#tuiyla

[gleesource]

GLEE — 1.04 “Preggers”

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What are your favourite things about Kurtbastian? :) what makes them so appealing to you?

Hello and thank you so much for this ask! I love any opportunity to gush about Kurtbastian <3

So I think before I get into it, I want to preface with a few things. Not so much for you specifically, but just for anyone who happens to read this.

Kurtbastian is my favourite ship. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean that I think it's objectively (or even subjectively lol) better than other ships. It's just my personal preference, not any sort of statement of objective quality.

I'm also aware that most of what Kurtbastian is, especially on Sebastian's end, is based in fanon. I understand that some people might take issue with me ranking something based in fanon over canon ships. I'm not trying to say that a non-canon ship is more valuable than a canon ship, because I certainly recognize the value in canon ships. That being said, I also don't think that canon ships are objectively better than fanon ships; I think they're just so different it's really not comparable. Again I think this just comes down to personal preference, and I'm just trying to share my perspective.

This is very specifically my opinions. I'd like to think that a lot of other people who ship Kurtbastian would agree with at least some of the things that I say here, but I'm not trying to speak for anyone else or say that these are the reasons other people should like them; these are just some reasons that I, personally, like them.

Alright, with that out of the way, let's get to it! I'm going to break it into three main sections. First Kurt and Sebastian as individuals, then their dynamic together. I considered talking a little more broadly about why them being fanon rather than canon appeals to me, because that is part of it too, but I decided against it because a) this was already getting kind of long, b) it's not really a Kurtbastian-specific point, and c) I think it would involve a lot of drawing comparisons with canon ships to properly get some of my thoughts across, and I wanted this post to focus on the merits of Kurtbastian on their own as opposed to relying on comparisons to other ships. That being said, it is a topic I'd be more than happy to discuss elsewhere if you're interested in that conversation!

The Kurt of it all.

This is the most straightforward and obvious part of why I love this ship so much. Anybody who has taken even a moment to glance at my blog probably knows that I am deeply and irrevocably in love with Kurt Hummel. I think he's a fascinating character and I love love love exploring him and how his mind works. I really relate to how he often deals with (or rather, doesn't deal with) his emotions by kind of burying them or putting up walls and not letting people in or pushing them away until it can't be ignored anymore. I love angst and drama, and seeing how that can build up and pile onto him until a breaking point is something I really enjoy and also in a way kind of feels therapeutic to me. I could elaborate more, but I think that a) Kurt is such a well fleshed out character than it's not super necessary, and b) it's probably more informative to spend more time talking about the things about Sebastian and then Kurtbastian together that make them appealing to me, because that's the part that we don't really get in canon so is the part that people are more likely to not understand.

The Sebastian of it all.

So, the Sebastian we're given in canon is... questionable at best. I'm not here to argue that, and I don't think any other Kurtbastian shipper would, either. Sebastian is not a great person, he says and does so much shit that is absolutely not acceptable. And then he gets a sort-of redemption where he apologizes, says that he realizes he's been wrong, and he says he'll change. He ends up helping out with Blaine's proposal and everyone seems on good terms at that point. This redemption has been met with mixed opinions; you can argue that it's canon and he's becoming a better person, or you can argue that it was just for show and he hasn't really changed. Personally, I don't really care what's canonically the case (though for what it's worth, I think he probably makes an effort to be less shitty in some cases but is still kind of a shitty person at other times, because it's kind of hard to pull a complete 180 like that). What I find interesting is thinking about if he did, in fact, decide to work on himself and become a better person, what would that look like? And not only that, but why is he a shitty person in the first place? Obviously some people are just... shitty, with no underlying "reason". And having bad shit in your past is never an excuse for shitty behaviour, nor does everybody with some kind of trauma or negative life experiences end up being a shitty person, obviously, lots of people deal with varying degrees of past trauma and are still amazing and wonderful people. But it can affect people in a way that makes them lash out at others in inappropriate and harmful ways, and this is fiction and a safe place to explore that, and doing so isn't equivalent to making a statement about the morality of that kind of behaviour. And I think there is value to be had in showing stories about imperfect characters - and, yes, even deeply flawed and morally objectionable characters - growing and changing and realizing their past wrongs. It doesn't mean their past mistakes don't matter, and it doesn't mean that those who previously wronged them need to forgive them by any means, but even in real life people make mistakes and wrong others all the time. And just because you've done shit you're not proud of doesn't mean you can't move forward and grow and become better, you know? And Sebastian, well, the boy has a lot of room for growth. I think it can be a tricky line to walk because I feel like people could interpret this as trying to justify his actions and say "oh they're okay because he changed", but that's really not it. It's about change and growth and learning to move on even with that past and having to deal with the baggage that comes with that. I feel like I could talk myself in circles trying to explain this while clarifying the things I'm not saying, so I'm going to stop now, but as a tl;dr: Sebastian is kinda fucked up and I like to think about why he's that way and what the process of change and growth might look like for him.

