#usc events

[pu-butt]

The unbridled joy and love and support radiating from the Trojans exy team vs. The overwhelming feeling of imminent doom and anger and spite in Fleetwood Mac's 'Tusk' ft. the USC Trojan Marching Band

[recentlyheardcom]

Alex Edelman Reveals How He Got to Know Steven Spielberg's Mom

Steven Spielberg‘s Shoah Foundation celebrated its 30th anniversary with a star-studded gala in New York last week. In addition to the legendary director, who established the Shoah Foundation after making his 1994 Oscar winner Schindler’s List, Meryl Streep, Whoopi Goldberg, Bruce Springsteen, Drew Barrymore, Itzhak Perlman, Debra Messing, Wendell Pierce and Alex Edelman were among the nearly…

[maple-pies]

AFTG from a D1 perspective

As a D1 athlete from a sport where men and women practice and compete together (thought we are separate teams) here are my thoughts ;)

Whenever the Foxes travel and stay in hotels they have to share rooms (but if Wymack is going to drop the $$ for shower stalls they def don't have to share beds like my team does) but I wonder if they randomize the rooms?? lots of potential there...

(however, USC?? They're big enough that I can def seeing them have to share beds hahahaha)

training trip? do they go on training trip Nora I need to know! Lacrosse sometimes does, so maybe exy would idk... (they go to Florida or PR, Kevin gets hella burnt and Neil gets freckles end of story)

Lift?? They have to be lifting!! I know Aaron and Andrew are really into it and Nicky and Allison fight over the aux

there are days where everyone gets along (even people who hate each other) and there are days where everyones HATES each other (even the people who are best friends) it just happens

men are always puking during practice. Aaron personally gives me big barf boy energy (Nicky canonically yaks already lol)

periods. Having men and women practice together means the women don't GAF about talking about periods while the men stare at their shoes and pretend not to hear hahahha

Abby definitely gets pissed at Wymack and lift coach (they have to have one okay??) for working the foxes too hard, it's the trainer's job to get pissed at coaches okay

just NCAA violations in general. We have to do quizzes and shit to show we know the rules we can't break/rules the school and coach have to follow. (I could make a whole separate post about all the NCAA violations broken haha)

this is no way saying aftg is inaccurate, it just means they didn't ever get caught which checks out

speaking of which, whenever Aaron get's pissed he definitely is like "And we went over 20 hours last week!! I could just report them!!" to Katelyn and she calms him down

Interactions with other teams/greek life. I know there have to be some mixers/athlete events, if not the Foxes then the Trojans for sure.

complaining about dining hall food, I know Kevin's pissed about seed oils or lack of protein, something stupid like that

hookups within the team. okay the Foxes are small, but that just makes it more messy. the trojans have insane teamcest I just know it. (being coed means even more hookups than normal) . cute relationship sex, hate sex, random sex between people you would not believe (i def don't know this from first hand experience what....)

I'm so excited for TSC because we get so see how a "normal" Exy team behaves (I put normal in quotations bc ppl need to understand that D1 athletes, esp ones on a team as good as USC, are definitely not normal people ahahha)

this is definitely just part 1

[skydaemon]

Okay I’m awake again and something that really stood out to me with TSC was how different jean and neil are as protagonists. I expected they would be, but the thing I really noticed was how distinct their reactions were.

So, these books are HEAVY. There are many many traumatic events and the characters spend a lot of time in high-stress situations. Even when they’re not being attacked or threatened or XYZ, they’re often in a state of heightened physiological arousal (their sympathetic nervous system is going haywire). As a psychologist, the thing I find really interesting is that we see very different reactions that are all aligned with different adrenal responses, and I wanted to talk about it.

As a baseline, when your sympathetic nervous system is activated, you typically experience what some psychologists call the four Fs. Fight, flight, freeze, and/or fawn (some people use another word here but I don’t like it and think it’s less accurate to the situation). These can occur simultaneously or alone. And of the four characters who are most showing this response are the ones who are consistently in the highest stress situations, but who are also traumatised in such a way that even when they’re not actively in danger their sympathetic nervous system is overreactive and heightened.

So first off, we have Neil. He’s pretty clearly shown to have two responses: flight and fight. For his entire childhood, he’s been fleeing from danger and in the earlier parts of AFTG, we see this response - he tries to run as far as he can possibly get from anything that might be a risk. As a side point, this is pretty clearly a learned response from his mother. As Neil begins to feel more secure and his flight response is impeded (he can’t run away) we see the emergence of his other primary adrenal response - fight. I don’t feel like I need to explain this one, tbh, we’ve all seen how he runs his mouth. Fight is also typically shown when you believe you can defeat whatever’s threatening you, so I love what this says about how his confidence develops across the trilogy.

Then you have Andrew. He’s not a POV protagonist but I feel like his response might be the most obvious. His primary responses are fight and freeze (Andrew Minyard runs from/fawns for no man). Fight is pretty obvious - he’s a very violent person - but I feel like the most clear example of this is stopping Riko from attacking Neil. Andrew is obviously wired and his instinctive response is to protect. I love that for him. His other primary response, unfortunately, is freeze. Based on the most obvious time we see it (during Drake's attack), this is probably a response he developed as a child, before he felt strong/safe enough to fight back. God, these books make me sad sometimes.

Next is Kevin. He has a slightly more varied response - i can see the argument for him freezing, although i wouldnt say it's a primary response - but his main two responses are fight and fawn. Fight isn't necessarily literal, btw - the most obvious example is covering his tattoo. His fawn response is slightly more expanded on in TSC (mild spoilers if you haven't read that yet) when we see him responding to Riko's attack by begging first Riko and then Jean to intercede and stop the violence. he's trying to appeal to their affection for him, which is absolutely heartbreaking. Kevin i love you.

And finally, we have Jean, whose primary responses are only really made clear in TSC, although they are backed up by his appearances in the trilogy - freeze and fawn. We see freezing in Jean's response to sympathetic nervous system arousal, often from hearing about or recalling upsetting events/information. He closes in on himself and becomes unresponsive. Fawn is slightly more complicated, as we see it somewhat throughout AFTG. when he's loyal to riko and doing things he thinks riko will like in hopes of reducing any potential pain/threat he will experience, i'd call that fawning. an example at usc is him getting on his knees and handing coach rhemann his racket - he's not just submitting to punishment, he's trying to be helpful and well-behaved in hopes of lessening it. it's honestly a really strong response from him and it absolutely breaks my heart. jean in tsc is really struggling and i hope the last book brings him some peace. i also find it really painful that he's the only one of these boys without a fight response - he's never felt capable of winning against his abusers. i really hope the trojans and bee are able to help change that.

[allforthegamebingo]

Not to worry, when we said 'the big three' we meant all three of the Uni's with their own different cards. 🐦‍⬛

The TSC version is pretty Jean Moreau focused. We couldn't have left him out when it's his time to shine 😉 (we probably still wouldn't have left him out either way though)

Neil Josten / Andrew Minyard (plain) || these cards are plain yet cute cards with only one or two symbolic objects showing up on the cards, there are 4 versions for this theme at this point

Neil Josten / Andrew Minyard (somewhat chaotic) || these are pretty chaotic in sense of just how many symbolic objects are added in, alongside of quotes from the aftg series, there are 2 different versions for this theme

Jean Moreau & Sunshine Court || this is pretty much created according to the little snippets that we've gotten till now over the sunshine court, and is mainly Jean focused, there are 2 different versions of this theme.

The Big Three || this one is pretty much the big three universities, all on different cards (they are also pretty plain since I couldn't exactly find what I had been searching for in the beginning, however I might maybe add in other stuff after my exam period ends) there are é different cards available for each Uni, so 6 cards in total for this theme.

THESE ARE ALL IN TERMS OF CARD BACKGROUND, NOT THE PROMPTS THAT SHOW UP ON THE CARD! THE PROMPTS WILL BE PRETTY MUCH ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU GUYS WISH TO SEE!

