Ju🤸‍♀️

Neil: I wanted to smack his face with heavy-heeled shoes he forced me to wear...

Andrew: I thought he was a hallucination from my meds....

Andreil's children: oh...

Neil: you did call me a pipe dream tho!

After Neil left Nathan trained Kevin to take his place as the Butcher for the Branch side of the Moriyama family.

So @zeeegarden asked me what my take on Baltimore would be in this AU and I’m still figuring it all out.

But the current idea is that both Neil and Kevin get taken after that game by Nathan’s men and end up in the basement together. Neil gets yoinked the same way he does in canon while Kevin gets led away from everyone during the riots.

I like to think they get taken in separate cars and Neil doesn’t realise Kevin is also apart of this until he’s literally dumped beside him in the basement.

Which yes means that he didn’t tell him about the countdown because as far as Neil was aware this was all about him…and in a really messed up he’s right.

For you see Nathan wants to enact a “kill the spare” kind of game now he has his son back. As Kevin was always meant to be Neil’s replacement and nothing more and now Neil is back, well there’s no need for Kevin anymore? Right?

Except of course it’s a little more complicated than that because Neil isn’t off the hook for his years of escape and such. So basically Kevin and Neil are getting tortured together in the basement desperately trying to keep the other alive.

Also somehow in here they’ll be a line about Riko helping Nathan with all of this but that killing Kevin wasn’t part of that plan (as far as Riko was aware) cause he’d never agree to that.

Honestly I’m stuck on the aftermath of it all. Neil waking up in FBI custody and realising before anything else that Kevin isn’t with him. He’s beat to hell and back and all he can think of is that Kevin’s not here, Kevin’s alone and Kevin hates being alone more than anything.

Neil goes a wee bit crazy he kind of snaps which you know given the circumstances is honestly fair.

Bites Browning’s hand and is just ranting and raving that I will destroy you all I will bring the FBI to its knees, rip you apart limb from limb while your loved ones watch in horror, I will kill your all and then myself letting every piece of intel you want die with me IF YOU DON’T BRING ME KEVIN DAY RIGHT NOW.

Eventually they finally give into his demand when they realise they’re not getting anything out of him otherwise (and the kids scaring em a little…more than a little.)

Kevin gets wheeled in I like to think he’s still unconscious and blissfully unaware of anything. Neil can’t reach him with the handcuffs on him but tries to get as close to Kevin as humanely possibly. Let’s himself just sit in the moment that Kevin is here, Kevin’s alive he’s gonna be okay.

After Neil left Nathan trained Kevin to take his place as the Butcher for the Branch side of the Moriyama family.

I am lowkey obsessed with the idea of Kevin being the one who takes Riko’s life in this. Of it being the loyal knight who spent his years dutifully guarding the crown only to be the one to kill his own King.

I can see Ichirou having him do it as a way to prove his loyalty to him.

Kevin served the Moriyama’s as the Butcher for the Branch side of the family and with Ichirou essentially destroying them, it leaves Kevin with a choice to make. Either abandon his old position and swear his loyalty over to the new Lord or join his King once and for all.

After everything Kevin has worked for, the friends he’s made, the family he’s regained, his position as the Queen of Exy finally proving he is better than Riko in every which way, he has to choose whether to forsake it all or lose the person he loves most in this world.

To choose Riko or choose himself.

Neil tries his best with his own deal to make amends but this is a decision that only Kevin can make. It’s almost poetic in the sense that the first life he took was save Riko’s and now he has to choose to save himself by killing him.

Only one of them can make it out.

It takes him a moment to comprehend the information. They're escaping, but from what? From who?

Maybe he should be overwhelmed by the implications. His soulmate is a runaway. He's in trouble. However, Andrew can't help but feel safe. The signs along the road imply that he is far from his foster home. Far from him. At last, a day of rest.

Curiosity finally gets the better of him, and he studies his reflection in the mirror, knowing it's a face he'll never see again.

Nathaniel wakes up in darkness. The walls are too close to each other, it's hard to breath. He's so used to not having a roof over his head that the overwhelming sensation isn't unexpected. What he finds surprising is the presence on the bed next to him. Riko Moriyama.

