here to prompt that 'other time', thoughts on allison? headcanons, character study etc?
thank you for giving me free reign to ramble about this absolute goddess
the short version of this post: allison reynolds is such a underrated character whose trauma is too often overlooked
the long version:
one of the most common criticisms about allison is that she’s too cold/uncaring. i don’t want to make this a whole post about sexism, but i will say this: it’s shitty to hate a female character for the same reasons you love male characters in the same series. this happens too often in literature (not just aftg) and it’s exhausting. you can obviously have preferences and favourites, but loving andrew for his apathy and hating allison for hers isn’t the vibe. there are valid arguments that people can use to defend their favourites without being hypocritical and sexist
on that note! allison’s apathy isn’t just because she wants to be bitchy - it’s absolutely something that she learned while living with her parents. she would’ve gone to social gatherings where masking your actual emotions is essential and expected, and then she’d have gone home and have her dreams and aspirations bashed and ridiculed by her parents. it’s only natural that she would hide behind that icy persona in order to guard herself. i’m willing to bet that she pretended not to care when her parents disowned her, and only let herself fall apart when she was completely alone. it would have taken her a long time to be vulnerable in front of others
allison’s just become a really great actress who doesn’t let people get close enough to actually see her. it’s a coping mechanism and it’s how she protects herself from hurting more than she already is
and somewhere (i can’t for the life of me remember if this is in the books or the ec, but anyway), it’s mentioned that allison doesn’t get presents from randy. partly because anything that she can afford anything she wants, but also because she doesn’t have a parent figure to talk to, and randy subs in as a mother figure for her. remember that scene where nicky asked neil to convince andrew to go to thanksgiving in columbia, and remember how heartbreaking it was when he said he missed his mom? allison feels the same thing. (some key differences in the actual situations, but the gist of it? she misses her mom so desperately that she clings to any sort of motherly affection she can get)
okay anyway, that’s enough rambling about allison for today. i’m hoping to start posting more allison content, because even though it doesn’t do as well, i love her sm
basically? more allison appreciation pls and thanks xoxo
also!! @codename-adler wrote a foxes + onesies post (well 9 posts, 1 for each fox) and the portrayal of allison is 10/10, i highly recommend checking out their tumblr :)
do you have any headcannons (andreil or otherwise) that are unpopular within the aftg fandom? and by unpopular i mean you haven’t seen them done/mentioned by anyone yet.
(also your posts are rlly cool, glad i stumbled upon your blog!!)
oh man, i love hc asks! i appreciate you giving me permission to let my mind run wild. and tysm, that’s really sweet!!
(these are in no particular order. i haven’t seen any of them done before, but i also haven’t read all of the aftg hcs, so i apologize if there are any that you’ve already seen! CW: scars, bad family relationships... i think that’s it?)
kevin dog ears the pages of his books
(he didn’t have any actual bookmarks at the nest and would rather just fold the pages than use a random scrap of paper)
in france, they greet by kissing each other on the cheeks (1-4 times, depending on the area). so, i propose that jeremy does his research and decides to greet jean at the airport with 2 “bises” (as is custom in marseilles). it’s second nature to jean, and he returns it without thinking. eventually that’s how all the trojans greet each other
bonus: the trojans greet the foxes like that at a match. most are confused, andrew stands off to the side and (understandably) refuses, nicky’s enthusiastic, and neil and allison reciprocate perfectly
the foxes write letters to each other when they no longer share dorms! especially neil, since he’s the worst at answering via technology
the letters include little doodles in the margins, pictures in the envelopes (mostly from dan), and other little things that can fit
all of the foxes have created spots designated for the letters
allison commissions a set of 10 custom garden gnomes that look like each teammate for all of the (og) foxes’ houses (and also wymack). while the reactions vary, everyone keeps them (some display them in their yards and some do not)
renee journals and presses flowers
allison reads classic poetry and novels
matt and dan get neil to paint lil fox paws around their house, wherever he wants to. they always smile when they see them
wymack has scars similar to andrew’s. he used to always wear long sleeves bc of it, but he covered them up with the flame tattoos and proudly displays his arms now
the foxes as a whole tend not to like rainy or snowy days bc bad weather = staying inside, which isn’t ideal when you have a horrible home environment (and for neil it meant running was harder)
they generally all end up in the same room on bad weather days, without planning it. no ones mentions the reason, but everyone feels a bit calmer with their found family around
neil and andrew start up a collection of black glass figurines in their home (like bee’s but opposite)
the foxes have a way easier time buying gifts for andreil once this collection is started, and it grows exponentially
neil doesn’t love ice cream but he has taken a liking for froyo
he doesn’t really care what he eats, but andrew notices that neil eats a lot more of it a lot faster, and fruit-flavoured froyo becomes neil’s usual frozen treat
it’s also what caused him to experience his first brain freeze bc he’d never consumed a frozen food so fast before
i’m so sorry to any mobile users who have just gotten a wall of text
i hope this is sort of what you were looking for! aftg is on my mind 24/7 and this all flooded out LMAO
feel free to send me asks anytime! :)
trying to get into photoshop so I drew the fox girls
hEY remember how the foxes got a tv for the bus because they asked and wymack’s a sucker when it comes to his kids they won finals ?? can you imagine the CHAOS ??? these dumbasses can’t agree on a single thing, there’s no way choosing which movie to watch on their trips to games will cause anything other than absolute mayhem
damn😍🤤
Andrew commission
DO NOT USE OR REPOST
Instagram: @ deetrinity
Here’s a promt. Like Andrew, Aaron has a similar memory and a couple trigger words such as being called “ungrateful”. But unlike Andrew, Aaron shuts down.