[captain-sunshine-11]

Kevin/Seth is such a ship that found me in a rarepair fic and it grabbed me the collar and forced me to read it.

Anyway here is some Kevseth headcanons because I can:

Seth lives and plans to make Kevin's life even more of a hell on court than it was before. Enough that Wymack does have to step in and tell them to settle their differences or there were going to be consequences. Kevin is reluctant to be civil and Seth doesn't want to lose his scholarship or prevent himself from getting another one. (Seth still has grad school ahead of him)

So the series of events that lead to them getting together is just them accidentally being alone together -> purposely being alone together after realizing that the other isn't Just an Asshole (ofc they don't tell the other its on purpose) -> A fight that leads to a kiss and the rest is history

They pinch each other and hit each other's arms when the other is being a dick. Depending on the damage done dictates how much it'll hurt (but they wouldn't ever draw blood or try to bruise the other)

When the others find out everyone is shocked except for Aaron. Mostly because he couldn't care less

Matt and Dan call them "The 2nd Cutest Couple" just to piss them off ("We aren't cute, Seth." "You're right, we're the cutEST, fuck you Matt." "Seth--")

Kevin calls Seth "Bryan" once as a joke and they don't talk for a couple days

Kevin can't sleep on his back when Seth is with him because he will just snore, so Seth has to hold him to make sure he doesn't roll over (he says its just so he can "Get some goddamn shutteye"... sure buddy)

Kevin makes an effort to become more knowledgeable on addiction for Seth, but also to understand the other addicts on the team. It makes his relationship with people like Aaron and Matt better as a consequence

Seth might not be as into Exy as Kevin but they do sit down and watch games together. While Kevin is analyzing strategy and players' tactics--Seth is yelling at the TV (he'd just seem like the type even if its a Baking Show or whatever)

Kevin, being involved with Seth, means he becomes better friends with Allison. (Seth & Allison here just remain very good friends that keep in touch beyond graduation) Which means Allison sometimes buys him clothes she makes Sure he wears and Kevin kind of has no choice (Kevin thinks that maybe making friends with Allison has been one of the best calls he has made in his life)

As Seth learns to be more open and less temperamental, they both end up saying lovey-dovey shit that embarrasses both of them. Seth once said "I love your smile" and Kevin had to leave the room cause he felt like he was dying

Not to say they aren't rough around the edges, a couple fights had to be taken to Dobson's office because one or the other feared that something would end them.

Dobson is never their first choice though, Seth goes to Matt for Advice and Kevin goes to Neil (finds out that is a bad idea) and then goes to Allison.

Their first big fight surrounds the area of Seth's insecurities that we see in TFC and Kevin's large ego when it comes to Exy. It led to angry sex, but lingering resentments that Kevin knew had to be resolved after ranting to Wymack (who told him to stop whining and apologize). Which resulted in a very awkward apology conversation

After a bit they get a hang of how to handle arguments but they are rocky in the first year or so of their relationship

Seth figures out Kevin's strange relationship to food and tries to cook (and fails) to make meals more tolerable. Kevin tries to be grateful but he ends up insulting the food anyway

Whenever Seth comes along to Eden's the rest of the Monsters wake up to find Kevin & Seth in the strangest positions asleep on the couch the morning after

Adding onto Seth coming to Eden's he pulls Kevin onto the dance floor and they always end up making out in the corner or in the bathroom

Seth wears Kevin's clothes but refuses to wear the USC Hoodie Kevin has.

Seth kissing Kevin's tattoo and sarcastically saying "Your Highness" whenever he does

[hyperboleigh91]

Jean thinking he'll never play a clean enough game for the Trojans to put him on the field and then the coaches deciding to make him starting line for the first game of the season as a show of solidarity to their new player amidst the horrible rumors and cruelty he's faced.

The coaches and team tell Jean not to overthink it; he was always going to end up on the starting lineup anyway, that even he has to know he's too good to not play, it's just happening a bit earlier than he expected. But this is as much for the coaches as it is for Jean. Other teams, as well as the school board, are questioning the Trojans' decision to sign Jean, and they want to show that they're confident with their choice.

The team they're facing is from another big university in California, and while not the most important game the Trojans will play by a long shot, it is one that gets USC riled up for the season as the competitiveness between a state's bigger colleges is akin to sibling rivalry.

Jean is shocked to step onto the court and see the stands filled with signs adoring all of the Trojans, including him. His new team isn't as estranged from their families as the Ravens were, and they may have encouraged their loved ones to show their new player some support, not wanting Jean to be left out of the fanfare that tends to accompany a Trojan game. This event sparks Jean being associated with daffodils, as one of Cat's siblings painted it on the most dazzling sign supporting Jean.

Later, fans are known to bring daffodils to Jean's games as gifts.

[kevinsdsy]

“no matter what i do it won’t go away.” kevin kept scrubbing the stain on his shirt. he couldn’t even remember who dropped the drink over him, he just remembered he had excused himself from the table and jean had followed close behind him.

jean had followed close behind him. it almost felt like they were back in the nest— back to when when the two of them would secretly look out for each other, even when they were not supposed to.

of course it wasn’t the case anymore.

kevin had left the nest after his broken hand and even jean had managed to get out to be part of the USC trojans’ lineup.

they were just together at the banquet for one night.

jean leaned against the wall, looking at his former teammate with a bored expression, watching as kevin desperately scrubbed his shirt with no improvements to show for it.

“i’m pretty sure you’re making it worse,” jean had commented in french, but kevin ignored him— grabbing another paper towel from behind them instead and dapping it under the water, which was just another desperate attempt which only looked like it was doing more damage. “it’s fine. no one will care.” jean said.

“no matter what i do it won’t go away,” kevin said again, his eyes were glued to the stain, but his breath caught in his throat which finally pushed an alarm button for jean.

“kevin, it’s fine.” he said, pushing himself off the wall and moving towards his former teammate.

“why won’t it go away?” kevin finally turned to look at jean and jean was surprised to find tears caught behind kevin’s eyes.

“stop that.” jean said. “it’s just a shirt. what’s going on with you?” kevin looked up at jean. he didn’t know how to say he didn’t care about the shirt.

it was the guilt which was eating him alive— guilt he had carried ever since he had left the nest. the constant guilt following him around for leaving jean behind in the nest.

they both knew jean would never have followed kevin out of the nest if kevin had asked, but it didn’t make the event easier on either of them.

“it needs to go away. why won’t it go away?” kevin asked again, and suddenly it dawned on him how he wasn’t even making any sense to jean anyway.

how was jean supposed to know he was talking about his guilt? what did it matter anyway? it wouldn’t change anything.

“i’m sorry,” kevin said with a ragged breath. “i’m sorry. i’m sorry. i’m sorry.” kevin repeated.

“stop it,” jean told him firmly. “it’s okay. forget about it.”

[thealternateuniverse]

Paranoia

Part 1Part 2

A/N: I took a break scrolling from tiktok for my sanity 😭. I appreciate the lovely comments guys. Keep it coming. Thoughts and feedbacks are open.

Edit: There was a part that was missing. I forgot to proofread. PS. This is purely fiction, some events in this story did not happen in real life.

🧎‍♀️(down bad on this photo)

Warnings: Read at your own risk

As the last quarter unfolded, USC relentlessly closing the 13 points gap, the score now standing at 76-70. Despite their efforts, Y/N's team struggled to maintain their momentum and extend their lead. Geno's frustration boiled over, his impassioned instructions during the timeout emphasizing the crucial defensive adjustments they needed to make.

As the clock winds down, the score still stands at 76-70 in favor of UConn. With USC in possession, the pressure is on to close the gap. But Azzi, has other plans. With lightning reflexes, she snatches the ball from USC's grasp and sets the stage for a thrilling sequence of events.

Spotting her teammate Nika open on the court, Azzi swiftly passes the ball. USC's Kaitlyn Davis is quick to react, shadowing Nika's every move. Sensing an opportunity, Y/N, fueled by determination, waves at Nika, signaling for the pass.

