The Raven King, Chapter Ten

I'M REALLY GLAD SOMEONE FINALLY SAID THIS because. Ok. Let me yap for a second.

Mentions of NSFW will be in this post! Nothing explicit, but do consider yourself warned!

I need to emphasize that the "yes or no" lines are very tightly connected to the "tell me no" scene! Neil wasn't mentally stable enough to say yes, and Andrew told him to say no, and he didn't. That didn't make it a yes; it meant Neil was idling too much to care enough to say no. See the line right after that:

"I won't be like them. I won't let you be me."

I used to (~2021) see this line mentioned often around AFTG spaces but haven't as much recently. It's also a line that tears me to shreds every time I read it because holy shit. As I see it, Andrew is referring to Drake – and maybe others? – as the "them" and himself as... a victim. He doesn't say it outright, and I doubt he ever would, but it's as close as he can get to saying, "I'm not going to push this because I refuse to break your boundaries like mine were broken before."

Now, besides how painful that line is. Andrew asks permission before he initiates something new if Neil hasn't given an explicit sign that it's okay. The "yes or no" isn't for every touch, nor should it be. They established already what can and can't be touched, and they don't need to ask again. They also established that they're both capable of shutting it down if they need to (see: Andrew throwing Neil off during their first kiss when he realized it went too far).

There are three instances of a "yes or no" between Andrew and Neil in The King's Men:

1. Their second kiss, in chapter ten – Neil asks Andrew where he's allowed to touch him, and Andrew says he's still waiting for a yes or no that he actually believes. Neil says yes, and they kiss.

2. Their third kiss and first time going past that, in chapter eleven – besides it being their first time doing anything sexual, this was also the first time Andrew fully initiated it. Neil approached him in chapter ten; here, Andrew flicked a can tab at him and then asked.

3. When Andrew gave Neil a blowjob, in chapter fifteen – again, asking when it's a new thing. This scene is also important because Neil responds with "it's always 'yes' with you," and Andrew instantly shuts him down.

The "it's always 'yes' with you" line is also super important because of how quickly Andrew shuts it down. He knows it's not always yes, and he refuses to tie Neil to an "always" that would essentially take away his ability to revoke consent. Even if Neil trusts him enough to be willing to let him go further, there are still times he would say no, and Andrew knows it.

But they don't ask for every touch. By the end of TKM, they don't ask for kissing, biting, or undressing. They ask when it's new territory, when a boundary is being pushed at or questioned.

It's worth noting also that Andrew also didn't ask permission to touch himself while around Neil, even though that was technically new. I assume this is because it was Andrew on himself without directly involving Neil, therefore not really forcing him into anything. There was also already a firm "yes" in that scene, and they tend to take a "yes" as continous until that specific encounter ends or someone says no. (Hence, the "yes" to a kiss continuing to a handjob in TKM chapter 11.)

There are far more examples of them touching, kissing, etc. without asking, but every time they ask, it's Andrew asking for something new.

(Also, Neil asks permission to touch Andrew, but he never asks that specific "yes or no" phrase that is so overused; that's all Andrew.)

can i be so real with y'all

i understand that "yes or no" is like a huge andreil thing in fics, but i get so tired of them asking yes or no every other sentence. i think they say it like twice in the book like most of the time they do touch each other without explicitly asking

anyway

obviously write what you want this isn't meant as criticism i just think it's overused

My three girlfriends. And yes, they smoke weed.

Anyway normalize stutters, stilted speech, flat affect, monotone speech, volume control issues, nonverbal communication devices, voice modulators, speech impediments, lisps, oral deformities.

Normalize "abnormal" speech patterns. Normalize lack of eye contact, normalize ticking, normalize emphasis on different syllables. Normalize "Inappropriate" emoting, especially when it's a stress response.

Normalize verbally processing thoughts, external system communication, non- aggressive interaction with hallucinations or delusions.

Normalize Echolalia, "TV Talking", vocal stimming, parroting, "Baby talk" as a way to self soothe.

The wall of text strikes again

Corn Snake aka Red Rat Snake (Pantherophis guttatus), family Colubridae, GA, USA

photograph via: UGA Coastal Ecology Lab

It’s so important to me that the Foxes annoy Kevin.

