WELCOME TO SELF-SHIP ISLAND!
This page is all about self-shipping (as you can see)! I'll use this page to talk about my f/os and the way my s/i fits into the universe lore or whatever.
Self-shipping is one of my main passions and is a sort of safe space/coping mechanism for me. Self-shipping has meant a lot to me for years now, probably since about 2020! (Technically I shipped with Error Sans as a child but... we don't talk about that.) If you're curious, I'm pretty much sharing for any f/o but Ford, only me and my buddies get to have him. Sorry.
My self-ship Tumblr blog is @charford! Also, hello Treehouse self-ship nation, love you all! :)
MY F/Os!
ROMANTIC F/Os!
STANFORD PINES (GRAVITY FALLS)
Ohhh Stanford... <3 Ford is definitely my main F/O, he's incredibly special to me! We have been together since early June of 2024, when I did my yearly summer rewatch of the series. For some reason, this time, I just fell head over heels in love with him the same way I had as a little girl... it all comes full circle, huh? :)
Charlie works at a theatre in town, doing everything from acting to teaching classes to booking shows. Mabel is one of his students at his classes/workshops and she has made it her life's mission to find Charlie a boyfriend before summer ends... just as all seems hopeless, Mabel's Totally Single and Totally Charlie's Type Grunkle Ford pops out of the portal and well... true love blossomed! They have so much lore and alternate universes I can't explain in this brief summary but I'd like to make a whole seperate page for them honestly... feel free to DM me on Tumblr and ask if you're interested haha!
"Stay curious, stay weird, stay kind, and don't let anyone ever tell you you aren't smart or brave or worthy enough."
JOSH LEVY (THE ELTINGVILLE CLUB)
(art by @fightclubgayporn on Tumblr/mikeyloveless.neocities.org!)
My other main F/O. Unfortunately. Is he a horrible awful asshole? Absolutely. But he's MY horrible awful asshole! Transition could've fixed him anyway. My dear friend/brother Baz got me into The Eltingville Club and I fear I was immediately crushing... sigh. Baz if you're reading this I'll never forgive you. Get this cunt out of my brain.
Charlie doesn't know how he ended up dating Josh. He also doesn't know why he is still dating Josh. Probably some "I could fix him" type thing (which, he totally could, by the way.) Charlie's kind of a loser too, he's just happy to have a friend, even if it's a super repressed bitchy guy that won't even gender him correctly. At least that Mike guy is there for meetings too... sigh.
"But Bill, if I get Boba Fett, he can bounty-hunt my other guys! THEY CAN FIGHT!!"
FIDDLEFORD MCGUCKET (GRAVITY FALLS)
I'd say Fidds and I have been together just a little shorter than Ford and I-- both F/Os came about during the peak of my Gravity Falls hyperfixation in 2024. He is another character I really see myself in, his addiction narrative (unfortunately) really spoke to me. That and he's a country boy dyke like me!
Charlie and Fiddleford are a pretty casual, on-and-off again type of couple. The two met at BMU and neither are looking for anything too serious, so they'll makeout or go on a casual date... realistically they don't exist in the same timeline as post-portal charford (above) but it would be an interesting dynamic! I'm also a sucker for the Ford/Charlie/Fidds polycule though...
"You say you're tryin' to build a poly-dimensional meta-vortex? Well, that's mathematically feasible! ... I reckon."
ELDER DAVID (CRAIG OF THE CREEK)
Craig of the Creek is one of my major comfort shows, and David is definitely a comfort character! He's such a dork and such a sweetheart and I love him so much... I love when he turns goth later and says he was "supressing his true self" like ok nonbinary king!! I would brave the hell of Elder Rock for you David <3
Charlie is one of the older kids who hangs out at the creek, a highschool senior that's way too scared to grow up, especially after watching his best friend/brother Mike move away for college... wanting to put it off as long as possible, he hangs out at Elder Rock, all while hiding a not-so-subtle crush on David and a not-so-subtle hatred for Mark. When David finally ditches Mark, the two get together and have the cute emo romance most could only dream of... take THAT Mark!
"I'm now DARK EMPEROR DAVID! (I'm goth now...!)"
