is pointless, which is maybe why philosophers invented the whole nirvana thing that allows for escape from the cycle of rebirth.

Whether or not Rushdie’s words had a point, maybe Jirou would feel fulfilled in eternal return, Makiko thinks. Maybe the goal, the thing to strive for inside eternal return was keeping one’s will to live.

If eternal return really is a thing, then Makiko is fine with it. After all, she’ll get to meet Jirou again and again and love him again.

No matter who that Jirou actually is.

END