#I need to come up with a tag for shippy stuff

[asheanon]

Ahaha so, uh... 🥴 I didn't share this thing here, but I'm going to answer some questions from it here because, once again, I hate fighting with text limitations from another side of the internet!

I am tagging you for this, though, @vinjaryou, so you get the notification and whatnot. I hope you don't mind. 🙏

From: Ship Ask Game - The Basics

Here we go with more ship posting... 🤠 (Meaning I'm sorry to everyone except the MVPs who don't mind. Hahaha!)

🌌🌹💜

5. Do they argue often? If so, what do they argue about?

Not really. Or so I think, anyway. 🤔 They could be more prone to arguments if Sal wasn't so non-confrontational. She also values information over ego, so it's less of an argument and more of a deliberation if she ever gets involved in something. The less proper communication-friendly it is, the more likely it is to be dropped. It's not worth wasting her breath over!

Kuja is similar in the sense that some arguments just aren't worth his time as well, though. He's "too good" for that. Something really has to feel like it's on the line for it to be worth arguing over, otherwise, he'll just let whatever "idiot" is trying to argue with him "die mad." It's not quite like Sal's approach of leaving them be with whatever beliefs they may have; he likes to make a much firmer point of insulting them because he really is all the ego Sal lacks. Sal = information. Kuja = ego. Haha!

There are less serious matters where they both can be open to a more facetious argument, though. They're both just playful enough to get a kick out of being contrary with one another over some of the little things out there! It's with silly little things, such as fashion sense, puzzles, food, etc.

14. Do they enjoy PDA, or are they more private with affection?

More private, 110%. They had private beginnings that were kept as much of a secret as possible from the others for various reasons, plus, Sal is definitely not a PDA type. Even when things are more comfortable/less secretive between everyone, she's very... uncertain of it.

I've described Sal as being very control-oriented out of fear for a great majority of things. "Fire, which fears its own heat. Despite how beautifully it burns" as Kuja himself more eloquently worded it! And that very much applies here too. There's something she's scared of and that uncertainty puts a damper on something like PDA.

As for Kuja, he has some sense of decorum; meaning he doesn't mind maintaining some privacy, though, there are times later on where he would like showing off a little more. He is very vain, after all; to have a lady like Sal to feed into that vanity (and be a little possessive with, I won't lie) appeals to him too.

That being said, however, I will say that it's actually a sign of growth to see Sal become more confident and open to it over time. 🤍

18. How do they care for each other when one of them is wounded/sick?

They both do the best they can, despite having their individual shortcomings. 💕

For Sal, the more proper medical know-how that she's picked up from years of what is most easily summarized as "lab work" comes into play here. She'll care for Kuja much like a nurse or a doctor. While it has its softness, it also has this respectful distance to it. She isn't the type to cuddle and dote on someone in this situation. I'll bring it up over and over: she's warm, but distant. Just like a star. And that aforementioned "fear" has a lot to do with that too.

As for Kuja, he has some knowledge of his own (it's basically "magic vs. science," if you will. Technically just two different types of medical science, really!) but he's definitely more of the doter/lover when it comes to a problem. If he's emotionally invested, that is! I'd actually say he's had a lot of moments where he's just clueless as to what to do in these situations.

Though both of them are more prone to keeping problems such as these hidden from one another, Kuja opens up to Sal way more easily than she does to him later down the road. Sal is the epitome of being closed off and prone to hiding any form of suffering she has from anyone. It's very rare that she allows that sort of weakness to be seen, if she can help it.

Once again, I'll bring up character development, though: those walls of theirs do gradually start to fall with time. There is a period where both of them aren't entirely sure of themselves and their actions at times like these, but they eventually start meeting face to face in all those layers of vulnerability. It's very endearing. 💙

33. How do they flirt? Who’s the worse flirt?

You have more of your classically romantic flirt with Kuja while Sal is simply sincere, but unintentionally mystique all in the same.

It's needless to be said, but as a professional flirt by default, Kuja is definitely the better flirt. It's a regular part of his character even outside of whatever is going on between him and Sal, haha! He flirts with intention and it's very clear that he's doing it (and he's very successful with it, more often than not.) To make it more sensual is effortless for him just as well.

By comparison, Sal is the worse flirt, hands down. Again, she's merely genuine with an air of mystery; when she decides to throw in a playful remark or gesture on occasion, some may interpret it as flirtatious, however, despite it not being her intention. She'll often take on a more analytical demeanor to help subdue amorous undertones in most social situations, but... man, when she chooses to drop those walls of hers and that sincerity intertwines with the more intimate, it's really something to behold in its own right (at least, in my own incredibly biased opinion! Haha!) She'll never leave you feeling like her love is fake. Let's just put it that way. 🌌

[streetkid-named-desire]

Cyberpunk 2077 Barbie Dream Closet Virtual Photography for Charity Extravaganza

Do you play on console? Are you afraid of modded clothes or posing with AMM/PMU? Do you just want to support some charities?

Send me your request and if you use modded items and I'll let you know if I can do it or not. If I can, then send me a screenshot via ask or DM of your donation receipt and all the info listed under "what I need from you." Also, if you prefer chatting over Tumblr DM or Discord. I won't get started until I see proof of your donation 😅

Charities to support

Palestinian Children's Relief Fund

World Central Kitchen

Red Crescent

Brazil Foundation

America Relief Agency for the Horn of Africa

Islamic Relief Worldwide

Ukrainian Red Cross

National Bailout

Jewish Women International

This will probably be an ongoing campaign.

Turnaround time will try to be within a week depending on volume and complexity of the request. I work a full time job so only have time for this stuff after work and on weekends.

Check my tags for my OCs listed in the pinned post for examples. I'm not super good or using Otis and a bajillion tools and mods, hence why this is for charity!

Charity tiers

Each tier is per one OC. Donate to more than one charity and I'll bump you up in the queue!

If you donate in multiples of 18 I'll also bump you up in the queue cause like, you know, Jewish tzedakah tradition.

$10 - two portraits in one outfit and one action photo of your OC

$18 - same as the above plus one non-explicit shippy photo

$25- four portraits in two outfits, two action, one non-explicit shippy photo

$36 - four portraits in two outfits, three action, two non-explicit shippy photos

$50+ - whatever the hell you want within my skillset, priority turnaround, and my admiration and gratitude <3

Charities to support (again)

Palestinian Children's Relief Fund

World Central Kitchen

Red Crescent

Brazil Foundation

America Relief Agency for the Horn of Africa

Islamic Relief Worldwide

Ukrainian Red Cross

National Bailout #FreeBlackMamas

Jewish Women International

Some notes and rules

I use VTK vanilla so only fem v with default breast size (I'm lazy I'm sorry, again this is why I'm doing it for charity and not being paid directly). Specify if you use another complexion. I use Ava's with abs, no moles.