PIM PIMLING (SMILING FRIENDS)
My girlfriend got me into Smiling Friends; I remember watching the Halloween episode and seeing him in his little cowboy outfit and saying "I need to kiss him SO bad..." and. Yeah. I do. Pim is just such a positive spirit and he makes me so happy!! It's also just funny that my name is also Charlie... he can have 2 yellow boyfriends named Charlie.. as a treat!
I honestly don't have a lot of lore here. Sorry. Pim is just cute and I want to kiss him.
"Let's go out there and make people SMILEEE!!!!"
CRUTCHIE MORRIS (NEWSIES 1992, LIVE)
(art by @sloprealm on Tumblr/item64.neocities.org!)
I opted to just include Livesies Crutchie here for simplicity but I also ship with 92sies Crutchy and some other interpretations! Newsies was my main special interest for years starting in 2019, and I'd say that special interest was heavily Crutchie-centric at the time. You can tell the art here is from pre-transition, he's been with me a long time! Even though this interest has died down since, he's still a deeply personal character to me and I can't see that changing anytime soon. He's the reason I'm named Charlie and the reason I transitioned, as well as being the reason I'm so comfortable with my disability now... do I want to be him or be with him? (Both. The answer is both.)
Tigerlily works in a flower shop in Manhattan, where Crutchie just so happens to be a regular when he needs to take a break from selling papers. The two become quick friends, chatting between rows of flowers, and when Tiger decides she wants to run away... Crutchie fixes her up the perfect spot down at the lodge. She He changes his name to Branches and starts to sell papers too, fitting in with all the boys like he'd always dreamed of... and now with a cute boyfriend to boot!
"I don't need folks; I got friends."
AGENT STONE (SONIC THE HEDGEHOG)
Stone was always my favorite in the Sonic films (aside from Tails!), but after watching Sonic 3 I totally got a crush on him!! It's kinda evil when I say it outloud like... hey sorry your husband blew up but are you free tonight. HAHA!! I just think he's so handsome and cool and sweet...
Charlie and Stone never actually date. Not like Stone would have time anyway, he's too busy pining after Dr. Robotnik... Charlie is just a slightly-offputting regular at the Mean Bean. He never even orders coffee. He doesn't even like coffee. He just sits there hiding behind his laptop and sneaking glances at that totally dreamy barista... How long is it until he finally gets kicked out for being totally weird in the corner? Who knows...!
"I just thought you might like a latte with steamed Austrian goat milk."
YORK (NEWSIES PAPERMILL)
Most Newsies fans will never even know who York is... for those who don't, York is a character who only appeared in the Papermill Playhouse previews of Newsies and was cut before the transfer to Broadway! He's played by Andrew-Keenan Bolger, presumably to give him something to do when not playing Crutchie in act 2, as York is a Brooklyn newsie. It's said he was cut because his eyepatch was unsafe for dancing, but frankly I have no source for this other than the grapevine through Newsies Tumblr. Even though we only have 2 pictures and 1 audio clip of him, I latched onto him and think he's a super cool character! Plus, it's fun knowing I'm very likely the ONLY person to ship with him :)
I feel like I'll be repeating this a lot as we go down the list; I don't have a lot of lore for these two. It's probably just an offshoot of Branches being a Manhattan newsie and crushing on York from afar after tagging along with Jack for a meeting with the Brooklyn newsies heheh... this could also factor into my personal Crutchie-is-York AU/theory thing but that's another topic for another day.
"Hey Manhattan, the calvary's comin'!"
MR. ANT TENNA (DELTARUNE)
Playing chapter 3 was such an exciting moment for everyone and Tenna is such a fun character, it's no wonder he's a fan favorite! He fits this perfect niche in my brain of old tech (objectum) and pathetic men (self-ship) so he was basically perfect for me :) I want that beautiful fat man...
Mx. Tape (a darkner formed of an old CD mixtape) helped work backstage on Tenna's show, often hopping around, but his specialty was being the repair guy. When an actor drops last minute and Tenna desperately needs a replacement, Charlie very nervously offers to fill in... and it's a hit! Him and Tenna become closer through this experience, with Charlie making more cameos onstage, as well as more cameos in Tenna's dressing room, rumor has it... wink!
"And don't touch that dial! (Well, ok, you can touch it, just be gentle.)"