His first instinct is to run. He can't get recognize if he wants to survive. He has spent so much time being someone else, it takes him a moment to realize this isn't his body. There's no doubt he has woken up as Kevin Day. The person who makes Nathaniel remember who he really is. There's no time to think about what this means because the alarm sounds, and Riko is already walking toward him. Nathaniel has seen creepy smiles before (his own even) but this one was new and unfamiliar. He endures for whatever comes next.

Kevin finds himself in a cozy house. Warm colors, open windows, a garden full of flowers, and the smell of homemade food. That's everything Kevin has been trying to forget. What at first seems like a cruel dream turns out to be his soulmate's life.

He spends the day baking with what he assumes is his soulmate's mother. It's nice to have a mother again. The woman is sweet and tender, patient with her task and soft-spoken as she gives him instructions. If he makes a mistake, it doesn't matter. She doesn't yell or strike him, and he can't get attached to this.

His mom is gone. His home is the Nest. His life is Exy and that's all he has.

As torturous as the reminder of everything he has lost is, Kevin is glad his soulmate is loved and cared for.

The woman hands him a rubber spatula, and out of habit, his hand stings with the need to grab an Exy stick. He just lost a day of practice. What an absurd thing to focus on.

Kevin thinks his mind is the only enemy today. He isn't aware the real demon is just next door.

After Neil left Nathan trained Kevin to take his place as the Butcher for the Branch side of the Moriyama family.

-When Neil returns from Evermore-

“Under normal circumstances I’d drag your scrawny arse kicking and screaming to the hospital” Neil attempted to glare at him but Wymack clearly didn’t care “but given it’s not and this” he gestured to well all of Neil “is clearly outside of mine and Abby’s realm of knowledge I will be leaving you in the care of our resident Raven and Raven related bullshit expert.”

Kevin.

Neil kind of wished he had the energy and the fucks to pretend to be annoyed by this decision. But he couldn’t lie and say he didn’t want Kevin here when he so desperately did. He wanted to see Kevin he needed to see Kevin right now.

Wymack seemed to have gotten the message though thankfully he didn’t mention it. “I’ll be out there if you need me just yell, and Neil” he paused before sighing softly “go easy on him okay, you’re not the only one who’s had a hard time lately.”

‘Yeah I bet’ thought Neil having already begun to feel an ache in his heart that he couldn’t name at Jean not being here. He couldn’t imagine what Andrew’s absence must feel like to Kevin.

“I’ll be civil” is what Neil said instead and after a moment of scrutiny (which was admittedly deserved) Wymack nodded. “Alright, Kevin he’s all yours!” He yelled before leaving.

Part of Neil wanted him to stay but he knew to let him go for now.

It took a couple of minutes (not that Neil was counting or anything) before Kevin finally walked in. “Took your time huh? Your highness…” Neil trailed off staring at Kevin with wide eyes. Now he knew he really didn’t have a right to talk but Kevin looked like shit.

He was wearing a large baggy t-shirt one similar to the one Neil had on which meant it was Wymack’s. Along with a pair of pyjama pants and a jacket (both his own even though it was warm in here) and an orange bandana on his head that Neil recognised as being Andrew’s.

Clothing aside Kevin had dark circles under his eyes, his hair was messy and unkempt, he was leaning against the wall quite heavily and seemed to be favouring his right side.

“Yeah well I had to get my stuff in order sue me for being asleep” retorted Kevin but it lacked his usual bite. He just sounded tired and maybe it was because it was late but Neil knew it wasn’t that. “You look like shit by the way but lucky for you I’ve seen worse” that did not comfort Neil at all but he just nodded, still staring at him.

“What the fuck happened to you…”

Kevin sighed seemingly ignoring him but as he grabbed his bag from the floor he. quietly mumbled “nothing I didn’t deserve.” If Neil wasn’t worried before he definitely was now “Kevin” he said as sternly as he could muster. “What the fuck happened while I was gone?”

Kevin did ignore him this time and started tending to the wounds on Neil’s face. He glared right back at him unwavering even if the sudden care felt quite soothing. “I’m fine” Neil scoffed “and now you’re stealing my lines” he said half heartedly. Though he felt quite relieved when Kevin snorted in response.

