#exy player!dream

[livelaughloveandread]

Wymack: You think I got to choose my players? Because you’re all such an exy dream team?! You, *points at Andrew* you’re lazy.

Andrew: *deadpan stare*

Wymack: You’re whiny.

Aaron: *looks deeply offended*

Wymack: Queenie over there is downright depressing!

Kevin: *looks a little hurt, but shrugs as if to say fair enough*

Wymack: And you Josten, you’re just annoying!

Neil: *grins diabolically*

[minyard-05]

ok whatever you do don't think about what would've happened if riko had killed neil in the nest. if it had driven the point home to jean that he was never getting out, and he stopped talking to renee, mourning his forever partner. don't think about kevin finding out that he sent neil into the nest, gave him the plane ticket, and he never flew back. don't think about kevin waiting for a text from neil on new year's and all that comes is a news alert saying one of the most promising new players in collegiate exy was reported dead this morning– don't think about andrew getting out of easthaven, scanning his family and neil isn't there. don't think about him asking nicky what happened and nicky is too choked up to say anything. don't think about andrew searching neil's room to find his armbands stuffed under the bed, because neil went back for them, neil kept them safe, neil was going to give them back. don't think about andrew's last memory of neil being him promising to watch kevin over christmas. don't think about how the twins might never have reconciled. don't think about how kevin might never have told wymack he was his son. don't think about dan and matt would've missed him, so soon after seth died, and never known exactly what happened. nobody would tell them. don't think about abby asking who they should call and wymack says 'we were all he had.' don't think about how andrew would've never known if neil really was a pipe dream after all.

[inafieldofstarflowers]

Having alternate POVs gives a more rounded perspective of so many parts of aftg, but I think that Jean specifically gives a more in-depth view of Kevin which is deeply necessary to understand his character.

On multiple occasions throughout his narration, Neil comments on Kevin’s single-minded focus on Exy. This makes sense, because Exy is at the heart of Kevin and Neil’s relationship and is central to the overarching conflict of the books. Neil gives his game to Kevin, and Kevin takes that seriously. Moreover, Kevin has something to prove, to himself and to the world, and the success of the Foxes in their season is key to his success in proving his worth, so of course he’s focused on it. Also, Kevin just truly does love Exy: he’s spent his whole life working hard to get to where he is by the time the series begins, and he clearly did that because he cares just as much as he did it because it was expected—it makes sense that he loves the Trojans, because they play for love of the game, not just for the desire to win.

When Jean’s narration discussed Kevin, it agrees with all of these things: Kevin is fanatical and he loves the Trojans (even though his playing style is incongruous with theirs, as Jean points out) and he is arrogant, though not without cause. It also, however, gives peeks at a softer side of Kevin. Part of this is because so many interactions between Kevin and Jean are colored by Kevin’s guilt at leaving Jean behind, and the validity of Jean’s accusation that Kevin twisted the knife as he left, but regardless of the reason, Kevin lets his walls down ever so slightly when it comes to Jean, and while he’s still standoffish, it’s also evident how deeply he cares about the people he loves. Jean notices this side of him, though he doesn’t typically mention it outright, being justifiably angry with Kevin; he leans closest to admitting it when others criticize or doubt Kevin’s motivations, unwilling to let them misrepresent him.

Kevin Day is the ultimate fake idgaf-er. He has his people—Andrew, Neil, and Jean, but also the Foxes as a whole—and he sticks by them. He believes in them. His faith in Andrew keeps him going, his confidence in Neil gives him space to dream about the future, and his trust in Jean is what he falls back on (when he learns about the district change, when Neil is headed to the Nest),

Applying that lens to the original trilogy makes so many of Kevin’s actions stand out, even though Neil rarely flags them as significant or identifies them as a result of either his desire to show up Riko or his fear of retribution (which Neil sees as cowardice, while Jean intimately understands the way that bone-deep terror mixes with a cultivated, years-long habit of obedience to make a cage that is nearly impossible to escape).

In this light, Kevin’s love for the Trojans looks like a small act of defiance. His History major—of which Neil makes only a passing mention—gains weight as evidence of other passions strong enough to get Kevin to fight. Kevin’s plea for Neil to leave after he learns his identity, his decision to agree to train Neil every night, and his initial refusal to accept Neil’s choice to go to the Nest at Christmas are all highlighted, exemplifying how much he cares about Neil. Every act of defiance��every time Kevin stands up for or by the Foxes, each interview where he indicates he is where he wants to be, each moment he supports Neil instead of trying to change him—gain weight with Jean’s commentary on the trauma that comes from the Nest.

Kevin Day is an Exy player. He is arrogant and irritable and abrasive; he has built himself around his success. He has also built himself a net to fall back on out of the people he has chosen to have faith in, chooses to find worth in people the rest of the world has written off and fight for them to achieve the version of themselves everyone else has long stopped believing they could be. He is the Son of Kayleigh Day and David Wymack, and he takes after each of them in spite of growing up mostly apart from both of them.

[rosanna-writer]

Baby, I'm the One to Beat (1/?)

Feyre Archeron is the most talked-about woman in Exy. On the court, she broke records in her first season with the Springfield Bucks, while her off-court romance with her team captain, Tamlin, had fans swooning. In the wake of a breakup, she throws it all away and transfers to the rival Velaris University. A new narrative emerges—after refusing to share the court with her ex, Exy's freshman phenomenon is "too temperamental" to play at the sport's highest levels. Feyre can't afford to get involved with another teammate when she needs another trophy to keep her dream of going pro alive. But amid all the drills, workouts, and scrimmages, Rhysand, her new team captain, becomes a smirking, sarcastic soft place to land. And Feyre doesn't miss his longing looks in her direction, either. Can she win the championship and still keep her heart—and reputation—intact?

For @belabellissima

My secret santa giftee is the loml, the queen, the legend BELA FUCKIN BELISSIMAAAAAA!!!! I literally squealed with excitement when I got my assignment, and I had the BEST time binging the Foxhole Court to create this AU (and real talk, when I started brainstorming and making a "things Bela likes" list, I was like "oh SHIT, HOW IS HER TASTE IN EVERYTHING SO IMPECCABLE???")

A huge thank you to my team of betas, brainstorming partners, and secret keepers: @c-e-d-dreamer, @violetasteracademic, @yourstarsmyscars, @reverie-tales, thesistersarcheron, berd-berd-nerd, itsthedoodle, and climbthemountain2020 And an even bigger thank you to the @acotargiftexchange mods for all their hard work putting on such a fun event!

Read it Here on AO3 or under the cut, and happy holidays everyone! <3

Feyre wished she'd thought about a revenge dress.

For the past year, she'd spent no less than an hour and a half in the weight room most days. She'd clocked enough miles to wear out three pairs of running shoes. A constant ache had settled in her shoulders from all the drills that honed her catching, throwing, and aiming. After all the work she'd put in to bring her body to peak physical condition, she really ought to have found something slinky.

But she'd put off packing until the last minute, and now the steam from her shower hadn't done anything to fix the wrinkled mess she'd shoved into her suitcase. Wrapped up in a scratchy hotel towel, she sighed in dismay at the stodgy black outfit she'd bought for her father's funeral years ago.

She forced herself to change before Ianthe banged on the door. Just a few days ago, they would have gone shopping for something new, but since Feyre had ended things with Tamlin, her roommate communicated solely in dirty looks. Ianthe's chipper demeanor had gotten on her nerves, especially before 6 AM practices, but now, Feyre would take it over the frosty silence that had followed them all the way from their dorm to the latest hotel room they'd been assigned to share.

Maybe it was just the thought of the last time she'd worn the dress, but Feyre suddenly missed her sisters fiercely. Despite their childhoods full of cutthroat competition, constant tears, and hurt feelings, Nesta and Elain would still rally behind her after a breakup. And it helped that they both had nicer closets to raid.