The Kurtbastian of it all.

I guess this is the most important part. Because obviously you can love two characters, but to ship them there needs to be something about the dynamic between them that really ties it together. We're given some interactions between them in canon, and they're pretty much all some flavour of hostile or antagonistic or wary at best. They don't like each other ("I don't like you." "Fun, I don't like you either.") and they only barely play nice in front of Blaine. And I. fucking. love. it. They play off each other so damn well. They are always trying to one-up the other with their words and I think it's just so interesting to see.

When Kurt feels threatened, his best defense has always been his words, and when he's faced bullies in the past they were never really a match for his wit, and he knew it, and it gave him a way to feel superior to them so that even if they could push him around he still knew he was better than them. Is "feeling superior" to others a great coping strategy? Well, that's not the point, but I never said Kurt was perfect anyway; he's just a kid going through way more shit than one person could ever deserve and trying to cope however he can manage. Anyway, back on topic, the fact that Sebastian can match him in that realm is a challenge. It's new, and I think it's really fun to see that back and forth. Also notably, Sebastian isn't actually a bully to Kurt, in my opinion. Generally I think of them as enemies-to-lovers in a shipping context, but I think "rivals" is probably a better word to describe them. I don't think they'd really get along in the first place anyway, but they'd probably pretty much just leave each other alone if it wasn't for the Blaine of it all forcing them to be around each other.

For Sebastian's part, I think he sees it as more amusing. It seems fun to him, the rivalry they have going on, like it's a game. He's always grinning or smirking and he wants a reaction and he loves it when Kurt gives back just as good as he gets. I think he's a little surprised with Kurt, honestly, and I like to think that could turn to something akin to fascination/intrigue. I love the idea of their verbal sparring matches, on his end, becoming less about Blaine and more about Kurt. And what I mean by that is, initially this is happening because Sebastian wants Blaine, and Kurt is Blaine's boyfriend, so Sebastian is acting this way toward Kurt because of that, but then over time maybe that's less of a factor and it's just that he wants to interact with Kurt and doesn't care so much about Blaine anymore, though he'd of course still use it as an excuse because he is absolutely not about to admit that any part of him likes Kurt in any way.

And then beyond the dynamic we're explicitly given in canon, I like to think they're more alike than they think, and of course they'd both be absolutely appalled to hear that, but it's true (in my headcanons, anyway). I think they both use their words and their wit as a defense mechanism. I think they both have masks that they put on and hide behind, and they don't like to let people too close. And the idea of two people like that slowly learning to open up to each other, to me is just so interesting. Because they can see those traits in the other person, and they can recognize that it's important to let down those walls and to open up, and I think that also helps them see that it kind of needs to be a two-way street. And on top of that, they wouldn't be afraid to call each other out on their shit. I think that's good for both of them, because in my mind they're both kind of shit at communicating their feelings if something is wrong, but what they're not shit at communicating is when they see something is going on with someone else. And I think that would be really good for both of them, to have somebody who will call them on that and make them face their issues and help them deal with the problem. I think they could frame issues and solutions to those issues in a really logical way that makes sense to both of them, but the one with the problem maybe just didn't even consider as an option because they were so wrapped up in it. I think they'd be really good at grounding each other, very call-it-like-it-is, very complimentary in a way that still challenges each other to be better. In season 6, Kurt makes a comment that his therapist said that men fight to stay connected; I don't think that's true, but I do think that Kurt and Sebastian are both the kind of people who are at their best when they have someone on their side who isn't afraid to start conflict if it means calling out a legitimate problem, and I could see them each being that person to each other.

