#so I made this post like 2 or so years ago and I still see it sometimes

[blackgirlcinephiles]

Incoming: Long post! Black media discourse! Zendaya think piece!

Two years ago I wrote this post about Zendaya, Keke Palmer, and how colorism shapes the career trajectories of Black actresses.

This past weekend Challengers released in theaters, sparking a round of online discussion about Zendaya, her star power, her talent as an actor, and how a raunchy film like Challengers fits into a cultural landscape that’s less enthusiastic about on-screen depictions of sex.

Early reviews of the film lauded Zendaya’s performance, and even after it’s release, the general consensus remains overwhelmingly positive, with quiet buzzing of a potential Oscar nomination for Zendaya. Kudos to her!

I’m not here, however, to discuss or analyze Zendaya’s acting chops. (To some ppl, she’s outstanding, to others she’s overhyped. Personally, I think Zendaya is talented. Her work in Euphoria was no small feat and she’s proved herself capable.)

The reason I’m writing this now is that an excerpt from this article about Zendaya and Challengers got me thinking again about what it takes for Black actors to become “stars” in this day and age. I’ll insert screenshots here.

Now I’m sure the reviewer’s tone in these excerpts will be off-putting to some, esp those who identify as a part of the Zendaya standom. It’s clear that Ms. Angelica Jade Bastien has yet to buy into the fanfare about Zendaya’s acting abilities.

But she touches on something very interesting to me. Zendaya is THE most prominent Black actress of the younger generation and I’d argue her degree of star power is unmatched by even her non-Black peers, some of them having comparatively longer (& more impressive) resumes. Zendaya is incredibly well liked. People want to see her and she’s been so visible these past 6 years that it’s hard to believe Challengers is her first leading role in a big release.

So…why her? Why has Zendaya been able to garner this level of star power and leverage behind the scenes while other equally talented Black actors fight for adequate roles and visibility? After reading several opinions, I’ve come to some conclusions.

I think colorism, racial identity, and desirability politics all play a role (as was discussed in the colorism post). But I also think Zendaya has been very smart about managing her online presence and overall brand. She’s maintained Beyonce level privacy about her personal life (virtually scandal free since her teens) and has managed to exude poise while still being seen as delightfully down-to-earth. That in itself is praiseworthy b/c it’s a delicate balancing act and many have faltered.

I also think that as AJB states, there’s an indictment on Hollywood to be made here. I think since Zendaya’s exit from Disney, the projects she’s taken on have used her likeness to stoke public interest in the films. (Similar to the way ppl watched Selena’s film choices post- Wizards of Waverly: “What’s this beloved disney kid up to next?”)

And this is noteworthy b/c the significance of Zendaya’s roles in the early films of the Spiderman and Dune franchises have been disproportionate to her visibility in promotional materials. Zendaya’s screentime in the first Dune couldn’t have amounted to more than 10 minutes, but she was prominently featured on the press tour and red carpets. The same goes for the first Spiderman. She’s clearly been used to sell tickets to these movies, even when she doesn’t have a lot to do in them.

And Zendaya, to her credit, has made the most of these opportunities (earlier this year she received high praise for her performance as Chani in Dune 2). She once stated in a vogue interview that she started going out for roles initially written as white to see if she’d be able to change the casting team’s mind. And it seems that she’s succeeded, as evidenced by her presence in several huge releases over the past 6 years. But these were often small, supporting roles where her identity as a biracial Black woman didn’t impact her character’s arc within the overall story. (This is not necessarily a bad thing in itself, but stay with me)

This then begs the question, “What does it mean for a star like Zendaya to take up roles originally reserved for white actresses?”

The conclusion I’ve come to is that it means providing a film with enough racial diversity to give the impression that Hollywood cares about being inclusive, while not being so different that certain audiences are unable to “connect” to the character. I think that “Hollywood’s acceptable Black girl” has to be Black enough to fulfill a diversity quota, but not so Black that audiences are reminded the character has a different lived experience from them and feel uncomfortable.

Like AJB said, I don’t believe mainstream audiences are actually interested in Black female rage. It makes them uncomfortable and lately certain factions of the population have been extremely vocal about being “tired of woke.”

I find it strange that Justin Kuritzkes (the Challengers screenwriter) stated it only made sense to write Tashi as a Black woman bc of the visibility and dominance of Black women in tennis, but didn’t think it’d be important to explore any of the challenges that come with that in the film. And for this to be followed by the decision to cast a light skinned, biracial actress in the role? It doesn’t make any sense.

We’re shown that Tashi Duncan is a fierce, unapologetically competitive athlete. And yet, these are not qualities that Black female athletes are usually applauded for having. Just look at the narratives that have swirled around athletes like Serena Williams and Sha’Carri Richardson since their debuts. There’s always a barely concealed desire to humble high achieving Black women who are confident in their abilities. The press coverage around Serena & Naomi’s infamous match (which Justin Kuritzkes said inspired Challengers) is a perfect example of that. It’s strange to model a character after these figures and give no mention of these struggles and how they’d influence character motivations.

IMO, this reads as another case of not wanting to be critized for lack of diversity in your film, while also not wanting to do the work that goes into making your diverse cast authentic. (like getting input from or writing alongside other BIPOC screenwriters. That “little white boys” line is truly meaningless without any context or backstory. And it doesn’t sound like they’ve given Tashi much.) The result is an Black female lead character who is under-written and whose importance has been overstated in the promos in contrast to the actual story. (Which seems to fit right on trend for films Zendaya’s been a part of.)

Zendaya seems to have become the go-to Black actress for when big budget films want to “go ethnic.” She’s mixed race, conventionally beautiful, near universally well-liked w/ a loyal fanbase, and has been recognized as talented enough (Two Emmys! Count ‘em. Two!) to get the job done. She’s a safe bet that allows them to kill two birds with one stone. By adding Zendaya to the mix, the studio gets to check a diversity box for their cast and gets leading star guaranteed to get them sales.

I really don’t want anyone to misconstrue this as downplaying Zendaya’s achievements or her talent, b/c it’s not. But no part of the society we live in is a true meritocracy. As I discussed in the original post re: colorism, there are always structural and social forces at work shaping our ability to advance. Like Beyonce, Zendaya is an incredibly privileged Black woman who is talented, has worked hard, and has made the most of the advantages she’s been afforded. And I don’t think Zendaya has any control over the way she’s been used to advertise the films she’s done over the past 6 years.