UV Male is fine. I use FrauBlume's skin.

No body rigs

Minimal customization mods please (recolors, more body or face meshes, and VTK or UV overlays are fine)

For shippy pics: only canon (lore not strictly game only) sexuality pairings: Judy x fem v, Kerry x fem or masc, Johnny x fem or masc, Panam x masc v, etc (I'm sorry it's just what I'm comfortable with, do not come here with discourse bc I do not care. This is for charity.)

All VP is final, no redos: I'll provide unedited versions and my own edits in a Google Drive folder. You're free to do whatever you want with them. Specify if you want them private, otherwise I will pick a few to share to continue promoting the charity drive/as a VP portfolio thing or whatever.

I have the right to deny any request I'm not comfortable with and I will provide alternative suggestions (e.g. outfits that cover customization options I can't do, more portrait or action photos if I can't do the shippy photos, NPC portraits, environment, etc)

What I need from you

1. Your CC values, preferably written down (Skin: 01, Eyes: 02 etc) but screenshots of the color palettes OR an NPV file OR an ACU preset file (please provide the written down CC values just in case ACU wants to crash)

2. If your OC has any signature colors or color themes they wear, as well as any other special requests such as "they dress practical" or "they are a total slut". Any additional personality info will be great too. You may specify clothing items/mods or leave it up to me for a surprise!

2. If you use arm cyberware

3. If your OC uses modded appearance items this will also increase turnaround time. Please provide either the files or link the mods and tell me what you use. *This may or may not work out depending on my own install. Have a mostly vanilla OC backup or other request available.*

3. If you want combat poses: any signature weapons they use (if they use iconics it may be a little while before I could get to combat poses depending on if it's masc or fem), how they fight (stealth, melee, run and gun, etc)

4. If you want non-explicit shippy poses: obv the NPC. Also only canon sexualities (no Judy x Masc V, Panam x Fem V, Kerry is bi so that's fine, obv side NPCs are fine their sexuality isn't quite established depending on who). These might have a longer turnaround time. If you use an NPC+ file link to the mod or provide the file.

[nightshadehoney]

I never watched James Somerton's shitty Killing Stalking video because I was trying to be good to myself and avoid something that I knew would make me very angry. In fact, I never watched any of his stuff because the fact that he made a video like that was enough to discount any thing he ever had to say (also I heard about the Celluloid Closet plagiarism).

But man, is the James Somerton discourse bringing a lot of Killing Stalking-related feelings back up for me. Because I'm mad; I'm still so mad. There are a suprising amount of people on social media who are saying they never watched any of his stuff except for the Killing Stalking video. I'm annoyed not just to find out that the vid had that sort of reach and influence, but also because Somerton's unmasking hasn't seemed to make people reasses the validity of the kind of thing he was saying. People are just now being like "hmm I think this guy might have Issues With Women" but that doesn't warrant any reflection on what exactly the motivation is of people who complain about women enjoying a niche webcomic? Because I don't actually believe you're concerned about the influence of some obscure piece of media when you advertise its existence to your large audience many of whom had not heard of it and would never have heard of it but for your transparent outrage porn video. It's rage bait and the target was women that are perceived as straight. A big channel has publicized the fact that they excised a section that endorsed the opinions in this video from their own because they became aware of Somerton's plagiarism and dishonesty (presumably; if it was actually because they recognized his views were coming from a sexist place I would welcome a clarification). And you know, I don't think that's a good look actually. That you needed to be told he was a bad person and couldn't idependently put together that the misogynist man was saying misogynist things.

The comic ended years ago and the fandom has gone mostly quiet, but to this day people are still the peddling the"fujoshi/stupid teenage girls who don't know what's good for them are shipping these characters because they are too braindead to realize it's not a romance; it's a horror, two things I believe are mutually exclusive. I am smarter than all of these cringe degenerates" bullshit. It's in the comments of the hbomberguy video even; one comment was such a gross misrepresentation of the series that my friend needed to talk me down from getting into a pointless youtube comments argument (bless him) because these people are officially making me lose my marbles.

This narrative is full of shit, it's demonstrably not fucking true. You can go on the artist's twitter right now and its full of her retweeting shippy fanart of that pairing readers were apparently never intended to ship.

(I don't think Koogi knows or cares about James Somerton; she just reblogs the works of fans who tag her. This made me laugh though).

Now this is all speculation because he died decades before social media existed, but I think if Nabokov was alive today his twitter would not be full of Humbert Humbert x Dolores Haze fanart. And yet, I have unironically seen people compare shipping Sangwoo and Bum in Killing Stalking with the misreading of Lolita as a precocious sexual temptress more than once.

And this isn't me saying that Killing Stalking is the disgusting"pro-sexualized abuse" comic that tumblr purity police used to characterize it as either. One of these days I'm going to go truly bonkers and end up banging pots and pans on the street corner, yelling at random innocent passerbys about how stories about romantic and sexual relationships are not required to be Hallmark movies. You can make art about the negative, dark, and troubling parts of these feelings and relationships without creating a pat morality tale. You don't need to approach media analysis like your 7th grade teacher has assigned you an essay on explaining what a novel's "message" is.

Nobody, not the author and not the fans, genuinely thinks that Sangwoo and Bum have a healthy or aspirational relationship. This hypothetical person that does not understand the relationship is toxic doesn't exist. Because girls and women, even the ones having cringey fandom fun on tiktok or whatever, are not so stupid and naive that they are unware that breaking someone's legs and locking them in a muder basement is bad. The type of concern troll rhetoric Somerton employed in his video is directed near exclusively at women interested in men and there's a reason for this. Women are not responsible for abuse that men do to them; nobody is responsible for their partner abusing them. If I never saw people spit this bullshit again it would be too soon.

[guhamun]

SHIPPING INFO // answer the following for your muse(s) so people know how shipping works on your blog.

REPOST. don’t reblog.

What’s your OTP for your muse?

I honestly don’t have an OTP fkjdshf in any fandom. But ships I have with mutuals? Those tend to be my OTPs – but usually just with those people if they’re canon muses as I often become attached to people’s specific interpretations rather than who the muse are themselves. This can go into faceclaims too for ocs.

What are you willing to rp when it comes to shipping?