Oh.
(cw: past abuse, trauma, trauma responses, apathy, foul language.)
"You're an ungrateful little bitch sometimes, you know that? Fuck, sometimes I really wish I'd given you up."
The first time someone called him ungrateful, Aaron tried to defend himself. It didn't go well for him in the end, but he supposed afterward that he should have learned how to duck from a punch before demanding life be fair.
When it happens now, Aaron knows consciously that nothing was meant by it. It's another matter of Coach being Coach, being a gruff old man with an attitude that Aaron normally admires. He likes that Wymack doesn't take anybody's shit, he likes even more that Wymack won't take his. There's some sort of safety in knowing he could be an asshole to the man and not get in any real trouble for it. (There is safety in knowing he won't be hurt for talking back.)
They're in the lounge when Coach says it. Aaron is perched on the armrest of the couch, with Nicky, Neil, and Andrew all seated on the cushions, and Kevin on the opposite armrest. The team is going over some basic shit for their next game, something Aaron has heard Kevin repeat time and time and time again. He's half-tuned out, but comes back to it when someone says something about dinner.
"You owe us, Coach." It's Nicky. He's whining about it, and Aaron tries not to roll his eyes. "We won last week, I think we deserve a team dinner after this week's game!"
"I owe you squat," Wymack says, his expression flat. "All the shit I do for you assholes?"
"Come on, Coach!" Matt this time, a grin spread wide on his face and a mischievous glint in his eyes. Aaron looks back at Wymack.
For his part, the man isn't swayed. He gives Matt the same dead look he gave Nicky. "You're all ungrateful little shits," he says.
It takes a surprisingly long time for Aaron to process what's been said. The word doesn't quite hit him right away, and at least four seconds have elapsed by the time he really reacts. Ungrateful.
The world feels less real than it did five seconds ago, Aaron decides. He knows what's happening, it isn't the first time he's gone through this shit, and he knows it sure as hell won't be the last. That doesn't make it any better though, so he just as easily dismisses the past experience in favor of trying to keep up with the conversation instead of being unresponsive.
It doesn't work. Not as well as he wants it to anyway, and definitely not well enough to convince his family that nothing happened. Aaron can feel Andrew's gaze on him, steady and unyielding and oh so suspicious of the man he calls his brother. For a moment, Aaron wonders if he looks the same way Andrew did last week when Kevin said the word "misunderstanding". They both have their words, he knows, and now Andrew knows one of his.
The conversation is still going on, Aaron realizes belatedly. He's trying too hard to get his eyes to focus to really pay attention to it, and when he looks down at his hands they're so fucking blurry he's not even sure if they're his. They must be, though, because who else would they belong to? They can't be anyone else's hands, they wouldn't be in his lap if they were.
"Aaron," Andrew's voice says, and Aaron blinks and looks away from his blurry fingers. There's less noise now, and when Aaron forces his eyes to look around the room, he realizes that the others are gone. When did they leave? How long has he been sitting here? It can't have been that long, he wasn't — he wasn't gone that long.
Andrew is standing in front of him, he realizes — that's his face. That's his, his and Andrew's face. They're the same. That's his brother. Aaron wants to say something, tries to say something, but his voice isn't quite working and he doesn't get why.
"Aaron," Andrew says again, and Aaron returns his wandering eyes to his brother's face. Andrew looks... bored. Bored? Bored. He always looks bored, though. Except when he's angry. Or when he's talking to Neil. Or when... when he's playing Exy. Andrew likes Exy, he does, but he won't ever say it. That's okay, though. Aaron won't tell.
Then Andrew is holding up his hands, and Aaron follows their actions with his eyes. Andrew grabs hold of his hands, or at least that's what it looks like, but Aaron still can't really tell if they're his. He feels it, he thinks, but that could just be his mind playing tricks on him. The connection between visual reception and tactile stimuli fascinates him, but—
"Aaron," Andrew says a third time, and this time Aaron meets his eyes. Andrew breathes slowly, obvious enough that Aaron can slowly start to match it. It helps, he thinks, and his fingers twitch against Andrew's. Andrew squeezes his hands in return, not enough to hurt, but enough that Aaron can feel it. His eyes still aren't entirely focused yet, so he blinks a few more times, startles a bit when he feels tears fall onto his cheeks. When did that happen?
Andrew looks indifferent as ever, Aaron realizes as he takes another slow breath in time. There's nothing in his expression, but Aaron tries to see through that — Andrew stayed for a reason. Andrew's saying his name for a reason. A year ago, Aaron isn't sure he would have.