I just think this conversation is another opportunity to adjust our perspectives and examine the limitations of representation in Hollywood. I’m reluctant to acknowledge Zendaya’s current success as a marker of progress or even see it as a win for Black female representation.

“Zendaya is officially Gen Z’s Hollywood star. Gen Z’s first true Hollywood star is a Black woman!”

What does it say about the stage of progress we’re in if our generation’s chosen Black leading lady has to have such close proximity to whiteness that people can choose to overlook her Blackness, if they so desire? Is the mere presence of a Black face in a high place progress? Or is it what that person’s power allows them to do for others who are also marginalized? As AJB asked, how meaningful is Zendaya’s position as a Black female producer if everything about the projects she’s involved in is white except for her? (Just throwing out food for thought: How different would Challengers have been if a MoC was casted as one of the male leads instead of the two “white twinks” everyone can’t stop talking about? No shade to Mike Faist or Josh O’Connor, but would it still have gotten buzz? Would the marketing team have known how to advertise the film if there were two main actors of color instead of one?)

I think it’s amazing to see Zendaya’s growth and success as a biracial Black female entertainer, but I won’t attach any meaning to her success that isn’t there.

This is actually a really shitty time for Black art and Black actors in Hollywood. Last year, so many wonderful Black shows were cancelled. DEI rollbacks are hitting all parts of society, but especially entertainment and the trend doesn’t seem to be reversing any time soon.

It’s not comforting to see Zendaya reach the heights she’s soared to, while other equally talented yet less privileged Black actors fall into obscurity waiting years before they get another role that showcases their abilities. Black actors continue to suffer from lack access to opportunities/roles. Their projects are not marketed and given time to grow. And even when the support is there, the shows will still be cancelled. What does it say that the one Black actress who has had consistent enough access to these opportunites to achieve “star” status is the one with the closest proximity to whiteness?

Things are actually very bleak.

#blackgirlcinephiles #black girls on tumblr #discourse #black actresses #black actresses in hollywood #zendaya #challengers #what does it mean to be a star in this day and age #what is the true importance of having a Black hollywood star? #should it mean anything? #black representation #black representation in media

[thedarkmongoose]

okay, so. the hannibal panel at c2e2.

this might be a hot take, but it was a rehash of basically every other interview they've ever done. regardless, i highly enjoyed attending the panel and getting to see a live interview between them with lovely fannibal friends. they have a great dynamic and it was heartwarming to watch in-person.

it's been 11 years since the show aired, so they probably stuck to the same/safe questions/answers bc hugh and mads didn't remember much of it. which is fair! but even they looked exhausted from the same repetitive questions and were itching to hear something new. mads did answer one of the q's which was like, "what was your favorite memory on set?" with "there's tons of them. the problem with favorite stories is that you can't remember them. but when you're in the midst of it, it's funny and crazy. but when you get the question, you can't remember." which is true.

and also tbf (i think) hugh said that he flew in and got drunk with mads. if i remember correctly, they joked about how hugh was late for his first fan op (bc the had such a good time drinking the night prior), but mads made it a point to say that he still showed up to his. 😂 mads also said he missed hugh and it was sweet. you could tell he was being genuine.

thus, you have 2 hungover older actors doing a panel about a show they did 11 years ago at an event that was hastily thrown together at the last minute. it's no surprise they played it safe. the fan q's were pretty lame tbh. some were what i consider inappropriate. but hugh/mads seemed to light up at the silly questions the most. (which ofc, they're there to have fun). the fans would cheer/clap/shout "i love you!" after everything they said, which you could tell was grating on them after a while. like there were definitely appropriate times for commotion, but it happened after EVERY SINGLE QUESTION/COMMENT. (it's impossible to focus in a setting like that) also the "hugh dancy loves fake blood" bit got old real quick and you could tell he was over it lol.

on top of that, bc it's a reunion, they probably went for the nostalgia angle vs trying to do something contemporary. it's the safest way to ensure the guests/fans have an easy, fun time. the moderator had the right energy and knew how to ask questions/transition the convo properly. just the questions themselves were not interesting or new. they also cut the panel like 10 mins early.

the only real "new" bits we got was hugh dancy's answer to the q "why did will graham wear glasses sometimes?" his original answer from back in the day was "because i thought it/will would look cool with blood on his glasses" but his updated response was sth like "because it helps shield him from the world"

that's all for now lol. i'll post more panel bits as i remember them.

#c2e2 #c2e2 2024 #c2e2 hannibal #hannibal reunion #hannibal panel #hannibal #hannigram #nbc hannibal #hannibal nbc #hugh dancy #will graham #mads mikkelsen #hannibal x will #fannibals #chicago #thedarkmongoose #.txtpost #will post more later

[incorrectinfinity]

Emporio is literally just a lil baby. A lil guy. Why did this have to happen to him.

#🎀.txt #jjba rambles #so I made this post like 2 or so years ago and I still see it sometimes #it was basically me saying that my favorite horror trope is putting a kid/an innocent in a horrific situation #and watching how they deal with it and how it affects their views and ways of life #yeah emporio is the pinnacle of that #this poor poor boy.... #born in prison and left to fend for himself in a new timeline where everyone and everything around him is both familiar and unrecognizable #with the knowledge that everyone and everything he knew and loved is gone forever #not even technically dead.. #will they ever reach heaven? will he ever see them again? #those are questions and facts that Emporio has to live with #and I adore it #god the end of stone ocean is SO FUCKING GOOODDDDDD

[akkivee]

that unpopular hypmic opinion post that’s been floating around for a minute has been has been fun in places, not so much in others lol but today it had me crying because i also wanted bat to beat mtr, and i long for what sort of character direction hitoya would have gotten if he had beat jakurai then 😭😭😭

#this is vee speaking #i don’t have any unpopular opinions to throw out lol others got me covered lol #i squat in far more toxic fandoms so it’s not the worst unpopular opinions post i’ve seen lol #like it’s frustratingly fun if that makes sense lol i don’t agree and sometimes vehemently disagree lmao #but it’s neat to see where they’re coming from lol to see how others’ brains work ya feel #anyway i have literally always wanted hitoya to get over himself LOL #vee 2-3 years ago thought hitoya had a lot more going for him than planting himself in jakurai’s shadow #and with more context vee of the now wants that more than ever lmao #i think it would be nice if hitoya got his win and still felt incredibly dissatisfied lol #LIKE IMAGINE IF HE MADE THAT BITTERSWEET SMILE IN MANGA AFTER HIS LOSS BUT BECAUSE HE WON #EVERYTHING HE THOUGHT WANTED WASNT WHAT HE REALLY NEEDED AND ITD SURE REINFORCE WHAT HE WENT THRU IN HARMONIOUS COOPERATION #it’d also parallel his and jyushi’s conversation that happened after iyogi’s arrest how unhappy jyushi felt after it #hitoya and jakurai will get to root of it all eventually but i can only hope it’ll be satisfying despite hitoya still wanting to beat him #canon needs a stage approach to their relationship fr lol #(at least i can only hope canon will get them there lol like hopefully in a mixed up manga run) #c: hitoya #c: sensei

