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💰 application.
Player: Monica
Contact: sou#1936,
Age: 27
Current Characters: Weiss Schnee, Seijuro Akashi
Character: Rhys
Age: ~27
Canon: Tales from the Borderlands
Canon Point: Post Episode 3: Catch A Ride
Background: Rhys at the Borderlands Wiki
Also, here are the in-game decisions made that lead up to this canonpoint:
➡ told Loader Bot to save itself
➡ trusted Sasha
➡ chose Vaughn
➡ kept Handsome Jack a secret
➡ went to Hollow Point
➡ bro-fisted Vaughn
➡ trusted Jack
➡ made a tentative alliance with Jack
➡ let Sasha pick the flower
➡ refused to let go of Sasha
Personality:
Rhys is... Rhys is, well, a loser. He makes his debut by getting hit in the face by the butt of a gun, and then when he wakes up he's kicked in the side and the gun is pointed to his groin. He's known as a "Company Man", which for the most part is true. Rhys is not a "good person". He's even aware of it! He's a greedy and ambitious shark working for a corporation that's responsible for the deaths and suffering of so many other people.
Starting small in Hyperion, he had to kiss ass, stab some backs, and get a cool haircut to get to where he was at the beginning of the game where he was set to receive a promotion. Or at least, cheat his way through a promotion. But that's just about what anybody in Hyperion does for things, and Rhys even admits to being the bad guy in the story.
Now, one might think that "wow, Rhys truly is bad". It's true that Rhys doesn't have a lot of redeeming qualities: his conscience is on the low side wherein he really will do what it takes to get a promotion; he will also numerous things to gain respect and money. He is, however, somebody who's very inept. And for someone who ends up in Pandora, a dying and impoverished planet in the Borderlands universe, it may as well mean death.
For someone who speaks like a know-it-all and for someone so sarcastic, and for someone who idolises a genocidal maniac named Handsome Jack, Rhys doesn't have much of an arsenal when it comes to actually getting things done. He will orchestrate things in the workplace to his advantage and he will break relationships just to get ahead, but there's a limit to the bad things he can and will do. It's not a matter of being physically limited, though, but it's just because he's squicked or because he's way too weak to actually be able to do it.
Besides being ambitious, Rhys has a bit of a vengeful streak. Rhys' story in Tales from the Borderlands begins with his and Vaughn's attempt at getting back at the man who "promoted" Rhys to Assistant Vice Janitor: Vasquez. Some of his responses, while not necessarily major, have him talk big about getting revenge, but occasionally, these words end up with him getting punched in the nose.
While it may sound like Rhys has a lot of irredeemable qualities, he's also a person who has some positive traits to him. One of which is his loyalty to his friends: even though Vasquez offers him money and his life, he doesn't sell out his best friend Vaughn. He's quick to develop soft spots for people whom he's spent some time with as well, shown by how he trusts Sasha and lends her his stun baton, amongst other instances with her and Fiona.
What's more, he's clever and dependable. He's quick to think of strategies and plans for him and his friends. He believes in himself and his capabilities, as shown when he asked for the wheel of the caravan while they were running away from a Rakk Hive (giant alien monster) and trying to evade moonshots. He's the one who comes up with ideas on what to do next and where to go, which goes to show that he does have some leadership qualities for someone who may as well be a punching bag.
He's definitely done some bad stuff before, as mentioned above, but Rhys is someone who is capable of remorse. In his story narrations and various scenes throughout the beginning of the game, Rhys states and shows that to survive in Hyperion, he had to become one of "them". It's why he's a douchebag most of the time, but it's not really who he actually is. While other people would sock another in the face if they were ever betrayed, Rhys forgives Vaughn when the two of them talk about the deal that Vasquez gave them.
Most of the time, Rhys is confident and self-assured. He has to be if he wants to survive in Hyperion, after all! The thing is, though, that he's also pretty awkward. While he may act all smug, his tongue has a tendency to slip the wrong words in his sentences or his wording just becomes hilariously awkward. Yeah — Rhys is pretty awkward himself. He's also a fanboy, even having posters of Handsome Jack in his office! When Zer0 shows up and saves the day, he tells him that he's cool and develops a soft spot for the guy.
At the end of the day, Rhys is a guy who's just doing what he can to be able to get what he wants. He's a guy who believes in himself and his capabilities, but also believes in the capabilities of his friends. When he tells his story , he showcases himself to be the hero: someone cool, reliable, brave, and generally amazing. For the most part, he's right! He does have those qualities, but he's also somebody who tends to exaggerate things to make himself look cooler when in actuality. . . well, not so much. He just wants to be liked and appreciated!
Abilities:
- Rhys' right arm is a cybernetic one which is a lot stronger than his organic arm. It can be used to display mini-holograms, provide light, and can be used for his hacking when it displays screens or when linked to certain systems.
- He also has an ECHO-Eye Implant which allows him to zoom into things and scan them. Scanning gives him more information about certain objects or the ability to hack into nearby electronics. This includes automobiles, computers, robots, etc.
- He's also a good hacker even without his Echo-Eye!
- Handsome Jack AI: An AI lives in his head! Buuuut since Handsome Jack is a totally appable character, Rhys will not have the AI in his head in the setting of the game. (Freedom!)
- Great hair: Self-explanatory.
Alignment: Aiada. Rhys is someone driven by ambition and there's a lot in the world he likes! At the same time, he's someone who just wants to be appreciated for the things he does. Compliments really make his heart swell.
Other: Rhys will be bringing Dumpy (a small robot thing that can shock people) and his stun baton with him!
General + Emotion Sample:
( Based on task ST0601 from the Task Board.)
Rhys doesn't know how he got into this situation in the first place. Looking back, maybe it was the fact that he needed some money to be able to buy some nice clothes. If one wants to make a good impression to whomever he meets, one must look nice, confident, and most of all, handsome. Not that his normal clothes that he arrived with aren't enough! They are, it's just that he has style and doesn't want to wear the same piece of clothing every other day or so.
Or maybe it was the fact that the reward is ten thousand sylvs - it's a lot! It's not ten million dollars, but he still feels like he's going to feel like he's swimming in money by the time he finds this gold ring. He might just be only one guy, but he's survived a Rakk Hive chase, being chased by bandits and Psychos, amongst other deadly creatures and beings that he's confident that these "Dinosaurs"? Child's play.
Confidence can only take a person so far, though. That is, Rhys' confidence only took him to finding the ring. That's the goal, after all! His confidence doesn't extend to leaving the surface. . . and it's why he's running away from what looks like a hopping Parasaurolophus, screaming help in case anybody might hear.
Actually, no, it's not "help" that he's screaming. "He-he-he-heeeeeellppppppp!" is what echoes throughout the grassy plains of the surface as he runs for his life. As he tries to look for help in a fit of panic, parts of the earth rise, creating stalagmites that unluckily miss the creature that's chasing him. Fortunately for him, though, that the airship manages to see from afar what the high-pitched noises were all about. It begins to move and slowly swoop in with a ladder and Rhys jumps and grabs at the rope just before the "Dinosaur" lunges at him.
"Hahaha! Take that, sucker! I made it!" His laugh is triumphant and full of pride, as if he wasn't cowering moments ago. The sweat on his forehead tells otherwise, though. He even lets out a hearty "woohoo" as the airship continues to ascend to take him home. And not that the "Dinosaur" would understand the meaning, but he's also totally flipping the bird at it.
(Here's another sample!)
Questions: