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corrodedcoughin · 2 years

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Listen I'm having so much fun au-ing you have no idea

Future Sci fi AU loosely based on the video game Hardspace Shipbreaker where Eddie is a mechanic who dismantles and strips spaceships down to either be sold as parts or melted down and reused.

It wasn't what he wanted to do with his life, not even close. But it pays. Pays off his debts. Pays off Wayne's medical bills (that Wayne doesn't want him paying, but what choice do they have? Plus - Eddie loves Wayne too much to not do something). And it wasn't like he had much of a choice, with Eddie struggling to find work at regular job. But thanks to Dear Old Dad and his criminal ways, Eddie knows how to break into a spaceship and strip it for parts.

So that's how he finds himself working for Thatcher Ship and Salvage - just a cog in the corporate machine. Which he fucking hates, but he loves his uncle more. So he signs up, gets the job, and ends up working out of a Salvage station currently orbiting Earth.

When he said he wanted to see Earth, that wasn't what he fucking meant.

It's a large station divided up into smaller Salvage Bays, each of which is assigned one Shipbreaker. The bays are so far apart he can barely see the others. He's alone. Just him, the ships, and the void of space. Each Bay comes with its own Habitation Unit, like a shitty apartment/workshop that can fit one person. Complete with thin mattress that feels worse than the one he had at home. It wouldn't be as bad if they all lived together, Eddie thinks. Him and the other mechanics working this station. But they don't.

He goes to sleep alone, wakes up alone, makes his corporate approved space food that tastes like cardboard, suits up and then works a shift breaking down ships.

Occasionally the team at the head station will call him, give him instructions or updates on incoming deliveries. Wayne sends him emails almost daily, and Eddie will spend an evening replying. Suit off and hunched over the computer in his unit.

It's dangerous work, but the hazard pay is worth it (it has to be, or else he'll spiral wondering why he's even here), and Eddie is fucking good at it. He's got the speed, the skill, and the knowledge.

But eventually even that isn't enough to get him through the day. He's a social creature, he loves to talk and to touch and to spend his time surrounded by his people. But he is alone, and the only other voice he's heard I'm months is his boss. Does not fucking count.

He has Wayne's emails, and the messages Gareth and Jeff will send him (along with the occasional song he can download into his helmets radio system). He appreciates it so much. It's kept him going as long as it has but Eddie aches. He wants a hug. Someone to touch his fucking shoulder. To feel the warmth of another person, to hear them breathing next to him, to feel their heart beat. Eddie wants to make fucking small talk and hear someone laugh at a dorky joke he makes. He wants to hear gossip about someone he doesn't know. He wants to connect.

So Thatcher Ship and Salvage connects him to some bullshit "Employee Wellness and Connection Program" like fucking pen pals at school. And Eddie grumbles to himself but goes along with it because what choice does he have? He has a feeling they only signed him up because if he quit they'd have to train up someone and replace him. Fucking corporations, man.

He gets assigned a person also on the program, and they send emails. Get to know each other. Connect. Talk so Eddie doesn't lose his mind in space. And if it goes well, they might even get a weekly phone call. And fuck, doesn't that hurt. Since he isn't even allowed one with Wayne. Says it'll cost too much to connect all the way down to Earth.

It's an email at first. From a man working an office on earth, also being signed up by his manager. A man named Steve.

Steve, who drones away in an office building under a manager who hates him because his father owns the building they work in. Owns the whole Harrington Corporation. They have to play nice to the Boss' son. So they resent him, and he is alone save for Robin. The girl who works in the office mail room. Who doesn't take his shit but understands that he's actually a good guy. He is her platonic soulmate. Complete with shitty apartment they live in together. The windows let in a draught, and the pipes leak - but at least he doesn't live with his parents anymore.

And now he has to email this stranger in space, who surprisingly, replies with one hell of an email. Long and wordy sure, but funny and personable. Genuinely seeking connection.

Or maybe Steve's projecting because he's lonely. Still under the thumb of his father, working a job he hates, with only one friend his age.

I just- two lonely boys connecting through daily emails and the expanse of space.

hello! sorry I took so long to get back to you!! can i just....beg for more of this please? i am absolutely besotted with this concept. Your description of Eddie is so perfect, like of COURSE he needs to speak to people! He needs to be witnessed and to entertain and his engage and get that feedback from another living thing.

At the points where he can't get in contact with anyone, before he gets 'matched' he'll talk to the faces that he sees in the whirls of the metal panes that cover the various ships he takes apart. He gives them different voices just to try and get himself a bit more invested but even then, he's heart sore for somebody to talk to in person. For somebody who wants to talk to him, for somebody to just listen and maybe riff with him on his ideas and fantasies all face to face so he can read their expression, try and predict how they might react based on body language.

So when he gets matched Eddie thinks this is just going to be another online relationship. Not that he doesn't take value in being able to talk to Wayne, Gareth and Jeff. He just desperately wants something more to make the isolation a little warmer. Eddie doesn't have high hopes but he's willing to try anything at this point.

He fires off his first email, not expecting a reply any time soon. Really, he's expecting a dry half-assed reply from somebody that doesn't give a shit about him and is being paid by the hour to talk to sad and lonely space rats. What he doesn't expect is a reply that has him breaking out in a small smile as this guy, Steve, describes his cubicle neighbour and the phlegmy noises he has to put up with daily. Yes Steve understands that when you are made up of 95% mucus and evolved to live on a gas planet and don't have any ears like his office neighbor, there might be some odd squelching noises but he swears the guy next to him hams it up, trying to push Steve out because Steve maybe once complained to robin a little to loudly about the snot bag and oozing he could see seeping under the cubicle divider. There was no oozing, Steve just felt like being dramatic. He tried to apologise but short of saying 'sorry about the snot comments, I'm sure you don't actively seep' Steve didn't know what to do.

By the end Eddie has a laugh stored in his chest, too scared to let it out. He's drafting up his reply in his head, hoping to endear this stranger with a story about a breakdown of what he thought would be a normal ship but turned out to have a portal in the toilet where ghost ducks would just randomly spawn from.

Eddie and Steve start to reply on their email exchanges. They are coming up to the 'review' point where a supervisor determines if they get a phone call and to be honest, both of them are terrified. They don't know if they want the phone call to then find out the relationship doesn't carry over to 'live' conversation or worse, find out its even better than email and hurting themselves more because they can both feel themselves falling for the other.

The day Eddie finds out he's been granted a phone call (pure audio, the company wont push for video) to Steve, that same night, he's the most productive he's been in months. Finishing his allocated breakdown in record time. He then curses himself for the fact that he has a wide-open afternoon to worry about this call. He panics, he worries, he can't eat, he's starving, he's resorted to tidying his quarters in an effort to distract himself. But then the comms screen rings, Eddie presses accept and there he is, voice through the speakers 'hello? Eddie? fuck! is this thing even working? i swear to g-'

Eddie sits down heavily on his chair, chest warm from the voice he didn't know was absolutely of course, perfect for the man he'd been emailing 'hey Harrington, getting worked up already? must have been pretty desperate to speak to me'

they only have 20 minutes allocated to talk, it's not enough but it's better than either of them could have hoped for.

#I am so so sorry about how long this took I was gone for a bit I’m #sorry!!!#also this is…questionable at best #I LOVE EVERYTHING YOU SENT ME!!!#I could feel my heart ACHE #how do you DO that???#stranger things #steddie #eddie munson #steve harrington #ask

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starrylevi · 9 months

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Levi who has an untitled album in his phone and it’s all pictures of you. Most are candids in which you’re caught off guard. He’s talented at taking pictures without you noticing. There’s a picture of you sleeping, another of you snuggled up against his chest, one of you belly laughing, and more. However, his favorites are the ones that are the most ordinary, the ones that you personally don’t think are all that special. In these pictures you’re doing the most mundane things like laundry, washing the dishes, watching television, engaging in your favorite hobby, etc. He thinks you look beautiful in all of them. He doesn’t believe there needs to be a reason for him to take these pictures. You simply existing is reason enough for him.

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thestuffedalligator · 3 months

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Not to be dramatic, but if we were mutuals and you ever popped up in my notifications with a silly tag even once I've thought about you every day, even if we never spoke, and want to let you know that I wish nothing but the best for you forever.

#tumblr feels like it's really and truly crumbling and i want to say that i love you #i love you people who made art or audio readings of anything i've written #i love you people who called anything i wrote poetry #i love you people who sent me random posts because they thought it matched my vibe #i love you mutuals who popped in with a dumb joke at my very lame posts #i love you i love you i love you. you deserve everything

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darlingod · 2 months

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Jude in QoN: “Of course it was a trick” That’s what you said.

Cardan:

#Cardan: but that’s what you dooooo baby girl I was just tryna match your energy #also him saying “ofc it was a trick”#that “ofc” speaks volumes to me #like “well yeah it was a trick?? no way you thought you were seriously exiled”#also he’s so fucking dumb for that cause yes #I see his side #BUT DAMN SHE JUST GOT BACK FROM BEING TORTURED BRUH #and you sent her to the one place you always told her to go back to😭😭😭😭with NO WARNING #that’s what Madoc did to her you son of a bitch😭😭😭took everything from her in one day #obvi Madoc was so much worse but they both took everything from her within a moment of time and sent her to a world she did NOTTT wanna go #I love love love Cardan #he overestimates Jude so much and it’s cute AS FUCK but fucks shit over #like yes I’m all for him thinking his wife is a literal god #but he needs a reminder of her mortality every once in awhile #the folk are so fucking oblivious dear god😭😭😭😭#cardan greenbriar #queen of nothing #jude duarte

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tunastime · 1 year

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On Life Series Season 4

for those of you who voted for jimmy and tango: this is for you.

also known as: I have very complex thoughts about rancher reunion for season 4 and monolith is a group of known enablers.

(1545 words)

It’s the end of the world. Or, at least, it feels like it.

The grass is green and the sky is orange and red and Jimmy Solidarity is alone. He’s standing, half-stilted, leaning hard against the weight of the sword in his hands. It’s stone, just like the building. The rough cobbles form a tower. A defense. It’s all he’s got, here, in another death game. He’s got that, and another chance to die for nothing.

He tries to breathe normally, like he’s taught himself to keep level headed. It’s not doing much, considering that Jimmy feels something odd and aching boiling over in his chest. He feels like an unwatched pot, tipping over his lid, and his arms shake with it. It’s a feeling that pools in his wrists and the back of his knees, sharp and prickly. He can taste something vile in the back of his mouth. Words, laughter, bile. He isn’t sure.

It’s darkening. His building is on fire.

“Jimmy!”

It’s a voice he’s memorized. Gravel on the low notes. Whispers in the middle. Footsteps in the dirt. He thinks there might be blood under his nails, but he thinks it might also be soil, because nothing smells like blood and nothing about him stings. The voice that cuts through the dusk is too familiar, too safe. He staggers.

Jimmy’s house isn’t on fire, he is. He feels it coiling in his chest, licking at the inside of his lungs, hot, too hot, or maybe not hot enough. If he breathes out he fears it might be smoke. His hands are shaking. He swallows. He can’t make his lungs inflate.

Part of him thinks he deserves this, to know he’s mocked from the start, because he can remember the words about his house, about the rumors around him, he can remember the anger boiling up to an overflow. His house is burning. He made it out of stone this time. That wouldn’t burn, he thought. But his hands are hot. There were words he said, isn’t there? Things that punched out of him as soon as he saw a familiar face that had to crane to meet his eye again. What was it that he said, when he ran into Scar first? Joel? When they told him good luck both times? Was it something cruel to match the curling in his chest? Was it the brief glee on Joel’s face, knowing he got under his skin, that made him snap back? Who else was there?

There are other words being said to him.

What happened back there? I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Someone said you nearly punched Joel? And Scar? Jimmy—

Feet on the grass. He’s not there though, on that hillside with Joel, not anymore. He’s staring wide-eyed into bright red eyes, arms stretched out, a perspective that forces him to look at only him, at Tango in front of him.