[reformedmercymain]

I have no desire to put this person on blast but my god it really shows when people didn’t play high elo overwatch pre role lock (not to mention how hard it was to have a completely stagnant meta for pro teams who weren’t the kings of it like titans and shock, which I wouldn’t bring up unless this person wasn’t mainly talking about OWL, which they were)

#like goats at the highest level (shock v titans) matches were incredible #but being subjected to ladder goats for that long? and seeing lower tier teams players like emotionally suffering because they can’t even #play the role they like and even within that comp the only change that can be made is to put a sombra in #also I don’t follow this person nor have I seen them before but I follow the owl tag so it just showed up on my dash #obviously don’t harass them just because it’s easy to disagree with their takes #(there’s a… lot of interesting takes because they stopped watching years ago) #c talks #ALSO DONT GET ME WRONG. DOUBLE SHIELD WAS IMMEDIATELY PAINFUL TOO. #but I personally still enjoyed it more than goats in terms of it being finally changed #I lovedddd playing zarya especially if I had a great rein (playing d.va wasn’t too bad but I didn’t enjoy her as much) #but still. I played it for so long that I felt stagnant in improving #in order to avoid purely playing goats I had to use an alt to not damage my highest ranking account #you could still get away with forcing some team comp shifts but you had play your ass off and have a team capable of adapting a bit #I have literally so many hours on mei and reaper bc I can’t fucking play doomfist #they also were afraid of 1-2-2 and as much as I miss some incredible tank duo synergy now that I’ve played a lot of ow2 I can say it’s the #best damn thing they could’ve done for the game #ALSO it’s completely fine to take such a long break and have… odd… takes because of it but it’s kinda funny to see it condensed in one long #post that drifts across your dashboard lmao

[caiternate]

okay different post

#again. still figuring out what this looks like for me. #but i keep coming back to how much of a protective factor my high school gsa was #like i know i’m susceptible to nostalgia but #1. most of us were on tumblr but we were talking about concepts from tumblr to each other face to face #it wasn’t theoretical and it wasn’t about strangers on the internet. it was the real lived experience of friends we loved. #just speaking for myself i think that made us more careful and more kind #not that we didn’t fuck up!!! but i at least remember being corrected gently and lovingly when i did and i’m so grateful #2. i went back on my blog and 7-8 years ago (senior year of high school-ish) i was very clearly thinking about asexuality #and then i got to college and those posts just kind of trickled to a stop #but i think being on tumblr and not having that sort of space to process definitely allowed more of what was being said #to get stuck in my head without that filter #and i’ve been trying to reblog the previous post for over an hour tonight and i don’t know when i became so brittle about this #i miss when we called ourselves letterfolk because the acronym was a mouthful but we wanted to include everyone we possibly could #jesus. sorry. i thought i had to make a separate post because i was going to get personal and then i just got melodramatic #letterfolk #we’ll see about the rest but that was good enough for me then and it’ll be good enough for me now

[kulemii]

MAN OH FUCKING MAN those self shipping blogs and their mutuals are so fucking CUTE and WHOLESOME when they put on events and whatnot. i lurk on some of the most adorable interactions. i still can't understand why people make it their personal issue to harass and make rude posts shit talking people who self-ship. THESE CUTE ASS PEOPLE????? who are they hurting????? this girl says her f/o makes her hot apple cider when it's cold even though doesn't like she doesn't turn it down because it's his favorite and he always lights up when he brings it to her !!!!!!!! Sure, i can see where some lame ass with 0 imagination would go "???? what you mean babe? he's litchrally not even real like-' but bitch that's the point- THIS SHIT IS SO ADORABLE!

Oh oh! And this one guy answered this question about who between him and his f/o prefers hot chocolate and he was deadass was like ever since he accidentally burned his f/o with a mug of hot chocolate once he doesn’t want to retramatize him but they do go out for hot chocolate in cafes every once in a while! THAT'S SO FUCKING CUTE BITCH SHUT THE FUCK UP RIGHT THE FUCK NOW I SWEAR TO GOD IMMA CHOKE SOMEBODY-

#man i love to see people writing what they wanna write #but I've learned some shit lately that's made me realize how harsh people can be toward xreader and selfship blogs #and idk if it's because i ran an xreader blog and in the past an imagines blog #but sometimes when i come across those mean ass posts and i read the stuff people say about it i just think. . . #how fucking sad and unimaginative must you be to 1) go out of your way to hate on someone else work #and 2) this work of writing can be an outlet just like any other #im not the type to leave mean comments do maybe that's why it's so hard for me to 'get it' #but the way i see is this #if you at your big age are harassing people for selfshipping and writing xreader shit- regardless of whether you deem it good or not #(bc that's a different discussion) #i see you no differently than the people who were harrassing people for having ocs what- 10 years ago? #we seem to have gotten better about ocs lately- and that's great and I'm so proud of us #but those of us who grew up in that still hold alot of anxiety about sharing our ocs BECAUSE we remember what it was like #to have ocs picked apart scrutinized and picked apart bit by bit (god help them if they were female) for daring to interact with canon cast #i know how much work i put into building my ocs- and i know that when i have the 'audacity' to ship one of them with a male character #they need to be twice as good to stand up near them just so i don't get harassed about it #I'm lucky to be in such a small fandom but I'd be lyin if i said that once i realized how big majima was in this fandom i wasnt discouraged #im not saying that people can't NOT like things- everyone is entitled to not like things #that's not what I'm saying at all #but I've witnessed these blogs- these selfshipping blogs who generally ship themselves with one particular character #(generally someone I've never even heard of) get harassed and told how their f/o isn't real/ how they should get a grip/how they're creepy #this that and the third.... #and idk man that shit's not right #i see it and it makes me sick to my stomach #these people are minding their own business and someone buds in and decides that they're gonna try to deter them for funsies #i HAVE seen a self-ship blog gone wrong one run by someone in need of lots and lots of very serious help #she was in a former fandom (i won't name it because it'd be easy to find i think and people flocked to watch her for spectacle) #she had some of the same mental issues as i do plus schiz but she wouldn't seek treatments #she hurt herself regularly because He told her to #but these people?!?! they're talking about kissing and holding hands and tucking their f/os in before bed