"Aaron," one more time, and whatever Andrew sees when they lock eyes again must convince him Aaron is okay. And he is, Aaron thinks, he thinks he's okay. Or at least he will be.
Andrew lets go of his hands and steps back, giving him another silent once-over before nodding to himself and walking out. The room feels empty without Andrew there, but it's enough of a motivator for Aaron to stand up and follow him.
reblog and put in the tags the last book you read, the book you’re currently reading and the next book on your list
neil canonically doesn’t like being on higher floors because it makes it hard to escape. neil also canonically spends his nights hanging out on a roof with the boy that everyone calls a monster. this speaks VOLUMES for how much he trusts andrew and how much he’s grown as a person
Thanks @archiveofourfoxes for the tag :)
Author name: twirlingflurry
Fandoms I write for: all for the game (and one harry potter marauders era)
Most Popular One Shot: Flowers Covered in Thorns by hits and kudos
Most Popular Multi-Chapter: The World Has Somehow Shifted (also the only multi-chapter i have posted so far)
Favourite Story I Wrote: Flowers Covered in Thorns because i spent the most editing this one and also i just loved the prompt and the scenes that i chose. most proud of this one for sure
Story I Was Nervous to Post: Rooftops and Mourning because it was the first aftg fic that i ever posted and i was anxious to see how it would be received
How Do I Pick My Titles: either it slaps me over the head and i think “perfect!!!” or i think of nothing for 2-3 business days and have to make a list and pick the one i hate the least
Do I Outline: HAHHA i wish i was that organized. i normally have a one sentence blurb to remind me of the vibe of the fic, and sometimes i’ll add bullet points of important things i don’t want to forget, but i rarely actually outline
How Many of My Stories are Complete: out of my published works, three of the four are complete
In Progress: four, but i only have solid plans to post one of them
Coming Soon: hopefully bubble bath andreil!!
Do I Accept Prompts: absolutely!! it might take me a bit to get to them, but prompts are definitely welcome
Upcoming Story I Am the Most Excited For: bubble bath andreil probably hahha
tagging: @unholy-goddess @lacuniaa @iamagentcoop @knox-knocks
I was tagged by @fullyvisible. Thank you, this is probably the most fun I've had with a tagging game! 💜
Author name: JayJFox
Fandoms you write for: All for the game
Most popular one-shot: The Photo Strip Predicament (it's an untypically sweet of me high school AU in which the twins don't know each other yet. Aaron really really hates Neil and then a photo of them kissing circulates around the school. Spoiler alert: it's not Aaron in the pic. 😅
Most popular multi-chapter: Based on kudos: Was Sorta Hopin' That You'd Stay - enemies to lovers Andreil + neighbor prank wars, honestly, this is the funniest one I've written. Based on hits: North Star - post-break-up Andreil fic, lots of angst. Love me some angst. 🤷♀️
Favorite story you wrote: Uh, toughie... I got a few that I love equally but I'll pick the one I wrote for myself as a birthday gift, also it's my favorite ship: Like A Wildfire Burning Up Inside My Lungs. (KevJean 'And they were roommates' fic where Kevin asks Jeans to teach him how to flirt. Fun. 😅)
Story you were nervous to post: All of them? I'm always so eager to post but at the same time, I need a pep talk to myself before I hit the post button.
How do you pick your titles: Song lyrics mostly. 😅
Do you outline: Most of my fics have a very vague outline. For a couple of them, I did a more detailed one, though.
How many of your stories are complete: Don't call me out like that! *staring at all my unfinished fics in AO3* 😂
In-progress: Oh gee... Okay. Fics: 5 partially posted, 1 brand new. Original stuff: 3 projects and even though this is my fanfic account, I'm probably gonna scream about it here if any of them gets a shot at publishing. JSYK. 🤷♀️😂
Coming Soon: Vigilante Neil / crime podcaster Andrew. Lots of angst again because of course.
Do you accept prompts: No one's ever asked me for one, but sure.
Upcoming story you are the most excited for: Well, apart from my partially posted ones, there's only one in the making soooo: Vigilante Neil / crime podcaster Andrew again.
Tag five fanfic authors to answer the questions: @knickknacksandallthat @mystrana @rapunzellex @paradoxolotl @rainbow-0bsidian if you want to play! Actually, anyone who wants to give it a shot! I'm curious! Loved this one a bunch!
it’s the way that the foxes didn’t stay anywhere overnight all year and instead drove home in the middle of the night every single time to avoid being stuck somewhere unfamiliar, but they willingly stayed at a hotel when neil was taken and would’ve been fine with booking a second night when he came back to them if that’s what he wanted. like andrew would’ve stabbed them if they even thought about leaving, but the best part is that he didn’t even have to. i’m sorry i’m just crying
in aftg, words often go “in one ear and out the other” when neil’s listening to others, but never with andrew. he clings to andrews words, absorbs them, hoards them like the upperclassmen hoard neil’s breadcrumb truths. he listens and he cares, he read between the lines and fills in the blanks, and that’s exactly what andrew needs
aftg blog ❅ she/her ❅ headcanons, textposts, and shitposts ❅ feel free to send me prompts or just reach out!
192 posts