okay, so this has been stuck in my craw since last night, and I’ve got to get it out.
I saw some post or another that I very quickly noped out of, because I curate my fandom experiences and when I see shit I VEHEMENTLY disagree with, hey, we yeet that right on off! but the general gist was what the Trojans don’t treat Jean ‘correctly’ regarding his trauma, and I just—
WHAT.
so first of all; the Trojans do not know the full extent of what Jean has been through. he has told a few people some things, but they do not have the information that we the readers do. even Jeremy, Cat and Laila don’t have the full story at this point, and they know more than most. so the Trojans cannot necessarily contextualize everything Jean does in relation to his trauma.
what they DO know is that he transferred from a team of perfectionist assholes who, they are learning, had some real fucked up mindsets and training regimens for a college sport. no, they are not going to be gentle about saying ‘oh hey, what in the actual flippity fuck,’ because nothing about the Ravens way of doing things is how normal, sane people would approach this. their responses are perfectly understandable given what they know.
secondly; these are COLLEGE STUDENTS. they are not adults, they are not mental health professionals, they are especially not professionals at deprogramming someone who just got out of a literal cult! the fact that they’re as understanding and compassionate as they are is frankly impressive, because let me be honest, most college athletes aren’t that fucking nice! but no, of COURSE they’re not always going to know the ‘right’ way to respond to Jean’s insane lore dumps, because they’re his peers. they’re KIDS. they are doing the best they can.
and finally; it doesn’t fucking matter if they’re reacting ‘right’ or not, because what they are doing is responding the way normal people would, and that’s honestly something Jean needs, because he’s going to encounter people who don’t give a shit what he’s been through, he’s going to encounter people who will not give him grace when he has responses they consider abnormal. the Trojans are giving him a framework for normalcy, and frankly that’s beautiful.
anyway, cut the Trojans a fucking break.
listen we all love Jean looking away from Jeremy's lovely smiles but can we PLEASE talk about him seeing right through his fake ones
Because
oh
my
GOD
After the Foxes-Trojans game, Nicky runs up to Jeremy.
"Oh my God, you're Jeremy Knox. I'm a huge fan of yours!" Nicky shouts exaggeratedly.
Jeremy turns around with a friendly smile, remembering Nicky's play (he tackled Jeremy hard during the game, though that didn't stop him) when Nicky continues talking like a volcano spewing lava nonstop.
"You know, I'm gay too. I'm out, like you, I mean. But I didn't have as spectacular a coming out as yours, of course. Is it true there are annual gay orgies in California? I mean, I wouldn't go because I have a future husband, but it would have been nice to at least be invited, you know? Or doesn't it work that way? Is there a list you have to sign up for? What does that all work like? How do I get an invitation?"
Jeremy is dumbfounded. He wonders if Nicky has no filter, or if he's trying to embarrass him somehow. In any case, Jeremy acts as he always does in these situations.
"Wow… Do you want an invitation? Would it be for you or your cousin? I hope it's just for one, because it would be a little weird if you both went."
For a moment, Nicky doesn't react. A nervous laugh creeps up his throat.
"Cousin? No, no… My cousins… No… They're…" Nicky glances nervously over his shoulder, right where Andrew remains relaxed while Neil, Kevin, and Jean argue.
Andrew's attention immediately snaps to them, and as if connected by some super protective instinct, Jean's attention does too.
Jeremy greets Andrew with a smile.
Nicky is sweating.
"I… I don't have any cousins!" he says hastily.
Aaron, who was passing by at the time, yells.
"Fuck off!"
"Okay, so… you and Neil?" Jeremy continues. "I don't know if Andrew will agree with that."
Nicky's face goes white.
From then on, Nicky is much more careful about what he asks. And despite the initial shock, he also gains a new friend.
After your analysis of Kevin, I thought of something else… something horrible… something that perhaps takes Kevin too far and that I've never read about, and I need your opinion.
-- Kevin studied History at Edgar Allan University, dragging Riko into it, which is what they say in the new books (if I recall correctly).
-- Kevin convinced Riko to try to recruit Andrew when he saw his potential, and they went to see him, but Andrew refused.