He sobered up soon enough though and carried on tending to Neil’s wounds. Neil let him without complaint when he realised this was just as much for Kevin as it was for him. It was weird to be treated so gently and by Kevin of all people but Neil wasn’t complaining.

Still when Kevin finally sat down on a chair to take a breather Neil wasted no time repeating his question from earlier. For a second he thought Kevin was ignoring him again until he took off his jacket and then his t-shirt too.

Neil starred at him wide eyed taking in the various cuts and bruises covering Kevin’s body. There were bandages around his right side along with his arms. “Burns” is all Kevin said when Neil looked at them and he felt sick. “He…He got permission to contact me when you and Andrew left” said Kevin quietly hanging his head down in shame.

Neil frowned.

“But Riko was with me the whole time…” he tried to think of a time when Riko had been away from him. But he came up blank not to mention the travel time to make such a journey didn’t add up. Kevin shook his head and slowly looked up to face Neil “not him…it was your dad.”

Neil’s blood ran cold.

He’d known…he’d known since the winter banquet about Kevin being taken under his father’s wing when Riko had blurted it out to him. But he hadn’t been prepared to see just how true that was. Nathan Wesninski was not a kind man and Neil still bore the scars from his youth from his abuse.

Seeing them on Kevin both new and old made him want to throw up. Neil didn’t however he instead crawled out of the bed, wincing as he did so to sit in front of Kevin. Looking into his eyes searching for something he couldn’t find alone.

“Talk to me”

Kevin did.

He told Neil about his horrific reunion with the elder Butcher who was none to pleased about his escape. How Riko had instructed him to take Kevin with him on his jobs. How he’d sneak out into alleyways and abandoned buildings to resume the life of a killer.

“Nicky found me crawling through the window and woke everyone up with his scream.”

Neil smiled a little despite himself and Kevin did too. “Why the window?” Kevin shrugged “I was tired from carrying the body to the drop off point I couldn’t be bothered finding my keys.” Neil snorted “so you thought it’d be easier and less painful to go through the window?”

“…Shut up.”

“Whatever you say Spider-Man.”

Kevin rolled his eyes before looking down “I felt I owed them an explanation. They were all pretty pissed about it after, not at me for once. Tried to convince me to stop going but…I knew what would happen if I didn’t.” He looked at the bandage on Neil’s cheek knowingly “he…Riko that is said he wouldn’t if I went…I knew he’d lie but I couldn’t risk it.”

Neil pulled him closer and Kevin clung to him like he was afraid to let go. “It’s not your fault” he said sternly. He felt Kevin slump into his arms, tired so tired and Neil was so tempted to hunt his dad and Riko down then and there. “I thought, when you left it’d be like before” admitted Kevin quietly.

It shouldn’t be possible for one boy to break his heart this much in one evening.

“No, no I’m never leaving again okay?”

“You can’t control that.”

“I can’t” said Neil truthfully “but you found me once you’ll find me again. And then Andrew can kick both of our arses.”

Kevin snorted with tears in his eyes. “He’s gonna kill us both” Neil nodded with a grin feeling his own eyes well up “you think it’s too late to make a run for it?” he teased and was rewarded with a light swat from Kevin “he’d find us” he said confidently.

“Yeah, wait so who patched you up?”

Kevin gave him a look like Neil Josten was the biggest idiot in the world and it should not make him relieved to see such a look.

“We were in the middle of New York, you dumbarse I patched myself up with stuff Matt fetched for me.”

Neil frowned “so you’re giving me TLC but no one’s giving you it?” Was the universe this cruel? Scratch that of course it was well this wouldn’t do. “Yeah I guess? What are you doing?” Asked Kevin as Neil tried to feebly drag him “you clearly need to rest and I don’t want to be alone right now, come on.”

Kevin rolled his eyes but shocking he obediently crawled into bed beside him. Neil was mindful of Kevin’s injuries and he was careful around his. This wasn’t over not by a long shot they had to much to talk about. About Nathan, about Riko, about Evermore and so much more.

all of jeremys family members seem to ignore or at least talk very little about what happened to noah (taking all of his pictures down etc.) even jeremy admits that he also tends to forget it happened, they also all hold a lot of hatred towards jeremy and blames him for all that happened, but joshua seems to be the opposite and he really held onto noah’s lost which makes his hatred for jeremy a lot different then everyone else

so… maybe he says something cruel, reminds him of the harm he caused to their family, that hes just the same person as before just a different addiction and the guilt he put away will rush back into him while hes trying to put on the sunshine captain everyone now knows him as and he’ll just break

++ im not sure how exactly he’ll do it probably not a relapse but I think it’ll do something to do with a car and maybe some alcohol??