[reginrokkr]

Given that I've built a lot of background for Dainsleif over the years I've been writing him, I decided to simplify a bit the description of my portrayal of him to give a more solid direction (instead of merely stating that it's heavily headcanon based with a few canon divergences). This will be updated in the guidelines section both in the blog and the carrd:

Genshin Impact is still an ongoing story and Dainsleif's nature as a potential endgame-heavy character with brief appearances here and there, it's safe to say that my portrayal takes creative liberties with nods towards canon aspects. Furthermore, the baseline for his background is heavily inspired in the Gnostic Chorus (in which he takes part as the younger heir, prince of Celestia, presumably) and the Pale Princess and Six Pygmies book collection, which ties to the former. Creative liberties are taken surrounding these two titles by picking canonical aspects that I think suit him as a result. Lastly, as of now (August 13rd, 2023), this blog is compliant with everything that is solid about Dainsleif —be it due to the Archon Quests he takes part, miscellanies or allusions, namely in Khvarena of Good and Evil— and the few canon divergences I established for him add appearances rather than change things concerning him in canon thus far, as I think that there are certain things that it's more suitable for him to do.

#◟༺✦༻◞ what lays behind the mantle of faux stars ┊ooc.┊ #watching the Gnostic Chorus cutscene #reminded me that I wanted to write something like this #since a while ago #more than anything to point towards a solid direction #of what my portrayal is about #without urging peeps to read long and old as heck posts #this is a lil segway #but it sparked some joy in me #reading up to 2 year old comments #of people theorizing that the Gnostic Chorus #isn't about the twins but about Dain and the Unknown God #as there are certain detail that don't make sense #if these are related to the twins #this is something that was included in my portrayal of Dain #since I first made a blog for him #so it's great to see that this still continues to be a thought #just thinking about all the potential #of everything something like that would imply #makes me really excited for him #if he turns out to be all of /that/

[ashenberry]

For your blorbos: apollo, TRUCY, jove, big man :3, the snakes from metal gear i cannot tell them apart i am so sorry, your ocs are all so blorbo to you as well but im on 30mg of weed gummy so i dont remember any of their names

God your so correct I do love all these characters an unnormal amount

#reblogged a lot of ask games from just scrolling down my blog from 2 years ago so had to double check to make sure I didn’t need to say alot #or else this wasn’t getting posted till the morning I am SLEEPY #but ooh my gosh i will ramble about them in the tags #apollo and Trucy forever my top duo they’re relationship is sooooo important to me I love them #scrolling through my blog from a couple years ago made me realize good lord I did not shut up about jangly which makes sense I think I was #knee deep in Apollo family sitcom and with that I still think joves relationship with Apollo nahyuta dhurke datz amara Trucy thal etc etc i #soo intriguing. Trucy less so mostly bc she’s meeting him after the time skip but ack <3 #BIG MAN BIG FAN!!! love his role as like the straight man in deep cut and also big betrayal slaps #glad to see the new mental illness rep 💪 the snakes cover it well enough considering i do like 3/4 I’ve met so far #sorry solidus maybe don’t be a fuckinnn bitch? Also I made a silly little chart trying to explain the snakes to another mutual #mostly bc I get metal gear zoomies and I need to talk to someone and he’s usually up #AND BELOVED OCS! who I need to update refs of eventually. it’s like what’s his fucks rock. or laundry. a cycle #ashen.ask

[snowaftermidnight]

should i make a meet the artist............

#ive made one before but its from like 2 years ago when i still used insta #so its kind of outdated now hgfjgkf #also i havent drawn myself in forever #& seeing my beloved talented cool awesome etc etc mutuals draw/picrew themselves is making me want to :3 #probably not gonna make one until i finish this comic tho augh #its ALMOST DONE I SWEAR i just gonna finish the lineart & color it #gonna try 2 post it in the next few days #and then.......... gay person in ur computer screen reveal..... perchance.................................. #my posts #not art

[iintervallum]

.

#vague post i guess about something very insular that for some reason i keep looking at #with these i guess two specific circles of people that for various reasons i dislike #and it's like very much an unspotable force vs immovable object situation #of two groups that refuse to accept they have blindspots and have made mistakes and instead double down #I'm not going to say which group is worse because they both suck for different reasons #all I'm going to say is when your arguments about racism and transmisogny do not seem include twoc in the convo then it rings hollow #because I'm curious i can't help but drop in on both sides and rolling my eyes because neither group seems to get it #this has seemingly been going on for the past two years as well like maybe just let it go?? #that person is no longer even on tumblr why does she matter so much #due to Tumblr being Tumblr the whole inciting incident is wrapped up in he said she said because some blogs have been deleted #so all we have is the final “you can't call that a genocide”outburst that happened 2 years ago #not much info leading upto it so it's unclear who is really telling the truth because i looked into it and all i could find was that #not defending her btw but i think it solidified one groups resolve to continue what they've been doing because they happended to be right #the 1 time--as if it makes the targeted harrasment in the following years and guilt by association okay #and the other groups constant down playing and continued ignorance over why what she said was wrong isn't okay either #all I'm saying is people are not going to change their minds easily and arguing senselessly with stubborn people isn't going to work #I'm debating just blocking all of them but I'm still just curious to see the trainwreck of how they keep beating a dead horse #aster.txt

[roaringroa]

i feel like i’m going insane like this is going too well

#i gotta calm myself down cause we haven’t even gone on a proper date yet (will do so on tuesday!) #but we’ve been texting everyday since the party aka more than 2 weeks ago? our texts are so fun like i’ve laughed out loud multiple times? #and so flirtly like we basically just made plans to test out our new swimming suits together as soon as exams season is done?? #a few days ago she sent me a pic of a dessert she made and when i said i wanted to eat it she told me i would??? #and then sent me her adress ‘so i have it in the future’ like??? #she is too good at this ahdlahak i’m just trying my best to match #you know what’s crazy? last year i met her for the first time and a month later saw her again at another party #and i didn’t ask her out cause i was gonna travel for like a month the week after that second party #but i kept thinking about her to the point that while i was away when my cousin came out to me and asked me if i was dating anyone etc #i told her i wasn’t but there was this girl i had met twice that if i were to meet a third time i’d ask out #and now i’m gonna see my cousin again in like a month and a half #and by then i don’t think i’ll be dating this girl or anything yet but if it goes well we’ll have had a few share of dates #and like… idk man we still need to talk about what we want out of this like if it’s nothing serious or if it’s something that could evolve #if she doesn’t want anything serious i’d have to ajust my expectations #cause i do think on my end i can see myself dating her in a few months #all of this and truth be told we still haven’t kissed shkahsoaha #tuesday… #my post #ou my god she just sent me a bikini pic i am oficcially deceased she’s too hot wtf how do i even behave i need to kiss her right now

[mx-paint]

.

