#foxten

“You don’t know me, so what do you know?” Adam says, his tone laced with icy contempt. “I’ve faced worst, and I can handle worst. I’ve been through it once, so I know the rules; I’m aware of the consequences, of the faults.”

    "clearly." finn's got almost half a foot on neil but it's still not easy to get the striker off the court, all but dragging him out the side door. finn's limping a bit and he knows neil's at least got the breath knocked out of him, maybe even a bruised rib. it was entirely luck that timed their injuries at the game's natural half time when they switched out players anyway, so at least their team wasn't going to have to worry about compensating for the injuries. "next time you wanna throw yourself into some asshole backliner's path, let me know so i can get out of the way." / @dreamter

Amusement made his amber eyes soft when he looked at Neil, though his face was otherwise expressionless. “I doubt his height is the sole reason you want to climb him like a tree.  Though sure as shit isn’t his charming personality.” It’s not like Neil was attracted to Andrew because his personality either. Or maybe it was. He was fairly certain that Neil was contrary on purpose sometimes.

He wasn’t going to say ‘you’re welcome’ or pretend there was any sympathy in him. Neil knew better than to expect that. But he could give him this much; he could be a grounding force with whatever ridiculous, irksome storm of bullshit Neil’s mind put him through. These weren’t the kind of battles that Andrew could help him fight.

“I’d rather not fight — I’d rather avoid confrontation,” Adam said, frustrated. “And if it’s unavoidable, then I use my words; I don’t use my fists. I perceive that person, I pick them apart, and I manage my words for precision so I can hit where it hurts.”

    “and the answer is not me --” he’s not sure how he managed to snag a room with star striker neil josten ( insert the jaunty palmetto state fight song here ) in his first year, but finn hasn’t decided yet if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. partially because neil is really a package deal called neilandrewkevin but mostly because of neil’s apparent and undying vigor for putting himself into stupid situations. “but the real question is who’s going to think you’re an idiot without two brain cells for trying to pull this off. but something tells me you can live with people thinking you’re stupid so.” finn makes a complicated but flippant gesture with his hand. “carry on.”

Adam stared down at Neil before letting out a dry scoff. “Do I want to die? Death would be an easier way out, but I’m not like that. I don’t plan on dying any time soon.”

“I know who I am and who I was, but I already have a path that I’m paving for myself. Yes, it has its crossroads and bumps, and the Ravens is a god-damn highway, but I want to become someone different. I plan on becoming someone different, to become something than nothing. You understand, right?” His nothingness will become something better.