#alyx and others are coming

[anti-tenten]

matching half christmas pfps

[shmorp-mcdurgen]

An Analysis of Gman in Half Life: Alyx

HL:A Gman is by far the most interesting version of Gman I've seen and I've noticed so many details in his one interaction with Alyx, to the point I needed to make a full post about all the bullet points. (Note that this is MY personal interpretation, so it could be different from what was intended or what other people believe)

Starting from the very beginning, when Alyx asks whether Gman is Gordon Freeman or not, he responds in a kind of. Condescending way.

It's almost like he's amused by the fact he was mistaken for Gordon. not to mention the use of "Imprison" in the statement, almost as if he's not only making a snide remark towards Gordon, but also implying that even he sees Gordon's employment as "imprisonment". Not to mention the implication that it really does not take that much to hold Gordon captive in one way or another. Could also be literal, meaning Gordon isn't near powerful enough to require a full Vault be built around him.

A: "So. Who are you?"

Alyx asks a very simple question cause. why wouldn't she be confused? She expected a super-weapon; she expected Gordon Freeman, so when she found nothing but a man in a suit who straight up scoffs at the misunderstanding, of COURSE she'd want to ask questions. However, Gman only responds with:

Gman deflects the question, but rather than completely ignoring it, he simply leads it into a new question: "What can I offer you?"

He guides the conversation to a different topic, luring Alyx away from questioning who, or what, he is, whether it's because he doesn't want to (or can't) give an answer, or if it's because he simply wants the conversation to move forward rather than being caught on the nature of Gman himself.

G: "Some believe the fate of our world is Inflexible. My Employers disagree."

This statement is funny in an ironic way. he states that fate is flexible and can be changed, yet. When was the last time Gman didn't have full say on what can and will happen? By making everything go a very specific way, you CREATE fate.

G: "They authorize me to… nudge things in a particular direction from time to time. What would YOU want nudged, Ms. Vance?"

The use of word "Nudge" is an interesting way to describe changing things within the timeline. though something else that's interesting is his facial expressions during this moment.

He looks almost. Kind. but in a forced sort of way. It feels like he's expecting a certain answer from Alyx, and is just waiting for her to say it.

However, when she says she wants the combine off earth, his expression changes.

The change in expression implies that Alyx's answer was not the one he wanted or hoped for. Thus, he once again ignores what Alyx said and gives his own reasons for it.

G: "Ahhh. That would be a considerably large nudge. Too large, given the interests of my employers."

Rather than giving Alyx a second chance at a more reasonable request however, he instead says:

G: "What if I could offer you something you don't know you want?"

It finally clicks together why Gman's there: To make a deal. Whatever Alyx said before this moment was completely irrelevant. No matter what Alyx requested to have "Nudged", he would have brought up his own offer. He had already mapped out how the conversation was going to end even before Alyx had even begun speaking to him. It was just a matter of getting there.

Gman showing Alyx her fathers death was an intentional and targeted choice. Alyx is a little more naïve here than she is in HL2, not to mention her close relationship to Eli. Eli is one of the only people she has left at this point in her life, so. Why wouldn't she want to save him? This is exactly the reason Gman chose this event in particular above anything else, because he knew it was an offer Alyx would NEVER say no to. He knows Alyx more than she knows herself, and had already predicted the outcome of the situation. So, understandably, Alyx kills the Advisor in place of her father's life.

This line. This line is so interesting to me in particular. Rather than describing Eli as a "person" or "human", and describing the dead Advisor as something "alien", he refers to both as "entities." almost as if he sees both of them on the same wavelength of sorts. It implies Gman sees no difference between a human and an animal, or alien of some kind. Sees them all as simply that. Entities.

Yet another example of Gman deflecting the questions given to him, guiding the conversation instead towards Alyx herself.

G: "A previous hire has been unable — or unwilling — to perform the tasks laid before him. We have struggled to find a suitable replacement. Until now."

Him referring to Gordon in this way is interesting to me. Was the sudden wish to drop Gordon from employment due to the Vortigaunt intervention in HL2 Episode 1? Was it because Gordon was truly incapable of fulfilling certain "tasks"? Or maybe it was because Gordon was not as vulnerable to Gman's influence? It's unclear, and it's also not clear whether this means Gordon is fully free of Gman's control or not.

At this point it's made crystal clear that Alyx killing the advisor in place of her father was a contract she was signing, one she didn't even know she held the pen to. This was always going to be the outcome of the interaction, since the beginning. Everything Alyx had done up to that point was to help Gman and his "Employers" get further in their goals now that Gordon was deemed "Incapable". Nothing that Alyx could have done would've mattered; her "fate" was decided from the beginning.

Overall what I gather from this ending is a lot about Gman as a character. He never truly lies, yet he purposefully leaves out important details, such as the fact that reversing Eli's death wasn't without a price. He manipulates the conversation to fit his wants and needs, ignoring direct questions he sees as unimportant to his goals. And the thing is, he does it in a way that Alyx doesn't even seem to notice. He has played this game so many times that he knows exactly what moves to play. He knows the people he talks to more than they know themselves. He uses their worst fears against them to make them go to him for safety.

