Okay So I’ve been thinking a lot about how, obviously, the Half Life universe has better advanced technology than ours does as well as being able to recycle Combine tech and how that would come in handy for the characters with hearing and speach dissabilities so............... I’d like to think their tech would be more compact and/or have a better functionality for it’s users!
And with Gordon being mute; (or in the case of my Gordon having “muscle tension dysphonia”) advanced, slim fitting and comfrotable Electrolarynx machines would be very useful when his hands are otherwise occupied!
(Whilst we do have wearable Electrolarynx machines theyre quite bulky and more advanced, smaller and better ways to transfer vibrations to speech are still being looked at and developed today such as things like the WAGT, a “wearable artificial graphene throat” thing that applies like a temporary tattoo which is pretty neat!!)
If you’ve seen any of my other pics of my HL2 Gordon you’d notice he has hearing aids of which I’ve always drawn to look quite small and sleek! Because I’d like to think people in the fields of the Half Life universe have managed to design a snug fitting machine that has less of a chance of falling out once put in (considering all the running and fighting Gordon does, Eli, Alyx and Kleiner would happily tinker with the things to help once they become loose-) It has a little dial on the front of the bit inside his ear to mess with frequency and fits over his ear like a fake earing clip.
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I’ll highlight here again my HC’s that my Gordon in particular has “muscle tension dysphonia” (which is when you dont use your breath to properly energize your voice, or your throat muscles may be too tight when you speak so when talking it makes his voice sound strained or hoarse and can make it uncomfortable to talk...) and- he is partially deaf and uses hearing aids to just generally hear things! (Without them in he can still hear kinda but it’s very muffled and indistinguishable unless someones like RIGHT up against his ear and speaking very very loud lol)
anyway my ramblings over I just rly like technology :)