My thoughts on Cliff Marlow moving through the world:
Imagine Marlow just kinda walking around being a bit thick about absolutely everything but having moments of absolute clarity.
Marly at the club, 4 drinks in, and giving their new rookie genuine and good relationship advice about boundaries...then minutes later shoving a toungue down someone's throat on the dance floor.
Marly getting caught in the discourse about pronouns and gender identity in the locker room (the apache attack helicopter of it all around 2014) and getting very serious and going on a tangent about mutual human respect and how people should be free to be their authentic selves...and then turning around and getting a rookie with a snap of a wet towel...and laughing like an absolute asshole about it.
Marly clocking Ryan Price because Ryan was trying very hard not to look at the pretty pretty boys in a Miami club (and its not like Marly knows what that looks like or anything). And sure they dragged Ryan here against his will but Marly is gona make sure the man at least gets a chance to enjoy the pretty eye candy (cause he is a good teammate and not because he also wants an excuse to look). Marly going on an impromptu tangent about how fluid sexuality is and how cute all the twinks in Miami are and how Marley appreciates pretty people and how gender doesn’t matter when it comes to matters of the heart...maybe its not eloquent but the tangent has much more nuance than a man with his personality should have. He then points out each twink he finds hot until Ryan agrees with him when he follows Marly's eyes to a pretty brunette with eyeliner on.
Marly going on a tangent about healthy relationship dynamics when Ilya tells him about Ottawa. Marly immediately expressing his concern that his boyfriend isn't sacrificing his career and instead Ilya is the one to self sabotage. Ilya just stares at Marly because the guy just casually dropped the whole 'Shane Hollander' of it all without saying the name. Marly finishes off his rant with a casual 'given that you have the bigger ass, he should be the one chasing tail'
Marly meeting Luca Haas at the Wedding™️ and immediately clocking that Luca thinks he is hot (just because he isn't a 'practicing bisexual'doesnt mean he is out of practice). Marly cornering Luca and asking him if the attraction is due to Ilya being unobtainable in the same breath as a warning about older guys looking to take advantage of naivety. Luca's face can't decide if it wants to be pale in fear or red with shame. Marly shifts his attention to Ilya and casually says "he's a messy kisser anyways - its kinda gross" and fucks off like nothing happened.




