Judging by the things Gordon survived in Black Mesa, you can gauge he had a strong will to survive. So what better to do to seal a deal than to threaten that life he cares so much about? To tell him that the only other option was to go under Gman's employment else he face death itself? Alyx had such a strong connection to her father, so what better to do than to tell her that Eli will die if she doesn't do anything, luring her in to sign a contract without even knowing what she was signing?

Gman is a master manipulator, no better words for it. And he always manages to do it in such a way that you can barely even notice it happening. He never raises his voice. he never shows irritation or hostility aside from only one instance. Because why should he be frustrated? He's won even before the game started. And honestly that is frightening to me, cause it shows that he's done this many times before and knows just how to get what he and his "Employers" want, regardless of how it effects other people.

[identifying-cars-in-posts]

Hi everyone

So i hate to do this again, but due to both personal stresses and the state of the world I’m officially going on an indefinite hiatus. I love running this blog and helping people but one, i have a ton of stressors happening in my personal life, and two, it feels wrong running a silly little gimmick blog when people are being needlessly slaughtered, persecuted against, and dehumanized in huge numbers for simply being, in the US, in Palestine, Sudan, Ghana, and so many other places. I’m black, trans, AFAB, and neurodivergent living in the US, so daily I’ve had to deal with trauma personal to me in the states while trying to do what I can to take action against the atrocities happening overseas. All that to say there are significantly more important things I think should be being done than running a gimmick blog on tumblr. As much as I love this platform and have had a blast with it, it’s also kinda terrible for my mental health, and something bad for my mental health has to go before I completely break down. I love y’all and have had a great time. If ever the world calms down, perhaps I’ll come back, but for now I’m deleting tumblr and stepping back.

It might sound selfish but I’m also not gonna be offering to hand off this blog to anyone else, this was a really fun personal thing for me to explore my special interest and as somebody who doesn’t have a ton to myself and is not interested in chasing any sort of legacy, I don’t feel any urge to keep it going under someone else’s moderation. I’d never had a platform before this so I’d like to keep it 100% mine, even when I’m not in a place to run it. I know that might be a bit of a controversial choice but it’s the one that feels right to me.

Thanks for coming along with me on this fun little project. Sorry for the things I said I’d do eventually that never came to fruition. Keep loving cars and learning about them, I hope at least a couple people who follow me here pursue that interest.

Love you all. Free Palestine.

- Alyx/identifying-cars-in-posts

[halflifebutawesome]

The thing about gordon is that like everyone tends 2 write him being kind of shy and demure and awkward and like. Not really enjoying his job but like. this motherfucker WANTED to work at Black Mesa. Like he was so excited about it. didnt he canonically take the job because he was bored .

He RACED Barney in the VENTILATION often enough that they told Alyx about it . He quote unquote “drank soda and ran around fhe office, sidestepping frequently”.

i think everyone tends to think all the other scientists hate him because hes new and young and kind of a prodigy but no they all hate him because hes like sprinting around and causing problems. shes in black mesa on shift like [signed] Im Gordon Freeman welcome to jackass and then he vaults over the elevator shaft

hes like a little freak even before the rescas hes drawing little doodles on sticky notes and blowing peoples food up in the microwave. Hes blinking at everyone with his big green eyes and running around AND THEN HE MEETS BARNEY and theyre WORSE. gordon freeman comes into work with cupped hands and theres just a lizard in there and it gets loose. [signed] Bing bong fuck ya life (releasing a bird into admin)

[rachetmath]

Retracing Steps

Nora: Jaune?

Jaune: *researching*

Nora: Jaune?! Jaune?!!

Jaune: What?

Nora: Jaune I get you and Lewis were friends but he’s gone.

Jaune: I know.

Ren: So what are we looking for? His grave?

Jaune: No. That’s not what I’m looking for.

Emerald: Then what is it?

Jaune: His first draft.

Nora: You mean his book?

Jaune: Yeah. Lewis censored a lot of information. More importantly, his story was based on his diary. I don’t know what happened to him but he still lived in Vacuo or moved. He had to have taken it with him.

Nora: But what’s so important is that you need his book.

Jaune: *silent*

Nora: No. Jaune you’re not thinking– Are you-

Jaune: Slow down. Yes, I’m looking for a way to return to the Ever After. But not for me. For Salem.

Ren: What?

Jaune: When I was in the Ever After, I thought Ascension just meant death. Which it is. However, it’s also about rebirth. Making changes in one’s self. 

Emerald: And? What does this have to do with Salem? 

Jaune: Think about what Ruby told us. Salem failed to learn the value of life and death. In The Ever After you still die but-

Emerald: Salem’s immortal Jaune.

Jaune: Listen. After you die or are taken by the tree as Ruby described, you are sent to the forger. The forger has the power to create, reforge, and repair you.

Nora: Jaune we fail to see your point.

???: I get it.

Ren: Ruby? When did you and your team-

Ruby: Sorry. I was looking for Jaune a while ago. They were just helping me look. I wanted to talk but that can wait. Jaune, if what I’m guessing is correct then if you find this portal back to The Ever After, you can send Salem there.

Jaune: Yes. However once I find it and see if it works, I need Raven there before sending Salem. 

Yang: Why my mom?