[when talking about jeremy intaking alcohol]

“I know my limits, Laila.”

Because it's true, he really needs to be carried around and get help in the most basic things...

After Neil left Nathan trained Kevin to take his place as the Butcher for the Branch side of the Moriyama family.

Here’s some headcanons I have for it:

-Kevin’s main weapons are knives and axes which one he uses depends on the kind of task he’s been given. He has a preference for axes as they’re less finicky than knives and he can swing it similar to how he does an Exy racquet.

-Kevin and Nathan’s relationship is that of student and mentor. Nathan does not see Kevin as a son but as a protege, as a tool for him to shape as he pleases. He does care about him in a rather messed up way though he’d never admit it.

Nathan is just as harsh if not more so on Kevin than he was Neil because (similar to the Nest) if Kevin fails Nathan is also punished and then Kevin is punished too on top of that.

-Riko has tormented Kevin with the idea that one day he’ll force him to kill his own father knowing Kevin won’t be able to refuse him.

-The first person Kevin ever killed had been very close to killing Riko. He fell into a blind rage and brutally murdered them in the Butchers basement. When Kevin realised what he’d done he threw up and couldn’t look away from the sight for hours.

He still gets nightmares about it to this day.

-Riko and Jean are the only Ravens who know about Kevin’s double life. Kevin tried to keep it a secret from Jean, afraid of what he’d think of him but of course he found out soon enough.

To Kevin’s surprise Jean never treated him any differently. There were times he’d sneak out of his dorm when Kevin would return to Evermore to help clean him up and comfort him. He never pressed for details and would try to remind Kevin he was human.

-Nathan has locked Kevin in the basement as punishment surrounded by dying and dead bodies for hours on end and even overnight. Kevin would eventually stop trying to scream and cry for help and just sit there while the bodies around him cursed his name and begged for death.

-Exy is Kevin’s whole world. It’s where he gets to escape the nightmares and play like he was born too. He clings to that light so desperately as he plays his mother’s game. Here on the Court he is Kevin Day, son of Exy not a killer, not the Butcher and it’s the most like himself he’s ever felt.

-Kevin has had to leave celebrations to do his job at the Butcher. Spending his night zipping body bags and cleaning blood off the basement floor instead of partying with the Ravens. In the beginning Nathan wouldn’t acknowledge it at all but now he brings it up every now and again.

Kevin calmly responds in kind careful not to seem too enthusiastic. Nathan will nod and carry on his work and on rare occasions he’ll pat Kevin on the back as if to congratulate him. It’s never anything more than that but it means more to Kevin than either of them realise.

-One time when Jean was so depressed and so utterly broken he begged Kevin to kill him. For one fleeting moment Jean saw Kevin not as his friend but as the Butcher, saw himself as just another person for him to get rid off.

A second later it dawned on him and Jean was mortified. But the damage was already done the pained look on Kevin’s face hurt so much. It took a while for him to open back up to Jean about that part of his life, to let him help him again when he was hurting without feeling like a monster.

They never spoke of it again. Kevin remains haunted by that night and Jean will never forgive himself for it.

-Nathan was the first person to give Kevin alcohol. It was to calm him down after he broke down after an interrogation when they still had work to do. Kevin wouldn’t develop his dependence on alcohol until after leaving the Nest but this is where it all started.

And why Kevin often uses it as a way to curb his emotions and calm down to do what needs to be done.

-Kevin has to carry the expectations of both being the Number 2 Exy player and the Branch Family Butcher. He is to succeed at being both the charismatic celebrity and the cold hearted killer and is not allowed to fail at being either.

-Kevin misses Neil every day, he sees so much of him in Nathan but knows better than to mention his missing son. And no matter how hard it gets, no matter how much being the Butcher destroys him from the inside out Kevin never regrets taking Neil’s place.