-- Riko and Kevin are described as brothers, and Kevin reinforces this in TGR. They hated and loved each other with equal intensity, a line from the original trilogy.
This means that Kevin, in his early days, had a certain ability to convince Riko to do things. Things that interested Kevin, like studying History or trying to recruit Andrew… but nothing is ever said about Kevin trying to stop Riko when he had Jean raped. Nor is it said that he tried to stop the torture, only that he helped Jean recover afterward.
Are you telling me he was able to convince Riko to study history and go after Andrew, but he was only able to send Jean a vague warning and nothing more before Riko had him raped?
We also know that Tetsuji didn't know about the rapes. Riko kept it a secret, which is why when he found out, Tetsuji beat Jean up, thinking he was looking for him. But Kevin did know what Riko was doing.
He knew about the rapes.
He knew, and he knew Riko was keeping it hidden from Tetsuji… and Kevin didn't tell Tetsuji so he could try to stop it (not because Tetsuji cared about Jean, but so Riko wouldn't screw up his investment by ruining his reputation, which we know Tetsuji cares about, which is why he hit Jean).
No. Kevin didn't intervene.
And he had a certain "power" over Riko. He was a valuable asset and could convince Riko of things.
He didn't try to convince him of this.
You know what? I think Kevin didn't do it because he was afraid Riko would turn on him and do to him what he did to Jean, and that's very different from running away when Riko broke his hand. Very different.
That would be like the rest of the Ravens, who knew something was up but ignored it so it wouldn't turn on them.
Now that's a real COWARD.
Anon, this triggered such a visceral reaction in me, the more I think about this, the more sick I feel. Your ask went in a direction I've always refused to contemplate.
Have I ever thought that Kevin might have known about the rapes? Yes. Have I always dismissed the thought? Also yes.
Soooo welcome to my high school AU! 😏
i agree 100% with your kevin analysis wow. like truly didnt Mind him from neil's perspective but from jeans that man is a monster. jean having been almost beaten to death only for kevin to BRING HIS GIRLFRIEND WHO SUCKS to jeans recovery room without asking was just another example of how he cares what jean can give him but will never ever see him as a whole person. which leads me into my next point, i cant forgive kevin for it.
🥺 Hello anon and thank you so much for this message ❤
That's exactly it: I can't forgive Kevin either.
So I get exasperated when the fandom insists that Jean has to forgive him. Or that he has already forgiven him.
They think they are friends when Jean wants to see Kevin dead.
First example that comes to mind is how they think Jean was seething because "Kevin brother-zoned him haha" and not because Kevin was 1) comparing Jean to Riko, 2) being an absolute hypocrite because in what world do you betray your brother like that? and 3) because Kevin was inadvertently drawing a parallel between himself and Jean: Jean is an older brother, but unlike Kevin he would die to get a chance to protect Elodie, so don't you dare say we are brothers, Kevin Day, when you truly don't know what it means to act like one, when you left me to die.
Jean was a child when he was shipped off by his parents and still he blames himself for not being there to protect Elodie.
What Kevin did was unforgivable.
But the fandom has already forgiven him. So Jean is the issue here.
😤😤😤
This is also why I hate when the narrative/Nora lets Kevin act all bossy, high and mighty with Jean. Dude, you betrayed him and left him to be tortured to death??? At least say an heartfelt sorry? But no. He's Kevin Day. You're supposed to feel lucky he's even talking to you.
And I get it. I truly do. Kevin was a victim, like Thea was a victim, like all Ravens, present and past, were victims. But that doesn't mean that they can't be held accountable for their actions and words.
Jean is held accountable all the damn time and he went through horrors Kevin can't even begin to imagine.
The one time he accidentally hit Laila he was made to apologize and told that such behavior is not tolerated with the Trojans.
The coaches push him all the time to get out of his Raven ways, to the point that Jean feels publicly humiliated during training, reprimanded like a dog in front of all the Trojans.
And when he does his best to stop using Raven tricks? He is too focused, too perfect, abnormal, the Trojans dehumanize him and call him a robot.