With a precision pass, Nika sends the ball sailing towards Y/N. Sensing an opening, Y/N positions herself strategically, evading USC's defense. As she receives the ball, she executes a flawless screen, creating space and thwarting Davis's attempt to intercept.

Dribbling with purpose, Y/N makes her move towards the basket, eyes locked on the hoop. But USC's Rayah Marshall has other plans. Desperate to regain possession, Marshall lunges forward, attempting to strip the ball from Y/N's grasp.

With nerves of steel, Y/N fights to maintain control, deftly maneuvering past Marshall's reach. But the intensity of the moment boils over as Marshall resorts to desperate measures, grabbing Y/N's shirt in a last-ditch effort to halt her progress.

Refusing to relinquish the ball, Y/N stands her ground, her determination unwavering despite the onslaught from USC's defense. With frustration mounting, USC's Malia Samuels joins the fray, attempting to pry the ball loose from Y/N's grip.

In a gripping display of strength and resilience, Y/N holds firm, refusing to yield to the pressure. With the whistle blowing, signaling a foul, Y/N's teammates rush to her aid, pulling her away from the heated confrontation.

"Babe, let it go," Nika urged, her grip firm as she restrained the pissed Y/N from returning to the commotion. Frustration etched on Y/N's face, she reluctantly released her hold on the ball, raising her hands in surrender.

With a defiant smirk, Y/N turned her attention to Samuels and Davis, who were being held back by their teammates. Locking eyes with them, she taunted them, a silent reminder of her unwavering resolve.

The foul earned them a free throw, a guaranteed point, bringing the score to 77-70. Paige wasted no time retrieving the ball and dashed across the court, her sights set on a crucial three-pointer. With just a minute left in the quarter, she aimed to ignite their momentum once more. However, USC had different plans. They intercepted the ball and sunk a three-pointer of their own.

With 45 seconds remaining, Y/N found herself in possession of the ball. She scanned her teammates for any openings, but USC's defense made scoring seem impossible.

"Miller, what the hell? Just do it!" she heard Paige yell, urging her to take action.

As she stood near the half-court line, Y/N hesitated. Shooting a three-pointer from this distance seemed like a near-impossible feat for her. In all her years of playing and practicing, she had never been known for her long-range shooting abilities— that was Bueckers' domain.

The pressure weighed heavy on her shoulders as she considered her options. Could she defy the odds and sink this shot when it mattered most? The doubt gnawed at her, but with time ticking away, she knew she had to make a decision—and fast. --

Y/N dashed toward her teammates after that long range 3 point shot, their jubilant cheers echoing across the court as the buzzer signaled the end of the match. With a final score of 80-73 against USC, victory was theirs. It had been a grueling game, but the satisfaction of triumph overshadowed any challenges they had during the game.

She scanned the crowd, searching for her dad. When their eyes met, she waved at him, a surge of emotion welling up inside her. Despite the divorce, his presence fueled her determination throughout the entire match. She wouldn't expect her mom to be here, though. Separating from her teammates, Y/N made her way to her dad and enveloped him in a bear hug.

"Congratulations, peanut. Looks like you guys are headed to the Final 4. I'm so proud of you. You were incredible out there today," her father exclaimed as they embraced. Y/N beamed with joy; they were moving on to the Final 4.

"Thanks, Dad. Having you here means the world to me," Y/N said, disentangling herself from her father's embrace and offering him an encouraging smile.

"Why don't you invite your teammates to dinner tonight?" her father suggested.

"Dinner? Where?" Y/N asked, confusion knitting her brows. Her dad typically leaves after the game to catch his flight back to California.

"Well... I just bought some property around Storrs. Maybe you could invite them over for a little house-warming party?" Her father scratched his head awkwardly.

Y/N blinked, trying to process what her dad had just said. He had bought property in Connecticut! Was this a permanent move? She didn't know, but the thought of not having to fly to California, or her dad not having to fly to Connecticut, made her genuinely happy.

"Right, of course. We can talk about this property later. I'll let my teammates know. See you later, Dad," Y/N said with a grin.

Skipping back to her teammates, who were still celebrating their advancement to the Final 4, Y/N felt a renewed sense of excitement.

--------------

Y/N basked in the euphoria of their victory during the post-game interview, the realization of her clutch shot sinking in only now. She credited it to luck, feeling grateful for the fortuitous moment.

As the reporters turned their attention to Paige, Y/N struggled to keep her composure, finding it hard to tear her gaze away from Paige's sinfully stylish sunglasses.

"So, Paige, any plans for the WNBA draft?" one of the reporters inquired. Paige paused for a moment, her playful gesture of licking her lips causing Y/N to roll her eyes.

"For now, I think our plan is to win the championship," Paige responded mischievously, leaving the reporter slightly disappointed.

Turning her attention to Y/N, another reporter chimed in, "Y/N, congratulations! That last three-point shot was incredible. How do you feel?"

Y/N felt her cheeks warm as the spotlight shifted to her, a sensation she wasn't accustomed to. In post-game interviews, it was typically Paige, Nika, Azzi, and KK who took the lead. Now, with all eyes on her, she struggled to find her footing.

"Uhh, well... we've been practicing, but I really didn't expect to make that shot from half-court," she replied timidly, her voice betraying her nerves. "You've recently gain the hearts of fans nationwide after you guys went live last week. They are interested to know you more since you seem to be inactive in social media"

The next question caught her off guard. Increasing fanbase? She hadn't realized her popularity was growing. The mention of the recent live session with Ice and her minimal social media presence made her realize she had inadvertently garnered attention.

"Firstly, I appreciate the love. But I tend to spend less time on my phone to focus on my daily activities," she responded genuinely. Becoming a social media star was the last thing on her mind; her life was already hectic, and the thought of dealing with the pressures of online fame felt overwhelming. "Do you have any plans for WNBA draft also? Are you going to sign under your mother's agency and let her represent you?"

The mention of the WNBA draft and her mother's agency caused a flicker of unease to pass over her features. Her teammates exchanged worried glances, and Paige shot dagger looks at the reporter who asked the question.

"W-well, just like Paige said, our focus right now is on the championship. We'll address any future plans when the time comes," Y/N replied with finality not addressing the mother question, offering the reporter a faint smile. The reporter didn't ask further questions and shifted their questions back to the game highlights. ----- After the post-game interview, the team celebrated inside the dugout, cheering once again for their victory. Geno delivered his speech, and everyone showered him with water afterward.

"Okay, okay, enough, everyone. We're not done yet. We have an upcoming match against Iowa. They're a tough team to beat, but I believe in your capabilities. For now, let's celebrate. You all can enjoy the night out. Slow down on the alcohol, and no fights—yes, I'm talking about you, Y/N," Geno warned. Y/N felt a weight on her shoulders, only to see Paige already had her arm over her shoulders.

"We'll be on our best behavior, coach," Paige said confidently, raising a thumbs-up, though doubt still lingered on Geno's face.

"Well, um, if you could, my father invites everyone for dinner. He just moved in,"

The team whistled at the invitation, they all agreed to come.

"Nice!" KK exclaimed. It would be their first time formally meeting Y/N's parent. They do see her father and exchange hellos whenever he is at the game, but they never got the chance to be formally introduced.

"Seems like a housewarming party. We haven't prepared anything, Y/N," Azzi said, a slight worry on her face.

"Don't bother, Az. It's just dinner, and it'll be us and my dad only."

All of them decided to come together to Y/N's father's newly bought house. Nika and KK kept teasing her as "richy rich" while they packed their stuff. No one just decides to buy a property on a whim during a divorce around Connecticut, knowing the estates are damn expensive.

In Y/N's defense, she is not rich; it is her father who could afford it, not her. While it is good to know her father moved here, Y/N will still remain in her apartment. She will give her father his own space, and she is old enough to be staying under her parents' roof.