I think it’s easier for me to say what I don’t like when it comes to shipping. Highly toxic stuff is a big no for me personally since it makes me super uncomfortable and I feel bad writing it as a result of this, but other than that, everything is free game I guess??? I also don’t like Aged up muses like individuals who were like 13 or something aged up to 18 for shipping for a verse as that can stay 10000 feet away from me. So come at me with that and get a flat no and a block. I used to see this a while back in certain fandoms so maybe things are better nowadays....maybe.......

How large does the age gap have to be to make it uncomfortable?

For immortal muses or muses with very, very long lives, this tends to be free game since as long as both them and the other individual share the same mental / physical maturity and they're adults then we’re good to go. For outside of this, five years is my max and anything above that is too much for me. This is different if both muses are older adults, though, as 40 and 45 become quite inconsequential.

Are you selective when shipping?

VERY. It’s one of the reasons why it can take some time for me to ship with someone in the romantic sense as I need to get to know the mun through ooc communication on the dash or through tags or something. I need to get a feel for those vibes. Since I don’t go into interactions looking for this, that also makes it take some time to actually get to that point. It’s rare for me to go outside of the slow burn period unless I know someone and we’ve talked a lot / discussed things.

How far do steamy moments have to go before they're considered nsfw?

For me, the moment a lot of touching starts to get involved is my cue that things are more than likely going to get pretty spicy from there and to get ready to slap that readmore / nsfw tag on there.

What are other muses you ship your muse with?

-Vague hand gestures-

Does one have to ask to ship with you?

You can most certainly! Just don’t bring it up when we first start interacting because it’ll make me annoyed and that ship more than likely won’t ever happen. As someone who has been used before for having a specific muse for part of a ship, I’ll think that’s the only reason for the interest. Now, if we’re interacting and you see chemistry over time, then you can let me know. That’ll give me an idea of where the interest is, and then from there, if I’m feeling that chemistry too, I can send in those shippy memes without feeling like a weenie. 😭

How often do you like to ship?

I do like shipping, but not too often. Normally when I have a few ships, my interest in it tends to dwindle down into the aether. The type of muses I pick up doesn’t help either as they are often uninterested in romance from the first and or it takes 10 years to get a single doki out of them. Oh to have a muse that is easy to ship...

Are you ship obsessed or ship more-or-less?

I like shipping, but I’m very chill about it overall (until we actually start shipping---).

Are you multiship?

Yesss very much so. For some muses, though, that might be few-ship.

What is your favorite ship in your current fandom?

As I said, I don’t tend to be interested in ships much even with fandoms. However, I am fond of Ningguang and Beidou in Genshin. For Honkai, Bronya and Seele, and Natasha and Serval (I say that as if I have Honkai muses on here---). I like these in very specific ways and don’t tend to be fond of how fandom explores a lot of ships in general because I'm weird I guess FJHSJKFFS.

Finally, how does one ship with you?

Just interact! Really, that’s it! Don’t approach me with intent on shipping first time we interact and just let it happen. Talk to me too! I like having some kind of connection with whoever I’m shipping with or it feels like I’m in an echo chamber. That’s about all I can say in regards to all this! ^ O ^ )9

[lostusagis]

SHIPPING INFO. answer the following for your muse(s) so people know how shipping works on your blog. ( Only doing Kamui for this because of reasons )

what’s your OTP for your muse(s)?

Overall, there's not a lot of shippy moments in Gintama? But based off their interactions, my otp for Kamui is Kamui x Okita because that's someone I can see Kamui genuinely showing interest in out of the people he's met. They're the same brand of blood thirsty and crazy, they both love to fight, and they banter. Also Kagura hating Okita makes this ship ten times funnier.

Also the criminal x cop dynamic is hot.

what are you willing to RP when it comes to shipping?

I'm up for almost anything? Just not.... weird shit? Like I am willing to touch on toxicity in ships since Kamui has no experience with dating, nor is fully knowledgeable of everything people on earth do. Plus, he's an asshole. He gets violent too depending on the situation. Once he does actually become interested, he tends to get obsessive even if he does outwardly act nicer towards his partner. Borderline yandere lol.

how large does the age gap have to be to make it uncomfortable?

Anything adult x minor makes me uncomfortable.

are you selective when shipping?

Yes. I'm tired of people wanting to rush through everything. Kamui is not someone who's even easy to befriend, let alone date. If someone doesn't have the patience for that, I'm not interested. Either tag along for the slow burn or don't ask to ship at all. Plus, on multiple occasions people have complained about how mean Kamui is as well. It's bound to happen before we get to the romantic stuff, so.....

how far do steamy moments have to go before they’re considered NSFW?

When things get handsy tbh lol

Who are other muses you ship your muse with?

I guess I wouldn't mind shipping Kamui with Takasugi either? If the opportunity is presented, I'd try it out. Even if I have an OTP, I'd be willing to try out other ships via RP since more often than not I end up enjoying it based off past rp experiences :)

does one have to ask to ship with you?

Yeah. I need to be told beforehand, so I'm aware where our interactions are going to go. It needs to be discussed too. Every person that ships w/ Kamui, I've talked a lot about it with them via DMs.

how often do you like to ship?

Hmm, I always like to ship. But I also would like platonic stuff too? I don't want things to ONLY be shippy.

are you multiship?

Oh yeah for sure, I'm always up for different ships with different people.

are you ship obsessed or ship more-or-less?

More or less maybe. . .?

what is your favorite ship in your current fandom?

Hmm, can I name more than one ship? I have a few faves in Gintama.

Kamui x Okita obviously, Kagura x Soyo, Kyuubei x Tae, Gintoki x Tsukuyo, that's it.

finally, how does one ship with you?

Honestly, just DM me, or ask for discord. I'm really not all that strict. Just respect that I'm not toning down Kamui just bc you're getting impatient with our ship and there should be no problem? Otherwise, I'm really easy going, send all the asks you want, start all the threads you want, i don't care. Just be respectful and know what you're getting into.

Tagged by: @bxtonpxss ( thanks ) Tagging: whoever wants to do it

[breezypunk]

WIP Wednesday, thank you @gloryride for the tag. ♥︎

I have been enjoying showing off wips lately, even small. :3 I like to keep busy and I'm always working on something whether private or something I plan on releasing.

Mod wips

been working on mods, release date unknown, there's so many mods we wanna work on and sometimes we change things up, but one that's coming soon(ish) is johnny's alt jacket.

here's a potential pattern, I really love making patterns and fun colors for my mods, so expect that!