In summary.

So I guess, in summary, what it really comes down to is a) I love Kurt, b) I love the potential I see in Sebastian, c) I love their little verbal sparring matches and the way they can play off each other (we call that chemistry), and d) I love the specific ways that I imagine their strengths and flaws could interact, and the challenges and growth they could face as a result. It does make for a specific kind of story, but it's a specific kind of story that I personally find fascinating and am really drawn to, and that's why I love them so much. Hopefully this makes sense, and hopefully I didn't miss anything crucial, though I probably didn't cover quite everything. And if there's something in particular that I said that you (or anyone else!) would like to talk more about, or want me to elaborate on, I'm more than happy to do that as well.

[angelhummel]

#idk i just hate going in the actual glee tag to see whats new#bc big surprise most of it is not pretty art

you're so right 😂😔

like literallyyy 90% of it is either "thank god glee ended before they could cover x" or "omg i just remembered [the absolute most basic detail of the show] glee was such trash" like. ok.

i mean i know we're the idiots here for being as deep into the fandom as we are lol but there are some takes that are so tired you'd think even an outsider of the fandom would realize that these things have been said approximately 938157902 times before and not feel the need to post :|

[ericeffiorg]

god I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thought the editing was clunky and noticed all the ADR. In these last four eps in particular like what was up with that

right?? the ADR really took me out bc the way it was so obvious the actors weren't reacting to what was being said and yet the camera stayed on them for an awkward amount of time. the season felt very rushed and i wonder if they just didn't think it was funny enough? cos a lot of the ADR was just one liners

[eratos-girlfriend]

Gif maker appreciation! Talk a bit about your five favourite gifsets that you've done and send this to five other creators :)

Thank you so much for this! @tuiyla <333 It is a honour to receive this from one of my favourite gif makers<3

Amber Gray as Persephone

This was made for the celebration of Amber Gray and I am really proud of it. She is a big part of something that I love and makes me happy so this gif-set is pretty special.

Love Languages

This gif took a lot of time from me to finish but I am happy how it turned out, even though I made mistakes doing it. It was so much fun and the prompt was awesome because I am always here for the celebration of love. I am so thankful for @gleeful-paintbox-project because it gave me an opportunity and motivation to start making gif-sets. Even though I wouldn’t consider myself a skilled gif maker yet (which is why I was so surprised and flattered to get this, thank you again) this was the first gif I really challenged myself doing.

I Follow Rivers

I just love Tina and this song of hers as I am sure you can tell. I just wanted celebrate her and this song and I really like how it turned out. she deserved better

Mercedes Jones for Emoji Association Game

This was so much fun to make and this is a really fun game. This was meant to be something else but it ended up being a Mercedes gif-set and I glad it did because her💕

Sancedes I have many ideas about gifs that I want to do but I can’t start for some reason (another reason why I love the gleefulproject, I tell myself to finish it before next week and I do). But this gif-set just happened because I realised how Santana and Mercedes look out for each other and how cute it is. I really like it and I think it turned out well.

also thank you to @terracottaheartbreak who also sent me this <333333

[johannesviii]

Commissioned by @tuiyla: Synesthesia drawing of the Glee version of Girl on Fire

[tthankstoyou]

Quinn and Sebastian for the character ask!

ty for the ask!!! i just answered quinn here

favorite thing about them: how easy it is to make fun of him 🥰 also love how he decided he wanted to be a good person and actually stopped being a little shit

least favorite thing about them: the racist things he said to santana :/

favorite line: “fun, i don’t like you either” ( @xmeggiemoox i just saw you said the same quote in ur answer. very iconic of us)

brOTP: i… don’t know 😭. like how acitw says, i don’t think he has any friends that doesn’t wanna get in his pants. i guess i would like to see him and jeff become bros?

