#but then i'm thinking about the ushiromiya shannon stuff and wondering if there isn't an orphanage link

[pochapal]

this being the first theory battler has lampshaded and discarded as a joke is making me extremely 👁

[batbeato]

What would be your thoughts on George if he was transgender? I'm curious, because a very very very large part of his upbringing was Eva attempting to outdo Krauss in, if not being the perfect heir, raising one and, usually, I think I've only seen portrayals and analysis of what that would mean for Battler and Jessica.

You have one of the best (at least in my opinion) understandings of the characters, and I read your Jessie+Yukari fic (and they were...so...cute! Also, good on Krauss and Asumu, there!), so I was wondering what you thought of this scenario.

I'm afraid I don't have a very good grasp on George's character, but he seems to have had a pretty strict upbringing in regards to his education. Being raised to become the perfect heir would also meaning confirming to the gender role of a man - even though he (she?) wouldn't truly feel that way. Or alternatively, be so deep in denial, actively wading into the closet so far back s/he ends up in Narnia.

As much as Eva loves George, I don't think she'd react well to him being transgender. Considering...everything, especially in the Ushiromiya family. This sounded more thought out in my head, but it's all kind of bleeeehh written out, sorry! I wanted to ramble more and my mind just went absolutely blank.

Thank you for your faith, ahaha. Not sure it is merited but I appreciate it <3

Honestly, I feel like George being trans would be... very difficult for their family to accept. Like, Eva loves her son a lot, and she worries a lot about forcing George to be the "perfect Head", but in the end despite her worries she still gave George a very strict upbringing and George is a lot closer to his easygoing father than he is to his very strict mother (who also wants to arrange a marriage for him). He doesn't even clearly express that he isn't interested in an arranged marriage to Eva. He just plans to spring his engagement with Shannon on her and everyone else in the family. A big public show of things, probably to make sure Eva has less of a chance to force him to change his mind or marry someone else. It's... not really the actions of a person who trusts his family to be normal about him disobeying expectations.

If George was trans I can imagine them repressing it, because they were raised with a lot of stuff about gender roles and misogyny and just. Yeah. I can imagine their relationship with Shannon being a sort of "look, I can be Normal, I am definitely a Man who loves Women" (is actually a trans lesbian using attraction to women to deny transness). Would add an extra layer of "fucked up" to the whole thing where the jealousy of Battler is more about Battler being a man (something they're supposed to be but aren't deep down) and being jealous of Jessica is about Jessica being an open tomboy not conforming to gender norms or expectations of being a proper lady (ignoring or just being ignorant of the fact that Natsuhi punishes her for it, or just that Jessica can keep being a tomboy in spite of Natsuhi's disapproval/punishment).

I just feel like George... wouldn't be open about it. At all. Not even to Shannon. Another tragedy of Rokkenjima where if only people had opened up they'd have found they weren't alone in the terrible misogynistic patriarchal society they feel so trapped and lonely in. And it would probably fuel George attempting to fit into the masculine, patriarchal expectations where they're supposed to take this leading role of a provider/leader and treat women a certain (terrible) way and they're trying very hard to fit those expectations to the point where they're blind to how it hurts Sayo even as they try to improve and self-reflect because it's ultimately a defense mechanism to hide their transness and perceived 'otherness'. Lots of internalized transphobia there.