(Use of the word su*c*de at 39 seconds, glitch warning at 43 seconds, 1:35, and 1:38)
BOY where do I start with my thoughts on this. Y2kais has inspired me so so much and idk how to condense all the ideas down into one post but uh! I Will Try! The basic idea of this whole exchange is Gordon’s warring points of view — his forced rose-tinted perspective through Loverboy, who wants to think that he’s still Juliet, and the part of him that knows he’s not. The part that wants to hurt Benrey. This is set after Benrey leaves to check on Spork’s body and just before Gordon takes over the restrictor powers!
Also, flower references! The first ones that appear over Gordon’s eyes in a memory are anemones meaning “forsaken,” same as last time. The part after that is anemones, lillies (hatred), and marigold (pain/grief). Black roses start to fall from Gordon’s bag when he accepts that he’s Rosaline, and finally, all of the flowers at the end are monkshood. They’re a poisonous plant that could theoretically be the poison that killed Romeo, though they’re also sometimes used to ease pain :]
Can you tell us about how the virus works for your au?
i can ! kinda!
so this is, like y2kvr, about the iloveyou virus. not really explicitly stated, but i figured you’d get it, haha.
so. bare with me while i babble on a little bit.
the virus isn’t really a being - it’s just something ATTACHED to a being (in most cases, this being is Gordon). gordon/loverboy has SOME amount of control over what it does, and vice versa. if you consider that gordon is programmed to be a virus carrier, it makes sense that his personality would be kind yet hostile at some times. the kindness is the front, and the hostility comes from the fact that his programming is inherently bad.
a virus a built to not be detected, so having a cover (gordon/lb) only makes sense for it, right?
so it’s a little different in the sense that the virus is a separate being from gordon/lb, but it still impacts them and their decision making and such!
i feel the need to reiterate that gordon and loverboy aren’t exactly different people either; they’re 2 views on the same situation. 2 viewpoints on morals and 2 reactions to what happened.
here’s colleen’s (@egot1stical) part on it:
“It’s also neat in the way that it focuses on the insecurities of the AI, because looking at it from a technological sense, insecurities literally mean lack of security.
The virus traps itself in places where there are easy vulnerabilities, and as they’re AI and have consciousnesses, their insecurities, be it literal flaws in their code or mental fears, is how the virus manifests. It literally latches on to any point of weakness, but as they’re more.. sentient, it presents itself in a more ‘human’ way.”
(thanks to colleen for being the smart one who’s able to help me keep a level head with this virus stuff. writing is hard </3)