Like the poor boy had no friends on his team and throughout his childhood. The only people he loved and cared about after his mom were

Jean, who he had to watch be and beaten and tortured and abused until the fight went out of him and then until he tried to kill himself and then be tortured again for failing to die and at least Kevin was a pet, Jean just a toy to be broken and taken away and used and discarded.

And Riko who abused him and manipulated him and took pleasure in beating him down while acting like they were closer than friends, actual brothers.

The Master who is so horrible that Kevin barely even speaks of him.

And then he’s treated as this godlike son of Exy by the public. Aside from Jeremy, it seems like the other teams aren’t even immune. He’s not a college athlete, he’s this unfathomable celebrity.

And then the Foxes are just SO unimpressed and actively annoyed with him. They bicker and tease but there’s no bite. Not like the Ravens. They drag him along on their fun excursions at knife point because it’s important that he’s there with them. They force him to have fun and ride horses and hike in the mountains while also respecting his skills on the court. They stock their home with cheese and candy bars and make him eat ice cream at crap diners and go dancing in clubs. And not all of it is healthy, Kevin’s self medicating with vodka for sure, and the behavior of the monsters is dubious at best especially in the first book, but they bring him along because they want him there. Not Kevin Day: Rising star of Exy. They want Kevin Day: Mega Nerd.

The Ravens hurt and tore each other apart in any way they could, nothing but venom and malice behind their words. Nicky calls him a brat and the in the affectionate ton calls him family. Kevin and Jean’s sexualities were used against them, another item for Riko’s amusement, the Ravens have hate sex more than actual care. Allison is visibly disgusted at the thought of hooking up and no one pushes it beyond characteristic teasing

Andrew is chronically annoyed with Kevin but follows him everywhere like a goalkeeper shaped safety blanket because years of the Nest leave Kevin anxious when alone. He’s capable of the same violence as the other Ravens but he never actually hurts Kevin until the last book. He gives Kevin his pills and his game and his house and his family and his trust but not his respect. Not always. It’s the same brutal healing he gave Matt.

Allison calls his tattoo, a number forced on him since childhood, a tramp stamp. Riko would kill him for removing it but the Foxes basically riot with happiness when he changes it.

Kevin was locked in the Nest, monitored at every move, watched and betrayed and even when he was able to leave, was shackled to Riko and Ichirou and forced to lie and perform while hurting. Wymack gives him keys to the court, to his home. Abby opens up her home for him to stay at over the holidays. Andrew and Aaron and Nicky bring him into their home and their favorite restaurant and club.

Do you think Kevin’s ever afraid of turning into Riko or Ichirou? We know Jean struggles with Raven impulses, especially when teaching. Do you think Kevin ever looked at tiny, fierce, stupid, stubborn Neil Josten and was afraid he’d hurt him on instinct? Do you think he was crushed by the honor of knowing that, in Nathaniel’s last days alive, he still wanted Kevin to train him?

No one could ever speak out against Riko, Kevin could never truly be himself. Everyone speaks out against Riko, Neil actively sasses the press.

Everyone teases Kevin and rolls their eyes and pushes his buttons while holding him close

And then, the one time true violence is turned against him by a teammate it’s in defense of Neil and immediately three other teammates intervene. They all platonically share a room because they’re so worried about Neil when he comes back. They’re angry and upset with Kevin but Andrew threatens him at knife point to go on vacation with them. They hear about the ugly truth of Kevin’s life and again and again and band around him every time. They treat him like a person, like a teammate, like family.

It’s important to me that they, like the fandom, think Kevin is a little bit of a diva and that they tell him that to his face. That they think he’s a nerd but let him ramble.

They call Neil his “mini me” and they all love Neil so much. I hope Kevin sees how they treat Neil who’s equally obsessive, equally intense, equally traumatized, equally as tied to gangsters and realizes that they love him too. That the insults and teasing are a love language

Idk man, just Kevin being treated like a person. This big burning star getting vetoed on a candy drawer and receiving his teammate's playful horror to his media personality because that is NOT our boy and being accepted for exactly who he is: a person who’s allowed to be imperfect and dramatic and safe to tease about it.

🖤💥The Double-Fang and The Punisher💥🖤

Wolfwood is @sourcelocked on Instagram and twitter and TikTok

when e.e. cummings said “i’ll live my life if it kills me”

How many of these movies have you seen that people said “you haven’t seen [blank] yet??” to me about