Curate, connect, and discover
Nora saying that Riko burned the number seven onto Andrew in a universe where Andrew becomes a Raven haunts me. What does it mean? Was it as a punishment for Riko catching Andrew smoking cigarettes? Was it just because of Andrew generally not cooperating? Where did he burn the number onto him? Because there is no way it could’ve been on the cheek where the perfect court tattoos are because that would a thousand percent cause an investigation into the Ravens. He must’ve burned it onto Andrew somewhere that was hidden by their gear. Maybe his back? Or possibly onto his wrists on top of his past self-harm scars? And don’t even get me started on the parallels between this and Neil being burned by a dashboard lighter by Lola and his dad’s men in the book.
I need to know more about Raven Andrew!! He haunts my narrative.
How would he have coped in the Nest? Assuming he was medicated at the time he joined the Ravens, I assume he wouldn’t have taken it all that seriously. He would’ve had to have it beat into him by Riko and Tetsuji, but I can’t see any of it actually sticking with him until Riko and Tetsuji start hurting other for his mistakes or misgivings. Watching people like Nathaniel (Neil), Jean or Kevin have to suffer for what he was doing would’ve messed with Andrew since, as we see in the series, he just wants to protect everyone around him, but what would his reaction to that have been?
Joining the Ravens would have fucked up his relationship with Aaron and Nicky beyond repair. There is no way Riko and Tetsuji would’ve let him communicate with them (maybe holding it over his head as a punishment for him acting out??) and he would’ve just have to live with not knowing how they were doing. For years, he didn’t know Aaron and Nicky existed and then, finally, he learnt about them and he had them, and their relationships were by no means perfect or even anywhere close to perfect but he knew they existed. I think having Aaron and Nicky for him so late in life only to have them torn away again would’ve messed with him.
In the series, while on his medication during the first two books, Andrew comes off of his medication for their games. Would he be able to do this at the Nest for games? Would his medication be withheld from him at other time, perhaps another punishment for acting out? If he was acting out, would Riko and Tetsuji have kept his medication from him, to see him have to go through those awful withdrawal symptoms? How long could Andrew have gone without his medication until he caved and did whatever they wanted him to do as long as he got his medication back? He hates his medications of course but the withdrawal symptoms are worse.
And one final thing, even if it’s not a behavioural thing, I want to talk about the numbers. Nora said if Andrew was a Raven he would’ve been number seven. It’s such a symbolic number for him. Seven as in the age he was the first time he was assaulted. Seven as in the age where he had to say the word ‘please’ so much, possibly reflecting how his time with the Ravens would’ve went. Then of course we have the way all the numbers add up. Andrew’s Raven number (7) and Andrew’s Fox number (3) would add up to make Neil’s Fox number (10). Andrew’s Raven number (7) and Nathaniel’s Raven number (3) add up to also make Neil’s Fox number (10). Even in universes where they don’t end up together, the traces of what could’ve been (and what was in the universe that we got in the books) still find their way into the story.
I just need more information about Raven Andrew and I don’t know what I’m meant to do to get it!!
Nora saying that if Andrew was apart of the Perfect Court he would have been number seven has a lot of depth to it - of course, he had his line ‘I was seven’ referring to the first time he was assaulted as a child but then we can also take into consideration the fact that his Raven number (7) and his Fox number (3) would have made 10 when added together which makes Neil’s number on the Fox lineup