It’s Tango, terrified. It’s Tango, and Jimmy can swear he can feel Tango’s heart thudding away helplessly in his own chest. It’s Tango, and for a moment he feels like his hands are burning and that the noise is deafening around him.

Except there is no noise. He fights to get forward, lands himself into Tango’s shoulder, hears the audible thud and oof as he does, as Tango digs his heels into the earth and refuses to be pushed aside. Tango pushes him back, trying to hold him steady.

“Jimmy—that wasn’t—this isn’t you,” Tango says, and his voice borders on confusion, on despair. Jimmy makes a noise somewhere half in his chest in response. “Snap out of it.”

“He’s just—he—he’s—” Jimmy struggles for a moment, squirming against the arm that holds his elbow. He didn’t see Joel like Tango did, scared and alone. He was the sneer over a wall Joel built. He was feeling himself picked up by the scruff, unable to fight back. He was watching a town crumble and it wasn’t even his fault. He was bleeding out on a bridge and someone was laughing. It’s gloating, it’s—someone is laughing and it isn’t Tango and it isn’t him.

Jimmy struggles. Why is Tango stopping him? Isn’t this what he should be doing? Standing up for himself? Jimmy deflates. Wouldn’t Tango be proud of him? Isn’t this what he wants? Every nerve in his body feels like it’s lit up, hair standing on end. Something watches (it isn’t Tango, and it isn’t him.)

“This isn’t you,” Tango manages.

Jimmy feels himself pushed back, but the hands are firm on his shoulders as his arms start to ache. His shoulder feels aflame where Tango holds it, warmth spreading from one point of contact through his muscles. He’s looking at Tango now, just for a fraction of a second before looking away, not able to hold his eye. His vision isn’t clear. It goes fuzzy around the edges, unfocused like he might be drifting off into space. He’s seeing bright red eyes under the brim of a hat. He’s seeing blue flames across the way. There’s someone in the pocket of his side and he is safe.

He takes what feels like the first breath of air in a long minute and his mouth doesn’t taste like smoke. He feels a hand peel from his shoulder, something that slides up to his face. It cradles his jaw in one warm palm, then two, fingers curling around the shell of his ears. He blinks, even has his vision blurs completely. The back of his throat burns. He feels like his nose is pinched shut. He swallows, and it takes everything in him to focus on the warmth of the hands over his cheeks.

“Jimmy, look at me. Look at me,” Tango’s voice tugs at him, firm. He lets his eyes drift back to a face that he knows. Tango’s eyes are wide, eyebrows upturned, lips in a fine line. He’s swaying, maybe not on purpose. He’s shivering, maybe not on purpose. The sky was never burning, it was just red. Jimmy feels his weight start to drop. It’s Tango. It’s Tango.

“It’s me, it’s Tango, your rancher,” he watches the wisp of a smile form on Tango’s face, through the wobble in his voice. He inhales sharply. “Remember?”

Cows! a voice calls from the doorway as Jimmy tries to circumnavigate the small herd chewing at the bundle of hay in his hand, on the sleeve of his shirt. This was many months ago. This was the first instance. There comes a day where Jimmy will sit a little too close and Tango will decide to slot himself in the curve of his arm at night and soon enough one bed was enough space and too much all at once. Hands fitting hands. Arms fitting around shoulders. We’ll rebuild, his voice says, to wipe the look of desolation from his rancher’s face as they stand in the broken husk of a house. It was never the home, anyway, was it? It was the people inside.

Something in Jimmy’s chest twists the strings of his heart in a knot. He sees Tango expression wavers as he shuts his eyes, swaying forward. He only manages a breath before it breaks.

Jimmy collapses into his arms and the smell of burnt matches is like coming home.

Tango sags with him, sinking them to the ground. Jimmy presses his face into the side of his neck, and safe, held close, he cries. It’s a horrible sound, one that pulls from him brokenly as he buries himself in Tango’s arms. He chokes on the sob.