Jaune: Her semblance allows her to travel anywhere as long as she has been there before. 

Ruby: And unlike the staff, it ignores time and space. That means Raven can easily leave the Ever After without having to go through the door again.

Emerald: Okay. Stop! You keep talking about the Ever After but what about Salem?! What does any of this have to do with beating Salem?!

Ruby: *smile* It’s possible but only a theory. If we send Salem to the Ever After, allowing the tree to take her-

Weiss: Then she ascends. 

Blake: Allowing the forger to reset her.

Yang: Leaving her-

Jaune: That’s right.  She can be imprisoned or she can return but maybe as… a mortal.

NER: !!!!

Nora: Meaning…

Ren: She can finally be killed.

Ruby: Exactly. 

Nora: Yes! Fearless Leader strikes again. *hugs Jaune*

Jaune: Nora, calm down. Besides like Ruby said it’s theoretical. And even so, she could come back maybe stronger than before.

Weiss: Maybe. But still-

Yang: It’s better than nothing.

Jaune: *continues his research*

Ruby: Hey, can you all leave for a minute? I want to talk to Jaune alone. 

NER and WBY: *leave*

Jaune: *sigh*

Ruby: I’m… I’m… I’m sorry.

Jaune: For what?

Ruby: For what happened on the bridge? 

Jaune: *stops what he’s doing for a second*

Ruby: I… I figured out what happened. Put two and two together. And… I’m sorry.

Jaune: *continues working* Just promise this. Don’t be like them.

Ruby: Like who?

Jaune: Pyrrha. Penny. And Alyx.

Ruby: I don't -

Jaune: Pyrrha thought she could do it. Though it was slim she still went in with no way out. She could have lived to fight by our side if she hadn't been egotistic. Penny could have lived if she had been a little more selfish. Willingly to put her life first before others. What made her death even sadder was… she died a puppet on the strings. Alyx died because of ignorance. She thought irrationally. Jump to conclusions. Not taking the time to think things through. All those things probably are what ultimately led her to her death. She was truly a naive girl.

Ruby: *silent*

Jaune: Look Ruby, your silver eyes are not the only things that make you special. And just because you get praise for it doesn't mean you should let them define you. You are not alone. So please, count on me to help. Or at least your team. Don't die over pride. 

Ruby: *hugs Jaune*

Jaune: Hm. Hey, what's- …oh.

Ruby: *in tears* 

Jaune: *sighs and smiles* Alright, I’ll take a break, for you at least.

Ruby: Thank you.

[jboy44]

The Rusted king and the mobile city.

In the market as jabber walkers came a did other humans clearly the people who fell. The humans in armor quickly knock away the walkers.

Some of the armored soldiers fire nets at team Rwby ," you were with the cat the body jacking parasite that eat Alyx you will stand before the moving cities rusted king."

The sky turns dark as a massive steam punk city in treads rolls up.

Weiss ," ......a lot to take in there,"

Ruby is shaking holding yang " they cat wanted to steal my booty"

Yang cant think as thanks to not her head is in Bella booty.

Blake "...... Oh its like a fanfiction

A ramp opens up and team ruby are loaded into a cart that runs on tracks which takes them to a throne room.

Weiss uses glyphs to free them and she stares.

Upon the throne made of metal bones and rust. Sits the knight now a king. The king has a repaired sword has helmet has wielded on horns and gems as a crown. He has a fur coat made from jabberwalker skin complete with the beast's skull in this right shoulder.

The king stands " team rwby at long last I have been waiting

Blake bowing ".... You know us .... Your rusted majesty?"

The king removes his helmet revealing Jaune his chair now grey as this beard they seemed confused. " of course I know you guys." He drew a familiar blade with logo in sword sword mode. " time travels is confusion but I have go be by many names. Mr. Knight, rusted knight, the ruated king but my original name is Jaune Arc."

Blake jaw dropped

Ruby's eyes bug "......Jaune "

Yang tilts head "..... Didn't see that coming

Weiss ,"..... I am an idiot"

( add more of your share)

[arrimorr]

Thinking about Gman and Barney sharing the same voice actor. They sound masterfully distinct from each other BUT what if sometimes Gordon mistakes their voices. Imagine Gordon waking up to Barney's voice and momentarily thinking that Gman has come for him again, that his time with the resistance has ended and he is about to be thrown into another war or just submerged into stasis until he is "needed" again. And then it's just Barney and everything is alright, and maybe they are even taking a train ride, but it's not a beginning of some new "adventure", both Alyx and Barney are next to him, he is surrounded by familiar faces. But there is something small and intangible in Barney's voice that makes him sound weirdly similar to Him.

[aspoonofsugar]

CEM = Another Journey to the Philosopher Stone?

