Do you ever have that ship that you love so much that you’re happy to see it in any form
That’s oumota for me
(I mean, I helped with the oumota zine too so I hope I like it) - aaaaaand BINGO
Also I’m happy when people who don’t engage with oumota romantically make platonic content, even including them as siblings/step-siblings because it’s 9 times out of 10 funny af - also I just like people outside of oumota enjoyers realizing there’s no need to pit two bad bitches against each other (except when it’s peak hilarity to do so, obvs)
These characters have infinitely deep potential no matter what you make out of them, they're just such an interesting duo! As ship, as grandpa/granddaughter duo, as just teacher/student duo - no matter! But yes granted I don't even know if /I/ ship them? I am more interested in defending the idea of a ship than shipping it myself, as both characters work better in a ship with other characters! I just always like to see people that ship them, especially if we are on the same page about what ended their friendship and they depict them happy from simpler times before things went into Hell!
I think my biggest discourse point, aside of translation errors and assuming versions as 'THE' truth is that... I don't believe discourse woulda existed if both Gehrman and Maria were the same gender. I will only eat my words if I can travel in the parallel universe where either Maria is a man or Gehrman is a woman and see fandom being the same anyway. Until then, nope!
In my opinion it works better if this ship either never came to fruition and was one-sided from start to finish, or fell apart. Would explain why Gehrman moans Laurence's name in his sleep (ha! GAYYYYYYYY!) but doesn't mention Maria (perhaps enough time passes from her death for him to start to bury feelings even back before Hunter's dream?). And also 'his curious mania' is properly translated as 'insanity of his curiosity' which I always seen as Maria realising his true repulsive Byrgenwerth affiliate motivations for Hamlet massacre? And in my version Gehrman doesn't care or sympathise with anything inhuman - but we know Maria ended up lethally guilty about her crimes, so Gehrman failing to understand and help her with her emotional anguish is a big reason for them growing distant.
It is just so fucking sad. Really. Gehrman has more regrets than anyone else could bear and Maria has to live with disappointment in a mentor she used to idealise. I pointed out 'they can fix each other' in terms of influence - I see that in better turn of events Gehrman could have helped Maria to get less naive and grow tougher skin to manage her natural tender-heartedness better; meanwhile she could influence him to become less ruthless, at least for the sake of people he DOES hold dear. I use 'things crashed and burnt because people failed to properly COMMUNICATE' often in my ideas, huh?
I have to admit it though - dark creativity has its merit too? For example if someone who legitimately interprets Gehrman as sexist and creep showed a messed up dynamic between him and Maria (walking into 'ship' territory or not) through creativity, that'd be interesting to see and examine? Visual art, fanfics or simple presentation of ideas (like theories and essays) just speaks way better and deeper than just bashing character for interpreted reasons. I do not get bitter at hate for the duo as long as it doesn't concern the fans of it, but if someone was to show why for them ship is bad, through art, I'd actually like it despite having different interpretation!
For the duo bingo, if you're still doing it: Oumaki
Oh I’m absolutely still doing it, thank you!
I’m seeing it. I can see it. I’m squinting. It’s so close. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to see it romantically but I’m willing to engage with a convincing argument, fanart or fanfic. They can be an *amazing* reluctant set of partners forced together to accomplish the same goal, I just know it. There’s a reason that them being orphan-friends is the closest the fandom has to a popular trope with them. The reason I put better in fanfic there is because I do need the set up/lore for it aha.
I honestly can’t decide between they can fix each other and they can make each other worse. It’s like, both? But it can only be one in whatever setting/narrative it’s happening in, and it’s *extremely* one way or another.
Listen.... This is one of my fav ships for a reason ok? I drew at least one shippy doodle of them for a reason ok? It beats me how fandom slept on the potential of the TWO (2) Mensis Scholars, whereas one of them ends up going AGAINST concealment of Mensis Ritual mind you (Damian helps you to defeat Rom!).
In my mind they are close. As in, in my official (?) timeline, Damian and Micolash are 'Micolash lost his virginity to Damian in Byrgenwerth' close. But also ships with Micolash are doomed to be at least somewhat unhealthy, huh? So yeah I'd rather call it enjoying the potential of a raw angst and development, rather than seeing it as a romantic ideal ofc. But just like everyone in Bloodborne, they had a shot for genuinely happy dynamic back before things went to Hell.
Needless to mention that there is also a fair potential for them having father/son relationship, hence why I picked 'platonic' option as well! I just enjoy them more as lovers is all. But I guess fate of humanity in general was more important for Damian than approval of his morally questionable bf fsdhfhds (fair enough)