-------

The house was beautiful when they arrived, a surprise to Y/N how her father managed to pull it off. It wasn't extravagant, fitting right in with the other houses in the Storrs neighborhood. Y/N suddenly felt embarrassed as they were greeted by their family chef in the kitchen. Her father didn't have to go this far by bringing their chef all the way from California. Her teammates exchanged glances, their anticipation evident as they looked forward to a rewarding full-course meal experience after a tough match. "Welcome girls and apologies for the short notice, thank you though for coming. Congratulations in your game earlier and I think you deserve this full course meal." Craig Miller greeted and the girls introduce theirselves, shaking hands with Y/N's father.

"Please, call me Craig. Well, I let you have your meal in peace. If you need anything don't hesitate to ask chef here, indulge yourselves."

The girls thanked Craig before they choose their respective seats. ----

Paige listened quietly while her teammates conversed. She responded from time to time, but the steak made it hard for her to stay fully engaged. It was the best meal she had ever tasted, and every bite felt like a reward after their victory against USC. She silently thanked Y/N's Father for arranging this feast and for their wealth, may they be continued to be blessed. Of course, she was only kidding about the latter, but she couldn't deny the unexpected level of luxury her family had.

What struck Paige the most was Y/N's humility. Despite their wealth, Y/N never flaunted it or mentioned the things she could afford. Paige's heart swelled with pride as she thought about how low-key Y/N had always been. She was privileged, but she never took advantage of it.

"Well, you can ask Paige, Craig. Her and Y/N are close even they banter all day." KK urged Craig, while looking towards Paige, a grin plastered on her face.

Paige literally choked on her mashed potatoes. If looks could kill, KK would be buried six feet under by now.

"Is that so?" Craig glanced at Paige and towards his daughter knowingly. Y/N just gave him a shrug.

"Well, can't help it, your daughter is neck and neck with Paige Bueckers," Y/N responded, her tone laced with airy amusement.

"How about you, Paige? I hope my daughter doesn't give you all a hard time; she can be a bit temperamental," Mr. Miller inquired with a chuckle.

"A little competition is good, Craig, and she's really good. I don't want to get on her bad side, though," Paige remarked, turning towards Y/N's direction and giving her a wink—a subtle reminder of the almost-brawl they had witnessed last week.

"I'm really glad you all got along. Y/N rarely invites her friends back to Stanford, so I haven't really gotten to know them," Mr. Miller remarked.

The mention of Y/N's Stanford friends piqued Paige's interest. Y/N had never mentioned anything aside from team practices, game highlights, and her MCL injury. Paige wondered what her friend's life was like during her time at Stanford. "Speaking of, why don't you invite Cameron here? If she is not busy. Have you two been calling each other?" Paige couldn't help but notice that Y/N's smile faltered at the mention of Cameron's name. She's suddenly itching of curiosity what's with Y/N and Cameron.

"She's busy, dad. Taking a break." Y/N answered shortly. "Oh okay." Craig didn't press further about Cameron. They continued until they finished the five-course dinner, thoroughly enjoying every bite. The girls praised the chef for the spectacular feast they had indulged in and of course Craig who then resigns to his study. He left them to take advantage of the house to rest or do what they want for the night.

-----

All of them decided to have Margaritas only on the patio. The firepit was already lit, warming the chilly air of spring . The girls decided to take some photos for the gram, capturing the essence of their post-game celebration night while the music blaring.

"Those USC players are tough; we should really watch out for Juju next season," Aubrey remarked, shaking her head in acknowledgment.

"Agree, it was nerve-racking earlier. I could feel the tension from the bench," Qadence added, nodding in agreement.

"We've got to prepare for Iowa next week. We'll be facing Clark. They're as hungry as we are," Azzi chimed in, emphasizing the importance of their upcoming game.

"Loosen up, suckers; we'll think about it tomorrow. Why don't we play some games until we wear each other out?" KK suggested, earning groans from her teammates.

"It's always chaos when you suggest games, K," Nikka remarked, leaning her head back and throwing a pillow towards KK.

"What? No. We won't move an inch. Plus, it's margarita night."

"Okay, bring it on, K. What are we playing?" Paige chimed in.

"Hm, something low-key. It's called Paranoia," KK replied with a mischievous grin. A whisper of doubt brushed against Paige, suggesting that this might not be a good idea. It seemed that KK was up to something mischievous. They all exchanged glances, silently contemplating whether they should play along with KK's suggestion.

"Okay, fine. How do we play?" Y/N clapped her hands.

"Easy, I'll be the starter. I'll just whisper a question about the group into the ear of the person on my left. The person who was asked the question replies out loud with their answer. If the person whose name was spoken or anyone curious wants to know what the question was, they take a drink. The person who said the name can either choose to respond or take a drink instead," KK explained, and the team listened eagerly, intrigued by the game's rule. "Man, that's boring. How did you even come up with the idea?" Paige objected, expressing her disinterest. "Come on now, Bueckers, don't be a killjoy," Y/N said, shooting Paige a glare. Paige felt herself gulp. She sat across Y/N.

They all settled into a circle, with KK sitting beside Azzi on her left and Ice on her right. Anticipation filled the air as KK started whispering to Ice, a mischievous grin forming on her lips.

"Ah, easy. It's Nika," Ice responded confidently.

Nika's head shot up. "What? What did I do?"

"Drink, girly, if you wanna know," KK replied with a wink, causing Nika to frown.

"I'm starting not to like this game," Nika muttered, declining to take a shot to find out.

"Don't be a buzzkill, Ice, next to your left," KK instructed, keeping the game going.

Anticipation filled the air again as Ice whispered to Y/N this time. Y/N burst out laughing.

"Easy, peasy. Paige," Y/N replied with a grin, causing all eyes to turn towards Paige, who raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"What?" Paige asked curiously, but Ice and Y/N only exchanged grins.

"Drink up, P. It's just a Margarita," Ice nudged Paige, urging her to take a shot.

"Hell no," Paige rejected the Margarita firmly, refusing to play along.

"Come on, guys, I'd rather have a hangover than a crippling anxiety," KK mused, acknowledging Paige's reluctance to participate further in the game.

"Final answer, P?" Ice asked Paige one last time, hoping she'd give in and take the shot.

"No thanks." Paige answered while making a face.

"Alrighty, mighty. Come here, Aubrey," Y/N leaned towards Aubrey on her left and whispered.

Aubrey pondered for a moment, not giving an answer right away.

"I think... Paige," Aubrey finally replied, her choice causing a stir among the group, more like to Paige only.

"What the fuck is even the question?" Paige reacted violently, but her teammates didn't seem to care as Y/N and Aubrey high-fived each other.

"Told ya, that's why it's called Paranoia for a reason, P," KK remarked with a smirk, enjoying the chaos she had stirred up.

"But I'm curious, so I'll take a shot. So what was the question, Y/N?" KK sipped from her margarita, intrigued by the mystery.

"If we're going to play a team mode in Fortnite, among KK, Azzi, Nika, Me, and Paige, who are you not going to choose?" Y/N revealed, causing a collective gasp from the group.

"Wait, that's not fair! Give me a break. I'm a much better player than Azzi!" Paige protested, sensing the injustice in the situation.

They all grinned at Paige. "You suck, P," Qadence chirped.

Paige surrendered. It was one against all.

"Aubrey, your turn," Aubrey, who then whispered to Aaliyah. Aaliyah immediately responded "Paige."

"What the fuck," Paige muttered, feeling increasingly targeted.

"Still not drinking, P?" Ice teased.

"I don't know, you guys. It seems like you all want me to have a hangover," Paige remarked, still refusing to touch her margarita. If it were a Shirley Temple, she'd gladly chug it down.

"Alright, Ines. Your turn," Aaliyah whispered next to Ines, who answered without hesitation, "Y/N."

It was Y/N's turn to be curious. "Hold up," Y/N said, taking a sip of her margarita. "Okay, what is it?" she asked, curious about the question that had been whispered to Ines. "Who do you think is the most attractive player you will date if given a chance to?" The group fell silent, waiting for Y/N's response to the revealing question.