So, a quick RWBY thought! Thanks to @hamliet's wonderful meta, we know RWBY is an alchemical story, which metaphorically illustrates how to create the philosopher stone. This stone symbolically brings life, which means that:

RWBY will save the world (the macrochosm)

Ruby (and the others) will self-actualize and grow up (the microchosm)

The journey to the stone is a process made of 4 phases + 1 quick moment:

NIgredo or the Black Phase

The Rainbow phase - the quick moment

Albedo or the White Phase

Citrinitas or the Yellow Phase

Rubedo or the Red Phase

RWBY plays with these phases, as it associates each one of the protagonists to them:

Blake is the Nigredo

Weiss is the Albedo

Yang is the Citrinitas

Ruby is the Rubedo

Jaune Arc and his team are the Rainbow Phase

All the phases together make the stone (RWBY = ruby = the stone). So, our main team is a metaphor for the journey towards the Self (the stone), as they are all growing up together. Team JNPR too ties into this, as another metaphor for alchemy's final product is a tree (JNPR = Juniper + Pine = pine). So, our 8 protagonists are all part of this trasformative process, which will lead them to grow up and save the world.

Still, there is another team, which might tie into this:

Cinder, Emerald and Mercury might be tied to the process of creating the philosopher stone themselves. In which way?

First of all, let's consider volume 9 for a second. Our Little Red Riding Hood faces three different parts of herself in the form of three weapons:

Penny's sword is green, like the prima materia. It represents the child-self and Ruby's past self. It is Ruby's initial form that she is leaving behind.

Alyx's knife is gray, like mercury. It represents this metal, as mercury is associated with both poison (Alyx poisons Jaune) and medicine (Alyx heals Jaune). Similarly, Jinxy asks for the knife both your saddest and your happiest memories. It represents Ruby's present self and the transformation she is undegoing.

Crescent Rose is red, like the philosopher stone. It also represents Ruby's final self. She is still growing up (Crescent), but will eventually become her own person (a Rose).

In short, these three weapons are linked to three different substances that are key in the alchemical process: the prima materia (green), mercury (gray) and the philosopher stone itself (red).

Well, interestingly these three substances share CEM's colors:

Emerald is green like the prima materia. She is also the first one to start a redemption journey and to make positive progress in her arc.

Mercury is gray and is obviously linked to the metal mercury. He is set up for redemption and his arc should be symbolically important for the story as a whole.

Cinder is red and she is obviously going through her own personal journey of self-actualization (even if it will probably be a tragic one). She is meant to be Ruby's foil and parallel, after all. So, she is the cinder, which becomes the stone. She will probably be the last one of CEM to get her redemption.

Now, this could be a coincidence, but it is fun to theorize about it! What is more, another way to describe the philosophical process is this:

The prima materia is separated in sulphur and mercury

Sulphur and mercury come together again through a chemical wedding

They give birth to the stone

Right now we have Emerald being separated from Mercury:

Their separation will probably lead to a chemical wedding between them, where they unite again. At this point, they will probably face Cinder together and help her in her arc. After all, they are her slippers!

So, CEM might just be the third team, which will self-actualize and help saving the world!

Speaking of which I wonder if Somewhat's short story in RWBY Beyond foreshadows the ending of Cinder's arc. The story is a short fairy tale, which tells Somewhat's Adventures in the Ever After. It is clearly foreshadowing of future events, as it teases Ruby and the others going back to the Ever After. That said, it also clearly works as foreshadowing in a metaphorical sense. Especially since it is Ruby herself who narrates the story.

So, Somewhat (aka Ruby) is asked to fix what's wrong in the Ever After (aka Remnant). As they try to do so, they meet several characters:

-They visit the genial gems, who are now taking care of themselves. This mirrors Ruby's own arc. She tried to spread herself too little for the sake of others. Still, she is now able to prioritize herself when she needs it. (microchosm)

-They visit the market place, where everyone has come together after the Jabberwockys' attack. This mirrors Remnant's situation. After Atlas (and Vale)'s destruction, humanity will come together against Salem. (macrochosm)

-They visit the Red Prince, who is now alone after having sent everyone else away. Somewhat and the Prince play a game, as they chat. Somewhat tells the Prince it is not fair his purpose is to win:

Somewhat: "That doesn't seem very fair. What if my purpose was to win too?" The Red Prince: "Such is the way of our life" Somewhat: "What if it doesn't have to be?"

They add they could change their purpose and teach others how to win:

Somewhat: "Who knows? Maybe you could teach others to win."

In the end, Somewhat wins, but the Prince thanks them and says he has learnt a lot. It is also implied the Prince will ascend and become something new. The narration ends by saying "there was one less wrong thing in the Ever After".

-Somewhat goes to the Abandoned Acre and here is where the story ends with a surprising creature popping in front of our hero. (This part may allude to a final confrontation with Salem or with the Gods)

Now, I believe the game between Somewhat and the Red Prince foreshadows Ruby and Cinder's final confrontation. Sure, you can read the Prince as Salem too, if you want to, but I personally think Cinder makes more sense.

First of all, the Red Prince and Ruby's game in volume 9 mirrors RWBY's story up until Atlas. Atlas itself has a strong chess-motif, whose whole purpose is to show everyone thinks Salem is the chessmaster, but it is actually Cinder playing. To be precise Cinder wants to be a player, but she can't stop being Salem's most precious pawn aka the Queen. This fits with the Red Prince. He is both a regressed Red King and the one playing. Similarly, Cinder is the Black/Red Queen, who wants to play her own game.

Secondly, the Red Prince gets corrupted because of Alyx's betrayal. After this, he meets Ruby, but projects his own hurt on her and lashes out. Similarly, Cinder was hurt by Rhodes and is projecting this betrayal on the whole world. She is especially fixating on Ruby, whose eyes negate Cinder's newfound power.