But college recruitment and Exy Pro League drafts had scattered the Archeron sisters across Prythian, so Feyre found herself getting ready for the Collegiate Player of the Year awards ceremony alone.

The formal, televised awards ceremony where she'd be seated next to her roided-up meathead of an ex-boyfriend. The ex who was also her team captain.

The occasion called for looking killer. But in the whirlwind of celebrations and interviews, congratulations and sponsorship offers since her game-winning goal ended Springfield University's fifty-year long championship drought, she hadn't had much time to herself.

And these days, Feyre spent her free time crying and beating herself up for not ending things the first time Tamlin put his hands on her.

She put on enough makeup to avoid being told she looked sick, then tied back her hair. After one last frown in the mirror, Feyre let Ianthe have the bathroom. Her teammate said nothing, but the disgusted curl of her lip spoke volumes about how Feyre looked.

She wandered down the hotel lobby, hoping to find Lucien. Since the breakup, hardly anyone on the Springfield Bucks spoke to Feyre unless they absolutely had to, but Lucien remained friendly. Or at least, he did when Tamlin wasn't around to glare.

A few of her teammates had already gathered on the sofa, Tamlin in the center. Irritatingly enough, he looked damn good in a forest green suit that stretched over his hulking muscles, and by some miracle, he'd managed to knot his floral tie correctly. He'd even washed his long, blonde hair for once.

Feyre just silently hovered at the edge of the group. None of her teammates looked at home in clothes that didn't wick sweat, dry fast, and stretch in all directions, save Lucien, who could command a runway just as well as he could dominate an Exy court. He caught Feyre's eye, flashed her a warm smile, and then went right back to nodding along as Tamlin spoke.

She tried not to take it too personally.

As they waited, a few of the Bucks took pictures together. Pictures that pointedly did not include Feyre. Ianthe would probably flood the Exy hashtags with captions about how they all clean up nice, but even that couldn't drown out excited online chatter about Feyre "the Cursebreaker" Archeron.

Breaking records got people talking a hell of a lot more than a few nice photos ever did. Feyre let that knowledge bolster her spirits.

Time seemed to drag on as the team gathered and boarded the bus. Ianthe snagged the seat next to Lucien before Feyre could, so she spent the ride to the Middle Theater staring moodily at downtown traffic. Each time Tamlin's booming voice cut through the Bucks's conversations, she nearly flinched.

As they arrived and took their seats. Feyre tried not to fidget. With all the recent travel, she hadn't gotten a workout in, and even though she needed the off-season to rest up, she felt like she might explode if she didn't run a few laps to burn off excess energy.

Since the breakup, she hadn't gotten this close to Tamlin without the benefit of a helmet, pads, and a mouthguard. The memory of that smashed study room still burned behind her retinas. As the lights dimmed and the ceremony began, she forced herself to breathe slowly. In through her nose, out through her mouth.

Feyre tuned out the introductions and the season recap—after all, she'd lived through it. Eventually, her ears pricked at the sound of her name as the nominees for Rookie of the Year were announced. A camera probably zoomed in on her face, and somehow, she managed to smile through the host listing out the nominees' achievements.

It helped that Feyre's stats blew everyone else's out of the water. Despite her limited playing time as a second-stringer, Feyre put up insane numbers of goals and assists all year. From her very first on-count appearance, when she'd body-checked a Middengard senior then twisted out of the tackle to steal the ball and score, she'd made Bucks fans believe in an end to the Springfield curse. And in the championship, she'd made it happen by slamming Amarantha, Hybern's captain, into a wall to clear the way for the game-winning goal.

The Cursebreaker was a freshman phenomenon if there ever was one.

And yet, when the host opened the envelope and read out her name, Feyre still blinked in surprise. Everything about this season felt like a dream.

She stood, and next to her, so did Tamlin. He pulled her into a hug, every inch the proud team captain the fans expected to see despite the breakup, and it took everything in Feyre to push down on the instinct to shove.

If Lucien hadn't gotten to her next, Feyre might have vomited. By some magic, he always seemed to smell like cinnamon and campfires, even drenched in sweat—decidedly not like Tamlin. "You earned it," he whispered, pulling her close.

Feyre let those words steady her as she walked up to the stage. She hadn't thought about an acceptance speech—couldn't think of one even now, amid the too-bright lights and too-loud applause. All she could focus on was not making a fool of herself and tripping as she stepped up to the podium.

But Feyre Archeron always landed on her feet, and she dutifully got through all the necessary thank-yous. The words felt like ash in her mouth, and she didn't mean most of them. Her father, who'd pushed his daughters into Exy because a shattered kneecap ended his dreams of going pro. Her sisters, who she'd been pitted against. Her teammates, who'd rallied behind Tamlin despite the abuse. Her coaches, who'd never really cared about her off the court.

Her hands still shook as she returned to her seat, only vaguely aware of her teammates clapping her on the back as she walked. The ceremony moved on to the next award, and Feyre's heart stopped hammering in her chest.

Something ugly coiled in her gut ahead of the final prize of the night—Player of the Year. Feyre hadn't been nominated. The old guard at the PCAA—Prythian College Athletics Association—still expected underclassmen to pay their dues. Despite exceptional performance that would have earned it, she wasn't eligible for the award.

But Tamlin was a finalist.

Feyre could practically taste something bitter on her tongue as Tamlin's highlights were read out. His stats weren't any better than hers—but he had the benefit of being a starter. Unlike him, she'd managed those numbers while waiting around for him to tire out and need a sub.

He'd graduate in a year. Feyre would get the playing time eventually. She knew that.

Yet…she couldn't help but wonder what she could have achieved if she'd been on the starting lineup from the beginning.

The smile froze on her face as Tamlin's name was called. It wasn't a surprise; the captain of the championship-winning team was always a shoe-in for Player of the Year. But something inside her seemed to burn anyway.

She hated it all—that dopey smile that once charmed her, his massive bear-paw hands that dwarfed the host's as they shook, the good-natured way he bumbled through the acceptance speech. He was such an oaf. And the more the Exy community applauded him, the more Feyre wanted to scream.

She did her best to push those thoughts aside for the rest of the evening. The season had ended, after all. After tonight, she'd have a whole summer ahead of her, plenty of time to catch her breath away from Tamlin. Maybe with a chance to relax, the thought of setting foot on the Springfield campus again wouldn't make her feel quite so nauseous.

After the ceremony, there was still a banquet dinner to get through. Just the thought of it sounded exhausting, and Feyre didn't know how the teams in other college leagues managed two whole banquets a year.

But at least, there would be players and coaches from other teams, and even if the Bucks all hated her, the Archeron name meant something in Exy. Nesta had gone pro with the Velaris Valkyries, and all the analysts were predicting that Elain would be chosen during the first round when the draft occurred in a few weeks.

Feyre had gotten used to all the gawking years ago.

She lost track of everyone that came to congratulate her. Helion from the Suns, Adriata's goalie Tarquin, that dealer named Kallias that she'd bowled over during the game against the Frost, plus an assortment of coaches and officials she'd never met before…

Players mingled freely—the league wasn't that big, and everyone knew everyone else, at least by reputation. Feyre had wanted to melt into the floor and disappear every time a player she'd just met told her they were sorry things didn't work out between her and Tamlin. But as usual, Velaris was the exception.

The Velaris University Stars always kept to themselves, not that anyone wanted to get mixed up with them anyway. Like everyone else, Feyre had heard all the whispers about bribing officials, and rumor had it the Stars kept a slush fund to pay players for intentionally knocking out opponents. Someone had even said Velaris had mafia connections, like some of the teams over in America. Rhysand Darling, their captain, had refused to shake Tamlin's hand before the coin toss at all of their games.

Springfield and Velaris had one of the longest, bitterest rivalries in all of college sports, so Feyre would have dismissed it as immature drama. But one tackle from Rhys had concussed Lucien despite the helmets all Exy players wore, and for weeks, she'd worried the hit had scrambled her friend's brain.