"Oh wow. really? Thank you, I guess?" Y/N response elicited a mixture of laughter and awkwardness from the group as they processed her answer.

"Ines got a little crush on our girly here," KK teased, while also giving Paige a knowing look, which only added to the playful banter among the group. Ines on the hand, blushed as Y/N joined teasing her too. For some reason it annoyed Paige. KK's game will seriously ruin some friendship.

"Alright, you next Paigey."

Paige shook off her annoyance and allowed Ines to lean towards her to whisper her question.

"From which school did the person you liked go to?" Ines asked quietly, sparking curiosity among the group about Paige's response.

Paige's eyes briefly landed on Y/N, who was obliviously chatting with Aaliyah. She quickly looked away before she could linger and get caught.

"Stanford," Paige responded quietly, her gaze fixed on the firepit, hoping her answer wouldn't draw too much attention. The group went silent. "Wait, wait, wait, I'm curious. What's the question?" Azzi asked, breaking the tension with a drink. One by one, KK, Nika, Aubrey, Ice, and finally Y/N followed suit, each taking a sip, eager to discover the secret question that had been whispered to Paige.

"What? Fuck no! This game is over," Paige declared, her frustration evident as she refused to continue playing. "Paigey, you're a buzzkill. Come on Ines, let's have a team huddle."

They all had a team huddle, excluding Paige, to discuss Ines's question.

The whispering turned into collective murmurs of surprise after Ines spilled the question. Y/N met Paige's eyes and gave her a teasing look.

"Ah, I know who! I remember how you look at Hannah Jump!" Y/N exclaimed, prompting a mix of laughter and gasps from the group, most likely from KK.

Fuck this shit! Paige mentally cursed, feeling embarrassed by the revelation. Paige felt a surge of frustration at Y/N's teasing remark, for someone who has high IQ in basketball, she is dense.

What the hell just happened? She'll kill KK and never ever let her suggest stupid games next time. "Nice one, P! Hannah Jump, huh?" KK patted her on the shoulders, still laughing, but Paige only offered a tight-lipped smile in response, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance. "I'll kill you later K."

---------- Will have a bit more of Y/N and Paige's interaction in the next chapters.

[bballlvr8]

this is kind of long sorry lol.

Azzi Media Day Availability 

Feeling Really Good and Strong.  Close to being back at full practices. 

Doing most at practice, still on “load management”. Doing most stuff. 

Learned that Sarah is really good. 

Feeling great about the squad, very young, so many new pieces, working on chemistry. Every week is looking better than the last. Kaitlyn is smart, adjusting getting use to the program. Makes the right reads and decisions 

Having Allie on the team: Great Shooter, Great scorer, reads the floor really well, will help open up the floor. 

How is Paige different or better this year? Taking her leadership role very very seriously, because she does not have the other seniors (Nika and Aaliyah to rely on). Try to fill in that void. being a strong voval leader. Doing really good she’s been able to see that shift in Paige. More aggressive (offensively and defensively) said that she’s really been taking charge which she loves to see

The team is working on nipping the bad habits now and not letting them linger. Having discipline and holding eachother accountable is going to help them go a long way. 

Seeing KK and Ashlynn more comfortable, KK trying to be more vocal, Ashlynn being more confident, says its nice to see them settling in a little more. 

Her Goals on being back: Hasn’t really had that conversation, but they are taking it step by step. She’s feeling good on where shes at in practice and adding more makaing sure her knee responds well. 

Asked if she could see the light at the end of the tunnel on her rehab: She said “oh forsure” shes never been so happy to practice in her life, its a great feeling. 

Thoughts on Champion Classic and game against USC: Thinks its going to be incredible you see the energy that barclays can have, and being one of the first groups that get to play there is going to be special. 

Says that she was surprised to be back at Media Day (if you are selceted for a preseason award you get to come). Says that shes been here every year and that she has not made it through a year yet to get an award lol. Nice to see but you still have to prove it. 

Still in the phase of getting her feet back under her, getting use to the pace, playing with other people!!, spacing and the flow of offense. said her shot is alright right now lol.. she has her days, working on giving herself grace because she knows she is not going to come back  and be 100% right away after being out for 10 months. 

Said giving herself grace has been very important because she does have high standards for herself and she does want to see that ball go in everytime she shoots it lol.

She’s doing 5x5 with contact, and say yeah its been fun lol. 

Her time away has forced her to see the game from a different prespective, slows it down for you. Thinks it going to help her going into this year. 

Questioned on whether paige gave her any advice on coming back from an acl injury at the collegiate level: She said not really lmao. Said she’s a great hype woman, and if she needs anything she knows paige is there for her as is all her teammates. 

Excited for any game she gets to play. 

Talked about being sidelined and watching how the game has taken off (viewership wise) said that she felt it was really special because they weren’t just fans of basketball but were fans of them as well, said getting see the little kids that come up is so heartwarming. Said its crazy to think that they are role models to them. 

Said that Paige was crazy; they asked if she could go to a football game and be in class the next morning, she said not for football but for another sporting event most definitely 

Talked about Paiges World and Work Tour 

Talked about being an upperclassman and understanding what the coaches want, and how everything works.. feels that will be able to help her coming back to the game. 

Talked about books and listening to Rod Wave. Said she hasn’t really read recently because shes been reading so much for class. 

[otdiaftg]

The King's Men - Chapter Eleven

Day: Thursday, February 29th/March, 1st* Time: 10:45 PM EST

By the time the Trojans and Lions hit halftime Neil had forgotten all about Kevin. He'd been so wrapped up in the Foxes' season and the Ravens he'd forgotten how spectacular the rest of the Big Three were. These teams played like they were professionals. They didn't have the Ravens' spotless record but they were only a half-step behind Edgar Allan. Kevin had warned them weeks ago the Foxes weren't ready to face these schools. For once his callous dismissal felt like a gentle understatement. He wasn't the only one who found it a sobering sight. Dan muted the commercials, tapped the remote against her thigh in a nervous rhythm, and said, "So we definitely need to step it up, guys." Kevin frowned at her. "Even if you'd stepped it up when I told you to a year ago, you would have no chance of beating them. There is nothing at all you can do this late in the year. They are better than we are and they always will be." "Do you get off on being such a Debbie Downer?" Nicky asked. "Denial does none of us any good," Kevin said. "We struggled against Nevada. How do you honestly expect us to make it past the Big Three?" "California's overdue for a big earthquake," Nicky pointed out. "That'd take care of USC, at least." "That's a little extreme, don't you think?" Renee asked. "We need something extreme at this point," Allison said. Renee's expression was calm and her tone steady, but Renee didn't need to look disappointed in them for them to get the message. "The Trojans had our backs when we needed them most. Do you really want them to suffer just so we can profit?" "It's just not fair," Nicky said, shying away from her gaze. "Us getting this far and putting up with so much and then losing here, I mean." "We haven't lost yet," Dan said, "but we will lose if you give up right out of the gate." Kevin started to say something Neil knew would be negative and dismissing. Neil reached behind Andrew and popped Kevin in the back of the head to shut him up. Matt choked on a laugh and tried unsuccessfully to pass it off as a cough. Kevin froze for a startled second, then sent Neil a scathing look. "No one wants to hear that right now," Neil said. "If you hit me again," Kevin started. Andrew cut in with a casual, "You'll what?" Kevin shut up but didn't look happy about it.

Art used with permission by Rainbowd00dles. Thank you @rainbowd00dles.

(I merged the og art as well as the re-draw because I adore Andrew's face in the second panel.)

*Due to the Leap Year, I have opted to highlight the day rather than the date to keep the events in occurrence to the 2007 year. I will continue to mark both days accordingly.