And on top of that, Kevin Day shows up and starts telling him what to do and say, while at the same time being a complete hypocrite about his own drinking problem and personal issues.
And you are so, so right about Kevin not even asking if Jean feels like seeing Thea.
As a matter of fact, Jean is rarely asked anything. He's just expected to accept any decision that the people around him make for him.
But hey, at least this time his lack of agency doesn't come with abuse, so it's fine, right?
Ggggrrrrrr 😤
And I don't even want to think about what Thea told him anymore. This woman he looked up to as a child, who knew he was being passed around by the adults around them and blames Jean for it. I can't.
It all feels so unfair, you know?
Some characters are constantly held accountable for their misbehaviors, while others never are.
Thea and Kevin think they're perfect and most of the world agrees, so if you have a problem with it, it's your own issue.
Remember when Seth said: "I'm sick of him getting everything he wants just because he's Kevin Day -- His life is not more important than mine just because he's more talented."?
Gods how I hate to agree with Seth Gordon on anything, yet here we are 😤
Sending Jean to USC... maybe this is Kevin's way of asking for forgiveness, but... he still has so much to gain from it, you know?
He's not "helping" Jean simply out of the goodness of his heart, or in repentance.
He's doing it because Jean is the best backliner and he should be Court. And Kevin is the Queen of the Court and he only wants to be surrounded by the best.
As you said: "he cares what Jean can give him but will never ever see him as a whole person."
Two birds with one stone: he can feel better with his conscience and he gets to be responsible for the best backliner in collegiate Exy having a prosperous career in the future, which he will directly benefit from if all goes according to plan and Jean makes Court.
Wonderful PR too lol and we all know how much that matters to Kevin, how much he values appearances and being seen as the best not only on the court, but off of it. He gets to be the hero in Jean's story.
I'm so glad Nora adjusted her writing of Cat and Laila (to an extent) in TGR to reflect what Jean actually deserves: space and compassion.
Not people that just see him as a broken thing that need to be pushed into being better.
Now that I think of it, it's another parallel to Kevin and Neil.
Kevin pushes the Foxes to be better for him, because he wants to win.
The Trojans push Jean to get better for themselves, not out of malice but because they're too uncomfortable with Jean's trauma and want him to get over it.
Meanwhile Neil pushes the Foxes to be better for themselves.
And Jeremy pushes Jean to get better for Jean's benefit, because Jean deserves to get better.
And this is why Kevin and the Trojans fail, but Neil and Jeremy succeed (and now Cat, Laila and Rhemann too).
Thank you so much for your message ❤
jean moreau girlies how we doing tonight (bad)
Hello? Excuse me? This is wonderful, incredible and in the lines of TGR. This writing style?... This Jeremy, torn and making decisions piecemeal, and that protective Jean... I'm on tenterhooks.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/64651084?show_comments=true#comments
Lines Crossed by niixna
Jeremy has to make a choice between the family that doesn’t want him or start living for a family that does. For Jean Moreau? He will always choose Jeremy. Every time.
I just went through your AFTG posts and may I ask: what are your feelings about Kevin?
Oooh. Oh. Oh, anon... idk if you're a Kevin Day fan or not, for the sake of things I'll assume you're a completely neutral party so I can tell it how it is without the need to mince words. If this alarms you then perhaps you are a Kevin Day fan and you should stop reading now 😂❤
If you’ve read my posts then you’ve noticed English isn’t my first language, so be prepared for things to make little sense at times😅 I’m trying my best, though, I promise ❤ I’m also autistic and not great at conveying the right tone, especially online, so I’m sorry if I sound mean or rude, it is not directed at you, and I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings in any way ❤ This is SUPER LONG and I’m sorry if it’s not what you were looking for, but once I get going I can’t stop 😅 I’m not joking, this is literally over 20k words of Kevin Day analysis 🙃
In the shortest possible terms, my feelings about Kevin are... complicated.
I liked him as a character in AFTG, I do not like him now.
This might make no sense to you, but I kind of divide the character into two: AFTG Kevin and the New Trilogy Kevin. My feelings differ greatly between the two. Of course I know it’s always the same character, the brainrot hasn’t gotten that bad lol Nora writes him very consistently, and I noticed nothing OOC for him in these new books.
