Jem Carstairs lovebot

Neil is a terribly amazing choice for team captain entirely because Neil is a meddlesome little asshole who will forcibly fix all of his teammates’ personal problems and improve their entire lives for literally no other reason than that he needs them to be able to focus on fucking stickball so he can win at sports. It’s not even that he genuinely cares about people and their well-being (apart from his original foxes). He just gets pissed when things aren’t working properly because it makes Exy annoying when the lineup can’t communicate. Exy isn’t supposed to be annoying. Exy is life. He’d meddle whether he is captain or not, but by making him captain, he has so much more official executive power at his hands. It’s like people are explicitly asking for him to do his worst. So, fueled by his own competitiveness and love for the sport, off he goes.

Neil is just as bad as Kevin when it comes to his Exy obsession. The major difference between them is that Kevin is endlessly tactical and he runs Exy with a focus on a technical and physical level entirely, whereas Neil’s approach is to look beyond a lack of practice and basically psychoanalyzing people on why they are not doing 110% for Exy. Kevin says “let’s run this drill 500 times, then we will inevitably be better”. Meanwhile Neil is scheming how to coerce and bribe people into life-changing decisions and long-needed healing, entirely because he wants to optimize playing a sport. Exy is a team sport, which is why this is the most logical approach his little stickball brain comes up with rather than minding his own fucking business. He looks at the team and is like “is anyone gonna whip this into shape? No?? I’ll fucking do it then cowards” and goes and does exactly that. It’s like he’s fixing the equipment so he can play.

I don’t think anyone except for Andrew is really aware that Neil really isn’t doing this out of the innate goodness of his heart, but because his personal brand of practicality involves the most convoluted and creative kind of scheming. I feel like Neil is a lot more selfish than people give him credit for. Sure, there’s people he cares deeply and unconditionally for, but that’s really not everyone. It’s fascinating to watch, especially because it’s not like he ever hides that he doesn’t particularly care, but people kinda assume he does, because why else would he put in this much effort?

Lysandra, Elide, Lorcan, Fenrys, Manon, Aedion, Yrene: we? fought with her

The Thirteen, Nehemia, Sorscha, Gavriel, Marion, Sam: me? I died for her

Elena, Rhoe, Evalin, Arobynn: me? I trusted her

Rowan, Chaol, Dorian, Sam: me? I loved her

Maeve: and me? I'm the damn fool that shot her

And there's a million things I haven't done (winks at Rowan) but just you waaaait.

What's your name, girl?

character: he glares at me as his mask slips back on, “I hate you, I hate everything about you”.

“I see you. I see every part of you. And I am not afraid.” - Rowan Whitethorn, Empire of Storms

𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵

Rowan Whitethorn isn’t out here with like a list of goals and ambitions, and if he does have a list it’s like:

how do i best protect and serve and worship my queen and goddess divine aelin

does aelin need me rn better go check

note to self: a e l i n

This is not a story of Rowan’s radical self improvement in order to be with Aelin. It’s a story in which they improve themselves together but don’t enter into a romantic relationship until he’s like, completely and utterly committed to her. And after they happen as a couple, rowan never makes his other issues (Lyria, feelings of worthlessness, guilt) aelin’s problem, nor does her ever try and alter her life in order to make her a better fit for him.

Aelin wants to be queen? Rowan’s going to help her get there. 

Aelin wants to get married in the middle of the night for no apparent reason? Rowan knows she’s got some shit planned but sure he’ll do it for her. 

Aelin gets possessed by a goddess who wants to take over her body? Rowan is like okay today’s the day i face down a literal goddess im okay w it

Aelin has issues she doesn’t want to discuss? Rowan won’t force her to discuss them but he will make sure she eats and gets on a regular sleep schedule!

Aelin gets captured by an evil demon queen? Rowan counts the days and minutes until he finds her.

Aelin thinks she has to sacrifice her life for the lock? Rowan is out here being the only SINGLE CHARACTER IN KINGDOM OF ASH who comes up with a plan to try and SAVE AELIN. 

It’s refreshing that his story never becomes more important or as important as hers. It’s nice that Aelin never takes a backseat to the romance between her and Rowan, that the plot is always about her, rather than about them. And part of this is because Rowan doesn’t want to make it about himself. In fact he doesn’t even think he can offer her much and in thinking this way he gives her the most valuable type of partner: a selfless one. 

(god just think about how few people aelin has had truly fight for her. I mean once she leaves Terrasen, it’s like Sam until her gets murdered, and same with Nehemia. Chaol and Dorian are largely confused and useless in CoM. Lysandra is the other person who fights for Aelin as much as Rowan and I stan her for it)

IN LIBRAS LIBERTAS may book club pick. the atlas six by olivie blake

❝ we are the gods of our own universes, aren’t we? destructive ones.  ❞ ―@olivieblake, the atlas six

*slams uno reverse card*