TTC!Cryptid starts as just a fucking kid in the L'manburg revolution. They just sort of stumble into it. Even if they love it very quickly. Tommy, Tubbo, and Fundy are like cool chaotic older brothers. Eret noticably treats them like the youngest, because they are. Wilbur doesn't care much, he still encourages them to fight.
The 15 loop they're still young, they're on Dream's side this time. They're not really equal with the rest, that's fine, they still make a difference. Tommy's like a rival. They're on the same level. He's supposed to be older, why is he the same now.
The 17 loop... They're basically an adult, hell they are for most of it. Most people treat them like it. That's fine. That's good. Tommy and Tubbo are still kids to everyone.
The 19 loop. They hang around Wilbur again. He looks at them different. The way they've always looked at him. They don't mind it. It's wrong, it feels wrong. Then... Well then it actually happens. They actually happen. Isn't he supposed to be an authority figure. Tommy and Tubbo respect them, that's nice. Why why why no this is wrong they look up them this is all wrong, THEY are supposed to be the ones looking up to them
The 21 loop. They found L'manburg again. Wilbur and them happen again. It's fine. They'll do better this time. They'll stop him from spiralling this time. He doesn't want them to fight. He fucking doesn't want them to fight. He let them fight when they were 13 why won't he now? Why does their life mean so much more to him now that they kiss? The kids look up to them as an authority. When did they start thinking of them as 'the kids"? Fundy looks up to them as an authority. He called them mom once. And he only corrected himself by asking if they wanted a masculine, feminine or neutral designation. He hasn't called them mom again. But he calls them Dad. When did they get so old? And why has everyone stayed the same?
It's a disconnect that so deeply rooted at this point. They can't go back on it. It sickens them. They look at the faces of everyone and they have no idea who to see. Once they wished they could be older. They thought of it as a perk of having to rewind the server (look where that's gotten them? No where. It still always ends the same. They barely make a difference), they thought it'd be good. Now they just want to go back to those younger days. They were so much simpler.