Thirdly, the Red Prince's purpose is to win. In short, he is obsessed by victory. The same goes for Cinder, who thinks she needs to be more powerful than everyone else to have value. This leads her to enter into conflicts with others, whereas she should build bonds.

Finally, Somewhat tells the Prince they should find a new purpose. The idea of destiny or purpose is linked to the theme of "Choice" since volume 3. Cinder is meant to fully bloom into the Maiden of Choice. So, it makes sense for her to finally find her own purpose. Moreover, Somewhat saying the Prince can teach others how to win might foreshadow Cinder's important for RWBY's final victory.

Salem: You are the key to our victory.

Cinder is the one who will decide who wins and who loses.

I also think Cinder will be the Red Death aka the final death needed in an alchemical story to solve the conflict. The Red Prince ascending might foreshadow this.

These are just some thoughts on how volume 9 might have foreshadowed the rest of the story in different ways!

[pokemonranch]

Adoption Sundays, Halloweek Edition!

(Part 3)

Happy spooky season! We've had three weeks of spooky/candy-themed 'mons, and for this last Sunday we have non other than Ghost types.

These two are half-brothers, 'round the same level and simmilar battling experience despite their differences in evolution stages!

Fumes Litwick: Adopted by @mis-marie-magius!

Candle Gengar: Adopted by @trainer-alyx !

If you're interested in any of 'em, respond to this posts with your qualifications and why!

//I'll send DMs to potential adoptees to confirm and, once "adopted", they'll get a background-less PNG from this drawing. You're free to do whatever you want with them! No need to credit me from the design unless you use the OG picture.

//As always, it's not first come first get, I reserve the right to give them to whoever I want. Pokeblogs have priority!

[bunny-heels]

you guys ever noticed that the way G-Man in Episode 2 talks to Gordon, especially about wanting him to keep Alyx safe while they go to White Forest, it almost sounds like he's blaming him for her nearly dying by that Hunter. and actually it's like his entire attitude towards Gordon changes after Alyx nearly died. like instead of seeing it as an example for how lucky Gordon is and how he always cheats death, he's more upset about it than anything.

like before Episode 2 his attitude towards Gordon wasn't really that malicious. aside from, yknow, not letting him have a choice in the matter, but he does at least acknowledge at the end of HL2 that he understands that it looks like he's in an unfair position but he promises that it's for something that'll make sense later. he literally got offers for Gordon's use. he praised how well he took care of Xen. he spoke to him like a casual, almost friendly boss. like, other than not giving him choices, he did hold him on a pretty high pedestal.

and then Alyx almost dies and you'd think he'd be like "wow another example of him being able to survive against the odds that increases his worth". but it's the total opposite. the way he says "Dr. Freeman" when he comes back in Episode 2 sounds like he's trying to freak him out. he makes a joke about how him and the Vortigaunts are now friends despite him killing so many of them back in Black Mesa.

he makes a joke about him needing to 'extract' the repayment from Gordon, similar to how the Vorts extracted what they needed from the Antlion eggs. he says the repayment is owed because of his 'own survival'. the practically growls the words out of his mouth and glares at him.

most of all, he goes on to say that Alyx's worth has actually gone UP since he saved her at Black Mesa. mind you, he's saying this AFTER she died by the Hunter and has to be brought back to life by Vort energy and Antlion extract and needing to have her life be 'weaved' with Gordon's.

you would THINK he'd be like "well you avoiding death increased your worth and made Alyx's go down", but it was the fucking opposite. he even fucking REPLACES Gordon with Alyx. he literally tells Gordon that he would've 'silenced' whoever it was that told him saving Alyx back at Black Mesa wasn't worth it, if it wasn't for the option being 'out of the question' and him having to learn to ignore it. he says that he doesn't 'squander his investments', yet he's keeping his investment in a chick who WAS ON DEATH'S DOORSTEP. and still after all that he wanted to hire her.

on top of that him telling Alyx that he's replacing Gordon because he was 'unable or unwilling' to do what he had to do which is like. WHAT do you mean. he's literally done everything that was asked of him INCLUDING getting her to White Forest safely. the only thing he couldn't do was stop her from getting hurt and almost dying.

and he wanted REPAYMENT for Gordon's survival. did he mean he wanted repayment for him cheating death? that he wanted him to do something to make up for the fact he survived the attack and not Alyx? like giving him a chore as punishment? as if all of that was his fault and he needs to repent for it?

i can't fuckin function like this like actually.