[ninyard]

hi nin! could you maybe… possibly… perhaps… elaborate on your thoughts about jeremy giving kevin a praise kink… perchance…

okayokayokay im going to try my very best to answer this one without going into writing something wayyy too long as per usual (i dont think i succeeded) or just writing full blown keremy smut (wish me luck)

SO

kevin is not used to being congratulated or praised for how he plays; the master always has something to critique him on, the ravens aren't exactly fond of compliments, and something about the "son of exy" "one of the best" "unbeatable" comments from the press or the media never feels,, legitimate to him. maybe the first few when he was a kid and doing well on his high school teams or when he started becoming a big name in exy, they were really meaningful to him, but it kind of lost it's novelty after a while. there's only so many "how does it feel to be the best?" comments he can hear before they start to feel almost like an obligation from them to him. these interviewers, these journalists, these commentators; they don't know him. so, the older he gets, the more he feels like his talent isn't really appreciated. he rarely hears a "good game!" from anyone that matters to him. he rarely hears a "you played well!" from someone who can look him in the eyes and truly, truly mean it.

then; maybe it's in his first year with the ravens, and its the first time kevin has played against usc (or, maybe he's younger, and it's the first time he's played on a national level with his high school team, playing against jeremy's high school team, and their friendship starts when he's 16/17 instead of older) and kevin hears it all - kevin day, son of kayleigh day, amazing, talented, brilliant. he smiles and thanks whoever he has to politely, and goes on about his day. meaningless and unimportant formalities that are just that. but he meets jeremy knox, who he's heard rumours about, who the whispers have claimed is one of his biggest competitors in the league, and kevin is,,, taken aback. from the moment he lays eyes on him, he's smiling, shaking hands with people much older than himself without a twitch or a deep breath to calm him down. kevin watches as he turns his back, and how his smile stays wide on his face, more than just a media-trained look into cameras and into the faces of the people more important than himself.

jeremy looks around the court as the two teams are having their warm-up time, until he locks eyes with kevin and his already wide smile gets wider. he practically bounces across the court, and shakes hands with riko first, as riko whispers to kevin in japanese to not let this dumb surfer waste any more of their time. then, he turns to kevin, and takes his hand sincerely into his. he looks him dead in the eyes, shakes his head like he can't believe this is happening, and tells him, "it is an honour to meet you. there's very few people out there that play like you can."

riko is jealous, of course he is, and kevin feels weirdly almost embarrassed by the compliment. he thanks him genuinely and tells him that there's no need to be so kind, but jeremy, with his hand still in his, he says something else like "there's only kind things to say about someone like you," or that it wasn't kind; it was the truth. he tells kevin he's excited to play against him, with an obligatory compliment sent to riko, too, but kevin could tell that it was his one that was genuine.

the game goes on, kevins team wins, they're crossing the court after the game and jeremy takes a second longer with his hand in his again, "that's how exy is meant to be played," his smile is toothy and real, "i've never met anyone as good as you,"

oh, kevin walks off that court trying to hide the blush that covered his cheeks. when they found a way to reach each other afterwards, and they stay in touch, meeting up every once and a while when games and banquets and events allow for it, kevin is almost infatuated with jeremy's kindness. everything that leaves his mouth, every compliment that he says feels so heartfelt and thought-through and real that he feels like he's never heard these praises that he's heard a million times before. and it's not like jeremy is kissing up, either, the compliments are casual and appropriate for the conversations that they have.

but kevin is a teenager with a bare basic understanding of his sexuality and his body in general, and he's really not sure why when jeremy compliments him like this, he feels like that. he's not sure why he feels this twist in his stomach when jeremy texts him after a televised game that he played well, that he did a good job, that he's so good at what he does and so brilliant to watch. to make a long story short, kevin realises he's turned on by being praised because of jeremy, because of how he talks about how kevin plays, how he compliments him in a way he's never been spoken to before. (of course he feels guilt and shame the first time he,, imagines jeremy telling him he did such a good job. but he also feels how it feels to picture him saying that to him. and the times that he thinks of jeremy are the times he remembers, the times he thinks of over, and over, and over, and over and-)

(the other option is another thing im working on right now - when kevin is trying to figure out his sexuality, and finds himself in an experimenting kind of phase, jeremy is the only person he trusts to help him figure it out. jean is there, of course, but he's too,, close to the nest. he's too close to riko. jeremy doesn't even intentionally praise him, but he feels how kevin stills and how the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stand up when he says that he feels good. jeremy is the one who brings it up sometime afterwards, asking if he wants to be praised, and he has to be the one to explain to kevin what it means - an explanation that becomes a demonstration that becomes a Praise Kink that kevin didn't even know he had)

[codename-adler]

[Day 01]

@allforthegamebingo ; Angst Edition

slipping on ice - breaking bones - unable to move || “you should have never come here.”

Jean x Aaron // T

———

“You should have never come here.”

“Then you shouldn’t have let Jeremy call me.”

Aaron knew this one decision would be met with fight after fight from everyone involved, and not. First Andrew, because of course. And Aaron wasn’t even asking for the Maserati, Matt’s truck would be just fine. Matt didn’t need to know the distance he’d make with it, at least not yet. It’s not as if he was driving all the way to California. He would never do that. Of course not. Nobody’s worth that much gas…

Luckily the Trojans were playing their eponymous rivals, USC Columbia, where Aaron and Andrew would probably have gone to were it not for Exy and Coach Wymack. Aaron personally disliked thinking about it. This other version of him wandering around, who was probably free of murder and all the other dogshit that went down in just the one year.

And it looked like this season was about to be eventful as well, to say the least. Though nothing could rival the clearly toxic hatred between the two South Carolina teams, and though the Foxes had had nothing to show for a while before thoroughly humiliating the USC Gamecocks (which, why), Jean Moreau’s transfer seemed to have heightened the hate-stakes for everyone. The face-off had been brutal, and dirty. Not many players would be on Saint Nicholas’s Nice List this holiday season.

Especially not the guy who broke three of Jean’s fingers.

There was no way his move had been anything other than intentional. You don’t move your racquet backwards like that once the ball has left your opponent’s net. Yet that #26, Valdekis, has snapped the end of his stick in a wide arch behind his back, while he’d already shoved Jean against the plexiglass. His larger, heavier stick caught Jean’s fingers against the wall, continuing its arch unbothered while the fingers bent backwards far past what the human body allowed. Pop, they went.

Aaron had watched the slow-motion recap one time too many. Trying to convince the med student part of himself, as well as the backliner part, that the fingers could be fine, surely. He wasn’t even close to being convinced when Jeremy called. That’s when he knew it was no longer a matter of if, but how bad?

“He won’t let any of the nurses approach him,” Jeremy had shakily uttered through the phone instead of his usual cheery greeting.

“Not even Davis?” Aaron had responded immediately, taking it in stride. He mentally pushed away the thought of how incriminating it was that he knew the Trojans’ staff by heart, as well as how Jean felt about them, and they about him. He needed that space to go into panic over the fact that this injury was apparently not like the others Jean had suffered since his transfer.

“No one,” Jeremy repeated. His voice was so much quieter than normal. It deafened Aaron like a drum beat on his very heart nonetheless.

“You want me to come?” Aaron asked, because he would, he was already moving, he needed Jeremy to call him stupid and tell him to sit his ass down.

“Yes please,” Jeremy replied, breath shuttering, delivering Aaron’s fast pass to GO! Collect 200$!

And so Andrew fought him without a word, then Neil because, Neil, then Kevin, and the USC Columbia staff, and the Trojans’ staff, and finally Jeremy took over for him. The captain let him in the locker room, which was empty except for a giant backliner trying to make himself infinitely small. Jeremy nodded at Aaron as Dermott and Alvarez waited for him in the doorway, arms open and ready to catch the shaken striker.

Aaron approached the corner of the room, tightening his grip on the “first aid” duffel he’d put together before he left Fox Tower. His steps echoed and Jean felt them.

“I told everyone, and I’m saying it again: my hand is fine, it’s nothing, I can still play. I don’t need anything. I don’t need anything,” Jean bit out without turning around.