#so like i dug deeper bc i remembered this one post from like. a couple pf years ago before i had seen the work it was on #and i finally found it #and these people had said that the actual translation to this one thing #would be this guy calling these two martial brothers childhood sweethearts #and like. they were saying that this was the proof that they didnt count themselves as family in any way #and saying how everyone in the original language must sew it this way #and that were not reading into it enough and calling them actual brothers isnt right #when like. the Actual author has said that specifically for this work people just dont read into it the right way #like this guy that literally kills this guys lover and is the reason he cant see and winds up killing himself #is one of the most popular ships (according to this one person) #and she has made a comment that people took as her saying its weird to ship gay people (when hee novel is gay ....) #when in actuality shes saying that they put their shipping goggles on for every little thing #like. shes even said she doesnt want these two shipped together #(and keep in mind the actual translation may be someone calling them 'sweethearts' #but if you look further its 1 never mentioned again by any party #2 its used for a straight pairing. the speaker isnt saying theyre actually sweethearts. #hes saying theyre acting like schoolgirls in how they dont want to fight each other) #like. they use the fact its a big ship (though its below the actual couple and a fanon couple for the other guy) #....when Literally higher than that (still according to this one person) an actual adopted sibling pair are shipped together #(even translated to their language theyre still called adopted siblings. they know what theyre referencing) #like. idk. its also the fact they use a mistranslated character for one of their names #when the Actual translation is 'chant' they said it was 'moaning' #.they also self identify as a problematic rpf stan so idk whats going on There #its also noted that this isnt actually translated to it in the official translation #like. im not saying those people cant lie. but mame a note if something isnt understandable or in place #which. they dont do #its just the fact its mentioned by one guy in such a way while the actual siblings call each other siblings #and are canonically disgusted by people saying theyll be together #one even offers one his belt and he instantly said he didnt want it even if he couldnt have his li ribbon #this is all over the place ik but the actual work is about how one is purposefully lied about by everyone. taking a strangers word is. yea

[wh0reforcoriolanussnow]

Stay with me || D. Targaryen x Hightower!reader

GIF by @beaconofthehightower DIVIDERS by @straywords

summary: In which you have been forced into marriage with the Rogue Prince by the King. However, it has been well over a year and the two of you yet to see eye to eye, mostly because of Daemon's dislike towards your father. When you find out that you're expecting, things seem to take a drastic turn.

a/n: no way this was sitting in my drafts since i first opened this acc end of last year🥹

“The bath is ready for you, my Lady.” The handmaiden bowed at your direction as you finish taking off your jewellery. “Thank you, you may go,” You bid her off, “But my Lady-“ She protested, “I am quite capable of bathing myself, thank you.” Meeting the maidens eyes through the mirror, you didn’t mean to sound rude and snap at the poor women—your pent up emotions needed releasing, hence why you called for a bath.

Without uttering another word, you watch as she closes the door with a loud thud. Throwing your necklace across the room to release the built up tension, you inhale deeply whilst leaning your hand against the bed post. Tears threatening to escape, you look up towards the ceiling so that they would not fall.

Finding out that you were with child was a rollercoaster of emotions. You were saddened at the thought of bringing a child into this cruel word. How could you try to make your child’s life happy when both of his/her parents were not with each other?

You thought that you could some how find times in your marriage that you would be happy, but you didn’t, the past 12 months were a nightmare. You barely got to see Daemon, and when you did, he’d be drunk and fall asleep without saying a word to you.

And the whispers and talks of people seeing him visit brothels in silk street were unbearable. You tried ignoring the best you could, but how could you when people didn’t even put any effort into quietening down when walking past you?

Brushing your lingering thoughts away, you walk to the bath that was bearably hot. Removing your thin night gown and letting it pile in a corner, you couldn’t help but stare at your still-flat stomach in the mirror. The thought of a babe growing inside was both amazing and terrifying.

Slipping your body in, a sigh leaves your mouth at the sensation of the hot water against your skin. After nearly 30 minutes, the door to your chambers opened.

There was only ever one person to open that door without bothering to knock, and that was your Husband. Eyes closed, you heard his footsteps until it came to a halt, slowly opening your eyes and sitting up, you turn your head to find Daemon watching you from outside the door that led to the bathroom.

“Husband.” You greeted turning your head back and closing them once again. “Wife.” He replied, taking off his clothes and changing. You were surprised he did not sound drunk like he usually did most nights. The two of you not uttering a single word until you got out of the bath.

You flinch once you realised Daemon was sat on a one of the sofas that faced your bath tub, not that the two of you were foreign to seeing each other naked. After drying up, you slip your night gown on once again before making your way to your dresser.

“Ao nektogon aōha ōghar, nyke ūndegon” His voice made you pause your actions, looking at his sat figure through the mirror. “2 two months ago Daemon.” You reply annoyed as you brush through your hair. “But you would know if you saw me more often.” Muttering under your breath, Daemon replied, “ȳdragon plainly.”(You cut your hair, I see) (Speak plainly)

Closing you eyes and taking a sharp inhale, you turn your body towards him, a cup with what you presume was alcohol in his hand. “What I mean, husband, is if you were here more often instead of spending your nights at the brothel, that you would notice the little things!” Your voice escalates in volume. Daemon throws his head back with a loud sigh. “Are we really doing this?”

“Where do your loyalties reside, husband? It is most certainly not with me! Whom you swore under the seven Gods that you would be there for me!” You were now standing up as you watch Daemon with an unreadable face.

“Ivestragon mirros!”You yell, “Skoro syt issi ao sir mentioning bisa?” He calmly asked. With furrowed eyebrows, you study his face, his gaze set to candles on the table. “Skoros?”(Say something) (Why are you now mentioning this) (What)

“Don’t act stupid y/n,” He scoffed, finally meeting your eyes, “Emi issare married syt mirri jēda, sir ao decide naejot elēni aōha concerns?” (We have been married for some time, now you decide to voice your concerns)

“Ivestragon nyke, skoro syt?” His deep voice questioned. Searching his eyes, and opening your mouth, no words seemed to come out. (Tell me, why)

“Cat got your tongue, my love?” Daemon smirked as you gulped, tears slowly but surely welling up. You found yourself pathetic, truth being the fact that you couldn’t even tell your own husband you were carrying his child.

