All for the Game

Fandom
Name:	All for the Game, The Foxhole Court
Abbreviation(s):	aftg, tfc
Creator:	Nora Sakavic
Date(s):	January 2013 – December 2014
Medium:	Book
Country of Origin:	USA
External Links:	The Foxhole Court Wiki
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

All for the Game is a series of Young Adult contemporary sports fiction novels written by Nora Sakavic featuring LGBT characters and dark themes. It's composed of three novels:

• The Foxhole Court, published 2013
• The Raven King, published 2013
• The King's Men, published 2014

Overview

Synopsis

The series focuses on Neil Josten, son of a murderous crimelord who has spent the last eight years on the run. As a part of his latest fake identity, he signs with a College Exy team: the Palmetto State Foxes. Exy is a fictional sport, somewhere between lacrosse and hockey, played on a soccer sized court surrounded by plexiglass. Not only does Neil love the sport that he used to play as a child, but he's also incredibly talented. While he's determined to only stay with the Foxes for as long as his real identity remains a secret, he finds himself with more and more reasons to stay. One of which being the history he shares with the Son of Exy himself, Kevin Day, and another being the mysterious goalkeeper, Andrew Minyard.

Characters

• Neil Josten, PSU Foxes striker.
• Andrew Minyard, PSU Foxes goalkeeper.
• Kevin Day, PSU Foxes striker, son of Exy.
• Aaron Minyard, PSU Foxes backliner.
• Nicky Hemmick, PSU Foxes backliner.
• Matt Boyd, PSU Foxes backliner.
• Renne Walker, PSU Foxes goalkeeper.
• Danielle "Dan" Wilds, PSU Foxes captain and offensive dealer.
• Allison Reynolds, PSU Foxes defensive dealer.
• Seth Gordon, PSU Foxes striker.
• David Wymack, PSU Foxes coach.
• Abby Winfield, PSU Foxes nurse.
• Betsy "Bee" Dobson, PSU Foxes therapist.
• Riko Moriyama, Edgar Allan Ravens striker, son of Exy.
• Jean Moreau, Edgar Allan Ravens backliner.
• Jeremy Knox, USC Trojans captain.

Extra Content

In addition to the triology, Nora Sakavic has also published further information about the characters and their stories. This is widely referred to as the Extra Content, and is considered canon by large parts of the fandom. This has mainly been done through her Tumblr, answering messages asking her to expand on certain aspects, but also through her blog. In the Extra Content she discusses previous drafts, what happens outside of the limitation of Neil's POV, as well as post-canon event. The majority of it concerns Neil and Andrew, and primarily their relationship with each other.

Fandom

Ships

The most commonly written pairings are:

• Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, or andreil, which accounts for about 75% of the AFTG works on AO3.
• Jeremy Knox/Jean Moreau, or jerejean, which is notable for being the second most popular ship in fandom, despite both characters being very minor and having nearly no shared scenes in the books.
• Allison Reynolds/Renee Walker, or renison.
• Kevin Day/Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, or kandreil.

Other common ships include Kevin Day/Aaron Minyard, Kevin Day/Neil Josten, Kevin Day/Andrew Minyard, Nicky Hemmick/Erik Klose, Katelyn/Aaron Minyard, Matt Boyd/Danielle "Dan" Wilds, Seth Gordon/Allison Reynolds, and Kevin Day/Riko Moriyama. Many fics also explore the familial relationship between the Minyard twins.

Tropes

Popular tropes in the fandom include:

• Hurt/Comfort: usually exploring the trauma of either of the Foxes.

• Perfect Court: focusing on the dynamic between Riko Moriyama, Kevin Day, Jean Moreau, and occasionally Neil Josten and Andrew Minyard, being on the same team.

• Raven!Neil: exploring what Neil's life might have been like if he had stayed with the Moriyamas and played for the Ravens, rather than the Foxes.
• Trojan!Jean: fics taking place post canon, where Jean Moreau has left the Edgar Allan Ravens and joined the USC Trojans. Usually Jean/Jeremy.

• Nest!Fics: taking place in the Edgar Allan University Nest, home of the Ravens. Usually fics with a darker theme, dealing with themes of abuse.

• Olympics: fics about the characters being on the olympic team.

Community Challenges

Bingo card for the 2018 Aftg Bingo Challenge.

The aftg fandom is very active in terms of organizing community challenges. A lot of these are tracked by the Aftg Events Tumblr and Twitter.

General Challenges

• All for the Game Big Bang - A Big Bang first organized in 2017.
  • 2022 Ao3 Collection.
  • 2021 Ao3 Collection.
  • 2020 Ao3 Collection.
  • 2019 Ao3 Collection.
  • 2017 Ao3 Collection.
  • Mixed Ao3 Collection.

• All for the Game Reverse Bang - A Reverse Bang first organized in 2018.
  • 2021 Ao3 Collection.
  • 2020 Ao3 Collection.
  • Mixed Ao3 Collection.

• AFTG Exchange - A Gift Exchange first organized in 2016.
  • Fall 2022 Ao3 Collection.
  • Summer 2022 Collection.
  • Spring 2022 Ao3 Collection.
  • Winter 2021 Ao3 Collection.
  • Summer 2021 Ao3 Collection.
  • Spring 2021 Ao3 Collection.
  • Winter 2020 Ao3 Collection.
  • Fall 2020 Ao3 Collection.
  • Spring 2020 Ao3 Collection.
  • Valentine's Day 2020 Ao3 Collection.
  • Winter 2019 Ao3 Collection.
  • Summer 2019 Ao3 Collection.
  • Winter 2018 Ao3 Collection.
  • Mixed Ao3 Collection.

