#for context the last one was about esmp pearl sooooo

[thekittymuffin]

Gillion tidestrider, more than either of his co-captains, compels me

His story in a simplified sense is very similar to Jay's, they both spend the majority of their lives training and living for a cause, whether that be the champion of thr undersea or a navy soldier. They experience a great deal of turmoil in grappling what it means to learn that that is not the path they want to take in life and we see those ramifications across the campaign.

I connect to both of them really deeply on this level though, for the majority of my life my parents steered me towards math and sciences as field that would (hopefully) award me a well paying job and stable life, and in recent years I've had to come to terms with how much I love art, and how I could never imagine myself doing anything else. Both Jay and Gillion parallel this with pirating in a way

But

Gillion was raised in a religious environment where his entire destiny and reason for being were reliant on his position as a hero. Aside from a vaguely Christian upbringing my experience is so widely different, but in that I then get to ponder on the nature of fantasy.

Fiction is often used to delve into and explore concepts while bending reality and exaggerating feelings to better communicate. I first felt this when reading (my beloved) The Grimm Conclusion by Adam Gidwitz near the end of the book. (I will not spoil this kids book for you it changed by life when I was younger) fantasy is used to exagerate reality and circumstances while exploring a real emotion core, and Gillion does that for me

He is the fantasy me who has to deal with changing their destiny and what that means to go back on who raised you. Gillion, and so many other fictional characters, have helped me understand myself and feel less alone in my experiences and I have to thank charlie slimecicle for absolutely fucking killing it

In conclusion, gillion tidestider tits tuesday has done more for me accepting my body than any heartfelt conversation or compassionate post online ever and I also have to deal with that