[sir-adamus]

so

stipulations for Salem's immortality is that she will walk the face of the world until she 'learns the importance of life and death', as punishment for attempting to 'disrupt the balance' that the Brothers created

the Blacksmith establishes that the Brothers flat out don't understand what balance really is, which is why they clash constantly in contrast to how the Blacksmith shows that RWBY - finding equilibrium in their cooperation and patience with each other - represent true balance

in fact the contrast in approach between the Brothers and the Tree is very clear; the Brothers are at constant war with each other and deal out vengeful, punitive 'justice' instead of actually solving anything (bickering and breaking and repairing the Jabberwalker to spite each other and neither attempting to fix the problems with it. not even acknowledging or questioning why Salem wanted Ozma back and instead dismissing her, then throwing a tantrum when she proceeded to not do as she was told, resulting in global genocide and later hanging the threat over Oz's head that they'd do it again if the new humanity isn't up to their exacting standards).

meanwhile the Tree, through the Blacksmith, gives Ruby the space and reassurance she needs to stop running herself into the ground and start resolving her issues. it addresses the heart of the problem, for closure and resolution, with no judgment or pressure

so, message is clear - RWBY are gonna be key to stopping Salem for good by demonstrating something the Brothers could never hope to impart to her.

and obviously the Brothers will invariably get summoned down to Remnant, if not by Salem's hand then by Cinder's (she's vengeful enough that she'd be driven to try and end all of humanity just to one-up her enemies, let's be real); because the stipulation on Oz's immortality requires them to come back so he can finally die - and that's where they'll be challenged on the cosmic levels of bullshit they've left the universe in

i guess if you think about it, it all roots back to the Brothers not even understanding what they were made for and getting too big for their boots over it - the Tree doesn't judge, the Tree helps solve the heart of the issue to help people move on (though how successful that is, is up to them), to be better than they were, and judgment and punishment have no place in that. likewise, the Brothers weren't meant to judge, but they took their powers of Creation and Destruction to mean they were the arbiters over such things, and not part of the ecosystem - and therefore got it in their stupid featureless heads that they get to judge the worthiness of the living, and dole out disproportionate punishments in the face of even a modicum of defiance

and because of their failure to understand what real balance is, it's basically become a cycle that has been repeated throughout the course of Remnant's history - impatience and conflict, petty vengeance and spite. like almost every villain is acting to punish some perceived wrong inflicted on them instead of addressing their own issues (Salem vs the Brothers and Oz, Hazel vs Oz, Adam vs the world, Ironwood vs anyone who questions him, Cinder vs Ruby, Neo vs Ruby, the Cat vs Alyx and the Brothers)

Adam refused to walk away despite being given multiple chances to do so and kept going until the only option was to kill him (and his death didn't solve the problems he created). Ironwood refused to listen to any plan that wasn't his own to the point of actively sabotaging the plans of others and threatening to bomb defenseless civilians so that he'd get his way, until he was left to be literally crushed by the weight of his own city (and again, massive problems left in his wake). neither of their deaths are treated as a triumph within the narrative either

Neo's quest for vengeance destroyed her from the inside and she actually succeeded, reckoning with the hollowness she had left sent her completely catatonic - and that probably would've been the end for her, worn as a meatsuit by the Cat until they either disposed of her for no longer being useful or killed with the Cat by the team (because the Cat, like Adam, was past the point of reason and was refusing to give up). it's only Jaune getting the idea of using the leaves that frees Neo and it does that by jolting her into the self-reflection the Tree provides (and the Tree doesn't judge - it only tries to help), after which she chooses to let go of Roman and go to the Tree (there is her once again doling out punitive revenge by setting Jabberwalkers on the Cat but that's before she makes the decision to Ascend, which was after seeing RWBYJ reunite - and two scenes later it's hammered in that RWBY represent the new, better way), Neo got a second chance to stop and choose to get help because the Tree itself ended up involved, and that was followed by the show making that statement on the ideals of balance, which i guess fits with that one post Eddy made following volume 9 about the idea of eucatastrophe, the turning point in a story where it's clear that despite reaching its darkest point, things turn out for the better and that there's going to be a happy ending - so it remains to be seen if the Brothers will be convinced to self-reflect or if they'll stick to their shitty guns and escalate the conflict

[aspiringwarriorlibrarian]

I just realized that the Curious Cat probably didn’t intend for Alyx to die. The first time they fully appear, it’s to tell the Red Prince that humans are fragile things who won’t come back if killed, they panic when Ruby supposedly dies and are surprised to see her in the Tree, and they describe what they did to Alyx as “what anyone would do to a broken, useless thing: which, in the Ever After, means sending them back to the Tree for repair. It’s not like Curious had ever seen a human die before, permanent death was something the Jabberwalker invented. So when they lashed out at Alyx, they were probably doing it with the casual violence that Afterans can show to each other because the Tree won’t let them truly die, and just sat around waiting for her to Ascend and come back fixed and better.

And then they waited, and waited, and waited, and she didn’t come back. And Curious realized that their last possible tie to Remnant was permanently gone.

[angels-heap]

Asides from the whole age gap valhoun discourse, why do you actually ship them? Like whats their dynamic im genuinely curious,,, i probably dont see it bc i cant see it as a cannon thing bc when I get interested in smth i often find myself sticking close to cannon unless its an AU

Oh yeah, valhoun's about as canon as freehoun (which is to say, Valve 100% did not intend for anyone to ship these two), but I'm a multishipper at heart despite being a canon stickler elsewhere. I think it's fun to imagine how Barney and Alyx would interact if they were put into Situations or if they spent more time together in canon. I've talked about the appeal of valhoun before (specifically here, here, and here that I could find), and other folks have also shared their thoughts. To summarize:

Unlike Gordon, Alyx and Barney are both (relatively) fleshed-out characters with known voices, mannerisms, personalities, and motivations. They don't seem to know each other well in canon, but this is never stated outright, so there's lots of room for interpretation. They're both a bit goofy/snarky, so there's potential for some excellent banter between them, and I personally find it easier to get into their heads (relative to Gordon's) and imagine them interacting for writing purposes, since I don't have to start from scratch.