“It’s empty,” he says, and the words are haunting and choked into his shoulder. Tango holds to the back of his neck, to the base of his spine, even as Jimmy’s hands tangle uselessly in his sweater. It’s all Jimmy can manage. He repeats it in the inhale that he takes: It’s empty. I’m alone.

Tumble Town is empty, and he knows it’s his fault.

Or maybe it isn't. Because what else could he have done, except convince them to stay? What could’ve been done that hadn’t been already, that he hadn’t already tried? What could he have done that would’ve made any difference, anyway, besides leaving himself?

Jimmy cries. Tango’s hands run up the base of his spine. They pull Jimmy to him, holding him close, holding him tight. Tango’s voice is a barely audible thing, through the gasps for air, between the calculated inhales and exhales Tango tries to have him copy. He repeats it like a mantra, pressed into the side of his head, into his hairline: “You’re not alone, I’m here.”

I’m here now and I won’t leave. Your home won’t be empty and your hearth won’t be cold. Your arms won’t be empty and your chest won’t be cold. I’m here.

Tango holds him in the grass and the dirt. Even when the sky is no longer pink and orange, even when the stars have started to peek out in the blue that blends with the fringes of sunset.

If only by one person, he is loved.

Jimmy breathes.

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thebirdandhersong · 8 months

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I think the problem. the problem is that I have always been afraid of not being invited into the inner circle. and am always wanting to be part of the inner circle. inner circle being the circle of love and companionship and communion. of course being a TCK and a bit of a sheltered homeschooled oddball child has nudged this further along over the years. but I didn't realise how STRONG that desire still burned. to actually be wanted.

#in other words today has been an oddly sad day! discovering that the friends you've made have their own group chats #that are separate from the general group chat (that no one ever talks on) that you aren't a part of is......... i don't know #i KNOW i'm liked by them and i KNOW they love me but do they WANT me around?#like. i know i'm not UNpleasant to have around. i am a good listener and a good conversationalist.#i work very hard at it because it doesn't come naturally to me.#but clearly that's not enough to be added to exclusive group chats! clearly that's not enough to be part of inner core circles #i don't know this just came out of nowhere and i feel as if i've been slapped in the face #sitting at a table where people are talking about the thing someone sent to the group chat #or the photo or quote or reel someone sent to someone else is....... bizarre.#i am trying not to be so hurt by it! i am trying not to take it so personally #it happens. i know it happens. i know it will keep happening. it is just that i thought this was a place where i wouldn't be lonely #and this is the dorm community i've invested so much of my time and energy and love into since last year.#so i think i'm justified in being a little upset!#i'm not crying about it but that's because i'm not about to cry with other people sitting here in the study lounge!#the math is probably really wrong here but i thought that if i poured love in for the sake of pouring love in #somehow somewhere along the line i would also receive love. that i would actually be a part of this community.#anyway that's not going to change how i live here! i committed myself to doing my best this last year #because i don't want anyone to feel left out or unwanted or lonely. i already made the decision #to do everything i can to love the people here.#i'm not trying to toot my horn this is just what i actually want to and have decided to do!#i have birthday cards planned! i have midterm snacks planned!#i've just worked out how i can print christmas and easter cards and stickers!#i'm GOING to love darn it all i'm GOING to pour love in #i think it hurts especially because there's the boy problem going on too #of not being wanted in an area that i DIDN'T expect to be wanted in #and then learning that there is a collective not being wanted in this whole community #it is a Lot and it is very hard and i don't know what to do with it!#i have had this lie (that i'm inherently unloveable and undesirable) in my head since childhood #and i've worked SO HARD to shut that voice up. and it is so so hard to not believe it right now

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astranauticus · 9 months

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RWD S4E9 SPOILERS

we really do be getting some incredibly fun new lightning flavours from VR-LA these past few episodes huh. anyway black necrotic lightning <3