“If your hand’s fine after that foul play then I’m shitting rainbows right now,” Aaron spoke.

Jean whirled around, his face contorted in picture perfect affront.

“How the fuck are you here,” Jean said with venom.

“Drove here,” Aaron answered blandly, taking none of the crap Jean was trying to scare him away with.

“You are not needed here. You are not wanted. Turn back around and go away,” Jean weakly barked.

“If you’ll let Davis do his job, sure.”

Aaron thought Jean’s cold front was thing of the past between them, but apparently he could still bite at him, and it could still hurt. Aaron tried not to let it sting.

Jean remained silent. The impasse was foiled with the hum of the harsh neon lights and the pulsating pain shooting up his fingers. He could hear Aaron’s breaths too, calm but a little shallow. All of this was bad. Very bad. Aaron being here reflected how ill-adjusted Jean really was, and that would not do, not for the Trojans, not for the press, and certainly not for Lord Moriyama.

“You should never have come here,” Jean bit out.

“Then you shouldn’t have let Jeremy call me,” Aaron talked back.

Jean lifted his head at that.

“Yeah, Jean. You’re scaring the crap out of him. It’s bad. I know it’s bad. But you and I both know you’ve been worse when you landed in Palmetto. And you and I both know I’ve seen the worst when I had to take over from Abby during the nights. So why don’t you let me look at your hand, see how ‘fine’ it is, and I can help you fix it and put you back on the track. Then I’ll be on my merry way.”

Jean looked at him for a long time. Aaron stood still, letting him search for what he was looking for, hoping he’d find it. No matter the world outside, Jeremy and the Trojans, the Foxes, the fans, the press, Ichirou… Time felt frozen here. The urgency had passed and gone away. He was with Jean, now. He got to him in time. He was here, now, ready to fix him, and nothing else mattered. Aaron could wait. It was Jean’s call, now.

When Jean’s stormy eyes settled back into Aaron’s ember ones, he nodded. “Okay. You can look.”

Aaron put down his duffel on the bench.

“Can I let your team know that we’re gonna start treatment? I don’t want them busting in thinking we killed each other because it’s taking us some time,” Aaron asked Jean.

Jean nodded again, something strange in his gaze.

Aaron moved quickly to the door and slipped outside. The whole team turned to face him in sync, eyes wide and expectant. Aaron was too impressed to address this nervous crowd, so he turned to Jeremy and spoke to him only. “Jean agreed to let me treat him. It might take a while. Do whatever you have to do to be ready to leave as soon as he’s patched up, and to minimize rumours. Don’t- Don’t come in. He’ll meet you when we’re done. Jeremy? He’ll be okay, alright? I’ll do my best. But he’ll be okay. Don’t worry.”

Aaron saw Jeremy’s shoulders lose some of the enormous stress weighing down on them. That was enough. He didn’t wait for an answer and moved back inside. He was met with Jean’s eyes immediately. He’d been waiting anxiously, but patiently.

He moved swiftly, taking out all the stuff he brought from home and displaying them methodically on the bench beside Jean’s. He then straddled that bench and sat down facing Jean. He extended his own hand, open to the sky. Then he waited.

Jean slowly revealed his left hand, bringing it towards Aaron from where he’d cradled it against his side. His glove had already been removed. Aaron saw all of the damage in an instant.

It was bad. But it was okay.

Before taking Jean’s hand, Aaron spoke. Speaking was the easy part here. “You know what’s what already, this is only for me, so you can tune me out,” Aaron explained quietly. “Alright. It’s a beautiful night to save some bones. Skin’s not broken, that’s good. Members are heavily bruised and swollen, but no blood or loss of circulation. Phalanges of three middle fingers are bent out of shape, but remain connected to the palm. Also good. No need to pop ‘em back in place. A simple three-finger brace should be good to avoid further damage until proper scans in Cali.”

Jean listened. He remembered how it had been in that dark little room in Palmetto. In the beginning. He remembered how Abby trained Aaron, made him say everything he was doing and why, so she could be sure he was doing the right thing. Even when Abby stopped showing up and let Aaron do the night rounds, he would still voice what he was seeing and doing, step by step. It was those whispers that saved Jean. At first they might have been a distraction, something to focus on instead of the pain and the anxiety and the devil voice in his head, but the more he actively listened, the more Jean understood the words. He was never left in the dark about what Aaron was doing to him. Everything was always as he said, nothing more, nothing less. Every shot, pill, liquid, cream, they all came with Aaron’s quiet voice explaining the what and when and how, and why. For the first time in his life, Jean was in full possession of his medical history, minute by minute.

Aaron didn’t have a local anesthetic, but it didn’t matter. It wasn’t the pain that scared Jean. When his fingers snapped on the court, the sudden explosion of pain had been terrifying, yes, but it was the few seconds after, when he’d blacked out, that did him in. Because, for a moment, he was back under there, in the Nest. When Grayson broke his fingers. When Riko broke them too. When he was forced to break them himself.

Smalls would set them straight quickly, quietly, exasperatedly, every time, and tape the fingers together, until next time.

Davis was okay. He warned Jean every time something uncomfortable had to be done, apologizing once, then urging Jean to take care. It was unfair of Jean to compare him to either Smalls or Aaron. But he couldn’t help it. Sometimes he wished Aaron had never happened. He set the bar too high.

Often, Jean would message Aaron about one thing or another that he felt was wrong, but loathed going to the Trojans Med Center to ask for help. Aaron always answered. Unless it was something unusually serious, Aaron always placed the solution in Jean’s hands.

Go to the pharmacy and look for Claritin in the flu section, box is blue with clouds on it. Look for the non drowsy one. Take one pill every 24h. Unfortunately Cali is the kingdom of year-round allergies. Don’t worry.

Take a bowl large enough for both your feet and fill it with ice cold water. After 15 minutes of soaking, your blood should have stopped flowing to your head only and travelled back down. If that doesn’t stop the migraine, try caffeine supplements. If that doesn’t work either, you should ask Davis for a prescription. Migraines are no joke, Jean.

No, you won’t die if you accidentally took your antidepressant twice today. Just let someone else know, Davis or Jeremy or Cat, so they can be there if you start feeling unusual, but I doubt it. Just don’t take your dose tomorrow and drink a lot of water, be sure to properly feed yourself. Happens a lot, it’ll be okay.

And here he was, in the flesh. His flowing words like a lullaby for Jean.

“We’re gonna have to put that brace on, now. Do you have anything to hold for your other hand? It’s gonna feel like a bitch,” Aaron finally said to Jean.

Jean looked around, briefly held up his jersey, then shook his head. Aaron took it in stride and searched around in his duffel. He pulled out a small orange thing and placed it in Jean’s right hand. Jean looked down at it and pressed lightly with his fingers. He looked back up at Aaron, unimpressed.

“Fox stress ball,” Aaron winked at him, knowing Jean was hating it.

Then the hard part started. The taping was painful, but Jean handled it, knowing what was coming would be infinitely worse. Aaron’s calloused hands were ever so careful. When Jean focused on them, he could almost forget the ugly one they were treating.

When Aaron started to put the metal bands in place, Jean wished he’d kept his mouth guard. He feared his jaw would shatter, yet he couldn’t stop biting down. It hurt. He didn’t want to close his eyes, scared to wind up back in the past, but he didn’t want the tears to escape either. He started trembling.

“I know, I’m sorry. I know, I know,” Aaron whispered, trying to work faster.

Jean had no strength left. The stress ball was shit, and he wanted to let go, and he wanted to cry, and he wanted comfort, damn it.

All at once Jean’s control snapped. He slumped down and bit his lips. His bowed head landed on Aaron’s shoulder.

“Jean? Jean, talk to me. Jean?” Aaron said, starting to panic.

Jean only burrowed his head deeper into Aaron’s shoulder. He tried to breathe in, but a sob escaped his throat and made him choke on it as it echoed into the empty locker room.