VP stuffs

I've also made a new au called low frequency. It's a au set in the prehistoric Mesozoic era! dinosaaaaaaaaaurs baby.

I have been making photos and have upcoming photostories planned for this au and I'm super excited about it!

Pose WIPS

Mainly for me, I've been doing shippy poses, focused on hamds (uwu), and I made a lil photoset showcasing those poses, they are still a little messy. I've been deep into pose making lately, and I've been doing tons of fem and masc poses as well, and I have millions of pose packs I wanna release and haven't even started working on one pack yet xD just need to fix them up to start properly making them, but that's a slow process, we'll get there.

screaming right now.

OC Wips

I've been working on re-vamping Maggie. I am in the process of making her look more like I imagined a long time ago when I created her. She's my pride and joy just like Vaughn and I love her dearly and want to give her everything in the world hehe. I gave her some tattoos, and they aren't quite definitive yet, I'm still searching but I know I want her with a lot. haha, and I also started putting more cyberware stuffs on her, she's coming out so nicely.

That is all I have for now! Anyways, If you see this and wanna showcase your wips consider yourself tagged by me, and feel free to tag me if you wanna! <3

[azure-steel]

Meet the Mun.

ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘɪᴄᴋ ᴜᴘ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛ ᴍᴜꜱᴇ(ꜱ) ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ?

Yeesh, LOADED question xD Uhm... well I fell in love with Cloud way back in his polygon popeye arms phase when I was around 15 or 16. That moment when he trundled down the stairs on the Hardy Daytona. But like... there's elements of his character that kind of remind me of me that I don't want to go into here tbh. In short I was having a hard time at home when I first took to Cloud, I owe him a lot, and I just pray that I do him justice, you know?

ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ?

Not really? I'll have a go at anything. I don't usually know if something is going to bother me or if I'm not feeling it until I'm in the moment. But if that happens I'll let you know :)

ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ?

Heh, probably angst tbh. I have this nasty habit of turning the most upbeat thread into a sea of misery if I don't keep myself in check. It's not like I enjoy watching my muse suffer... no... that's a lie OMG. But I love shippy things too, fluff, smut and all that stuff. But the one thing that's key to me is WORLD BUILDING. I love exploring a character's emotions, the things that surround them and how it affects them. Honestly, if I feel stifled in a thread I lose interest pretty fast.

ʜᴏᴡ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇᴀᴅᴄᴀɴᴏɴꜱ?

Usually on the fly, as I'm writing replies. It's not something I do often for Cloud considering that his lore is already quite extensive so I don't often feel a need to elaborate on what we already know. It depends really.

ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ɪɴ ꜱɪʟᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴏʀ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴍᴜꜱɪᴄ?

I prefer to have music playing and I like the music to fit the mood of the thing I'm writing. Helps me keep my flow and it blocks out everything around me. I can be easily distracted.

ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘʟᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʀᴇᴘʟɪᴇꜱ ᴏʀ ᴡɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇᴍ?

A bit of both. Totally depends if the thread is plotted or not honestly.

ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ꜱʜɪᴘᴘɪɴɢ?

Oh man I LOVE IT. A bit too much to be fair. But I'm a bit shy and I don't want to come off as pushy if I feel like my muse could ship with someone elses so it's not often I'll bring it up like that. There's so many good characters here I would love to ship Cloud with but I'm a damn coward xD

ᴡʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴀʟɪᴀꜱ/ɴᴀᴍᴇ?

Saphie or just Saph is fine. It's been my online alias for YEARS now.

ᴀɢᴇ?

HAHAHAHAHAHA I'm over the age of 30, so OLD

ʙɪʀᴛʜᴅᴀʏ?

25th of March. Team Sheep!

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ(ꜱ)?

I... don't think I really have one? I do art as a profession so I love all colour I guess.

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ꜱᴏɴɢ(ꜱ)?

Oof, I don't have one to be honest because my tastes change so sporadically. I just love music in general.

ʟᴀꜱᴛ ᴍᴏᴠɪᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜᴇᴅ?

Uhm... I want to say Advent Children because that was a movie I specifically put on to watch about a month ago. I'm sure there's been movies on the TV that my husband has been watching and I watched by proxy since then but I couldn't tell you what they are. I have a memory like a sieve...

ʟᴀꜱᴛ ꜱʜᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜᴇᴅ?

Everybody Loves Raymond as I was stuffing my face at breakfast this morning.

ʟᴀꜱᴛ ꜱᴏɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪꜱᴛᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ?

I am currently listening to Who's Side Are You On by Tommee Profitt.

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ꜰᴏᴏᴅ?

CAKE, though if it has cheese on it I'm in!

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ꜱᴇᴀꜱᴏɴ?

Anything apart from winter. I hate the cold and I can't look cool walking to work in the snow when I'm slipping around on my face...

ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴛᴜᴍʙʟʀ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ?

I do!! @ghostofnibelheim/ @nanakithewarrior/ @roleplay-abiogenesis2 GO FOLLOW THEM!

Tagged: Yeah... I pinched it from @mezzomorendoTagging: Just steal it and say I tagged ya~

[riacte]

Um hii so I may have something to add to the "duo name" discussion going on.

Fanmade duo names are generally established to separate them from shipping. Which is a good idea and we should continue to make an effort to tag shipping. But you know what else is a fanon concept? Not the idea of two CCs being good friends irl, but the fannish idea of shipping their characters. (Excluding CCs who are married / together). So instead of coming up with fanon names for platonic duos who are friends irl, I think we should come up with fanon names for the fannish concept of shipping (who are not together irl / whose characters are not together).

I'm not into QSMP so I cannot speak for that side and I know y'all have a different shipping culture, so this is more for hermitshipping / trafficshipping.

I can't verify this statement but in this post, OP mentions Joe and Cleo didn't want a duo name because they felt like a word + duo couldn't represent their years of friendship. And I can imagine this to be true for many duos especially in HC, which has been going on for so long. Instead of trying to “define” friendship with a word, we can shift the focus to making up a fan name for the fannish concept of shipping them.

Case study 1: Renchanting / Treebark

The ideal scenario: CCs make their own canon platonic name, shippers make their own fannish name for shipping. Treebark is a pun, it's vague, it doesn't overtly mention Ren or Martyn or their brands, and like the more niche duo names, you need to put in effort to understand what this means. Which makes it perfect for shipping in the sense we try to "hide" it. I know people have said it can be frustrating when you see a new duo and don’t know what it means, but I think it’s okay for ship names because they are by design meant to be obscure. You have to make an effort to look for it and understand what it means.