OTP: kurtbastian my beloved <3 it’s really my only sebastian ship ahsjdj

nOTP: seblaine. no judgment to ppl who do ship it, it’s just not my cup of tea. also sebtana is really gross 😦

random headcanon: i think he’d really like salt water taffy

unpopular opinion: his popped collars aren’t THAT ugly. i really appreciate how he wore it two times canonically. it’s his staple (also a lot of ppl hate him so me loving him could count as unpopular 🦧)

song I associate with them: ohhhh boy do i have a bunch. the archer by taylor, 27 by fob, summerboy by gaga, nice guys finish last by cobra starship, i did something bad by taylor, fucked my way to the top by lana, turn you on by paris hilton, etc etc

favorite photo:

i can hear his heart beating out of his chest. good. i like him vulnerable and pathetic

[rachelberryy]

@tuiyla: Please tell me more I'm fascinated

Sure!

Let’s start with the characters, beginning of course with my beloved Rachel.

She starts this season losing Finn. I’ve spoken about this before, but I think she had by this time internalised a lot of Finn’s insecurities about no one else loving him the way she did, which of course added to the insecurities she already had about being unloveable. He said they were supposed to be endgame, and she believed him, and then he wasn’t there any more, and she didn’t know what to do. She had no idea how to move forward.

I think a lot of this contributed to things that happened later on in the season, but I’ll put a pin in that for now, because she had two other major storylines this season: the launch of her career, and her relationship with Santana. I think their dynamic is one of the most interesting on the whole show, and I think that this season does the best job of exploring why. Rachel really had no idea how to have friendships with women without them being a competitor as well, if not a straight-up adversary (just look at how she reacted when Quinn started being nice to her - she had no idea what was going on). It didn’t help that Santana had been both of those to her for most of the show up to that point. But something changed when Santana helped Rachel through her pregnancy scare - Rachel had a genuine friendship with Santana, and Rachel became the only person besides Brittany who Santana was ever vulnerable around.

Then the feud happened. While it was terribly handled and they both started behaving like the worst versions of themselves for a while, I think it was probably inevitable that it did, because of Rachel’s insecurities - Finn and her talent were the only things of which she was sure (erroneously so, but that’s a discussion for another day) and then one was taken from her and the other was now being threatened. When people talk about the feud, though, they usually leave out the part where they came through to the other side, stronger because of it. It’s incredibly significant that it’s Santana who rouses Rachel on opening night of Funny Girl. I think, by that point, she had arguably replaced Kurt as Rachel’s best friend, and had definitely replaced Finn as Rachel’s “person”. (Is there a large part of me that would’ve rather had it be Quinn? Of course, but that doesn’t change the way I feel about what actually happened). I love Opening Night, it’s one of my favourite episodes of the show; it’s a wonderful celebration of friendship, of the theatre, and of Rachel Berry - three of my favourite things! I think the only thing I’d change would be having Quinn there instead of the Sue subplot, but I digress.

Then there’s what happens after Opening Night, which brings us back to Rachel’s insecurities. As she says in the very first episode, she “wants everything too much.” However, as I said earlier, she had also internalised a lot of Finn’s insecurities as a result of his attitude and behaviour towards her in season 4, which largely manifested in his always wanting the things he doesn’t have. Not the best combination, for sure, and I think her desperate search for something led her to feel so unsatisfied with her dream that soon, and why she quit to do TV. The second half of that arc plays out in season 6, as she finally puts her life back together. My girl is a mess for most of this season, but it’s a really interesting look at her character. Between this and the following season, her arc has some interesting things to say about grief, insecurity and picking yourself back up after a setback - and how hard it is to do that when the setback is one of your own making.

As for the other things that I love about this season:

Klaine learning to exist as a relationship outside of High School - I also think that this shows why they had to break up again in season 6. The first time they dated, back in high school, it always felt a little unbalanced: it was Kurt and his Knight in Shining Armour. Then, when they’re together this season, the roles have been reversed: Blaine is feeling his youth, and he also knows Kurt has the power in the relationship because of how it ended the first time around. When they finally come back together in season 6, it finally feels like it’s as equals, and, not coincidentally, as adults.

All the gang, together in New York. I just love them all so much. It’s the closest they came post-season 3 to actually feeling like Glee again. Now, if only Quinn and Tina were there - ah well, you can’t win them all.