Despite their age gap, Barney and Alyx have a lot in common and a lot to bond over (arguably more than other popular pairings; see the "none of us are free of sin" venn diagram). They've spent the same amount of time living on Combine-occupied earth and lost a significant chunk of their lives (Alyx's childhood; Barney's young adulthood) under Combine rule. They're both uniquely connected to Black Mesa and the resonance cascade. Perhaps most importantly, they're both involved with the Resistance, albeit in very different capacities, which entails shared goals and loyalties.

Because of their age gap, they're bound to encounter situational or interpersonal conflicts, which are an essential component of any compelling story. For instance, Barney remembers things and people from the Before Times that Alyx doesn't, but probably desperately wants to — possibly including her late mother. Alyx is optimistic and resilient in a way that Barney never will be but may find refreshing, because despite her best efforts, she can't fully comprehend what was lost and thus has not developed the same bitterness. I can also see her canonical empathy and naivete coming into play in a relationship with Barney (or anyone else, for that matter). I've said before that she approaches him like he's a stray dog she wants to rescue, and he regards her like a gift he doesn't deserve (that might also be a ticking time bomb). While I could go on for hours, I think that about sums it up.

There's potential for a whole "star-crossed lovers" dynamic here, if you squint. Whether they're just friends, or they're in love, or they're just hooking up to try and feel something, the fact remains that they can't develop any sort of meaningful relationship while Barney's undercover and Alyx is such a valuable Combine target. Any interactions between them are likely to be fleeting and dangerous and/or public. I like to imagine they're mutually attracted to one another, and they try to make it work for a while, but they end up taking one too many risks and someone (probably Barney) calls it off after a close call. Maybe they rekindle things post-canon, or maybe they don't. It's a choose your own adventure where the adventure is delicious angst. And on that note...

Valhoun can exist between HL1 and HL2 canon. Honestly, a big part of the appeal of valhoun to me as a writer is that it gives me an excuse to explore what all our favorite characters were up to while Gordon was in stasis. What was the Resistance working on in the years leading up to Gordon's return? How did Barney seemingly become Dr. Kleiner's personal bodyguard? How's he holding up mentally in such a miserable situation, and what does his job actually entail? What was it like for Alyx to come of age as one of the youngest people alive, surrounded by middle-aged scientists? How did those experiences shape her into the person we meet in HL2? Sure, we don't necessarily need a shipping angle to explore these things, but interpersonal relationships are a big part of the human experience, so a little sprinkle of valhoun adds some extra flavor.

Alyx and Barney are both hot. That's not the whole appeal, or even the main appeal, but it's worth mentioning. I am a filthy bisexual and I want to make the hot dolls kiss. So sue me.

I'm not arguing that valhoun is the "best" HL ship or even my favorite ship, but it's got plenty of room for humor, angst, and character development and hot people kissing. I hope this post helps other folks see my/our vision and get on board. A little variety is good for any fandom ecosystem. :)

[halflifebutawesome]

List of observations from the first 20 minutes of HL2 that are honestly probably really base level takes but I think about alot .

I made a post about it months ago but Barn literally turns his ENTIRE FUCKING BACK to Gordon and FULLY OBSTRUCTS HIS OWN VISION and completely bares his throat when he takes off his mask. This man is incredibly stupid and incredibly lucky that Gordon didn't just like. Jump him.

kind of fucked that when teh other CP asks barney if he “needs help with this one” (refering to interrogating and presumably Hurting Gordon in some capacity) and barney replys “no ive got this” the other CP jsut. Believes him. Fully accepts that Barneys capable of enough violence/force that he doesnt need backup. Like. Okay. The alternative here is that the other guard is also undercover but like. Yknow.

I've thought about this before but him saying "it's me, Barney, from black mesa" isn't just a line to tell the Player who this is, it's also in case. Well. The Combine canonically have been wiping peoples memories and making people forget. Here comes Gordon, missing for 20 years and looking probably disoriented, one has to assume he just Forgot everyone somehow and doesn't know what's going on. Saying it's me, Barney, from Black Mesa, he's trying to in some way jog his memory, just in case

the guards will just straight up attack you in the train station if you keep bothering them. I jsut didn't know this and I think it's scary and interesting.

Gordon running through city 17 before you meet Alyx genuinely feels so frantic and scary and disorienting I really like it.

Alyx takes out like ~7 CP by herself. God what a woman. They way they're like strewn about the room though fucking kiiills me. WHAT DID SHE DO .

I also just really like all the npc dialog and animation. Its got such a good feel to it all it makes me smile. Theyre FRIENDSSSS OKAY. theyre friends and they care about eachother and they care about Gord. sniffles. This time he doesn't have to do it alone......