#rolling with difficulty #vr-la rwd #vr la rwd #you might need to like. turn up the brightness on your device for this one im so sorry #i had my ipad brightness up pretty high and didnt realise how dark everything was #LOVE projects like this thats like #'how did you draw that' 'really specific custom procreate brush'#i love fiddling with custom brushes IDK #anyway no idea what a witch bolt is but the noise austin made when describing the necrotic lightning is *sending* me #for the past few weeks ive been stuck in the headspace of like 'well i kinda wanna draw (thing) but i've also got The ProjectTM'#'so i should probably just.. spend my time on that...'#but this scene was just like. yeah i gotta. i HAVE to draw this #'spooky VR-LA' is basically my summon at this point LMAO #lol my idiot ass was tryna airdrop this and the kyana goop shitpost from my ipad to my computer and #somehow accidentally also sent the qr code for my last online purchase bank payment (?????????)#art I made

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kaidanalenkosprmanager · 1 month

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THE BEST OF PRIORITY: SUR'KESH

Featuring: Cmdr. Sophie Shepard, Lt. James Vega, EDI, and Urdnot Wrex With: Lt. Steve Cortez, Dr. Mordin Solus, Major Kirrahe, and Urdnot Bakara And a Special Guest Appearance by: Adm. Steven Hackett Alliance R&D has officially begun construction on the Prothean device. The team has dubbed it: "Project Crucible". We're throwing everybody who knows how to throw a hammer at it. This is gonna be the most ambitious undertaking in human history. I'm not saying it won't be a challenge- but we can do this, Shepard. You can do this. Never doubt that. Mass Effect 3: Legendary Edition (2021)

+BONUS (the smirk™️)

#mira makes gifs ✨#sophie shepard #james vega #EDI #urdnot wrex #steve cortez #mordin solus #mass effect #mass effect 3 #me3 #mass effect legendary edition #dailygaming #i feel like i probably should have split the actually sur'kesh set in half like i did with mars #but i got lazy after i split out the normandy summit gifs and i wanted to keep the rest of the mission together lol #wrex having small conversation moments with james and EDI was everything to me #bc with both of them it felt like wrex passing on some of his old kid on the block knowledge to the new kids on the block and i just 🥺#like i didn't get it in the gif but the second part of that convo with james he says something like #'you're one of shep's new recruits? hang on kid- it's a hell of a ride!' and when i tell you i SOBBED #like the entire first half of this playthrough is soph taking her newer squadmates out to help her build the army for the reaper war #so running into all these old friends/teammates and hearing them share their wisdom with james and EDI as new recruits is everything to me!#also EDI and james look very cute in their armor (ESPECIALLY EDI IN HER HUNTER HOOD I LOVE HER YOUR HONOR)#i'm just gonna say wrex's little tongue out at the salarians in the background of padok's gif sent me so hard i had to include it LMAO #and i'd write something about the mordin cameo but the mordin cameo on tuchanka is better so i'll save my thoughts for that one #ig thanks for being wrex's inside man mordin you were real for that one #the real salarian homie of this mission was kirrahe and i love him (he's my favorite and i adore him thank you for coming to my TEDtalk) :)#and i will also say that i adore bakara and she's the highlight of this mission for me bc of the lines but also like???#her grabbing the shotgun from wrex to take out the cerberus troops is everything and his expression afterwards is *chef's kiss*#and SOPH'S LITTLE SMIRK LMAOOOOOOO i had to include it bc i saw it in the back and it sent me to the next dimension lol #and since i just use the tags to share all my annoying little thoughts on a final note:#i included the elevator bomb scene bc in soph's canon she gets injured during it for the shenko angst pre-coup bc i'm an angsty bitch :)

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can-of-slorgs · 1 month

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Big congrats on finishing your stamp pages! Also split grundos are one of my fave pets of all time so plz tell Volks that I love him. :')

He's thankful to say the list.