Without saying another word, you turned around, blowed out all the candles except for the ones beside Daemon’s side of the bed, and slipped under the covers of your bed.

A loud sigh leaves the Prince’s mouth. Deep down, you wanted him to come to bed and engulf you in a hug. Instead, you hear the sound of the doors opening and closing, he left. You cried yourself to sleep that night.

~

Waking up to a cold and empty bed, you felt it slowly but surely making its way up your throat as you place the back of your hand to your mouth. Luckily, Eva, your closest handmaiden, had walked in just in time as you puked into the bucket.

“Perhaps having breakfast will be good for you, my Lady” She kindly smiles at you as you look up at her with a disgusted face at the thought of food at that moment. “I think not” You grumbled before getting up and getting ready.

“Has my husband returned yet?” Your eyes meet with the handmaidens’ through the mirror as you put earrings on. “No, my Lady” She looks down. “Should I even tell him?” You contemplate, fidgeting with your rings.

Before you could get a response, a loud knock comes from your door as you give a confused look to Eva as she quickly opens the door. “My lady, it’s your father.” She calls out before curtsying and leaving the room.

“Father,” You kiss his cheek to greet him. “I think it is best you go to the throne room now” He gives you a blank look. An awkward chuckle leaves your lips, “But why? What’s happening?” Concern spread through your body as Otto doesn’t say anything.

You quickly brush past him and make a beeline to the throne room. Upon entering, you were stopped by a kingsguard. “Who is in there” You question. “I cannot tell you that Lady-“ “I’m only going to ask you once, brother, who is in there?” You send daggers to your younger brother’s way.

“His Grace, Daemon, and-“ Before he could finish his sentence, you push past him and open the door. There sat Viserys on the iron throne with Daemon standing e of him, his back to you. What perplexed you even more was the women on her knees beside Daemon. A handmaiden to be precise. Viserys gives you a pitiful look, It was only when both Daemon and the handmaiden look back to you when you realise.

“I-“ You couldn’t even properly speak as you choked back tears. You felt like screaming at that moment. “Y/n-“ You didn’t even let Daemon utter another word before you closed the door—Gwayne giving you a concerned look—and sped off back to your room.

“Pack my things. I am leaving” You order your handmaidens as tears continuously roll down your cheeks. You were shaking, you felt like you were suffocating. “Are you all right my lady?” Eva places ger hand on your shoulder as you breathe heavily. “I-I need to get out of this dress- a-and breathe for gods sake!” You shout angrily as hands were already untying your dress.

You had about enough of Daemon’s behaviour. You needed to leave. After being dressed in something more comfortable, the doors open as your father walks in. “I assume you’re going back to Old town?” Your father places his hands behind his back as he watches you gather your jewelry.

“I am. If you expect me to stay here any longer with that-that horrid man then-“ “I don’t expect you to, daughter. He was caught in bed with her this morning. I assure you, that handmaiden will get what she deserves. Sleeping with her Lady’s husband, what was she thinking” Otto scoffs as tears blur your eyes.

“Have you even told him yet?” His question catches you off-guard. “No. After what I just found out I don’t think I will. He can find out later on after I’ve left” You say through greeted teeth as the last of your things were packed up.

“The carriage is already out there waiting for you, my Lady” Eva mentions as you nod at her. “Goodbye father, I hope you do come visit” You sadly smile before embracing him in a hug, his hands caressing your hair before you pull back and walk off.

It was pouring outside. You held your skirt up so it wouldn’t get dirty. “Y/n!” His voice booms over the rain as you pause. You quicken your pace but before you could even fully step into the carriage, a rough hand pulls you back.

Before you know it, your hand makes contact with his cheek with a loud slap. The few handmaidens gasp before they look down. He rolls his tongue against his cheek before chuckling, “I deserve that, don’t I?” “Oh you deserve so much worse Daemon.” You darkly chuckle at the man.

“I can’t believed you stooped that low- and with one of my handmaidens? How pathetic can you get, Husband. I have done nothing but been patient with you every day but this? That was the final straw. I’m leaving and you cannot stop me” You say the last bit through greeted teeth. “Were you going to tell me?”

You stop dead in your tracks. You breathe out from your nose, “Tell you what exactly?” Your head turns to him. “That you’re carrying my child. Was I ever going to find out? Or was I going to when I’m on my deathbed.” He shouts angrily as you keep your composure.

“And bring him up with a father who can’t even keep his loyalties to his wife? You’re delusional, truly.” A loud scoff emits your mouth. Not a second later, Daemon drops to his knees infront of you. People around whispering to each other at the sight of the Rogue Prince on his knees to his wife. You gulp as he looked so vulnerable. He looks up to you as he takes ahold of your hands. “Stay with me. Please. That is all I ask of you y/n” He pleads.

“Stay with you? I have stayed with you every day Daemon while you fucked your way through the brothels. I’ve had enough of hoping that you would finally see me as your wife!” Tears were once again pouring down your cheeks as you sniffle. “I can’t stay with you.” Your voice cracks before you pull away from Daemon’s touch and enter the carriage without looking back.

The carriage starts to move as you start sobbing harder. Daemon was still there kneeling as he watched his wife leave. He watched his entire future leave.

#daemon targaryen #house of the dragon #house targaryen #fanfiction #matt smith #daemon targaryen x reader #daemon x reader #daemon targaryen smut #daemon targaryen fanfic #otto hightower #house of the dragon fanfiction #asoiaf #a song of ice and fire

[mikanotes]

up close & personal

hyunsu ? x gn!reader

genre: what. mutual pining?

warnings: sweet home 2 spoilers, mentions of blood, injuries. hyunsu himself is a warning lowkey if u watched the last ep u probably get it… that’s all!

synopsis: You know Hyunsu so well. One year apart couldn’t possibly change that. Except if Hyunsu isn’t alone anymore.

authors note: realized at the end of this fic that i cld compare hyunsu’s current situation to venom like a little bit and that just makes everything so much easier somehow. anyways i don’t really like this but i needed to post smt for him after s2 so!

