thesunshinecourts

[thesunshinecourts]

i’m finally allowed to continue tgr again and i want to throw up and cry THEY’RE BEST FRIENDS

it’s also just – there’s something to be said for the way you can track jean’s slowly-blooming realisations (or acceptances, mostly; these are things he knew once, and then had to tell himself to unknow in order to survive. but now he’s in california, sun shining on the back of his neck, in a house with people who both love him and like him, and it’s a safe place to slowly work those knots, learn how to put it down) of his life through the way he looks at everyone else. boy who cannot tolerate these things being levelled at those he loves, learning that he’s allowed to find it intolerable to himself too. that he’s allowed to remember that truth. idk. gah

[thesunshinecourts]

JEAN GETS SOME

- an @aftg-mixtape Vol 5 album drop -

Feast on these beautiful mixtape creations where Jean well... GETS SOME! Be it love, friendship, or something a bit more spicy, this album is all about Jean.

Track 1: the sun knew of you, too

9k, T, Jean/Neil fic by auxprouvaires

Track 2: The Land That Stretches to Eternity

7k, E, Jean/Jeremy, fic by fungus_amongus00

Track 3: Jealous of the rain that falls upon your skin

art, G, Kevin/Jean, by glimmering_goldfish

Track 4: We Just Have Each Other

5k, T, Neil/Jean fic by @ittyybittybaker

Track 5: the golden era

9k, M, Kevin/Jean fic by @kiwiaok

Track 6: Mine to Defend

8k, M, Neil/Jean fic by @kweenkday

Track 7: let's paint the sky

5.5k, G, Jean/Jeremy fic by @purple-dragon

Track 8: if you come around again

6k, T, Kevin/Jean fic by @ominousandreil

Track 9: the sun is in your eyes

9k, T, Kevin/Jean fic by @poetic-ivy

Track 10: Endless Discontent

11.5k, E, Jean/Jeremy fic by @scornedethnographer

Track 11: Friends with you

5k, G, Kevin/Jean + Jean/Jeremy fic by @crazy-fangirl2524

[thesunshinecourts]

TWO FOR TWO ON JEAN THROWING PEOPLE LIKE IT’S NOTHING and every single time it is so fucking hot

[thesunshinecourts]

cannot possibly express enough how happy i am to report that they’re just as horny for each other as ever

[thesunshinecourts]

absolutely fascinated btw about the ways in which jean trying to learn how to coexist with the trojans in the realm of PLAYING the sport can interplay with kageyama’s attempts to navigate karasuno and being king of the court

[thesunshinecourts]

this is now a real contender for the hottest thing jean has done in this book (throwing lucas to the ground by the throat was the winner of tsc)

[thesunshinecourts]

kills me that jean used to love exy btw. like if we look between the passage when he’s talking about his first exy team and learning japanese and english, and then his conversation with derrick during the drill when he says exy isn’t meant to be fun – there’s a whole cavern of tragedy there. cuts me to the core

[thesunshinecourts]

genuinely fucking devastated by the idea that a peach is something that has to be kept safe – that jean has had so few simple little things to genuinely enjoy in life that his language can only frame this as treasure. turn this way and that. savouring. keep safe. prying & greedy. his prize.

like. this is something cody gives him for free, because it’s something they think will be nice, because it is small and easy and is of no sacrifice to give, and to jean, it is something to protect. this isn’t to diminish the power of small gifts and loves; those are my bread and butter, i’m obsessed with small moments, but this is like. it’s the fact that this small moment is something so rare and delicate and important for jean. oh my god. i’m going to cry

[thesunshinecourts]

there’s something quietly destabilising about the idea that like – something as commonplace and innocuous as ibuprofen is contraband to the ravens. it’s not colours or about expression of self, the things that are normal to others but are so far out of jean’s comprehension because they actively compromise the establishment of the hive mind. it’s not even the food issues, which are rooted in control, but involve meal plans so insane because of the days they’re weighted. like. those have purpose. they’re still horrifying and wrong, but there’s a purposeful throughline.

even the violence has purpose, for as wrong as it is. contrition, jean says, and jeremy is struck with horror, and rhemann does not know how to contain his furious grief. there is the fact of punishment, and the fact of unity through suffering, and the idea of strength and honing weapons. none of these are excusable reasons for the violence, but they exist.

but to withhold painkillers, even ibuprofen, based on pure whim – that’s just senseless cruelty. it’s only purpose is to soothe aches and help heal, and it does not change the fact of the violence you have undergone, so it would be no great cost for the ravens staff to give; and still, it is forbidden. still, jean does not know how to see a bottle of it without searching for the dangerous strings attached.

fucked up. fucked up.