In retaliation, she'd knocked Rhys on his ass no less than five times when they'd faced off again during the playoffs. She'd delighted in the angry flash of his violet eyes behind his facemask, and with Feyre covering him, he'd hadn't scored once.

She felt those same violet eyes landing on her throughout dinner. Feyre tried to ignore it. He probably just held a grudge because she'd made him look like a chump in the playoffs, and some idiot event organizer had been stupid enough to put the Stars's table near the Bucks's.

Feyre wasn't quite sure when it all became too much. But she could barely take a bite of her chicken without another player coming to talk to her, and a few seats over, even more of them were fawning over Tamlin. She needed air.

Once she caught sight of the line to the ladies's room snaking around two corners, Feyre tried to find somewhere quiet. She walked through the halls without any sense of where she was going, other than just…away from everyone else.

She finally stopped in front of a door labelled "EXIT" that was probably in some staff-only section of the building she shouldn't have entered. But it didn't seem to be a fire door. And when she pushed, it opened without alarming.

The smell of garbage hit her like a freight train. Good—it might stink, but no one would come find her near the dumpsters. Feyre stepped outside, careful to wedge a doorstopper into place just in case it locked from the outside.

She let out a shaking breath, tipping her head up to look at the sky. Even on a cloudless night, the city was too bright for stars, but she took in the sight of the full moon rising over the skyscrapers.

She could do this.

Feyre Archeron could be as enduring and faceted as the night. Her teammates in Springfield just couldn't see in the dark.

"I was hoping to find the woman of the hour out here," a voice purred behind her.

Feyre's face twisted into a scowl before she'd turned around. But there Rhysand was, smirking at her with his hands shoved into the pockets of his suit. Impeccably dressed and camera-ready, he looked out of place in the dingy alleyway.

"What do you want?" she said, too drained to put any venom behind it.

"To speak to you privately."

For a moment, Feyre said nothing. She'd assumed he'd sought her out to gloat after hearing about her breakup, but that was the sort of thing people generally did in public, the bigger the audience the better. Narrowing her eyes, she said, "Why?"

"I assume you're thinking of transferring. Anyone in your position would be."

"I'm not," she lied. Admitting it to Rhysand before she'd made a firm decision wouldn't end well.

He shrugged, the simple movement of his shoulders somehow painfully elegant. "If you want to spend your time warming Tamlin's bench, then it's your season to waste."

So he was here to gloat, then. "Fuck off," she said, moving to push past him and head back inside.

Rhys didn't move out of her way—his hand shot out, and he stiff-armed her just like he would on an Exy court. Feyre growled, dropping her shoulder and shoving properly. But the godforsaken heels on her feet made her movement wobbly. He still didn't budge.

"And that," he said, sliding his hand back into his pocket, "is why you should come to Velaris."

Feyre let out a harsh, humorless laugh. "I should've known you weren't above player tampering. Did your team bribe someone to ignore that, too?"

Technically, he'd just tried to recruit her before she'd entered the PCAA portal and officially declared herself open to a transfer. Players could talk to each other, but if a coach had put him up to it, the PCAA would hit their team with a fine and suspension. The officials didn't look kindly on schools who swooped in and seduced away proven talent. But Velaris, apparently, didn't care.

His gaze roved down her body, a predatory gleam in his violet eyes. Feyre's mouth went dry. She knew that look—had worn it herself often enough.

Rhysand was hungry.

"Maybe I just think you look good in black," he murmured.

Until tonight, Feyre hadn't attended a formal event since her father's funeral. The black dress she'd bought amid a fog of grief covered her knees and collarbones, but she had the strangest sense that Rhys wanted to tear it off her with his teeth.

Feyre didn't mind. There was something deliciously heady about no longer scurrying back into Tamlin's shadow when someone looked at her like that.

But not quite heady enough that she wouldn't make him work for it. With a shrug, she said, "If I wanted to transfer, I'd have options. Adriata also needs a striker, and their jerseys match my eyes."

"Tarquin couldn't handle you."

"And you think you could?"

"You've watched enough film to know your play style is far too aggressive for the Summer Court. They rely on quick, short passes, and there's no room for someone who prefers to slam her way through lines of defenders. You'd thrive in Velaris, Feyre."

He wasn't wrong. Feyre understood how the defenses in the league operated just as well as he did, and damn near every article last season said Archeron's got that dawg in her. From what she'd heard, the culture in Adriata was good—no one ever had anything bad to say about Tarquin, and the Jellyfish would welcome a newcomer with open arms, even if they quietly grumbled about her holding onto the ball too long.

But Velaris…well, she'd heard the rumors. And even if she hadn't, Rhys rattled Lucien into dropping passes with taunts about Jesminda rolling in her grave, their quiet backliner had once grabbed Eris Vanserra by the neck when the refs weren't looking, and that tiny demon of a goalie actually bit Varian last year.

If it were any other team, Feyre could deal with a few cutthroat, psychotic teammates. An eventual spot on a pro roster would be worth it. But she'd catch hell for leaving Springfield for its biggest rival, especially after a breakup with the Bucks's beloved golden boy.

She should have just written it off. Even if she decided against Adriata, Helion might have a spot on the Suns, and there was the possibility of putting real distance between her and Tamlin if she transferred to the Continental League and joined Vallahan or Rask or Montessere. Or hell, even that ragtag American team with the orange uniforms.

But a clean break didn't compel her as much as Rhysand did.

"How would you make it worth my while?" she said, drinking in the desire burning behind his eyes and gulping it down like wine.

"Strikers come in pairs, Feyre. I need an equal partner I can split the court with and trust implicitly, but unless you transfer in, I'll be picking up the slack of whichever halfwit underclassman makes the roster," he said, not answering her question.

Feyre opened her mouth, fully intent on telling him she didn't care what he needed. But before she could, he advanced on her and added, "Tell me what you want, and if it gets you on the Stars, it's yours."

She almost said she wanted him. A cruel part of Feyre wanted to see if he'd kneel and bury his head between her thighs, just to convince her to transfer. She could imagine tangling her fingers in his blue-black hair, keeping his mouth exactly where she wanted it until he'd proved just how badly he needed her on the team.

But she wouldn't. After Tamlin, Feyre couldn't argue that she had great taste in men, but at the very least, she preferred entirely willing partners. Beyond that, she wouldn't be able to look Rhysand in the eye again, let alone play alongside him for a year.

Her good sense won out. "I need player development, a spot on your starting line, and teammates who won't cause problems."

"We'd treat you right in Velaris," Rhys purred. No one had any right to make a discussion of team culture sound that…well, sensual. Feyre shivered.

"Would you?" she said. "I'd be a distraction."

"Hungry dogs run faster, Feyre. Springfield might have tried to protect Tamlin, but it's hard to keep secrets when a captain is violent enough to throw a desk at his girlfriend. I know this is personal for you. And I'll put up with a media circus if it means I'm playing alongside a talented striker with something to prove."

Rhysand might have been the next in a long line of people who only wanted her for what she could do on an Exy court. But at least he wanted her. Besides, he didn't have to care as long as their goals aligned.

She crossed her arms. "I'll think about it."

Feyre had never seen Rhysand smile. And maybe that was the for the best because if it had happened on an Exy court, she might have been dumbstruck long enough for him to steal the ball from her racquet. Despite all the muscles, most Exy players looked like thumbs. But Rhys was devastating.

"We'll talk once you've entered the transfer portal," he said, as if it were inevitable Feyre would join the running list of players who'd officially declared their intention to leave for new schools.

With that, Rhys sauntered back inside, and Feyre silently glared at his back until he'd disappeared down the hallway. Definitely at his back and not at all at the sculpted ass perfectly accentuated by his well-tailored, stupidly expensive-looking suit.