Case study 2: Convex / Cubscar (Ranchers / Solidaritek (?) also goes here)

I think it's called Cubscar based on Cubscar Week? Anyways, a slightly less ideal scenario than Treebark but still very very good. Canon name for platonic stuff, name mashup for romantic stuff. Less elegant that Treebark but it works so who cares. If it works, it works.

Case study 3: Flower Husbands

FH is different in the sense it’s a canon romantic ship and the CCs made the name themselves. I guess FH is still used for platonic but romantic FH would probably be best tagged with shipping to differentiate it.

Case study 4: Rendoc (aka. is this platonic or romantic or what) (Renskall also goes here)

Rendoc is like FH but?? It’s both a ship name and a duo name?? SHIPrendoc? They made it themselves hello?? Rendoc has been around long enough that we just use it for whatever. Like FH, romantic Rendoc should probably be tagged with shipping.

Case study 5: Fress / Stresskall

Long established ship names that sometimes gets used for platonic because it’s faster and we don’t have canon names (at least I think we don’t?). At least I use it for platonic too. It’s different from Rendoc / Renskall in the sense we don’t get a “haha yes ship us” from the CCs. And I think we have enough common sense to tell whether a post is meant to be shippy or not. Eg. “YESS FRESS CRUMBS IN NEW EPISODE!” (about canon platonic interaction), “omg fress in your au is so cute” (depends on context? What’s the AU?), “I think Fress should kiss” (overtly romantic).

These dynamics in particular have been around long enough that it feels weird trying to make a duo name for them (like Jleo). Like, I would rather call platonic Stress+Iskall with Stresskall than, fuckass allium duo or whatever. If it’s tagged with shipping, it’s meant to be seen as shipping. In the absence of canon names, sometimes using name mashups is faster and more efficient.

There are of course exceptions for everything: eg. Desert Duo is well established enough and it’s a good contrast to Scarian. But I think for more niche duos / ships, we can kind of get away with using name mashups? In the absence of canon names?

But I think name mashups are still seen as inherently shippy because that’s how other fandoms make their ship names. (Ironically one of my ships have the name “sniper duo” which is unrelated to mcyt duoification I promise, and is more used descriptively instead of as a tag) So we have to be careful with how we present name mashups especially in public spaces…?

I still think it’s better than making up duo names that few understand. And I think we should reserve our obscure names for the more obscure act of shipping instead. If it’s difficult to find out what it means, why not make it difficult by design? The name mashup tells you who they are, but the obscure ship name tells you explicitly it’s romantic. I know it’s hard trying to twist your thought process the other way because we’re so used to name mashups being for shipping (in other fandoms), but idk I just think it makes sense for fan names to be made for entirely fanmade concepts. And non fanmade concepts (friendships) can stay the way they are. Idk just some thoughts.

[asheanon]

For those wondering, yes, I've literally been the slowest artist alive lately. I haven't forgotten about what needs to be done here still. I'm just that slow. 🐌🎨

[aadmelioraa]

It's almost 2023, so I figured I'd share my updated The Last Kingdom fic recs since I have been meaning to do that all year. Below the cut you will find some shippy stuff, some introspective pieces, and a variety of characters featured (several of whom rarely get fanfic). I hope if this post crosses your path you may find a new favorite! I did limit my selection to complete fics, but you can find more recommendations, both works in progress and complete, under my ao3 tlk bookmarks. Happy New Year, and happy reading!

the leap by @irisdouglasiana

Season 5 cottagecore nuns fixit for Aalys and Aelflaed. Fixit fics are not usually my vibe tbh but this one is perfectly complex and bittersweet.

A Hard Story to Know by @wildwren

Post Season 5 fic. Aelfwynn processes her grief at the loss of her mother with the help of Aldhelm and Eadith. This fic broke my heart and mended it several times over.

no escape by @volvaaslaug

Wonderful Eadith character study and I adore the prose style as well.

come go with me by @wendy-daahling

Aethelflaed x Aldhelm political marriage (for MERCIA of course), slow burn with lots of delicious pining.

the drowned and the damned by @irisdouglasiana

Canon divergent AU centered around Osbert, Uhtred's youngest son. Addresses family trauma, cycles of violence, and legacy within the world of the show and does it in such a thought provoking way.

and, lord, she found me just in time by @jeynepoole

Hild x Iseult hurt/comfort bathing fic...so tender and so lovely.

a rope in hand for your other man by @jeynepoole

This fic is definitely for a niche audience, but if the idea of an Aethelflaed/Aldhelm/Aethelred threesome intrigues you, check it out...and there's more where that came from.

Meanwhile in Mercia by @skatingthinandice

This series is an absolute staple of Aethelflaed x Aldhelm fanfic and I am very grateful for it. Essential reading!

Daughter of Darkness by @ulfrsmal

Gen fic focused around Brida and Thyra's relationship and trauma that I, for one, desperately needed. *this fic is locked, you will need to be logged into your ao3 account to access...I still have a few invitations to send, if you need one feel free to DM me!

I go you go, my dear by alittlebitalexis

Two Osferth x Eadith fics for the Eadsferth truthers among us (no for real they were cute). Fluff and smut.

When the Party's Over by @wildwren

Aethelflaed x Erik College AU. Part of a series, read Part 1 first, I am just particularly attached to this part for...reasons.

The Maiden by @wildwren

Pirate/Witch AU for Aethelflaed x Skade. This fic is HOT and creative and HOT and gorgeously written and HOT.

To Curse a King by @pokeasleepingsmaug

Skade x Sihtric smut fic featuring magic and knife play. Very fun and sexy.

Saint of Shitty Reasons by @volvaaslaug

Edward Modern AU character study that hits 95% of my kinks.

Most CURSED among God's kin are aethelings by @wildwren

Aethelwold character study. A masterpiece though and through.

Lay Down Your Arms by @skatingthinandice

Aethelflaed x Aldhelm post Tettenhall smut, and a most worthy entry for the #GET IT AETHELFLAED tag.

clever-tongued by @tsukkinami

Aethelflaed x Aldhelm smut with wonderful tension and intimacy, it's just top tier! A classic.

in my dreams we survived by @irisdouglasiana

Hild character study, really lovely angst that makes me tear up every time.

poison by @irisdouglasiana

Brida x Skade enemies to lovers...need I say more?

fortune cookie by @jeynepoole

Competent stepdad Aldhelm, Modern AU Aldhelm & Aelfwynn bonding. A warm blanket of a fic.

[chevvy-yates]

Alright, I thought about it last night a bit.