• All for the Game Bingo - A Bingo challenge first organized in 2018.
  • 2020 Ao3 Collection.
  • 2018 Ao3 Collection.

• Aftg Remix - A Remix challenge first organized in 2018.
  • 2020 Ao3 Collection.
  • 2019 Ao3 Collection.
  • Mixed Ao3 Collection.

• Aftg Summer - A prompt challenge organized in 2020.
  • Ao3 Collection.

• AFTG Mixtape Exchange - A Gift Exchange organized in 2021.
  • Ao3 Collection.

Prompts for the 2020 Aftg Summer Challenge.

Topical Challenges

• All for the Game Fandom Celebrations - Recurring Fanweek event in 2018 with a different focus each iteration. Topics ranged between characters, ships, genres etc.

• Andreil Week - A Fanweek dedicated to Andrew/Neil organized in 2018 and 2019.
  • 2019 Ao3 Collection.
  • 2018 Ao3 Collection.

• Twinyards Appreciation Week - A Fanweek for Aaron & Andrew works first organized in 2017.
  • 2020 Ao3 Collection.
  • 2019 Ao3 Collection.
  • 2018 Ao3 Collection.

• The Kerejean Exchange - A Kevin/Jeremy/Jean Gift Exchange organized in 2020.

Fanworks

As of 16 January 2023, there are 13,034 works in the All for the Game fandom tag on AO3, 9,707 of which use the relationship tag Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard.

Fic

Andrew/Neil

Lessons in Cartography ^[1] by crazy_like_aDate: 2016Status: Complete

Nora mentioned in her extra content that Neil slowly maps out Andrew's body and then this fic happened. Starts after The King's Men.

light fires at night (to push back the void) ^[2] by intheseaDate: 2017Status: Complete

The first time Andrew realizes he wants to hear the words, Neil isn’t even doing anything. He’s just sitting there, staring at the horizon with that stupidly dramatic faraway expression of his, and letting the cigarette burn down between his fingers all the way to the filter — an outrageous waste of good nicotine, if you asked Andrew. (Or: 20+ times Andrew and Neil say I love you, and one time they say it out loud.)

The Unkindness of Ravens ^[3] by crazy_like_aDate: 2021Status: Incomplete

After Kevin publicly announces his intention to play for the Foxes, Riko sends Nathaniel Wesninski to convince him to return to the Nest. Unfortunately for Riko, Nathaniel has other plans.

Eyes Filled With Stars ^[4] by Cute Negativity CloudDate: 2018-03-17–OngoingLength: 69kStatus: IncompleteGenre: A/B/O

Andrew Minyard is a bored cadet in an Air Cavalry Academy he doesn't care for. Nathaniel Wesninski is a political hostage with nothing left to lose and a burning desire to join said Academy. No matter the obstacles - whether it's Riko's constant abuse or societal censure against omegas joining the cadets - Nathaniel will join the Foxes. He will. What does it matter if he serves the Empire that conquered his home, the same Empire that threw him into Riko's hands? Nathaniel has a plan, and he will do anything to see it through. What he hadn't factored in was to find people who cared so much, or to make promises he wanted to keep. Nathaniel was only ever good to break them, that he knew. If he was to find family on the way, well... what's the worst thing that could happen?

Jeremy/Jean

playing on ^[5] by flybbflyDate: 2018Status: Complete

In which Jean Moreau and Jeremy Knox play exy, share a dorm room, and accidentally insult each another a lot.

infinite sky ^[6] by idkimtiredDate: 2020–OngoingStatus: IncompleteGenre: Canon Compliant

jean's first year with the trojans as they try to teach him life

Allison/Renee

change your mind ^[7] by jewelsofnightDate: 2019-12-31Status: CompleteGenre: Alternate Universe

In an alternate universe, Allison and Renee's lives dovetail in an unexpected encounter on a random highway in Illinois.

Miscellaneous

Apartment 314 ^[8] by justwhatialwayswantedDate: 2020–OngoingMedium: SeriesStatus: IncompleteGenre: Alternate Universe

Series of short fics about Andrew/Neil and Jean/Jeremy, in an AU where Andrew is an author and Jean is his roommate.

Art

Fanart for aftg can mainly be found on tumblr and twitter. Listed below are a couple of fanartists and their aftg-tags.

• Rainbowd00dles
• llstarcasterll
• Calicoture
• Cowboymoonking
• Verdiri
• Two-wizards-in-a-trench-coat

Zines

There have been a number of All for the Game Fanzines. Most of which have been published digitally, with any profits going to charity.

Pipe Dream zine by llstarcasterll

• Call It Home: An AFTG Family Zine : A zine focusing on the topic of found family. Published in 2020.
• Time For Exy
• AFTG Tarot Card Zine: A zine with the 22 arcanas as its theme.
• Survivors - an aftg apocalypse zine : A zine with a post-apocalyptic theme.
• Give Your Back To Me - A Foxhole Court Canon Art Zine: Published in 2017.
• Heatens Greetings - An Aftg holiday zine. Published in 2016 and 2018.
• Pipe Dream : A zine by llstarcasterll

Resources

• Nora Sakavic's Twitter

• Nora Sakavic's Tumblr

• Nora Sakavic's Blog

• AFTG Fic Library, a tumblr fic rec/search blog