One year ago, you and Cha Hyunsu would’ve been sitting near the entrance of Green Home apartments, and he would be listening to you talk. One year ago, you would’ve firmly believed that by now, the world would’ve been restored to some kind of peace. It had, in a way, but certainly not in the one your past self would have hoped for. And certainly not the one Hyunsu would’ve wanted for the two of you.

Nevertheless, you remained grateful through everything— As much as you could manage. The shelter was as organized as possible and conflict was a surprisingly rare occurence. Things were alright. As long as you didn’t give time for the grief and terror to catch up to you.

But things couldn’t be calm forever. Especially not in the current state of your world.

When Eunyu disappeared with that man from the military, it only took a day before you grew restless enough to depart from the stadium. After all, Eunyu was the closest thing to a friend you had here, at this point. It only felt right to try and find her. And you did, surprisingly, along with a few familiar faces and an unknown one.

You didn’t expect for the evening you found your friend again to be the very same you would see the person you had considered closest to you at Green Home for the first time in… Over a year.

“Finally asleep.” you sighed quietly, watching Eunyu get the rest her body had probably been begging for. It was difficult to convince her you would stand watch and wait for your friend to wake up in her stead, but her exhaustion made her stop arguing eventually.

You turned towards the room he was in.

Cha Hyunsu.

You crossed your arms and sighed. One year without a single trace of him anywhere. And now he… Just reappears? You wanted to be surprised, but part of you really wasn’t. You were angry, just a little— Spending all this time telling yourself he was gone, only for him to come back as if nothing happened felt like a slap to the face. Still, you couldn’t blame him. Yet. You had no idea what happened to him during that time span.

You felt relieved, if anything.

After some hesitation, you walked over to the glass door. Your hand settled on the handle, pushing it open, before your eyes widened. Hyunsu was sitting on the hospital bed, stretching his neck quietly, not at all perturbed by anything. Hell, he even seemed peaceful.

More peaceful than you’d ever seen him.

You stepped inside quietly and let the door close behind you. Hyunsu continued to move his head, slowly, as if trying to relax, and didn’t acknowledge your presence. His shoulder was bloodstained, still, and his hoodie had cuts here and there. Messy as he appeared, this was your friend from Green Home, there was no denying it. You hadn’t even dared hope he could still be alive, after all this time. You couldn’t give your heart such a high possibility of suffering if he turned out to be gone.

And now he was here. So calm.

He opened his eyes with a soft sigh, before turning his gaze to you. “Finally decided to talk to me?” he asked. His tone was different. Too different. This did not feel like the kind of change that happened in a year. He smiled a little at your silence, tilting his head curiously. “No? Do you need more time? That would be too bad.”

He hopped off the bed with a huff and slowly walked over to you. The closer he got, the clearer it became that his eye color was different. Long gone was the blank, dark brown gaze that looked back at you when you two would talk— Replaced by a vibrant sky blue. A stark contrast from what you were used to, as was everything else about him, apparently. Be it his tone or his mannerisms, it all felt deeply wrong, like it wasn’t him at all. You furrowed your eyebrows but stood still, letting him walk to the very edge of your personal space.

“I’ve been waiting to see you for such a long while.”

“Huh?”

Hyunsu’s eyes widened a little before he grinned. This wasn’t … Him. Not exactly, at least. Not the one you talked to so much. But special-cases, or MH, essentially coexisted in one body. The monster forms around a person’s strongest desire, or whatever it was that scientist at the shelter said.

So perhaps, all the times you and Hyunsu had talked in the past had also been conversations that this side of him had been listening to.

A bit scary. You couldn’t really focus on that, though. You took a deep breath and looked at him.

“Is he well?”

He clicked his tongue, expression growing sour. “He’s fine. Let him get some rest. He’s tired.”

You nodded softly, gaze averting. That sounded fine enough to you. He was right, too, earlier— You had been avoiding talking to him since you met again. With the excuse of focusing on Yikyung and scavenging through the hospital, you had plenty of reasons to act as if you weren’t seeing the person you cared the most for after a whole entire year of thinking he was dead.

But you did feel his gaze on you the whole time. It was heavy, and remorseful. You’d planned to talk to him— In fact, that’s why you decided to come over to the room he was in. You hadn’t expected things to turn out this way, however. Seems like you couldn’t talk to your friend, yet.

“It’s nice to know you care, though.” he hummed, gaze never leaving your face. “He thinks about you so much, too.”

You looked back up at him. If this was the so-called monster part of Hyunsu, then what was his deal? A lot of questions about this situation flooded your head. “What are you playing at?”

He chuckled softly, before backing up just enough to hold up his hands in an innocent gesture. “Nothing as evil as you probably think.” he said, voice steady. “I just wanted us to talk. Just us.”

“Huh.”

“You see, your Hyunsu has an interest in you.” he said, tilting his head slowly. It felt as if he was analyzing you. It was a bit unsettling, but you didn’t bother breaking eye contact this time. “But I do, too. I’d say maybe… Even more than him?” his grin widened at his own words.

“I find it hard to believe you care about people.”

“And yet.” he scoffed, expression dropping to a blank one, seemingly annoyed. He dropped his arms to his sides and sighed. “We decided to work together. Couldn’t have him die on me, it wouldn’t be nice for anyone involved.”

You decided this Hyunsu seemed to mean it when he said they made a deal, just about as much as when he said he had an interest in you. So placing your trust in his bloodied hands for the time being, you tried to be less on guard. He wouldn’t kill you, or most importantly, Hyunsu. That was enough for now.

“Okay.” you sighed, crossing your arms. “So you want to talk?”

He smiled a little. “Yes.” he stated, before taking a step towards you. Only this time, he didn’t bother keeping a safe distance. His face was a touch too close to yours. “I’ve wanted to for a while.”

“You…” you paused for a moment, thinking. “Do you usually go around talking to people while getting so close to them?”

“I don’t go around talking to people.” he mocked your tone before scoffing, a grin pulling at his lips. He brought a hand up to your face, holding your cheek firmly. His focus turned to his hand, eyes narrowing in its direction. You felt his fingers loosen a little, as if he was trying to control how tightly he was holding you.

Which he was. Now it felt gentle. Almost unfitting. Not only that but the Hyunsu you knew was never this comfortable with anything close to physical affection. It felt so out of place.

“Does it bother you?” he whispered, eyes flitting over to meet yours again. He moved in closer, just enough for your noses to touch. He seemed to be having fun switching between looking at your eyes and at your lips. “Am I too close?”