I may just stop forcing myself to do the usual 'male v monday' 'shippy saturday' 'thirsty thursday' 'wip wednesday' stuff (I mean I can't even manage to keep up with that either) and instead post whenever I want, like I do on Friday already when everyone is posting their gorgeous females but I (if I post) do post my boys since I do not have any female oc.

I don't know if I'll completely abandon the tags for it or not. it's gonna be more: if I manage to post on that day, I'll add it, if not, I'll reblog and then tag it with the tag or sth like that.

I will still try and take my at least 30min of time a day (mostly after work around 6pm German time) to browse tblr. Queue often makes noe sense to me, sometimes I use ib when I feel I've reblogged to much in a row already but I do not tage anything that will come from my queue so you won#t even notice that it was queued.

I've also set a few blogs on receive notifications so I do not miss any new posts. I love that feature! But sometimes I have to stop using it if a blog keeps posting like every 1h through the day which will give me 24 notes a day on my phone - forcing me to look and I can't do that. I need to find some balance somehow. Still a thing to figure out to have it healthy.

I do not want to abandon looking at content because you all create so many cool things, but in this fandom, as I already said it so many times: it is just so hard to keep up with it. So please do not be mad about me or think I do not like your stuff (anymore) because I've not liked/reblogged a thing lately of your content. I often feel very 'unmenschlich' (inhuman?) when I can't find time to give some love to others work bc I receive so much from all of you, therefore I want to give it back as well.

Idk how you manage having 4+ ocs btw. I with my 4 boys feel like I abandon at least one for too long (rn it is Vijay - and it makes me so incredibly sad, no one will probably understand). But I have to keep telling myself, he will receive a whole lot of attention and love again. However, this month is for Thyjs, because he's having his birthday soon (13th) and so I will focus on him in the first place.

I decided to slide in Jaysen for something else yesterday (because spontaneous things still happen) and I'll hopp in to take a bunch of pic of him as well once my writing here is done, bc he's modeling for some new real cool pants. And then I go back to my soldier boy doing the same (if I can manage bc taking pic … takes time xD).

What elese?

I'll just need to find a balance when I do at least answer roleplay or do story writing because this also I feel very bad about It gets neglected the most, mainly because I've never been a writer. But I find such joy in it and I feel like a bad person that my rp partner always has to wait such long time until I answer. Some days I'd just love to thorw literally everything aside and just do rp 24h nonstop (we all know this doesn't work) because I love love love this story that developed in the past year and when I think about it I'm just so hyped to share it one day but it's a lot of work to do. It's gotten something like a lifetime project by now?

And I need to stop hording my drafts. Its getting ridiculous …

[ronmanmob]

SHIPPING INFO // Answer the following for your muse(s) so people know how shipping works on your blog.

REPOST. Don’t reblog.

What’s your OTP for your Muse(s)?

Towing the honesty line here and saying that every ship - no matter its nature - has something I flat adore about it; something unique and captivating and that makes me excited about writing and exploring it. Stacking them up and naming names or pairings just feels like a fast track to potential hurt feels and I'm not about that life. Each is my favourite version of itself.

What are you willing to RP when it comes to shipping?

Most anything, honestly. Any kind of relationship - platonic, romantic, familial, a complex mix of those appropriate for mixing or a more straightforward affair. All sorts of relationships fascinate me, and I'm happy to explore provided it's well plotted out and we - as muns - have chatted about yeses and nos and boundaries and all that good stuff.

How large does the age gap have to be to make it uncomfortable?

I won't ship with minors or write ships where Ron and a minor are even vaguely romantically inclined. Otherwise - provided we're writing about legal adults consenting to things/being in situations - I'm not overly bothered about it as a concept, however--

However.

I can promise you a 38 year old Ron, say, would whap an 18 year old interested person round the head and chuff 'em off home to their mum as soon as look at 'em. Just because it's write-about-able doesn't mean Ronnie'd be interested. Man's got his own wants and needs and I can flat swear someone 20 years his junior like that example there says cannot, CANNOT meet those.

Are you selective when shipping?

I need to have a good rapport with the other mun, certainly. We need to plot things out, test ideas, make worlds and if we can't do that, I can't get comfy enough to open my (hard as fucking nails but still) muse up to the kind of connections shipping (any kind) entails. Elsewise, of course, there must be chemistry between muses if we're talking romantic shipping.

How far do steamy moments have to go before they’re considered NSFW?

Friends I'll write everything from the beginnings 'til the ends of an intimate encounter, but I'll also always follow my writing partner's cues and comforts in that regard. I don't and won't write smut. More power to those that do, of course. It's just not my thing. But intimate scenes needn't be smutty and I'll write, like I say, all the detail my partner's happy with. We start mentioning parts and private zones, that's NSFW and it'll be tagged as such. Mine is, //Behind Closed Doors.

Who are other muses you ship your muse with?

I've been shipping with @hislittledxll since...2016? With @brooklynislandgirl for perhaps a sneeze less time? So they're my darlings and I don't know what I'd do without them. Other, newer shippy-loves are @vxctorx and @id1eyouth. A dear friendSHIP is had with @tabbyrp, likewise @corinnebaileyrp. Like I say, I'll consider ships of any kind with anyone.

They just need plotting :3

Does one have to ask to ship with you?,

Yes please. Scream at me about our muses in my DMs. Pounce on me on Discord. I'll do the exact same. Assuming shipping - any kind but romantic especially - will only get my (and Ron's) back up. He's an easy flirt, bless 'im, but there's A L O T of heck-fire and dagnabit this man's been through and dealing with and just...inviting oneself into his intimate circle...It won't work.

How often do you like to ship?

I do like it lots, definitely. I'm mulling over happy little motes of inspiration almost constantly. But it's not mandatory by any means. I'll write anything that interests me. So bring it in pals!

Are you multiship?

Yes, but every ship has its own verse. As was so wisely spoke in Ghostbusters by my hero Doctor Spengler - Don't. Cross. The. Streams.

Are you ship obsessed or ship more-or-less?

Ship more-or-less. There's more to life, more to writing, but gosh it's fun.

What is your favorite ship in your current fandom?

Other than the ones I've made up round the characters I write Ron with? XD I...don't really know I have a fandom specifically. Some pairings I've loved to see in recent media include Paul and Chani in Dune/Dune 2, and Lestat and Louis in Interview With The Vampire (it's so toxic...SO TOXIC, but so beautifully done).

Finally, how does one ship with you?

