#benrey is a gamer and a speedrunner

[dimonds456-but-only-hlvrai]

Can I just say I love the shipping scene in HLVRAI? Like, I've never been in a fandom where it's been this CHILL before. Each ship has appeal and could actually work (unless you're intentionally being weird about it, but I haven't really encountered those people, this is personal experience here), and it's just so-!

Frenrey is wonderful because they're both silly, if those two met under different circumstances you KNOW they'd be friends, and it can be about forgiveness and healing. I love that.

Freelatta is great because Tommy and Gordon always have each others' backs, and those two will see each other through thick and thin.

Sodashipping is delightful because Darnold and Tommy just click SO WELL, they have a lot of common interests outside of soda, and you guys who give Darnold a dog as well as so correct about that omg.

Darzen is really fun because these two have never once interacted in canon but so easily could have. Like Forzen probably had to go through that area to progress as well, what hijinx would they get into?

I don't see Gordon and Forzen being shipped just the two of them often (shoutout to hlvrv, that was unexpected but really fun), but that's another instance I could also see. They're polycule a lot of the time, which hell yeah.

Tomrey is awesome because of the pre-established friendship between Benrey and Tommy, how even down to the final wire Benrey didn't really want to hurt Tommy. Outside of shipping their relationship is just wonderful.

Darnrey is also fun in that regard. Gamer partners.

Benzon as well. This one really depends on your interpretation of canon but it's always fun when it pops up again. The history between those two has so much potential. I don't personally ship this one but it's always fun to explore.

Another I don't have the name for but Darnold and Gordon. Orang. And just the unconditional support from Darnold- wonderful.

Frenreylatta is just delightful. Like you take all the best parts of frenrey, tomrey, and freelatta and put them in a blender and you get pure wholesomeness. I fucking love this one. Absolute winner. And I also really love how usually depictions of this one don't hide the part parts, either, but it's still a generally more supportive relationship overall. Five stars.

Frenreylattarnold is also just *chef's kiss*. Darnold just brings a vibe to the group they don't otherwise have. It simultaneously makes it more chill and more chaotic.

Again I don't know the name, but add Forzen into the mix and you have a really fun, complex dynamic of people who just love each other. I'm so fucking here for it.

I know I'm missing some but AOUGH

I can't not talk about my favorite ship here, though. Boomer sweep. Boomer wins. Every time boomer pops up on my feed I get so fucking happy. Chaos grandpas who fucking love and support each other SO unconditionally. They work through their trauma together while committing crimes. The stark contrasts between them also aid wonderfully to their dynamic, like how Coomer doesn't like video games while Bubby is a speedrunner. They each have their own lives but they want to spend them together. NO I'M NORMAL DID YOU KNOW THAT I SWEAR I'M NORMAL-

Gubby's a fun one, too, and from my understanding that one's a rarepair. But yeah, putting Bubby's firey personality next to Gman's calm and collected one creates a lot of fun opportunities, and helps explore the differences between Half Life and HLVRAI Gman in more in-depth ways. It's always fun when it pops up again, I love it. (Shoutout to catloki for this one.)

I don't member the ship name but adding Coomer in there is also really fun. Chaos grandpas take over the world together <3

I haven't seen Coomer and Gman being shipped individually before but I could also see that one. Coomer would be able to simultaneously meet Gman where he's at while also encouraging him to step outside his comfort zone, and also probably being a terrible influence on him gGFDHSJAKGF.

All this to say I'm not really a shipper. These guys could be just friends and I'd be okay with that, which I guess lends itself to the RTVS crew and how well they all stepped into character. Everyone just has dynamics with each other, that come out naturally, and makes it easy for us to really see where each relationship could go.

I just fucking love this fandom.

[starmilkman]

he’s talking about how he’s gonna glitch the next level.

i have had my own interpretation of a swap au for fucking months and now i finally designed them bc i needed to set the record straight on their color coding.

Benrey is NOT taking the game seriously and Gordon is trying desperately to keep the storyline on track. In the end Gordon’s ai does not know how to fix the game or stop Benrey from messing with levels- so Gordon becomes a sort of glitched “fire-wall”, determined to make Benrey turn off the game. That is until Xen- where Benrey completely deletes the Nihilanth. Instead appears Gordon, still determined to keep the game on track- even if he’s got to become the final boss.