SAM (SAM AND MAX: FREELANCE POLICE)
I've only played the Sam and Max Telltale games and watched a few episodes of the series, but agghh Sam is such a sweetie! I also love him in Poker Night... I'd love to just go to the bar with him and joke around and have a great night (even though I don't drink). He's just witty and friendly and I always love seeing him.
I also don't really have any lore for these two... honestly him and Max are such a good pair I don't think I could stand to come between them. Sam probably saved Charlie from something during their freelance policing (trademark pending) and Charlie dreams of that handsome dog ever since...
"Sweet suffering Saint Sebastian on the sousaphone in a short story by Susan Sontag!"
VICTOR (ARCANE)
Ahhh Viktor... he immediately became my favorite when I watched season 1 of Arcane, and that didn't change later on! Though I feel his Herald arc is a little insane and rushed, Viktor is a very special character to me, especially as I came to terms with my disability. I adore his wittiness and cleverness, and his autonomy even as he deteriorates is something I can see myself in a lot.
Yet again, no established lore here. Perhaps Charlie was a brief assistant like Sky (with a much more normal fate), or one of the people living in the Commune after being healed by him... I just think he's pretty man idk.
"When you're going to change the world, don't ask for permission."
WALLACE WELLS (SCOTT PILGRIM)
I can't lie I've loved Wallace from the minute I saw him when I first watched the Scott Pilgrim movie. After reading the comics, watching the anime, and playing the game, he's only grown on me more (especially thanks to Baz's Scott Pilgrim autism reeling me back in lol). I just think he's so cute and so funny and I want him so bad...
Charlie and Wallace are an on-again-off-again deal like most of Wallace's relationships. There's sparks on Charlie's side, but Wallace sees him more as a fling, just something to keep him busy. They are forever doomed I fear. Mr. Noncommital and Mr. Attached Too Easily... match made in hell. They can be happy when I want them to though! And also they go on horrible double dates with Mike and Gideon and blood gets so close to being shed every time.
"Oh, yeah. You're totally my bitch forever..."
QUEERPLATONIC F/Os!
JESSE TUCK (TUCK EVERLASTING)
Honestly I'm not entirely sure what drew me to Jesse so much... I think it mostly came back to the Jesse/Crutchie theory and him being played by Andrew Keenan-Bolger on Broadway (you had to be there)... but he's also just such a fun, genuine character. His joy is so infectious and his pure recklessness is so endearing (even if means nothing to him because of the immortaility). He's just as endearing in the book, too.
This is another case where there's little established lore, but I imagine Charlie is just one of many people Jesse runs into over the years... I don't think he ever quite gets close enough with him to offer the water, but they were definitely good friends-- at least until Jesse just seemed to disappear one day. Wonder what happened to him...?
"Just think of all the things we've seen in the world! All the things we're going to see!"
STEVE (TANKMEN)
This is probably one of the most embarassing F/Os I have haha... I shipped with him around the peak of my brief Friday Night Funkin'/adjacent Newgrounds games hyperfixation and Steve was an easy favorite of mine in the Tankmen series. I'm always a sucker for the buddy character in a series I've noticed...
Not an OUNCE of lore for these two. Frankly my hyperfixation didn't last long enough for me to even bother coming up with any lol.
"Shoulda used the pythagorean theorem, BITCH!"
PLATONIC & FAMILIAL F/Os!
JACK KELLY (NEWSIES)
Jack's energy is so infectious I completely understand why he's a fan favorite... his sheer bisexual transmasc energy never fails to amuse me. Plus being played by Jeremy Jordan gives him automatic points in my book. I actually prefer 92sies Jack though... I miss his whole cowboy aspect on Broadway and much prefer the movie costuming.
Jack and Charlie are friends through Crutchie mostly. They're not super close but Jack gives Charlie the whole "break his heart I break your face" thing. He loves him though!!! They are good buds.
"It's not lyin', it's just... improvin' the truth a little!"
SPOT CONLON (NEWSIES)
Honestly I think Spot is just such a cool character. Him being so comedically short is so good... even better of a character on the West End with her being a girl. So fun! I don't think I'd have as much of a soft spot for him if it wasn't for my friend Josh who really liked him back in the day. Spot will always be associated with him in my mind. Once again I honestly prefer 92sies Spot but eh... Broadway Spot for the picture because it was a moment for us all.