Legit, talk to me. I'm always either here or on Discord. We'll need to chat, plot, discuss boundaries and story arches and all and it'll be fascinating and awesome and I promise we're friendly, me and Ron. So just pop by. There's always a pot of tea on the boil and biccies out the draw to snack on while we natter.

Tagged by: I stole it off @brooklynislandgirl (gratefully, thank you darling)

Tagging: C'mon go play!

[cringefaecompilation]

25+ // neurodivergent & psychotically disordered // CR liveblogger

campaign 2 only critrole fans, essek stans, and exu prime haters dni. talk to me about my nd headcanons!

tags below the cut!

favorite character tags

fav: fearnie bearcub banana (fearne)

fav: hell for some heaven for others (ashton)

fav: i’m tired of running (imogen)

fav: savior blade (orym)

fav: it’s love that makes people (caduceus)

fav: pop pop! (beau)

fav: you can reply to this message (veth)

fav: i have so many flowers to give her (yasha)

fav: you need me more than i need you (fjord)

fav: i have passed through fire (keyleth)

fav: and it was the metric system! (taryon)

fav: guiding bolt up the butt (pike)

fav: safe with my indifference (percy)

fav: dagger dagger dagger (vax'ildan)

fav: i cast blight (laerynn)

fav: last dragon of avalir (nydas)

fav: peach jam! (dariax)

friendship tags

rel: exu trio (dorian & fearne & orym)

rel: hey best friend (fearne & orym)

rel: best of all of us (fcg & ashton)

rel: better tomorrow (imogen & orym)

rel: maybe we can both be broken (ashton & laudna)

rel: captain and first mate (beau & fjord)

rel: our greatest trick yet (veth & caleb)

rel: someone prayed for a miracle (caduceus & fjord)

rel: we’re all all kinds of fucked up (pike & vax'ildan)

rel: original og (pike & grog)

romantic tags

ship: something personal and irreplaceable (fearne/ashton)

ship: tethers (imogen/laudna)

ship: you're his revenge (ashton/imogen)

ship: the most beautiful (laudna/fearne)

ship: first thing that didn't hurt to see again (deanna/chetney)

ship: tusk love (fjord/jester)

ship: drop it! (fjord/caleb)

ship: i don't want a poem. i want a wife (veth/yeza)

ship: sorry babe gotta beat these ninjas (beau/yasha)

ship: and every day that raven comes to visit (vax'ildan/keyleth)

ship: they are not worth you (vex'halia/percy)

other shippy stuff

irl tags

dungeon masters

cr cast

guest pcs

campaigns

campaign: vm

campaign: mn

campaign: bh

campaign: ck

other campaigns

[pokemoncenter]

You can call me Sophora. I work at a Pokemon veterinary clinic in Unova. I’m here to vent, give unsolicited advice, and tell you people to take care of your Pokemon. Everyone I talk about will have their name changed, including myself. Just because you have Rotom phones now doesn’t mean you should forget basic internet security. 

Also, if you take your Pokemon to the Center when it needs a vet, I hate you, personally. Remember: Centers are for injury and battle-related issues, vets are where you go for regular checkups, health conditions, and if your Lilipup eats all your chocolate cookies because you were ignoring it again, Maple.

((OOC info below))

Player hasn’t done RP on tumblr before. Not really interested in the RPing real stuff, the blogging angle is the appeal here.

Player is 21+. Not interested in shippy or explicit stuff.

All posts will be tagged with ‘pkmn irl’ and ‘unreality’.

Intend to post mostly about things like Pokemon care, pokemon biology, and a few comments on other miscellaneous subjects as they come to mind.

This is one of the blogs with the premise of 'post as if pokemon are real'.

Not interested in really interacting with sapient/talking Pokemon, Sophora will assume they're kids making stuff up.

Sophora's pronouns are she/her, she's a grumpy vet working in Unova, and a former Team Plasma grunt. That part is secret, though.

[lost-decade]

Heyyy!!! So the fic questions!!

1 / 11 / 16 / 22 / 23 / 39 / 40

(I hope is not too much tho)

Hey! Thank you so much for asking, and sorry this took me so long.

1. Do you prefer writing one-shots or multi-chaptered fics?

This is a good question. I do enjoy both but I tend to gravitate towards one-shots purely because I'm not a particularly fast writer and I find it much easier to write fics that are around the 5K words mark.

Also I don't think my stories have a great deal of structure and I don't tend to do much plotting most of the time, which I think is something that you need to do with longer fics.

When I do hit on an idea though and manage to work out an end point, that's when I can really get into writing longer fics. A couple of my WIPs at the moment are multi-chaptered and I'm loving working on those.

I think as well, I worry that I won't be able to finish multi-chaptered fics, like I'll eventually lose interest. Which is why I don't generally post fics until they're complete. Although the James/Max I posted the first chapter of this weekend will definitely be finished, even if no one is interested lol.

11. Link your three favorite fics right now

This is hard as there are a lot of great fics out there but I'm lazy and don't go into the ao3 tags very often, instead I rely on recs from friends and I'm also guilty of rereading a lot of my old faves multiple times.

Looking at my history/bookmarks, these are three that I've recently read and loved:

that one from work can come over on monday night - Lovely Landoscar getting together WIP from @verycoolwearsleather. This is the kind of slow burn that I absolutely adore.

last chance saloon - Lewis/Jenson on the night of Jenson's retirement

Ode to a conversation stuck in your throat - Gorgeously written galex set across the 2022 season

16. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?

At the moment there's just a couple. Tbh there's not a lot of pairings I'm very enthusiastic about atm. There are pairings I enjoy reading if the writing is good but that I wouldn't write myself.

I've probably written Max/James to death this year and as there won't be any new interactions between them going forward I think that will fizzle out for me soon. I would dearly love to be into an F1 pairing enough to write it but there isn't one that I'm into enough or would feel confident enough to write. I enjoy writing Max G because he's so private and that provides a lot of scope for character building because you only have the basics to work from.

I'm rambling so much lol sorry. Anyway, back to the question. At the moment there's a James/André fic I'm working on set in 2033 where André gets divorced, has a breakdown, goes to therapy and realises he's been in love with James for years while they do a classic car rally in Italy.

Also the concluding part in my Max/James series, where they split up and then work through some shit. And that's about it really. I mean, there's also a lot of random bits and pieces that I've abandoned.

22. Are there certain types of writing you won’t do? (style, pov, genre, tropes, etc)

I wouldn't say there's anything I'm dead set against writing, but ones that spring to mind that just don't interest me are a/b/o dynamics, high school AUs, fics with many multiple pairings. Actually mpreg is a very big no. Anything involving pregnancy majorly squicks me, regardless of gender.