Aaron freed one of his occupied hands to cradle Jean’s head against him. Jean’s hair was still wet from the grueling match and the following hardships. Aaron turned his face so he could talk into Jean’s ear. “I’m sorry. We’re almost done. Stay there, okay? Bite down on my shirt, you’re gonna break your teeth like that. Okay, Jean? Okay?”

Jean barely nodded against Aaron’s neck. He mouthed at Aaron’s sweater until he had enough cloth to bite down on. His nose brushed along the skin under there and suddenly Jean could smell an entire new world. He took a deep breath, filling his throat with it.

Aaron’s sweatshirt was getting wetter and wetter, and his neck felt humid too, and he could also feel Jean’s mouth, but he pushed on, working to get Jean out of this mess as soon as possible. He was sure none of his clinicals would ever be this hard.

And suddenly it was over. The brace was in place.

Aaron released the breath he was holding, his shoulders slumping, Jean’s head going down with them. He carefully held Jean’s injured hand in one of his own, freeing his other to return to Jean’s hair.

“Hey, we’re done. Hard part’s over. You made it. You’re good, Jean,” Aaron whispered into his ear, emotional somehow.

Jean released Aaron’s shirt from his mouth, but didn’t move otherwise. Aaron carded his fingers through the dark curls, letting Jean have his moment, and indulging a bit, too.

When Jean finally lifted his head away from Aaron, his eyes were dark. Aaron tried to remove his hand, but couldn’t quite manage to let go. His finger rested on the side of Jean’s face, rubbing small circles into his skin and scalp. Any minute, now, he would let go. Any minute.

Aaron squeezed one last time, preparing to untangle his hand. But before he could, Jean took a hold of his chin. His fingers, though unharmed, trembled. Jean leaned down. And down, and down, until his lips landed home, right on Aaron’s.

Aaron tightened his hold.

So did Jean.

No balm had ever soothed either of them this good. There was no medicine like this kiss.

They were tired, hungry, scared. Their lips on one another fixed all of that.

Jean sighed into the kiss, and it almost brought Aaron to tears. He couldn’t get enough. There was a hint of blood on his tongue, from Jean’s mouth, and he savoured it like it was the last drop of water on earth. Jean pushed into Aaron, wanting more, wanting it all. They separated for a second, inhaling each other, before Jean dived back in deeper. He no longer felt his broken hand. He only tasted Aaron, felt him, smelled him, consumed him.

Aaron would have let him swallow him whole. When they finally had to stop, lest they passed out, they stayed in orbit of each other, so close another collision was inevitably imminent. Jean’s thumb traced Aaron’s mouth, their foreheads resting against one another. Aaron mouthed at Jean’s finger with butterfly kisses and small flicks of his tongue. Within their bubble, Aaron quietly spoke.

“Should I go tell the good news to your team?”

Jean looked down at his bandaged hand, then up at Aaron’s lips. “Which one?” he replied, eyes glimmering.

Aaron kissed him again, unable to stop himself. He pulled away with a trembling smile.

“Any one. Any one you want.”

[allforthegamebingo]

AFTG XMAS Advent Calendar Event Has Officially Started!

Relevant Links

AO3 Collection AFTG Xmas Advent Calendar 2024 || PSU Foxes Edition AFTG Xmas Advent Calendar 2024 || USC Trojans Edition AFTG Xmas Advent Calendar 2024 || Angst Edition AFTG Xmas Advent Calendar 2024 || Alternate Prompts Rules & Information

Important Notes

Angst Edition is 18+

Use the tags #allforthegamebingo #allforthebingo #aftgwinteradvent and mention @allforthegamebingo on tumblr for a reblog. (also tag the version that you are posting for; #foxesedition , #trojansedition or #angstedition)

Each work that is created (where the participant has clearly stated which prompt it covers from which edition) will be added on to a general list of created works that will be shared before the start of the bingo event.

Be respectful to everyone!

Feel free to ask me anything if the rules weren't clear or if I forgot anything (or if you just have anything to ask)

The event will take place from December 1st, 2024 till February 28th, 2025; which gives each participant 3 months to fill in as many prompts as they would like to.

All media is welcome, however we only accept 'all for the game series' & 'the sunshine court' content.

Please make sure to state the rating of your work clearly! (General Audiences, Teen and Up, Mature, Explicit)

[ivyinne]

while we're at it i just wanna point out something that occurred to me a while ago: it's entirely possible we won't even see the final match in tsc2.

like, yes, it's possible we might, but also, we might not. consider the timeline. the entire first book has come to an end and the season hasn't even started yet. secondly, i don't think it matters to jean's arc whether he sees USC winning or not. in fact, he seems convinced it's a foregone conclusion. winning finals matters to the trojans, and it matters to jeremy, but they emphasize over and over in tsc that it doesn't matter as much as the love they have for the game.

this is not to say i don't think they will win, i just don't think it will necessarily be the climactic event of the books like it was in the original trilogy. to neil and the rest of the main cast, winning the finals was a matter of life and death. it was one of the three driving forces of the plot, omnipresent and built up over the course of three books.

but tsc is on a whole different wavelength. it's primarily a character-driven story, and it is about the process of healing. so i think it's entirely possible the final match of the series won't play a huge part in that process.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also presreved on our archive

A history of COVID-19 can double the risk of heart attack, stroke or death according to new research led by Cleveland Clinic and the University of Southern California.

The study found that people with any type of COVID-19 infection were twice as likely to have a major cardiac event, such as heart attack, stroke or even death, for up to three years after diagnosis. The risk was significantly higher for patients hospitalized for COVID-19 and more of a determinant than a previous history of heart disease.

Further genetic analysis also revealed individuals with a blood type other than an O (such as A, B or AB) were twice as likely to experience an adverse cardiovascular event after COVID-19 than those with an O-blood type.

Published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, the researchers used UK Biobank data from 10,005 people who had COVID-19 and 217,730 people who did not get infected between February to December 2020.

"Worldwide over a billion people have already experienced COVID-19. The findings reported are not a small effect in a small subgroup," said co-senior study author Stanley Hazen, M.D., Ph.D., chair of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences in Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute and co-section head of Preventive Cardiology. "The results included nearly a quarter million people and point to a finding of global health care importance that promises to translate into a rise in cardiovascular disease globally."

Certain genetic variants are already linked to coronary artery disease, heart attack and COVID-19 infection. The researchers completed a genetic analysis to see if any of these known genetic variants contribute to elevated coronary artery disease risk after COVID-19.

None of the known genetic variants were drivers of the enhanced cardiovascular events observed post COVID-19. Instead, the data highlighted an association between elevated risk and blood type.

Previous research has shown that people who have A, B or AB blood types were also more susceptible to contracting COVID-19.

"These findings reveal while it's an upper respiratory tract infection, COVID-19 has a variety of health implications and underscores that we should consider history of prior COVID-19 infection when formulating cardiovascular disease preventive plans and goals," said Dr. Hazen.

"The association uncovered by our research indicates a potential interaction between the virus and the piece of our genetic code that determines blood type and signals the need for further investigation," said Dr. Hazen. "A better understanding of what COVID-19 does at the molecular level may potentially teach us about pathways linked to cardiovascular disease risk."

Hooman Allayee, Ph.D., of USC's Keck School of Medicine, was co-senior author of the paper.

"Our data suggesting that risk of heart attacks and strokes was especially higher among COVID-19 patients with A, B, or AB blood types has significant clinical implications," Dr. Allayee said.

"Given our collective observations and that 60% of the world's population have these non-O blood types, our study raises important questions about whether more aggressive cardiovascular risk reduction efforts should be considered, possibly by taking into consideration an individual's genetic makeup."

The findings show that the long-term risk associated with COVID-19 "continues to pose a significant public health burden" and that further investigation is needed, according to the authors.

More information: COVID-19 is a Coronary Artery Disease Risk Equivalent and Exhibits a Genetic Interaction with ABO Blood Type, Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.124.321001

www.ahajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1161/ATVBAHA.124.321001