NOBODY TELLS GORDON FUCKING ANYTHING. they're like well. Get in the HEV Gordy. Get in the Contraption Gordy. Okay here's a crowbar go run around in the canals see ya later and it's like. COOL. SEE YOU. I LOVE YOU. I STILL DONT KNOW WHATS GOING ON. CAN I HAVE A GUN

[cassketti]

Hai. Adrian shephard headcannon minddump go. Talk abt my adrian shephard dog metaphors

I say you, you took me all around. Then treat me like a dog. And made me walk for miles. And then you held me up.”

Dog Shephard vs Dog Freeman

Both Gordon Freeman and Adrian Shephard’s character centers around their personal lack of control, and the control enacted onto them by outside forces.

I think what separates Gordon from Adrian is that Gordon is surrounded by people who are pushing him in all these various directions. Gordon’s role in the overall storyline is vital. And while he’s shown to be unable to really choose a path on his own (well besides Half Life Alyx), there’s still other forces that pushes him in different directions (vortigaunts releasing him from Gman, all the characters that literally direct him, etc etc)

Thing with Adrian (this is now bordering headcanon) is that a lot of his lack of control seems to boil down to shitty luck. Honestly maybe less on actual shitty luck and more so Gman’s influence throughout the storyline.

Where Gordon acts as the main push of the timeline, Adrian is only the support.

Devolving more into headcanon-ish territory, but Adrian actively tries to resist Gman's influence. When we play as Gordon in the other half life games (past the half life episodes), Gordon only goes in the direction that he’s guided in, which is the same direction that Gman and everyone else is pushing him towards. And while we kinda see a similar thing with Adrian, Adrian tries to go against Gman’s plans, i.e. him trying to escape or deactivating that bomb.

TDLR: Gordon lack of control just comes from everyone around him not just Gman and has been shown to sorta break out of Gman’s influence whether that be through the connections he has or whatever he did in Half Life Alyx, whereas Adrian is mostly forcibly dragged along the path that Gman wants by Gman. Gordon is more passive Adrian is a bit more resistant. Gordon is the main guy pushing the overall timeline, Adrian is more of the support/backup.

Gman’s K9

Mostly headcanons and ideas for Gman moving on from here

I like the idea that originally Adrian was supposed to be like, the main guy for Gman’s plans but Gordon with his bullshit came in and impressed her so much that now Gordons responsible for everything.

Gman has been plotting on Adrian for a while too, seen in the diaries and such. Now, this kinda ties into my stupid bad luck headcanon for Adrian, but because of Adrian’s shitty good luck (where he is thrown in the most atrocious situations yet still manages to survive every time), Gman decides to use him as a tool where his shitty luck would further advance his plans.

How, I don’t know. I’m not even sure about the bad luck headcanon too because idk if that goes well with Adrian’s whole “surviving against all odds” thing? Anyways.

So as such, Adrian works well as a sort of backup or support for Gman’s plans, whatever they may be. Gordon’s gone because he somehow escaped Gman’s control? Replace him with Adrian. Gordon’s gone because he’s completed his purpose in Gman’s plan? Bring in Adrian. Gordon’s gone because vortigaunts got him? Here’s Adrian then? See Adrian Shephard acts as Gman’s sort of backup boy when Gordon Freeman is out of the conversation.

Adrian works as a support too because of the way he is. Gordon, is a scientist, he has his connections, his intellect, and also luck too. Gordon with such qualities can make for a slightly flexible tool, but also something that can more easily escape Gman’s control because of said qualities. Adrian on the other hand, is a military trained soldier, meant to be weaponized for the government’s (or whoever/whatever gets their hands on him) sake. That being said, my Adrian Shephard is an annoying, rude, fresh out of college age 22 year old guy so it’s not like he’s mature enough to be straight up obedient. But it’s like, he doesn’t have many of the same advantages that Gordon has, making him more susceptible to Gman’s force. Yk.

Now in that case, Adrian Shephard works as a good tool to get the simple or more messy stuff done. For the government, he’s another soldier that you can give orders to, for the Gman it’s also the same thing.

Also as Gman’s K9, Gman doesn’t give him the same kind of treatment as Gordon Freeman lol.

I like to think Stasis was purposely meant to train Adrian in a way. To make him more aggressive out in the field. Not sure how that works but yk.

Dog metaphors also have room for military themes

the military reduces young boys into war machines and thus removes their autonomy in that aspect

So in a way, soldiers are basically like dogs for the military

I’ll add more LATER. Omg this is so gay bruh. Hut ya!

[brookahs-mind-palace]

post canon hl2 like a few years down the line gordon decides hes going to go live in a cabin in the woods and live his lumberjack fantasy and him and alyx go there and they find a shitty little run down house and do all these renovations together and its so stupidly sweet and they build furniture and start a garden and gordon tries cooking for alyx all the time and even though its not anything crazy gourmet she thinks its like the best thing ever because whens the last time she had a home cooked meal and she still goes to white forest and the surrounding areas to help out with stuff and eli and kleiner come around to visit for family time and gordons just happy kind of being the house husband and not having to deal with society at large anymore and at the end of the day him and alyx just get to be all domestic and lovely in their little bedroom with the sunset coming through the windows and kissing each others blemishes and scars and then they go to bed and its beautiful and then gordon freeman dad bod happens (very important detail) thanks for comign to my ted talk i hope you all can share my vision with me