I'm crap at writing anything technical about actual racing either. I tend to swerve that and concentrate on shippy stuff.

Also I generally don't have a lot of interest in writing established relationships. What I really love is the getting together, the figuring each other out and working through the obstacles. Once those things have been resolved and it's all plain sailing then it's mission accomplished for me from a writing point of view. Unless we're talking horny one-shots/PWPs and then how long they've been together is often inconsequential.

23. Best writing advice for other writers?

Don't get too tied up in worrying about how whatever you're writing is going to be received. Also, I find what is a huge help with motivation and confidence is having someone you can bounce ideas off and go to for advice if you're not sure if a certain scene/idea is working. Shoutout to @zeraparker, and @verycoolwearsleather for this.

39. Share a snippet from a WIP

From my André/James 2033 roadtrip fic:

Andre leans back against the sink vanity, marble cool beneath his palms. For a moment he’s half jealous, but more curious; him and James never talk about relationships though, unless you count the excruciating attempts the other night to discuss Ania. James is a catch, the type of guy Andre would have expected to be married with a kid by now, yet instead he’s here in Gordes with Andre, dressed like some new romantic popstar in leather pants and pale silk shirt. He gets away with it in a way that Andre isn’t sure he himself does. Surely there's someone.

They don’t talk to each other about that sort of thing, not in a serious way.

“Just wondering who's bed you’re going to end up in at the end of the night.” He gestures to James’ outfit. “This suits you mate.”

James smiles but there’s something in his expression that Andre can’t read, there then gone.

40. If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?

Ooh this is hard. I'd be honoured with anything tbh! A couple of thoughts having scrolled through my fics: Daniel and Cyril kissing in the hotel corridor from Only Memories

The jeandre bedsharing from Protège-moi (although we do have the actual video from that lol)

And ahem, well. Max G in lingerie, from satin sheets and luxuries so fine

~

Get to know your fic writer!

[strongfuck]

five songs that remind you of your muse.

tagged: @dahlborn ; thank you!! tagging: @protodroid, @general-kalani (knoxx), @munro-of-europa, @love-seared, @phaseshiftings, @lowerqualityrp (jack), @manaborn, @cnlyluck, @irrfahrer, @auroradicit (theia), anyone else who sees this and wants to! i'm not sure who's been tagged before or not, lmao

COOL KIDS // echosmith.

He sees them talking with a big smile But they haven't got a clue Yeah, they're living the good life Can't see what he is going through They're driving fast cars But they don't know where they're going In the fast lane, living life without knowing And he says I wish that I could be like the cool kids 'Cause all the cool kids, they seem to fit in I wish that I could be like the cool kids Like the cool kids

i think a recurring theme for rhys from beginning to current state of his character arc is that he always feels he has to be Something More. handsome jack was a goal to strive for in his years with hyperion (and adapting to hyperion work culture was necessary for him to survive), and then after that he tries so damn hard to match the borderlands' idea of megacorporate culture. of course he's incapable of completely drowning himself out-- he still made friends while with hyperion, and he still does a lot for sustainability tech/general philanthropic work with atlas instead of just focusing on weapons-- but rhys will always end up compromising himself some way or other. just because that's the nature of the world he wants to live in. in his head he has to do even the things he doesn't like to maintain the power and position that allows him to do the things he wants. by nature of having "things he doesn't like" it also makes him feel he doesn't fit in with the rest of the megacorp CEOs out there who presumably have no issues doing what has to be done.

KILL YOUR HEROES // awolnation.

Well I met an old man dying on a train No more destination, no more pain Well he said one thing: "Before I graduate Never let your fear decide your fate" I say you kill your heroes and fly, fly, baby don't cry No need to worry 'cause, everybody will die Every day we just go, go, baby don't go Don't you worry we love you more than you know

quintessential rhys song, and the title of my blog's desktop theme for almost 2 years lmao. even after killing thousands on helios and killing even more after, even after all the pain and trauma the guy he latched himself onto parasocially for years put him through, man's just gonna keep going. i think it's meaningful he was there for some version of his hero's last moments and then got to conquer him himself; he never needed to model himself after anyone to succeed, anyway.

EARTH // xiv hours.

You're gonna lose it all And find yourself on your knees So, get a grip and you might Flow, reverse the great, slow bleed I've tried patience, but You always want a war This house won't tolerate any more Stop this right away

corporate baby turned corporate dilf rhys! i think his arrogance will always be part of him, even though the events of tftbl humbled him. and despite the lessons he learned he doesn't have enough grit to completely turn the tide of the megacorp culture in the borderlands, either. he is a prisoner of a system that existed before he even knew about it, but he's trying his best within it anyway.

BABE RUTH // coin.

Now that I'm busy I broke it all down I miss you coming over, yeah Every now and then Swinging for the fences, swinging for the fences You got me swinging for the fences, swinging for the fences, yeah

embarrassingly my favourite track to listen to when i'm doing shippy/smutty stuff with rhys (and my #1 played song according to spotify for the year 2022, wtf). he sacrifices a lot of normalcy/living a relatively ordinary life for his Big, Big dreams, but it doesn't stop him from falling in love headfirst and wanting simplicity, anyway. he tells himself he knows his priorities and work always comes before everything else-- especially considering the work that he's doing and how many lives he's improving-- but the selfish romantic in him will Always Exist, much to his annoyance. he's mature enough to let love go if he can't have it, but "he misses it, every now and then".

THE HIGH ROAD // broken bells.

'Cause they know and so do I The high road is hard to find A detour in your new life Tell all of your friends goodbye It's too late to change your mind You let loss be your guide

rhys is so fucking lonely by the time of BL3 and by extension new tales from the borderlands, but it won't take him off the path he's chosen. yes, he has friends. yes, he always has people to talk to. but everyone who knows him as Just Rhys are all scattered across the galaxy, and he can't even contact a good number of them, and this knowledge of the friends he can no longer see will always quietly hollow him. it's got to be worth it, of course-- he's making his dreams come true, he's making up for shitty things he's done, he's making it big... but sometimes he'll wonder what if he just stayed with fiona, sasha, and vaughn? what if he really escaped the corporate world and just became a regular guy? he didn't owe promethea anything when he chose to save it after atlas 1.0 destroyed it to high hell, he didn't have to do it. rhys doesn't necessarily regret his chosen path, that said, but it doesn't stop him from wondering what could have been when the loneliness really hits him.