When she was alone again, Feyre took a few deep breaths of cool night air. It didn't do as much to clear her head as she hoped. She needed to sit and think about this—make a list of the pros and cons, maybe even talk to her sisters and get their opinions.

But no one wanted to snatch that trophy back from Springfield more than Velaris. And no one wanted to shut Tamlin up more than Feyre.

If she closed her eyes, Feyre could imagine the boos if she entered the Spring Court in black. Each goal would quiet them down until the Bucks fans just sat in stunned silence or left early in disgust. All of the hype and excitement ahead of the biggest rivalry game of the season, the hype that only came after winning a championship…fizzled out into nothing.

It would be a perfect end to Tamlin's college Exy career. He might even cry.

But then again, if she transferred for more playing time and underperformed, she'd be Exy's biggest bust. A freshman who let one good season go to her head, then floundered. Too confident for her own good, too temperamental to play alongside her ex, too emotional to play Exy at the highest levels. A disappointment compared to her sisters—someone cracked under pressure with a national audience watching.

It could kill her chances of going pro.

Feyre couldn't stay out in the alleyway much longer before someone came looking for her. Steeling herself to get through the rest of the night, she headed back to the banquet. The rest of it seemed to pass in a blur, and she pretended not to notice the Velaris players whispering among themselves.

She'd left her phone in the pocket of her jacket. It had been sitting on a hanger at the coat check all evening, but when Feyre checked her messages on the bus, there was a new text from a contact that definitely hadn't been there before the awards ceremony.

Rhysand Darling 🌟: It was a pleasure meeting you tonight.

Feyre locked the screen before any nosy teammates had a chance to peek over her shoulder. The whole ride back to the hotel, Feyre felt like her phone was burning a hole in her pocket. Lucien even seemed to notice—she'd forced an uncertain smile when he'd shot her a worried look.

It wasn't until Ianthe's snores filled their shared room that Feyre dared sneak off to the bathroom. The tile was cold against her legs as she sat on the floor, back against the door. Before she had a chance to sleep on it or talk herself out of the decision, she started drafting an email to Springfield's coach and administrators. Once she'd typed it, she just stared at the subject line as her stomach did backflips.

Notification of Transfer

Feyre squeezed her eyes shut and hit send. She waited to feel regret or horror or even the urge to un-send the email and pretend nothing had happened. But it never came, and she'd run out of tears. Something inside her hardened into cold, icy resolve.

She switched to her messaging app and replied to Rhysand. The Spring Court had better not be standing when we're done with it. And no bitching if I get a penalty for spearing Tamlin's head on my racquet.

His response came seconds later, so quickly that Feyre had to wonder if he'd been waiting by his own phone. You're going to fit right in at Velaris. Can't wait to see you on the Court of Dreams 🖤

[exyrpf]

Exyblr Dashboard Simulator based on what I personally see on sportsblr:

3/?

🫡 exyisntreal follow

actually the real reason they call it the fox HOLE court is - *exy ball hits my head, immediately killing me*

197 notes

😎 foxyknoxy

@ sports news.................

there are so many other ways you can say this

🐋 sexyexy

can i add another personal fav?

😎 foxyknoxy

how do they keep getting away with this

#the real question now is: #DOES kevin day top neil josten? DOES neil josten edge kevin day?

876 notes

👁 jean-mor-uhoh

asking exy fans "is he attractive or is he just tall and athletic" is so funny like - no no no we've accepted that he isn't attractive. he's just some guy. the most Some Guy some guy in the world. he probably uses 3 in 1 shampoo/conditioner/body wash and drives a big truck bc he thinks it looks manly. he has no discernable personality besides 'athlete' and listens to terrible country music. can he even read? questionable.

#you don't need to tell us #we know #the average looking rep we need!

960 notes

🥰 boytoyjeremyknox follow

I'M SICK OF NCAA EXY MIC DROPS !!!!!! KEVIN DAY NEVER WENT SKIING AND NOW I HAVE JEREMY KNOX IN MY FACE TELLING ME JEAN MOREAU IS A TROJAN??????????????? I CAN'T HANDLE THIS

#this is too MUCH i need PEACE and QUIET also omg hiiiii jere u look so slurpable covered in sweat

201 notes

🫡 exyisntreal follow

yeah espn+ is fun and all but then you get to the ad break and LIVE SPORTS! ESPN+ ORIGINALS! smacks you in the face and you regret everything

🧸 mreow-bearcats-mreow

had a dream once where riko moriyama was standing at the end of my bed like a sleep paralysis demon, stage whispering "LIVE SPORTS!" over and over

🫡 exyisntreal follow

girl r you like,,,, ok?

🧸 mreow-bearcats-mreow

no 👍

506 notes

👨🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻 talk-exy-to-me

kevin day????????! like from the fanfiction??!?!

405 notes

🏳️‍🌈 gay4stickball follow

seeing a player on campus is always a trip like logically i know you go to my school. we've shared classes. but this is MY coffee shop i frequent and your stupid exy ass should never be NEAR ME go back to the FANFICTION where you belong!!!!!!!!!!!

#leave me be

376 notes

🌸 a-softer-exy

neil josten x kevin day - hands

#neil josten #kevin day #psu #psu foxes #palmetto #0210 #kdnj #njkd #web weave #exy #hands

3,076 notes

[ninyard]

How good do you think the individual foxes actually are at exy? Like we know Kevin is like THE diva of exy, Andrew can be insanely good when he tries, we know Neil is steadily improving and it's also mentioned that Matt is quite good, but what about the rest of them? Cause I lowkey feel like Nicky kinda sucks ass noah fence.

i think nicky is the personality hire

im kidding okay be nice to nicky. he tries his best. he just wants to be in germany with his husband when all of a sudden he's playing SPORTS??!?!??!

i think purely based on the arrangement made by wymack it's POSSIBLE that nicky is the weakest on the team. but i don't think he's bad. or holding them back. necessarily. realistically regardless of the personal reasons why wymack would have anyone on the team i think all of them are there because they can play. i don't think he just gets random people with problems and hands them an exy racquet and a dream you know. he still scouts for the team and decides who to sign and who not to sign.

my kind heart wants to say they're all on the same level. okay it DOES. i think they're all talented and Good. i know they're not equal but i can't categorise them because i feel bad for the people that are lower bc i still think they're good just not AS good as the people above em. ive written a list out in order like half a dozen times and i just feel bad about ranking them above each other :( they all have their strengths okay!!!!!!!!!

like do i think allison is better than it seems she is because of how much she gave up for exy? do i think that matt is on par with neil, and could be a really strong backliner if he kept working towards it? do i think that dan is a really strong leader which makes her a better player? do i think that renee is possibly much stronger on the court than in goals for not a whole bunch of reasons but Because I Feel It To Be True?

[broken-heart-raven-queen]

I keep imagine how WILD it has to have been a 1st year Raven.

The first day speech being something like:

"All your friends and family?? Forget them, they are outsiders now. They'll never knoe the true spirit of and exy player. You are now better than them in every shape or for form.

If you had other dreams they end now and forever. You'll have to kys at like 40 when you can't play anymore, so don't even bother.

Anyways, welcome to Evermore we have cookies in the kitchen. They are made of 0% sugar and 100% brainwashing juice. Enjoy!"

But yeah in all seriusness, imagine being 18 and so excited bc the best team in the country saw potential in you and then finding out in the firts 20 minutes that you just signed yourself into a cult and you have to suck it up.

Maybe they just search for very lonely people (like all cults do) idk.

[currently-evil]

Aaron becomes a sports medicine doctor and decides to pursue a position on Neil and Andrew's team.

Most of the time he is a dream doctor. Armed with his own Exy experience and wide medical knowledge, he is able not only to quickly recognize injuries but also treat them. What more, years of having Abby as his mentor, and watching his fellow Foxes, their problems and their specific behaviors gave him ability to change his treatment to fit his players, to avoid their triggers, to make them more comfortable.