Spot and Charlie are more like polite acquaintances... they aren't too close as Charlie's in Manhattan and Spot's in Brooklyn, but real recognizes real. They are emo buddies in another world...
"I say, that what you say... is what I say."
ROBBIE VALENTINO (GRAVITY FALLS)
I've loved Robbie since I was a kid he is just SUCH a funny character. Especially now that I am also a brooding emo teen... god he is so me. And it is HILARIOUS. He's one of my favorite characters in the whole show honestly. A lot of people really don't like him but he will always be one of my faves. If you don't like Robbie I don't like you!!
Charlie is sort of like an older brother/role model figure to Robbie. He'd never admit it, but he really admires Charlie and thinks he's one of the coolest guys in town. Charlie books his band in at the venue he owns, and as such Charlie attends every show... they suck. But Charlie loves his baby bat and refuses to put him down and let the punk scene in town die. They have a mild rivalry but it's all out of love!
"Later dorks, catch you on the rewind! I made that up."
SUNDROP/MOONDROP (FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S)
Sun and Moon were easy favorites of mine when Security Breach came out. I'm always a sucker for celestial themed characters and the Daycare Attendants' designs are SO sick. The age regressor in me also just loves them, they're literally made to be caregivers! I always get really excited seeing merch or art of them even though my FNaF hyperfixation is long gone (at least until the next movie comes out).
I don't really have any lore for these guys, aside from maybe Charlie being one of the kids in the daycare, since I mostly view the characters through an age regressed lens... hmmm.
"We can finger paint, tell stories, drink Fizzy Faz until our heads EXPLODE and then stay up all night!"
STANLEY PINES (GRAVITY FALLS)
Stan is genuinely such a funny character I love him so much. And his whole personality being a cover for all the guilt he holds and all the years he's spent trying to get Ford back... oh my god. Stan Pines is one of the BEST characters ever written and I stand by this. He's also special to me because of my friend Stanley (yes, his name is Stanley too haha!) as he ships with Stan and their relationship is SOOO cute...
Stan and Charlie are brothers-in-laws! They're jokingly mean to eachother but they both have a lot of respect for one another and get along pretty well. They both have a lot of love for Ford and they can really connect on that aspect. Charlie also really admires his relationship with the kids and it makes his heart melt to see how well they get along.
"My ex-wife still misses me... BUT HER AIM IS GETTIN' BETTER!"
DIPPER & MABEL PINES (GRAVITY FALLS)
Who DOESN'T love Mabel and Dipper??? Actually don't answer that question because if your answer is that you don't like them I'll hate you forever. I really see myself in both of them and seeing characters like me as a kid really meant a lot to me and they both shaped me a lot as a person. I'm very anxious, curious, and self-concious like Dipper, not to mention him being my very first trans awakening. I'm also very much like Mabel: hyperactive, silly, and childlike in the best ways. I'm really happy I got to see these parts of me represented and embraced on TV at a young age. These kids mean a lot to me. :)
Until Charlie and Ford get married, Charlie is basically an honorary Grunkle, especially to Mabel. Mabel and Charlie know eachother through community theatre and spend a lot of time together there, but Charlie has a soft spot for Dipper as well. When Charlie does become an Official Grunkle he's absolutely THRILLED! Those are his babies right there!!
"You can't force somebody to love you. The best you can do is make yourself someone worthy of loving."
"Today I learned morality is relative!"
TINA, GENE, & LOUISE BELCHER (BOB'S BURGERS)
The Belcher kids are another case of me seeing myself a lot in children in media, but these kids came about much later in my life. I didn't start watching Bob's Burgers until freshman year, but these kids are my everything! They're all the unashamed autistic kids I wish I could've been friends with and wish I could've been at their age. I see aspects of myself in each of them and they all make me feel so maternal... oh my babies...
I don't have much lore for these guys honestly... maybe Charlie's just a regular in the restaraunt, I'm such a sucker for a good burger. Who knows! I just love these kiddos.
"Danger is my middle name, but I spell it R-U-T-H."
"TELL THAT TO MY VAGINA!!!!"
"You could sell your soul. I did, and look at me! I'm fine..."