#vin answers #vin memes #thank you so much aaaa!! ;-;#it really means a lot that you like one of my characters!! :D #also thanks for the congratz!! honestly i hate restocking sm and everything is so expensive i hate ms #I honestly love drawing him so I'm glad he's been well received lmfaooo #also small Khos cameo cause he's also used as a sona every once in a while #there are 2 neopets inside you theyre both idiots #technically 3 but the third I'm still not sure what to do it so bear with me LFMAOO #grundo #korbat #i geuss lmao #anyway he heard it and proceeded to completely shove it in everyone's face #so that was not a good idea JSDKFLSD #anyway thanks for the ask i love responding to stuff even if its rather a few days thank when they're sent mostly to do decent doodles #but hey #you get a funny doodle so i hope its fine LMFAOO #thats it lmao bye

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dj-wayback · 1 year

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If you can’t stop thinking about that ‘incident’ then simply delete your memory, gay boy

#you guys dont even understand how much i fuckinf love this ask it’s literally my favorite ask ever #it was sent in BEFORE i even revealed the ns memory lore. which is so amazing to me #like this ask is literally everything to me you dont understand. whoever sent this ask me and them are having a summer wedding in france #anyway yippee they’re hugging their lizard!!! isn’t that what everyone wanted. isn’t it #needless separation is here #33 is here

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shortcakelils · 8 months

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(this one is from sometime in August ^^^)

(same with this one ^^^)

@mimuo-no @acemakes-art @fifithegreat654 @fizz-wizz-dizz

Thank you guys so much for all of the support! It's cus of you guys that I try to post as often as I can! I love you all and none of the stuff I've done here would have been possible if it weren't for you guys interacting with me and sharing my posts!

#answered asks #ask #asks #I'm gonna guess that anon is cupid this time #I'm so sorry to the person who sent it if it isn't #seriously though I love y'all sm and appreciate everything you've done for me #all the fanart #the nice comments #and just everything #it's so special to me and I wouldn't trade any of y'all for the world #you guys are so awesome I can't #thank you to everyone who's given me asks and followed me and liked and reblogged my posts #cannot thank you all enough #ik some of y'all sent these to make me feel better about that long ass anon hate ask I got but ik you're genuine #anyway that's been me #stay safe y'all!

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exhausted-archivist · 5 months

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In regards to my last reblog on the scale of Thedas, latitude and stuff. I’ve been thinking about how much thought I give all this. Especially because this topic is one I’ve been talking with a lot of people about lately. It crops up a lot with people who, like me enjoy natural world building or are fanfic writers. Or really anyone who sits down and reads the lore at length. More times then not the question of Thedas’s scale comes up.

So, I want to establish I am very well aware that I’m likely giving it more thought than the devs. I have that luxury as a fan and consumer of the series. It is extremely relevant for me because I like making maps for the series, plotting out travel paths, and scaling things for da ttrpg campaigns I write.

So because I think about it a lot, I notice all the many different scales of Thedas in terms of travel time. How the scale they gave the ttrpg doesn’t match up with any scale they established in the main games or books. I think if the devs sat down and thought about establishing a standard scale and also considering just basic stuff we also wouldn’t have the Deep Roads be 2-4 miles / 3.21-6.43 km below sea level and display a lack of geothermal qualities. I think they’d consider how they built a world with at least 9.1 million people and tons of mega fauna such as giants and dragons and 14’/4.26 m tall bears that hunt dragons, all squished into roughly 1/4 of Europe and how much that isn’t really sustainable. How there would be much more impact if nature encroachment in civilization and how common things like that would be in places. Which they do consider it to a degree, I’m not saying they don’t. But I think if they thought about it just to make the world something that holds up a little better to idle musings, it wouldn’t be a bad thing. That the world would feel more real and alive and also narratively give them more to work with.

The contradictions and lack of consideration for the natural world has always been one of my critiques of Dragon Age, among other things. The reason why that is, is mostly because of a noticeable trend the lack of natural world building in fantasy. It’s a topic that has been discussed elsewhere and at length by other people, but to summarize nature is slowly having less and less impact in fantasy even in an ambient quality. Obviously this isn’t a universal statement, nor a universally required thing for a story to explore and have. That there are things that do focus on and explore it, but speaking in general terms, it is a trend in the majority of media.

Which for me is a bummer as it is an aspect of writing and world building I enjoy. I really like themes of man vs nature and to have that you need to have a basic level of natural world building. Which BioWare doesn’t really explore in Dragon Age despite having elements of it - such as how regular raw lyrium is explosive, mages get sick around all lyrium unless it is diluted to a safe amount for mages, and raw lyrium straight up kills them if they’re in the same room.