But there are exceptions to that rule.

One exception.

Neil.

Yes, yes Aaron knows he can't change the fact that Andrew chose Neil as his partner, he can't make his brother break up with him, no matter how much he would like that. He knows and already made peace with the fact that Neil will stay in his life by Andrew's proxy. That doesn't mean he has to like Neil. While he is professional, if not even friendly and nice with all his players, his attitude immediately turns sour whenever he is forced to interact with Neil. He would scrunch his face as if Neil was something disgusting whenever he was forced to talk to him. Give other people encouragements and compliments then turn to Neil to offer nothing more than an irritated sneer. Chug pills at Neil head as if he wanted to serve him additional concussion and openly say how he was a lousy player and a shitty person to whoever wanted to listen.

A nice change of scenery from Andrew's open threats and hostility towards Neil (that are really just their kind of foreplay), but nonetheless you just can't miss the fact that both Minyard twins can't stop form expressing their hate toward Josten.

Finally some reporter had the guts to ask about it, how is it that both Aaron and Andrew seem to hate you?

And Neil just smirked and leaned closer to the microphone to say:

"I can't help it, it's just my charm to make All Minyards feel strong emotions toward me"

[luxxbean]

My educational Exy commentary, coming from a lacrosse player

I really hate people who write about playing exy itself and they’re like “andrew threw the ball at Kevin’s knees and he laughed and walked it off” like no. That shit hurts

I play lacrosse and I am a goalie (literally Andrew Minyard) and can just imagine him bulked up with the protective gear. The chest protectors alone make me look like Iron Man most of the time

I know that the exy goal is not necessarily a goal but just a fucking section of the wall and I need you guys to think about how IMPOSSIBLE that is to defend. There is twice the amount of area to cover with even less reaction time depending on the crease (?) around the goal. Kevin Day coming at you and side-arm shooting a ball 100 mph? I’m moving out of the way.

Now, give or take, the balls we use in lacrosse and the balls used in Exy seem to be the same. Which is truly not much of a comfort because they hurt

Helmets? Best invention yet. Saved me from tons of concussions

However: mouth guards being optional is something I have Up For Debate. With my helmet, I have no need for it- however, I stay in my secure spot at the goal for nearly the entire time. My teammates, helmet-less? No mouth guard = no teeth. Even with helmets, probably.

Wooden defense racquets: get rid of them please that sounds god awful ❤️

Plexiglass: hate it but I also thrive on the ball going out of bounds so I can steal it. Would be insane to bounce balls off the wall to my teammates tho I kind of wish we had that

Now, the goalie box around the goal is something I want to touch on yet again. There is absolutely no way to stop people from going in there; rules or not, it will happen. What happens if they do?? For my sake and yours I hope it has the same rules as lacrosse does. Give goalie the ball + shot is nullified. Simply because I love to yell at people in my space

Nora please I really need more rules for Exy can the goalkeepers score. In men’s lacrosse they can, but in women’s? In my dreams. However, Exy is coed. Give me answers please (if it’s in the books forgive me I have not read in two years)

Now. If anything I have said sounds off. It’s because I know little to nothing about men’s lacrosse. Mainly, because they stink. Other than that, though, is because I don’t care enough to learn their rules.

thank you for your time 🥲

[orange-foxes]

Social Media

📱 The Truth Behind It by wematch (3k)

Neil finally makes a Twitter account the year after he leaves the Foxes. His PR has been nagging him about making a social media account since he joined the team but ultimately he uses it to annoy Andrew. Of course things escalate and the rumours of a rivalry between the two form, that is until Neil clarifies everything.

📱 Catfish by likearecord (22k)

There’s very little Andrew likes less than being tricked, but not knowing things does make the cut. He stands, throws his messenger bag over his shoulder, grabs his coffee, and stomps over to slide into the chair across from the guy. He looks up at Andrew with a flash of calculated flight or fight in his eyes, but he quickly smooths this over and affixes a look of polite interest on his face. “Can I help you?” “Are you on Grindr?” Andrew asks. Bluntly.  “Uh,” the guy says, looking more confused. “I don’t know. What is it?”  “It’s a hookup app gay men use.”  “Oh,” he says, frowning. “No, I’m definitely not on that.”  “Because you don’t do gay men?”  The guy shrugs. “Because I don’t do hookups.”

📱 Funky Happenings with the Fox Family by dobbypussypopper (29k)

naughtygayweedcrime: did I rlly just see neil say woke naughtygayweedcrime: what a surreal timeline we live in dumbfool: allison is trying to teach me how to meme so I can get hip naughtygayweedcrime: bless your poor soul davidwymack: sometimes I regret living davidwymack has muted exyllent, damnwilds, + 7 others for 30 minutes

📱 The societies we despise by This_Witch_Writes (5k)

Technically it all started because of two cats. Andrew’s phone number had been leaked and he was waiting on a new sim card. So when Neil saw the cats, one black and one ginger, play fighting beside the Chicago Bean, he had tweeted the picture to him instead of texting it. An innocent enough tweet on the surface, tagging Andrew and adding the caption “us”. To Neil, Andrew and their family, an obvious and even uncharacteristically sappy statement of long-held affection. To exy fans on the internet, a declaration of war.

📱 Reputation by lemonicee (8k)

The rise and fall of the Minyard-Josten Rivalry. Usually when Neil starts shit in a post-game press interview, he does it on purpose. This time, he really just meant for it to be a joke. “How do you feel about the possibility of ending up on a team with a former Fox teammate?” is the next question. “Great,” Neil answers, sincere. “I would love to play with Matt or Kevin again.” “What about Minyard? Would you sign with Atlanta?” Neil says, “Andrew? He’s a nightmare.” He knows it’s a joke. His team knows it’s a joke. Andrew will know it’s a joke. The press does not seem to know that it’s a joke.

📱 likes: exy by djhedy (32k)

Allison: ok look I have an idea Neil: oh no Allison: you’re not going to love it Neil: I already said oh no Allison: we should sign you up to tinder! Neil: …how do you leave whatsapp

📱 all that i’ve been dreaming of by bazookajo94 (5k)

Exy fanboy Neil Josten stumbles across roleplaying Twitter accounts. Lonely and curious, he requests one for literally any of the players from the professional exy team Palmetto State Foxes. Someone calling themselves rp_aaaaaminyard03 responds. Andrew Minyard, bored with life, the universe, and everything, makes a fake roleplay account on Twitter. He is roleplaying himself. He is rp_aaaaaminyard03.

📱 In Which Neil Josten is a PR Nightmare by CoverYourEyes (14k wip)

Eve was not the best person in the world. Sometimes she didn’t hold the elevator open when she saw people rushing to catch it from the other side of the lobby. Cutting the line at Starbucks was a semi-regular action. But Eve did not deserve to be Neil fucking Josten's publicist. ********** Or, the one where Neil does what he wants, picks fights with reporters, discovers Twitter, breaks the internet, and really shouldn't be allowed out of his house. Andrew does nothing to discourage him.

📱please tell me it's just the fandom freaking out by OneSweetMelody

Neil Josten @neiljos10 Sadly @ajminyard isn’t too excited about that face off Neil Josten @neiljos10 Maybe @ajminyard will learn how to block an offside bouncer before then. Or any shot.

📱 Talk All Night for Nothing by ipromisetostaywild (20k)

Andrew Minyard is a vlogger on YouTube, doing quite well for himself despite the fact that he never shows his face to the camera. He may just change his no-face policy, however, after meeting a certain vlogger who wants to do a collaboration. OR Andrew edits other people’s videos, makes his own, & becomes totally smitten with a blue-eyed boy.