[thesunshinecourts]

hi team!! i’ve been sick so idk when i’m gonna read it but WHEN i read the golden raven, this blog is gonna be my zone for spoilers and whatnot again. will be tagging #tgr and #tgr spoilers 💗

[thesunshinecourts]

WIN YOUR VERY OWN MIXTAPE GIFT!

AFTG Mixtape 2025 drops THIS Sunday, February 2nd, and we are so excited to welcome you to the first ever AFTG Mixtape B-Sides!

This one’s for the fans, for the commenters, for those of you waiting on tenterhooks for this year’s Mixtape to drop so you can inhale the gorgeous art, the masterful fic. This year, we’re offering three of you the chance to win your very own mixtape gift!

How does it work?

For every 10 quality engagements with a Mixtape creation you receive one entry into the drawing.

What counts as an engagement?

One comment on AO3 = one engagement! Leave a comment on AO3: Write something thoughtful! We’re expecting more than just emojis here.

One promotion on social media = one engagement! Promote with a post on social media: This must include more than just hitting reblog: it needs to include your comments and also tag the creator + Mixtape account. Feel free to be creative: Memes are great! Gifs are great! Use your imagination to show your love!. 

How to enter:

Once you have 10 engagements, you can submit an entry HERE. You will need to screen shot each of your engagements and attach them. You can submit one entry per form, however you may submit the form as may times as you need.

Important note: you cannot use engagements more than once: for example, commenting on the same fic/art twice only counts as one engagement. You CAN however both comment on a fic/art and promo that same fic/art on social media: that would count as two engagements.

Eligibility: the only requirements are that you must have an AO3 account, and you cannot be a current Mixtape participant!

What you could win:

Winners will receive either fic or art from one of our Mixtape creators. The minimum word count for B-side fics is 2500, with comparable expectations for art. As the winner, you will get to submit a ship, a song, and any nopes/squicks that might apply. You will also be able to submit a preference for art or fic, however we cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet that preference. By submitting your entry you understand that your gift may be fic, or art, no matter your preference.

DATES:

Entries can be submitted through March 16th.

Winners will be drawn March 19th.

B-Sides will be posted April 27th.

CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTRY FORM

Questions? DM us on tumblr, bluesky, or twitter! You can also email us at aftgmixtape@gmail.com

Happy Mixtaping!

xoxo

Zan (justadreamfox) + Mandi (likearecord)

[thesunshinecourts]

[thesunshinecourts]

SKINNED KNEES & OPEN PALMS

aftg · jerejean · 7.4k, t. high school au · multiple / outsider pov · ensemble cast · kevin just wants them to pass history · 3+1 things for @jamelslivres, as part of the @aftgexchange

“Hey, soldier,” Jeremy says, sliding into the space Andrew left. Jean looks at him, and swallows. “Soldier?” Jeremy smiles, small and bashful and with just a peek of teeth. Jean resists the urge to poke at his canines. “Y’know, wounded soldier, coming back from war,” he says, then bumps their shoulders together, gesturing down at his knee. “You hurt your knee, right?” “Does that make you the loyal wife awaiting his return from the war?” Allison asks archly, glancing over from Renee, Dan and Seth to look at Jeremy. Jean doesn’t think he can cope with an answer to that question, so he quickly says to Jeremy, “Sort of.”

Jean gets a mysterious injury, Jeremy is distracted, Katelyn is shipping, Allison is scheming, the lacrosse team has too many group chats, and Kevin just wants to study for their midterm.

or: three times someone waited for jerejean to make a move, and one time they finally did.

read on ao3

[thesunshinecourts]

📢🦊im going to be opening my store for AFTG merch preorders tomorrow at 12 pm PST! （oct 18th)🧡🍑

Preorders will be open for around 2 weeks, and the first 50 orders will receive a free 2 inch circle sticker :) i ship internationally! (germany customers pls DM me if u want to get something bc the process will be diff for u)

I’ll be selling new tamagotchi shakers, phone charms, stickers, and prints!!

[thesunshinecourts]

TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF KEEPING A VAMPIRE AS A RESCUE

aftg · kevaaron · 10k, t. vampire au · multiple pov · kevin is doing his Best™ as a vampire for @kittkatattacks, as part of the @aftgexchange · fic graphic art by my beloved @naturecalls111

In a perfect world, someone else would be on Kevin duty today. “You are literally a vampire,” Aaron grouses. “You don’t need sleep. How the fuck are you so bad at getting here on time?” “I am immortal,” Kevin says patiently, as if what he’s about to say is reasonable instead of—undoubtedly—infuriating. “Time is irrelevant.” Yep, Aaron was right. Fucking infuriating. “I will stake you,” he grumbles, then wraps his hand around Kevin’s wrist. “Come on, we’re already late.”