Before you could think of a way to answer, you froze. The unfamiliar color in Hyunsu’s eyes dissipated, the cocky expression you were almost beginning to get used to replaced by a soft, almost startled one. His voice, much quieter now, whispered your name. Your eyes widened and you sighed in something akin to relief.

“Hyunsu.” you breathed out. The latter looked at you with a stunned look, struggling to find anything to say for a while. He looked into your eyes like he was making sure you were okay— Making sure you were really alive. His thumb moved back and forth softly over the skin of your cheek, his gaze scanning you in an almost panicked manner. He sighed shakily, before he brought your face into his shoulder. He seemed to be almost trembling.

“I’m sorry.” he exhaled, wrapping his other arm around your shoulders hesitantly. Still terrible at hugging. You’d missed those awkward displays of affection so much. “I… I’m sorry, it’s been… A very long time.”

“God, you’re so cruel, Cha Hyunsu.”

He tilted his head down into your neck. Now you felt his tears on your skin. He really hasn’t changed, you thought. It was obvious when he came running for help when Yikyung was badly injured, when he did everything to help her and went all the way to look for that kid— Cha Hyunsu hadn’t changed.

“I’m—”

“Quit apologizing.” you huffed, holding him tightly. “I missed you, too.”

Hyunsu sighed quietly, tightening his hold on you a little. He was relieved to finally have you with him again, but he couldn’t shake off his worries.

“You talked to… Him? Right?”

“I did.” you said, pulling away enough to look at him. The concern on his features was undeniable. “And it went fine. It’s okay.”

Hyunsu’s frown deepened. “I don’t know if it’s alright. Me staying… So close to you.”

“Don’t even think about disappearing on me again.” you warned, eyes widening. “I don’t care about any reason you give me— Don’t leave again.”

The boy sighed, averting his gaze for a moment, before slowly bringing it back to you.

“I won’t.” he assured, “I won’t leave you again.”

He closed his eyes and pulled you into another hug. He had to believe his existence on its own wouldn’t cause more problems for you to deal with. He had to trust that even if it did, you meant it when you said you didn’t mind. He knew you did. You always meant it.

He opened his eyes and looked at his reflection in the glass door just a bit further away. Seeing you in his arms should have been reassuring. But the blue hue of one of his eyes and the nagging voice in his head seemed to be laughing at his naivety. He pressed his eyes shut again and buried his face in your shoulder.

This is our priority, now. (I know.) No one else comes first. (I know.) Don’t let them get hurt.

I won’t.

#hyunsu x reader #cha hyun su x reader #cha hyunsu x reader #hyunsoo x reader #cha hyun soo x reader #cha hyunsoo x reader #sweet home x reader #x reader

[bixels]

Portal 2 is still the perfect game to me. I hyperfixated on it like crazy in middle school. Would sing Want You Gone out loud cuz I had ADHD and no social awareness. Would make fan animations and pixel art. Would explain the ending spoilers and fan theories to anyone who'd listen. Would keep up with DeviantArt posts of the cores as humans. Would find and play community-made maps (Gelocity is insanely fun).

I still can't believe this game came out 12 years ago and it looks like THIS.

Like Mirror's Edge, the timeless art style and economic yet atmospheric lighting means this game will never age. The decision not to include any visible humans (ideas of Doug Rattmann showing up or a human co-op partner were cut) is doing so much legroom too. And the idea to use geometric tileset-like level designs is so smart! I sincerely believe that, by design, no game with a "realistic art style" has looked better than Portal 2.

Do you guys remember when Nvidia released Portal with RTX at it looked like dogshit? Just the most airbrushed crap I've ever seen; completely erased the cold, dry, clinical feel of Aperture.

So many breathtakingly pit-in-your-stomach moments I still think about too. And it's such a unique feeling; I'd describe at as... architectural existentialism? Experiencing the sublime under the shadow of manmade structures (Look up Giovanni Battista Piranesi's art if you're curious)? That scene where you're running from GLaDOS with Wheatley on a catwalk over a bottomless pit and––out of rage and desperation––GLaDOS silently begins tearing her facility apart and Wheatley cries 'She's bringing the whole place down!' and ENORMOUS apartment building-sized blocks begin groaning towards you on suspended rails and cement pillars crumble and sparks fly and the metal catwalk strains and bends and snaps under your feet. And when you finally make it to the safety of a work lift, you look back and watch the facility close its jaws behind you as it screams.

Or the horror of knowing you're already miles underground, and then Wheatley smashes you down an elevator shaft and you realize it goes deeper. That there's a hell under hell, and it's much, much older.

Or how about the moment when you finally claw your way out of Old Aperture, reaching the peak of this underground mountain, only to look up and discover an endless stone ceiling built above you. There's a service door connected to some stairs ahead, but surrounding you is this array of giant, building-sized springs that hold the entire facility up. They stretch on into the fog. You keep climbing.

I love that the facility itself is treated like an android zooid too, a colony of nano-machines and service cores and sentient panel arms and security cameras and more. And now, after thousands of years of neglect, the facility is festering with decomposition and microbes; deer, raccoons, birds. There are ghosts too. You're never alone, even when it's quiet. I wonder what you'd hear if you put your ear up against a test chamber's walls and listened. (I say that all contemplatively, but that's literally an easter egg in the game. You hear a voice.)

Also, a reminder that GLaDOS and Chell are not related and their relationship is meant to be psychosexual. There was a cut bit where GLaDOS would role-play as Chell's jealous housewife and accuse her of seeing other cores in between chambers. And their shared struggle for freedom and control? GLaDOS realizing, after remembering her past life, that she's become the abuser and deciding that she has the power to stop? That even if she can't be free, she can let Chell go because she hates her. And she loves her. Most people interpret GLaDOS "deleting Caroline in her brain" as an ominous sign, that she's forgetting her human roots and becoming "fully robot." But to me, it's a sign of hope for GLaDOS. She's relieving herself of the baggage that has defined her very existence, she's letting Caroline finally rest, and she's allowing herself to grow beyond what Cave and Aperture and the scientists defined her to be. The fact that GLaDOS still lets you go after deleting Caroline proves this. She doesn't double-back or change her mind like Wheatley did, she sticks to her word because she knows who she is. No one and nothing can influence her because she's in control. GLaDOS proves she's capable of empathy and mercy and change, human or not.

That's my retrospective, I love this game to bits. I wish I could experience it for the first time again.

#ramblings #long post #not art #personal #also i know “did glados actually delete caroline” is debated cuz the credits song disputes this #but i like to think she did #it's not sad. caroline died a long time ago #it's a goodbye