📱 We Never Go Out Of Style by dancingongasoline (28k)

“Allison is pretty famous around the younger celebs,” Renee said when she saw Andrew’s eyes linger on the mass of people slowly filtering into the room. “There’s a lot of people here; didn’t think it was this anticipated.” Andrew murmured, leaning closer into Renee’s side. The woman hummed, her eyes straying from row to row. “It’s probably because Neil is gonna walk.” Andrew had heard that name before. Neil Josten. Or Neil is a supermodel at the height of his career, and Andrew is a famous actor from the Marvel franchise.

📱 We'll Make It Happen by honorarystar (2k)

“Why would I want to share pictures of my personal life with strangers though?” Neil slumped down in his seat on the lounge couch. He wished that he had waited for Andrew instead of getting to practice early. This could have been avoided. “It’s Instagram. Who cares?” Allison was looking at Neil like he was the insane one for not grasping this concept.

📱 POV: Your best friend is Neil Josten by NeilsStrawberries (3k)

Allison Reynolds is not only a talented Exy player and renowned fashion designer, but also an extremely famous blogger. A little while ago, she started a new trend: POV: Your best friend is Neil Josten. * Or, a sequence of videos recorded by Alliso

[ashestoashes7]

sorry one wasn’t enough, ‘interesting’ content please <33

- @you-know-i-get-itt

sure, I’m having fun working on them <33

WIP Game

- Interesting -

The US Court is meant for die-hard Exy players, addicts, those who look upon an Exy racquet with a desperate devotion it cannot possibly deserve. Any descriptor one could possibly dream up is so far from Andrew Minyard they aren’t even on the same continent.

Andrew wasn’t going to be Court, the thought itself was so ridiculous he wouldn’t even speak it aloud to disparage it. Making it to his senior year was no guarantee, contemplating what it would be like to drag his hand across Olympic symbols stenciled on the walls of a custom-built stadium would be a waste of all of their time.

Idealistic, Andrew had said to his face time and time again. One of the many incredulous exclamations Andrew had so kindly provided whenever Kevin got particularly emphatic, laughter tearing itself from his throat until the drugs fell away and he could bury his disbelief in cigarettes and smoke. A glance over the edge a little too close for Bee’s liking and the absurdity hit him in full force.

Finished Now

[afurtivecake]

I was asked about the needlessly elaborate and completely made up Thea headcanon I have, so here it is.

It all started because I was thinking "What kind of people do the Ravens recruit?" And then I thought about Thea and then it spiralled from there.

The background I've invented for Thea:

Had she started college later (i.e. after the Foxes became a thing) she might have had a running chance at qualifying for the Foxes. Lots of siblings/step-siblings and absent parents (not physically abusive but wasn't very good at staying on top of taking care of their large family). Constant money issues meant her parents worked a lot and pushed a lot of the household responsibilities onto her which she hated and wore her down. She hated taking care of her family and hated her life and was glad to get away.

(I thought maybe the Ravens are kind of the reverse image of the Foxes? Maybe the kind of people they recruit are quite similar; the kind of person who feels like they nothing to live for but exy, the kind of person who already feels alienated from people in their lives, who doesn't have much they can't walk away from? Someone like that would be vulnerable and malleable. But instead of being given the opportunity of freedom and companionship on their own terms, they're put through the Ravens' brainwashing program to create team synergy and made to believe that cutting out their old lives and becoming a Raven is what freedom looks like. Maybe the Ravens recruits have higher socioeconomic status than the average Fox recruit, but the mental profile might be similar? And they're not like Wymack, actively trying to divine whether a recruit has kindness underneath so they get some nasty people.)

The way she sees it, getting into exy was what saved her. Something like, maybe she had been about to give up, quit highschool and just try to get a job and help out with her family. That seemed to be what was expected of her being the eldest daughter. Maybe she even had a loser highschool senior boyfriend who was all like, "Hey...don't worry, baby! I'll take care of you!" Maybe she could so clearly see her future laid out ahead of her: dropping out of school to move in with her loser boyfriend where they'll work minimum wage jobs and then marry him when they accidentally get pregnant, never leaving town, be stuck taking care of children and working until the day she dies. And so when the coach says, "Why don't you try out for the team?" she does. Exy becomes an escape for her. Being on the court feels like being free.

And then Edgar Allan offers her a full sports scholarship that would give her a place to live for the next five years, pay for her equipment and all living expenses. Her parents, who weren't supportive of her playing exy, didn't want her to go but she decided she was going to take the opportunity, however selfish and uncaring that made her.

The Ravens become her family. They're brutal and not accepting of her at first and she has to prove herself every step of the way, but it feels rewarding. She grows to be very loyal to her Ravens. Like, won't hear a bad word about them from outsiders.

I imagine Thea as a similar kind of instinctive player as Neil. She has an almost innate sense of her striker marks' weak points and knows how to mark them to control their movement and how to destabilize them at crucial moments. She doesn't adhere as strictly to Raven techniques as others but she's still bloody effective with a "go right for the throat" kind of play style. Oh and she hits fucking hard.

Only after she gets her freshman partner does she slowly start to realize that she doesn't actually hate taking care of people. she never did. What she hated was being crushed by was the weight of adult responsibilities and the lack of freedom to pursue her own dreams. She realizes that she's missed having younger siblings around to care for.

So when Jean, this kid who's so much younger than her and bratty as anything, come along and looks at her with admiration, she takes him under her wing. She teases him when he loses his temper, mocks him when he's being dramatic. She gives him tips on playing defense when he does her favours.

Those tips are more her personal tips rather than the logical, Raven-approved techniques. (Kevin gets mad at her when he realizes that Jean's trying to copy her playing style. Kinda like, "that's not how you're supposed to do it in this situation. stop teaching him bad habits.")

She gets on Kevin's nerves being an instinctive type because he finds her harder to predict. She'll use different moves to handle what appears to be the identical situations and it'll drive him a bit nuts because he can't work out why she would choose to change it up and why it worked both times.

And because Kevin's a technical player whose moves are like clockwork (and because he's just Like That), she finds him not terribly difficult to throw off his game. She'll be able to disrupt his playing with well-timed forceful checks. I imagine Kevin Day, who's spent his entire life perfecting precision, would not know what hit him. He'd just be thinking, "wtf just happened," and then immediately followed by, "do that again." (He practices obsessively until he can deal with her. She's secretly kind of flattered to be thought of as such a threat.)

She doesn't like self-important, privileged assholes who think they can tell everyone what to do just because they think they know best. So she probably enjoys any chance to knock Kevin down a peg. She's rude to him and doesn't hold back on criticism. Maybe because she's used to feeling a bit sidelined early on, she can recognize that Kevin's also been subtly sidelined? Even though supposedly, he's second only to Riko and dishes out commands like he was born to it, it feels like he's purposely contained? Like he's somehow still only just barely meeting the expectations. Maybe that's what intrigues her and softens her to him a bit?

Oh and I imagine her to have a scathing and sarcastic, almost rude sense of humour that works well among the Ravens. She probably finds Kevin's insults kind of amusing, secretly (she'd never admit to it.)