It’s not every day that you go monster-hunting and end up with a pet vampire instead. Aaron really just wanted a dog, but he supposes this isn’t so bad.

(It’s not every day that a monster-hunter finds you, and instead of staking you, brings you home and teaches you how to do laundry. Kevin’s not sure what he wanted, but he’s glad he got this.)

read on ao3

[thesunshinecourts]

a good breeze feels like forgiveness

[thesunshinecourts]

people on The Internet Dot Com keep being absolute idiots about thea muldani so here is your reminder that she's a ravens success story — she grew up in an environment where she was asked to give her all and engage in incredibly unhealthy practices, but the result of such sacrifice was that she was rewarded for it with US court and a pro team. she was part of a cult and "left" in the sense of gaining physical distance, but all of her experiences reaffirmed that the toxic ravens environment was the most effective way to a successful exy career. it is fucked up that she believes others should go through the same thing in order to be "worthy" or "good enough," but i simply do not understand why so many people look at her and think that she should be crucified for being a representation of a finished, successful raven. especially not if she's unable to recognize abuse in others, which tbqh is something that is very common in cult-like settings. you don't want to look something-that-could-very-well-be-abuse-happening-to-others in the eye, because if they're being abused, then you could potentially be being abused, too, and what do you do with that? do you have any idea how hard it is to come to terms with that reality, especially when you are told day in and day out that this is the only way to get to the top? that this is how you make it in the sport? that someone who is being harmed by the coach or the team captain absolutely deserved it? that people who can't hack it are weak, but you're not weak, you're one of the best, you'll do whatever it takes?

is it extremely shitty that she blames jean for his own sexual assault? absolutely, yes. but she doesn't have the whole picture, and it's clear that jean intentionally deceives her (with the comment about him being fragile/clumsy, etc.) and lets her believe he had more agency in his sexual experiences than he truly did because it's a coping mechanism that also serves the purpose of letting her fill in blanks so he does not have to explicitly tell a lie. besides, if there is any singular raven that both kevin and jean view fondly, wouldn't they want her to believe whatever it took so that she didn't ask too many questions? wouldn't they both want her far removed from the reality of the moriyamas and human trafficking, because her uncovering the truth would put her entire life at risk?

people can have friends that are imperfect or do not understand them completely or that fuck things up sometimes. i get that jean's experiences put people on-guard when it comes to how he interacts with other characters, but god damn. she was his mentor. she taught him everything he knows about being a backliner. she made horrible and judgmental assumptions about his experiences. all of those things can be true at the same time. does she not deserve the opportunity to change upon receiving new information? does she not deserve the ability to take a step back, as ravens are dropping like flies and all eyes are on evermore and the perfect court, to consider that maybe she was a victim in all of this, too? that plenty of people are capable of making it to the top without calling another human being the master and turning a blind eye to the king beating his own men? that maybe kevin and jean and all of them were terribly wronged? why is she the only person in this series who's not allowed to grow as a person by developing a more nuanced understanding of rape and sexual assault and learning how to be a better friend to someone who had no choice?

also someone tried to "gotcha" me by saying thea and jean aren't friends because she uhhhh (checks notes) calls him a teasing nickname and says "i'm going to break your ribs" as though threatening your friends (especially ones you play a contact, violent sport with) is the worst possible offense ever in the same book series that people regularly ACTUALLY fistfight each other and pull knives on one another. i'd argue that these are actually huge indicators that they do like each other, because she's probably one of the only people in the world who he can express himself around and even say things like "i'm not from paris" exasperatedly. you know, like you do when people you care about tease or poke fun at you. those are actually probably some of the most normal interactions jean has pre-TSC, honestly, because thea is one of the only people in the nest who has any sort of comraderie with him and who not only makes the effort to see him after his injuries because she cares, but makes it past wymack and kevin and renee and neil guard-dogging him. does the seriously mean nothing? do you think renee fucking walker would have let someone like zane waltz into abby's house if kevin said a single negative word about him?

i have seen some incredibly wonderful and nuanced takes about most characters in AFTG, but at the same time, the way thea is treated and criticized in a more severe way than literal murderers in the series for her possibly-willful ignorance is utterly crazy to me.

idk. just some food for thought