#pencildotblend

I can understand why Red likes Purple. Purple is smart, competent, dependable, a good person, and has been there before Red became captain so they know who Red is.

Assuming camcap, why would Purple like Red? Red is kinda selfish, not good at captaining, and betrayed Purple before.

HELLO PENCIL!! :) this is a wonderful question that im sure purple has thought about before as well heh (as well as red later on). here's my personal interpretation of it!! 😎

the intern era... purple expresses how much they valued someone to work with and depend on. red was that someone! then red signs the nda, effectively betraying purple. and this betrayal can only exist because purple did trust red, they did think they were someone they could rely on. (i like to think that intern purple didnt even doubt that red would be on their side). they used to be good friends ouhuhhh i think about that one image of them being jolly and eating pizza during the flashback sequence... they used to goof off and be silly and help each other out.... and it's so fond. and i think purple hates that, because of what red decided in the end. purple hates red for what they did but they cant not value that time they had together. it tastes sour now, but it meant so much. purple and red used to mean something. red chose mira. purple has nothing. Cue resentment! 💞

so a lot of that super fun i hate that i love you stuff. purple being hurt in only the way someone so close to you can hurt you :) during the show you can practically see purple curl up and die inside when red approaches them at the party (staring at the wall going I dont see them i DONT SEE THEM) (😭) and red genuinely just saying shit and being corny (what could possibly warrant you saying P-p-p-p-p-puuuurps!). now that attitude could be mira's influence but i like to think that intern red was silly as hell. clumsy and silly and back then it was FUN!! you know the whole "crumbling relationship where the traits of your partner start to be more annoying than endearing" Purple and Red. in my head they were both super corny and silly together as interns. but purple in the show is taking this job after being blacklisted and depressed. they're more jaded! and red's silly, clumsy, boastful demeanor isnt cutting it anymore. i adore the kind of misery that comes from genuine love that's splintered by miscommunication and conflict of interests that shit is so good

AND THEN!! WE GET TO POST CANON.

it takes time. killing an alien together was the start. it's really nice that they HAVE time honestly. wistful sigh. why would purple like red again? is the lingering affection enough? i think once red has their turnaround, the possibilities open up. red was all talk before but their actions are speaking now. they were ready to jump in front of a "gunshot" for purple and there's the whole kicking the manual to dump the ore+ thing. IT'S A DAMN START!! red can be capable and smart and they're trying now. things were complicated but they're trying. and i think purple wants it to work out too but they need time. they spent so long in poverty and resentment and they need time.

the mutual desire to amend things is a good place to start :) it's not an easy way of falling in love and it's not really falling in love at all actually. but i see it like... learning to coexist together again, and rediscovering all the things they missed about each other. wait fuck i didnt answer the question uhh FOR PURPLE. for purple i think their attachment to red felt like a burden post reactor meltdown. when red tells purple "despite everything, i still trust you" in THAT scene, i think about the nda in the perspective of purple: of this being red not choosing purple, not trusting their decision to blow the whistle. not trusting them. and now red is reaching out and giving them a job and they have tl work on the same ship and suddenly theyre all each other has.

IM MAKING IT SOUND DEPRESSING THAT THEYRE KINDA STUCK TOGETHER HAHA. it's like Silly Happy Fun Intern Besties to Me and my Husband - Mitski to We're Coworkers! THEIR ENDING IS HOPEFUL TO ME... I STILL BELIEVE IN THEM... im making it sound like purple's attachment/affection for red is an obligation at this point but i think it means something that giving red another chance is purple's Choice. everyone is dead but these two are ALIVE and purple has a choice. and they choose to try again :)

why WOULD purple like red. the messy history that ties them together makes it complicated but overall when it came down to "if our friendship ever meant anything to you, now is the time to prove it" red chose purple! and red committed to that choice. why does purple love red. because they never really stopped? because they cant help themself from it? because red loves them? because red chose them this time. because red admires them, had tried to emulate them to maintain this image of a good captain. red IS selfish and incompetent and betrayed purple's trust. and red cares about them so so so much. red thinks about themself a lot but that really makes it interesting that they also think about PURPLE a lot. red the egotistical captain who cant stop mentioning Purple. lol. neither of them cant help but think about each other... they haunt each others narrative...

remember in the beginning... purple valued having someone to depend on. and now, for a moment, red has become someone they can depend on. someone they needed to depend on, to make it out of this alive. so purple put their trust in red again and it worked out! that turning point, of being able to trust red again. that's it. and it's so important to me that it's the start of it. trust/relationship issues cant be just solved with a singular action aka blowing up an alien via saltwater gun, it needs time and care and both sides involved in putting the pieces together...

(AND THEY GET THAT TIME!!! can you tell im really sick about that) postcanon is them taking the time to answer your very question... i think... 🚬