[kevinsdsy]

headcanons – nabil mahmoud, #17: junior

nabil mahmoud was only mentioned like three times in the sunshine court and of course i had to immediately built my own headcanons around him so here we go i guess hehe

first, and foremost, nabil mahmoud is a north african man 🫡 my original headcanon was for him to be a moroccan man (self projecting), but since i’m fancasting ameziane as nabil, i’ve moved on from moroccan to algerian.

nabil is muslim !! i think this was quite obvious from the book, since it was mentioned he’s the last one on the court, because he couldn’t gear up until after prayers, but it’s so important to me i want to acknowledge it <333

now moving on to a bit a more controversial topic since he’s muslim. i also headcanon him to have a situationship with tony. because i’m nothing without my lgbt muslim headcanons (i did it first with laila dermott and nabil mahmoud is my second victim)

i might do a whole other post about tony & nabil headcanons but let me start easy off

also tony is one of the trojans assistant’s and idek how old the assistants are supposed to be but for the sake of my own sanity and headcanons lets say tops 2 years older so i can live within my own delusions hehe.

even though nabil is an exy player for the trojans he’s actually really good when it comes to playing football (soccer) too, since he grew up playing football on the streets with his childhood friends and father.

daddy issues !! because what are we without our daddy issues.

he’s got a great bond with his mother though, he talks a lot with her on the phone, but he rarely visits due to avoiding his father.

most summers he’s everywhere and nowhere but last year he’s stayed with tony and his family (subtly pushing my situationship agenda).

since it’s confirmed he studies architecture he dreams off bringing his own modern switch to north african architecture (it’s STUNNING he has a vision)

religious trauma due to him dealing with his sexuality, been there done that.

since nabil and cat are juniors they’re actually really close friends. and as i said before i headcanon to laila to be a sapphic muslim. so i imagine cat and nabil grew closer together when he opened up about his sexuality and his feelings with religion.

laila is his standing pillar within the trojans they’re besties in my mind.

[codename-adler]

ik it’s not, like, an OC OC, but i loved your post about Wade Vesper and i’ve seen you mention Rhemann quite a lot on your blog so… James Rhemann à la Adler s’il vous plaît? 🙏💛

IT WILL BE MY PLEASURE ANON! BLESS U! BLESS UUUUU!!!!! (official unofficial Trojans ocs list here)

James Rhemann (42) Head Coach of the USC Trojans

I am so unbelievably not normal about this man. and yeah, i went there. you can't pick out Lee Pace to play the man and not give him the most dramatic homosexual backstory. (before him Rhemann's face was just Ron Swanson. so rejoice. or wtv.)

As previously discussed on Wade Vesper's character sheet, the two men had a very painful almost-kind-of-affair while Wade was an athlete on Rhemann's Exy team in some college, and also when they both moved to SoCal so Rhemann could take the offer of assistant coach to the Trojans, and Wade managed to get accepted into USC and made the team as well.

I think even though Rhemann was kinda part of the OG Exy gang (Kayleigh, Tetsuji, Wymack), he was always very wary of Tetsuji, and lowkey scared of Kayleigh, and considering the times' rampant homophobia, and pursuing one of his athletes, much younger, Rhemann just couldn't do it. He totally broke Wade's heart, and his own, by refusing to admit they had a good thing going on, that hey even had a 'this'. By the time tragedy struck Wade, it was too late for Rhemann to reach for him and be his source of support and comfort. Wade locked himself away and out of reach, and Rhemann completely lost him, for years.

Rhemann climbed the ladder to the top until he was head coach of the Trojans, but he never did have another lover, not even something casual, not even something straight and fake. He never forgave himself. It's a failure that comes up to fight for the top spot along with warning Kayleigh too late about Tetsuji.

But his kids (they're adults, James) fill almost all the void, as does his career and his fight for the Champions title. So of course, two things come to haunt him, bite him the ass, and upend his carefully taped up world. 1) Wade's back in town, with a kid (again, an adult, James) and a whole lot of ghosts, and 2) his right hand man, Anderson Atwell, is falling for one of their players, Levi, and it's so much like he and Wade were back then, it hurts.

And what does he do? He tries to break Anderson and Levi apart, tries to tell them how bad and ugly it'll get, how it is not a viable relationship, just an illusion, and pipe dream. He almost loses Levi. Wade is so mad at him for not learning from his mistakes and trying to hurt others with his unlearned lessons. Fortunately, Anderson comes to terms with things better than Rhemann, and he and Levi maturely pursue each other, and they're okay.

Then comes the revelation that Wade's kid, Adèle, is related to his own Jean Moreau, and it's like catching a grenade all over again. There's no time for regrets and mistakes anymore, Rhemann's got to make choice after choice and hope for the best, hope he doesn't lose Jean, hope Adèle stays safe (and alive), hope Wade stays, hope he's enough of a reason to stay.

xxx

On another note, I imagine younger Rhemann very much alike to Ennis del Mar from Brokeback Mountain, and present Rhemann more like old Jamie Taylor from The Haunting of Bly Manor. He did mature a lot despite the exception of his history with Wade. He's more mellow, more loose, but in a bittersweet, tired way. Like all he ever allows himself to hope for is the best for his kids.

The mustache is very important. He's kept it for a record of 10 years, and he's not planning on shaving it off anytime soon. Only Wade could persuade him maybe, but Wade is a sucker for it, unfortunately.

He is very educated on queer culture and history, closeted fool that he is, because even if he has the hardest time letting go of the traumatizing homophobia of his youth, he'll be damned if his kids aren't their truest selves and live their lives out and loud. Living in Vegas has helped and still does. He did do drag for one night only, partying it out on the town with a bunch of queer and queen friends that found him drinking his sorrows in a gay bar he did not realize was a gay bar. He has defended his team and players many times against other homophobic schools and players, even against the ERC and USC's direction. He always won. He'll always fight. He has an endless stock of rainbow tape for Exy sticks.

Most satisfying Pinterest board to look through:

Mustache mustache man. Sexy sexy man.

Also leaving this here for the #aftg smau . In case that interests you.

What else? His best friend is one of the team's therapist (who is [redacted] for now until I land on a name).

I put him at 6'5" (actual Lee Pace height). He can look Jean Moreau eye to eye. He can rest his elbow in Jeremy Knox's head. He can carry a man.

I think that's it for now?

[stormblessed95]

Can I ask your top 10 fav fics ever (from any fandom, if you don't mind)?

Also, just curious, is there a story behind your name "stormblessed95 "?

I'm stormblessed because of this Ultra badass super sad boy right here.... Kaladin Stormblessed has my entire fucking heart for the rest of my life

Art by Ro

95 for vmin 🥰

Some of my favorite fics! In no particular order:

Blame it on my Youth by youreyestheyglow

Paring: Andrew/Neil

Fandom: AFTG

10 years after the end of The King's Men, Andrew and Neil have decided to foster a kid. They have low expectations for themselves--they're not exactly ideal parenting material--but at the very least, the kid will be safe with them. But neither Andrew nor Neil do temporary very well.

Full disclosure: highly character-driven, minimally plot-driven.

TW: If you suffer from paranoia, this is probably not the fic for you. Specifically, Neil has bunches of paranoia regarding being watched, and also being murdered.

Locked fic, so you need an account. Words: 1,520,605 and a WIP too.... Lmao I know....but it's SO GOOD. I'm just.... It's so damn good y'all. Basically just andriel growing and healing together, being so deeply in love, their adult lives and becoming parents and helping those children heal from their traumas too. Just gorgeously beautiful and I love it.

That Isn't Nothing by Taekookschanbaek

Pairing: Andrew/Neil

Fandom: AFTG

A look into the lives of pro exy players Andrew Minyard and Neil Josten. The world says they hate each other, but when Andrew gets transferred to Neil's team, their teammates begin seeing something else between them.

Words: 38,362, don't be thrown by the author name. I KNOW okay. But like damn, the fic is so fucking good. Ive read it multiple times. Its solid story telling with outsider POV and I just eat it up! Protective boyfriends and secret relationships and soft for each other moments. It's so good

The One-Body Problem by metisket

Pairing: Lan Zhan/Wei Ying

Fandom: MDZS

The good news is that Lan Jingyi has found a mentor, friend, and constant companion through the difficulties in life. The bad news is that that’s because he’s been accidentally possessed by the Yiling Patriarch.

