Soooo, I love my shadow. Like really; A LOT. I actually very often struggle with the feeling that I'm not being clear enough with it, but I REALLY REALLY REALLY LOVE IT.
I feel like, to an extent, t'was probably easier for it to make a shrine about me than for me to make a shrine about it, because while I'm really outwardly insecure about our dialogue, it's not like I can just stay here reassuring it that I love it, cuz I'm pretty sure it knows lol.
But who even is this "Shadow"?
Accurate visual depiction of it
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What the flip is a shadow?
So, my shadow is a person I love a lot. Its name is Rom and it goes by it/its.
Now, at this point if you haven't read the about me section of this website you may be thinking:
"Aww, what a cute couple!! they call each other by cute nicknames! <3"
-You, probably
Well, first off, we're not a "couple", because we're -- - -------- , otherwise called a QueerPlatonic relationship.
We're not friends, nor a romantic couple; we're both and neither at the same time, and since there isn't really a term for words like "partner" or "girlfriend" or "couple" in this context, we made them up.
Hence me calling Rom a shadow, and it calling me a light, instead of terms that would cross the line on either side.
Rom is the best and I love it
Oh wait did I mention that already?
Well here's some links to its website so you can check out how amazing and cool it is!!
Also here's some art made by it!
OMG SO COOL!!
YOU GOTTA AGREE IT'S GREAT
IT'S SUPER TALENTED!!
WAWAWAWAWA
So anyway Rom is extra talented and a great artist and fun and handsome, but you probably already knew that. Let's get into what I know about it!
Things I know about my shadowwww
So, you don't really have to hang around Rom much to realize it LOVES Shadow the Hedgehog with undying passion. Hell, it suggested i called it a "shadow" for a reason.
I mean, Shadow seems cool as hell to obsess over: his contrast to the generally silly tone of sonic is simultaneously hilarious and tragic in a really sincere way, and honestly I can completely understand how a world such as Sonic's manages to lighten up the lives of so many people in the same way my interests motivate my actions as well.
A small interlude
I weirdly remember watching the trailer for Sonic Mania when it came out in 2017. It's not like it's supposed to be a serious, or even a story-driven game; it's a speed platformer made to serve as fanservice.
And yet, that one silly, fun animated trailer shook me to my very core, to the point where I was consistently thinking about this game until I finally bought it 5 years later. Sonic Mania's trailer encompassed this bittersweetness of what once was: it spins your emotions on its head, makes you feel stuff.
It feels a bit weird to say, because I'm not supposed to be the Sonic fun here, and because it's just an ad for a retro platformer, but I cry every time I watch it.
That is to say, Shadow the Hedgehog, and the Sonic franchise, are AMAZING. They have this emotion-inducing bittersweet power that I personally value a lot, and while this shrine is dedicated to my shadow, I did wanna shortly point this out.
If you want to watch the trailer yourself, here it is, and if you're weird like me, prepare some tissues.
It also really likes TF2, especially Team Blu's Solly, portrayed by its HUGE TF2-related userbox collection.
These next two are specially telling:
TF2 is a really fun community to be a part of. The fanbase is INSANELY talented (including Rom ofc), specially considering how scarce official content gets: it's true that Meet the team is AMAZING, but there isn't really much more official content aside from random lore drops on comics, magazines, or other small merch.
And despite that lack of content, the community just continues to make beautiful fanart, great fanfics, insanely well-animated Source Film Maker memes, and FREAKING FULL-LENGTH ANIMATED PICTURES that are better (and more available) than most crap you could find on any creativity-engulfing streaming service.
Valve probably didn't think much about this little game (not like they do now either), but the world and specially the characters they created have made a huge mark on people, and also very clearly on my shadow. ^^
Anyway here's a BEAUTIFUL TF2-related piece by Rom!
Now, going back to what I know, Rom also likes Captain Laswerhawk, and Heathers (not the show eww), and Hamilton, and Dear Evan Hansen, musicals in general, and Made in Abyss, and Good Omens, and Lego Monkie Kid, and The Lego Movie, and The Lego Batman Movie, and the Spiderverse movies, and rap, alternative rock, hyperpop, basically any music genre ever except Country and Reggaeton, and weird funny videos with 50 views on youtube, poetry, writing, architectural brutalism, grafitti, anything related to anarchism, Undertale, Arcane, Helluva Boss, Spaniard MCYT, FNAF, FNAFHS, Mouthwashing (except Jimmy kys Jimmy), drawing, lemon slushies (literal blocks of ice with food-dye and artificial flavour), fish (to eat lol), going on the train, Coraline, and I could probably go on.
Yeah, I'm a listener shut up.
So, interests aside, being its light, what more do I know about Rom? What do I think about it? I think the next best question is:
Why is Rom??0?
ehhhhh uhhhhhh eughhhhhh ahhhhhh ehhhh
literally me right now
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The next few paragraphs are just going to be me complimenting Rom and explaining how I see it, so get ready:
...
I just love you SO MUCH
Like you're a genuine inspiration for me it's INSANE
I just feel like there's a certain duality to you, like you're inbetween two worlds, and I find your perseverance through all of it admirable.
You're strong, sensitive, talented and just generally great to be around,
and I know you're gonna try and deny it, but nah man you're genuinely great and deserve all the love in the world.
And you know my love is always going to be a given. <3
Ur the best, you're strong, and you're going to succed. Please remember that.
god, I sound like a mom lol
So, anyway, that's about it for what I had to say! If you're here and you're not my shadow then hi! And if your are my shadow then I LOVE YOU SO MUCH GRRRRRRRR
