Hear me out.

Neil has had to lie to stay alive. He is good at reading people, he is good at faking and masking and tricking and manipulating when he is in need. But he is not in need any more.

Neil Josten is the real person who blossomed from a lie when he was given a safe space and people that cared. #10 Fox from PSU is the most real he has ever been able to be. And he knows it.

Neil Josten is a horrible liar because he loves not needing to lie. He is able to lie. He will if needed without missing a beat. But when there's no need? He is deliberately bad at it.

He doesn't try being good at playing amongst us, or werewolf (mafia? How is this game called in English speaking countries??)

He comes up with extremely obnoxious lies that are imposible to mistake with the truth when he doesn't want to answer a question:

Neil breaking into Wymack apartment because he is having a bad night and he is paranoid:

Wymack, still half asleep: Neil? What are you doing here?

Neil: I don't know how to tell you this, but I'm actually a werewolf and there's full moon outside so I can't go back to campus until it's daytime.

Wymack, sighs: does your werewolf form need to talk it out or just being away from moonlight?

Neil: no moonlight is enough...?

Wymack: ... I'm making us coffee.

With the variation of gaslighting media:

Intervier: Neil, what are your thoughts on your teammate Kevin Day and Thea Muldani being named couple of the year?

Neil (who knows it's a fake relationship), looking straight into the camera, the most confused he's ever been: who?

Interviewer: eh... Thea Muldani?

Neil: nono, I know who Thea Muldani is. Who the fuck is Kevin Day?

Interviewer, pointing at the poster behind Neil where Kevin and him are possing together: him.

Neil, stares at it for a good 30seconds before looking back into the camera and whispering: I've never seen him before in my life. Pretty sure that's photoshopped.

Neil probably thought Jean was staring at all his scars and marks because of how much they stood out, which I’m sure is true. It isn’t every day you see a boy with an iron mark or a bullet scar or road rash all across his abdomen.

But to me, Jean was doing more than that. Neil was his misplaced partner, who was meant to be by his side all those years and wasn’t. I don’t think Jean was looking at Neil’s skin with the mindset of ‘you’re a mess’ but something more like ‘let me see what they’ve done to you while you’ve been away from my side.’

Imagine having your daydream come to life, the person you’ve been waiting for finally there with you. His body is just as covered in old wounds as yours is. He has that same defiant look in his eyes that you came to this same hell hole with.

Find all exits and entrances (doors, windows, etc)

Take note of potential hiding spots and blind spots (corners, cabinets, furniture, etc)

Note all people (who is there, where are they, why are they there)

Assess your surroundings for potential improvised weapons

Know your target (its foreground and background)

Keep track of what's around you (clock positioning: your 12 in front, your 6 behind, etc)

You want me to keep track of ALL OF THAT??? At ALL TIMES??? Sorry homie I'm not On The Run and also not on an Exy Team, that's too much information omg

“Neil Josten would come to the court every single night and practice these drills and you can’t even do them for fifteen minutes”

“Neil Josten once fired shots with Andrew Minyard in goal for a whole night and blew out his arms just because he was stubborn and you can’t even handle shooting on (insert goalie’s name)?”

“Neil Josten played better than you while he was actively running from the Mafia. You think you have other things on your mind?”

If you text me about either of them, I can give you a summary and the tw list, I recommend all of them and I am happy to answer! All of them are complete and on ao3