This fic is SO GOOD I keep coming back to it all the time. It's got the juniors dynamics, it's got the most wholesome bonding stuff, it's got Jingyi being himself and so loveable. So wholesome. So cute. 10 outta 10 fic honestly. Words: 28,689

Rotten Work by @shanastoryteller

Pairing: Lan Zhan/Wei Ying

Fandom: MDZS

Jin Ling hadn’t thought to keep track of Wei Wuxian. Clearly that had been a mistake.

so good. Just amazing uncle and nephew bonding that gives me literally ALL OF THE FEELS. I read this and then went and read everything else this author has written. Such good storytelling!! And this was just both wholesome and emotional and fun! Amazing fic, truly. Words: 63,907

Stunted, Starving Juvenility by @tomatenmark5

Pairing: Lan Zhan/Wei Ying

Fandom: MDZS

At sixteen Wei Wuxian is—through some strange twist of fate, or a nick in the layer between parallel universes, who knows—out of the blue confronted with that one incense burner dream one night.

While his curious mind is left unable to stop poking at this new perspective on Lan Wangji, circumstances in the Cloud Recesses begin to change and Wei Wuxian is suddenly presented with life-altering opportunities.

Maybe Gusu isn’t so bad after all?

(Or alternatively: The fic where I get to give Wei Wuxian the academic scholarship he deserves while simultaneously getting him hitched early on.)

Might just be one of my all time favorite fics/stories. It's still technically a WIP but it's soo good. Don't let that stop you. It's so long too. But that's just even more story to love. I can't say enough good things lol words: 742,856 (I know, don't be intimidated though! Lol)

And Time is But a Paper Moon by Sami

Pairing: Lan Zhan/Wei Ying

Fandom: MDZS

"Zewu-Jun. You once told me about a house surrounded by gentians, where you visited once a month, and how Lan Zhan still waited there, even when the door no longer opened."

Xichen feels light-headed. He feels shocked, and angry. He has never told anyone such a thing, but Lan Zhan is giving Xichen a look of utter betrayal.

"You told him?" Lan Zhan whispers. "When?"

Wei Wuxian takes Lan Zhan's hand. "About twenty years from now."

***

Wei Wuxian starts again from the beginning.

My favorite time travel fix it fic. It's genuinely SO GOOD I love it and I love all the sequel stories that come after it!! Words: 139,032

The File by Denimbeans

Pairing: Percy Jackson/Bucky Barnes

Fandom: PJO, Marvel

When Percy stepped out of the elevator, Hazel wanted to weep. His clothing was tattered, hair matted with blood, and he was covered head to toe in golden dust. But he was alive. It took her a few minutes to realize that he was alone.

Before she died, she'd heard reports on the radio about soldiers who came home. Shellshock, they called it, from being in the trenches, the bombs and the bullets and the dead. Hazel had met soldier, once. A man who'd come home to her little town, missing half his leg and most of his mind. The look in his eyes was hauntingly similar to what she saw on her cousin's face.

Percy was different now. Stronger, maybe. He'd made it through Hell, but not without leaving a piece of him behind.

I honestly didn't know if I'd like this one when I started lol but I loved it. The ANGST WAS SO HEAVY AND SO GOOD. tw for annabeth not making it out of tarturus alive in this fic. PJO and Marvel/Shield mash up and honestly I'm just so down for badass Percy fics. Especially when we see him from another POV where he looks so scary but in his head he is the softest most traumatized boy. Percy is everything to me. Lol and I ship percabeth so hard so this was an outlier fic to me 😂 the blurb there is from the first story, I linked the whole series.

The One Where Nico Has 30 Boyfriends by a_million_stars

Pairing: Nico/Will

Fandom: PJO

“Seriously? Me and Lester?” Nico looked ready to kill him. “If you keep speaking to me I think I’m going to throw up.”

Or, a new friend from college desperately tries to figure out who Nico's secret boyfriend is. He messes up. A lot. If only Nico didn't have so many weirdly close friends from high school.

Just wholesome adorable cuteness with some outsider POV, which y'all should be able to tell I LOVE by now

Mortals, Meet Demigods by MaryaDmitrievnaLikesSundays

Pairing: Annabeth/Percy, Nico/Will

Fandom: PJO

Life isn’t easy for any teenager, but when you’re half-god, the word “easy” loses all meaning. Nine different mortals start to understand that.

Just cute wholesome outsider POV into the most precious of characters

Like Everything Glows by Annie_vi

Pairing: Jimin/Jungkook

Fandom: BTS

Jeon Jeongguk watches the sun rise and set on the water every day without wondering what may lie far beneath the surface. One nighttime walk along the beach upheaves his entire life, sending his human morals into a tailspin as he questions what his beliefs really are.

The first fic I read by Annie and still my favorite. I think about this story all the time lol. She is one of the very very few people I will read RPS fics from because her storytelling is just so immaculately beautiful. I love the way she writes. Truly. I need her to get published one day

@skygemspeaks retirement AU thread and every single fic it sparked inspiratiom for.

Seriously they linked TONS of them under their post and I read and obsessed over every single one and then went looking for more. Lmfao

Pairing: Yuuri/Victor

Fandom: Yuuri on Ice

Link to their Tumblr post:

Wrapping it up with @pekgna illustrated coffee shop AU that I'm so obsessed with.

Pairing: Shallan/Adolin/Kaladin

Fandom: Stormlight Archive

OT3 when Shallan and Adolin seduce Kaladin, their barista into becoming their boyfriend lol just perfection and adorable and the art is amazing!

Link to the start of the AU on Tumblr here:

Enjoy if you read them, let me know if you like them!!! And always feel free to give me fic recs as well especially if you want to send them to my side blog where I try to keep most of my conversations about books and fics now. My anon asks are on there. I've reblogged a few over there too. @moonofthesurvivor

[exyrpf]

can you pls explain what aftg is? 😭 everything i've heard makes it seem like a fever dream wattpad fic (affectionate)

i mean. yeah fever dream wattpad fic (affectionate) is a good way to describe it.

you got these books. you got a made up sport that doesn't really make sense. the first 3 books are from the pov of an 18 year old runaway orphan boy who lies as easy as he breathes. also his father is a literal serial killer (he is who this 18 year old orphan boy is running from)

runaway orphan boy signs with a college team that is pretty much a home for fucked up college kids. the foxes. they're bad but they just got this new kid who was the best exy (aforementioned made up sport) player in the world before he broke his hand. how did he break his hand? well, glad you asked.

you got this cult (sports team) that is run by the literal yakuza. new kid, who i will call prodigal son bc his mom invented the sport and he is referred to as the son of exy, was part of this cult run by the literal yakuza. they broke his hand so he couldn't play. UNTIL HE DID! :o

BUT WAIT! prodigal son and orphan boy have MET! they met when runaway orphan boy's dad cut a man to pieces in front of them (they were tweens at this time). apparently runaway's serial killer father WORKED for the yakuza the whole time!!!!!

(you'll read prodigal son and runaway's interactions the whole sreies and go 'huh this is very homoerotic do they fall in love?')

then u got this psychotic 5 foot nothing goalie (who has a twin also on the team)(they've both killed someone)(btw)(also he's blond)(and gay) who literally could stop the yakuza if need be and WAIT! does runaway orphan boy only know how to have homoerotic interactions with other men? the answer is probably yes.* blond goalie and runaway actually gay tho and make out a lot

also runaway gets tortured (twice) but he's fine or whatever. more murder. violence violence. some great side characters.

i'd say 'did that make sense' but i *know* it didn't bc even with my knowledge of the books it doesn't make sense.

so just like. an underdog sports story but the yakuza is there is how i'd jokingly describe it but it is in fact,,,,so much more than that.

if u are not enticed by my description and are not able to suspend all belief and accept there will be loose ends bc runaway is a TERRIBLY unreliable narrator with trauma up the wazoo, you will never understand. but if u ARE enticed, welcome to brain rot central. here are the trigger warnings.

there's also a fourth book that just came out but that's from a completely different pov that i am holding so deeply to my heart right now, cannot make fun of it

(*runaway, blond goalie, and prodigal son were originally a throuple and the author took it out but did nothing to erase how gay they all are)