But the amount of info and insights we get about him is what changed between one trilogy and the next, and that is what made all the difference for me.
jean babe, i’m gonna hold your hand when I tell you this… but i don’t think you were sold to the moriyamas as a “debt being payed off”
his whole life was spent preparing him for the nest. he was taught japanease for five years so that he could speak with the perfect court and their coaches. he was taught english a year before being sold off. he was never allowed to communicate with the outside world because his parents planned to send him to the moriyamas
idk something just isn’t adding up. if you randomly have a dept you have to pay off (with the price of your child?!?!??) you don’t spend years perfecting them for your buyers; you give them what you have available in the minute. but no, they spent 14 years training jean to join the ravens. I just think there’s more to the story than jean believes, and I’m like 100% sure his parents play a bigger role in the yazuka than he knows
Hey, I hadn't thought of this. I think it's quite possible Nora won't develop it in these books, but... what if Jean's parents wanted Jean to rise in the Moriyama hierarchy, and that's why they trained him so well? It would make a lot of sense. It seemed like they were preparing him for it. But maybe they were also preparing him for the Wesniskis. Could they have known that Nathan would want to throw Neil into The Nest? Because if Jean and Neil had been together at The Nest... wouldn't they have been ideal Trojan horses for two down-and-out mafia families to infiltrate the Moriyama empire from within? The fact is that big mafia families interacted at The Nest, and the Moreaus were "small fry," so they could have tried to prepare Jean for "the big boys" and thus rise through their son. I think the Moreau/Moriyama/Wesniski case is going to surprise us. What are the chances that Nora told us it was just a healing trilogy, lying to us to catch us off guard and bring some closure (it doesn't have to be rosy) to the mafia story? The truth is, Jean's trilogy has a lot of potential, and not just on a healing and romantic level. Will Nora just stick to that, or...? Something's fishy here.
jeremy 💛
The same way Jean’s breakdown had to happen with Rhemann, I think Jeremy’s breakdown has to happen with Jean. Jean’s main trauma comes from coaches, from fathers. Jeremy’s trauma comes from his family and his sexual/romantic partners. And Jeremy’s already started to think of Jean as family (“he wanted the cozy home he’d built with Cat and Laila and Jean”) (“if he’s going to be a Moreau, he has to learn French”/“l accept these terms”). And we already know he’s interested in Jean romantically/sexually. (“Don’t, he warned himself) (“his head was an echo chamber, spinning Jean’s words out of context on repeat”)
“Would it kill you to fuck someone who respects you?” / “I don’t believe you, cat has never bruised Laila like this”
Really, if his breakdown happens with anyone other than Jean I’ll be extremely surprised
”why does it seem like jeremy is doing worse than jean by the end of tgr lol” because the parallells are there and they show how badly jeremy is coping in comparison.
zane, jean’s partner, gripping jean by the neck and digging his fingers into jean’s wrists, calling him a whore, but jean thinking of it as a final meeting and a healed scar afterwards, and saying he deserves to get better. vs leo digging his fingers into jeremy’s wrists and faser bruising his neck and calling him a slut and jeremy still going back to his partners again and again.
jean speaking his mind more often than not, because even if he has to comply to trojan standards in front of the press, he’s free to speak and act as he wants otherwise. vs jeremy’s empty smiles in front of the press and in front of his friends.
jean wearing color because he can, because he escaped, because he wants to vs jeremy constantly dressing in trojan colors bc what is he if he’s not captain sunshine?
jean seeking eye contact and grabbing chins to get it vs jeremy looking away and hiding in his sleeping bag to avoid it.
jean who is seeing several therapists and is shown actually talking with/going to them, vs jeremy’s sole visit in the book being to commit insurance fraud.
and on and on and on…
Verse4verse jerejean is so important 2 me because at the end of the day I think they both would benefit from both positions. Imo service top Jeremy means allowing Jean a way to know that he can have control while on bottom, but top Jean means showing Jeremy that he doesn’t always have to be the one giving.