So then you have questions of how do mages go/handle being underground with such a risk? Dwarves have stone sense but would mages be able to tell when they’re getting close to large lyrium deposits because they’re getting sick? Does this impact grey warden mages? Darkspawn mages?

Things that don’t get fully acknowledged or explored despite being mentioned casually in codices most people don’t read. And they don’t for a couple of reasons such as potential coding issues but also all the questions you’d have to ask:

How would you implement that as a mechanic? Would you lock mage players out of entire areas featuring raw lyrium? Would they take environmental damage if you wanted the players to explore it regardless? Would it be a mechanic only applied by in harder difficulty modes? Do you acknowledge it in banter but not in any other way? Create a way to explain why the pc mage and their mage companions aren’t dropping dead?

BioWare’s answer seems to seemingly just ignore it because it would make gameplay too challenging/punishing and likely might not be fun for a player to deal with. But they compromise by keeping the lore active in the canon through codices and low impact additions. Which is a completely okay solutions, not my preferred but I get why they do it.

When I approach this lore, I do so without expecting them to fully flesh out each nation or know which city has the most resources and the geologically rich lands in said country. Dragon Age, and BioWare in general, relies on semi-soft world building. The world was after all designed for a game. They only need to build out what they need and what hopefully won’t paint them into a corner with future installments.

Additionally, the writing style for Dragon Age doesn’t suit the hard world building that I prefer, I’m quite aware of that but also know that when it comes to talk about world building in any media, there is always the issue of people (like me) who world build for fun and consider all these small aspects but ultimately they aren’t always needed and necessary for the story a game like Dragon Age is telling.

Dragon Age is told with the intention of things being given from an unreliable narrator. Built on the concept of: there’s three sides to the truth, what x thinks happens, what y thinks happens, and then what actually happened. Which works and I love the premise.

That said, I think that it also impacts lore that shouldn’t be subjected to the unreliable narrator. Foundation or anchor lore points to be specific. Which, as we know, BioWare has always struggled with consistency in their lore, particularly with Dragon Age.

Distance is one of those foundational points that shouldn’t change, and it’s also one of those points that you don’t have to give exact travel times. You can leave it vague and stick to the official statements like the ones we have of Ferelden being the size of England (or Ireland depending on the source you use). If you’re going to be giving specifics, then I think being consistent with how long it travels to get to point a to b and not changing it multiple times in one game should be a basic expectation that is met.

Other ones the series has and is pretty consistent with is how we know Thedas has 24 hours a day, they have seasons like we expect, and are in the southern hemisphere.

Do they sometimes slip up because editing doesn’t catch they’ve made a reference that applies only to the northern hemisphere? Yeah, and that’s not bad. There are a lot of people working on the project and things slip through.

I know I have the luxury to think about Thedas in a capacity that allows for the hard world building that I like. I also know I focus on and enjoy aspects of lore that are not exactly popular for their main audience and are pretty niche.

I don’t expect BioWare to world build how I do because I’m not world building for a massive and varied audience. Not even when I do world building for my tabletop games, because I’m catering to a smaller and more specific audience.

Still I think it’s valid and worth pondering these little elements of the world building. For fun, appreciation, and to nurture one’s own creativity and understanding of media, the world, and what they think makes a believable world.

Devs might not have time to consider it but we sure do and that’s half the fun of enjoying media I think.

#dragon age #archi is musing #long post #I saw some people on my older posts while I was writing this talk about how its ‘not that deep’ and not everything needs to be explained #and like I’m aware of that lol #I’m just critiquing how logic and immersion breaking it can be to not be consistent on the fundamentals #how much I personally don’t enjoy a world built that starts crumbling if you think too hard on all the provided lore #love the game and the series but evaluating the media you consume and engage with is a good practice to have #as a creative who world builds knowing what I value and like in world building allows me to grow as one #I also think dragon age has a lot of really cool and under used elements of natural world building and while I would love to focus on that #BioWare gives the curve ball where I’m sent down a rabbit hole often because I realize it doesn’t make sense in context of the lore

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