#Even though Sonic gets to choose things for himself some of those choices are still centred around what Eggman wants

[bestjeanistmonster]

Dc au- The scene from birds of prey where Harley overhears the roller derby team talking shit about her

He ends up dropping the round of drinks he bought them and sets their cars on fire like 5 minutes later as a way to tell them he quits

[egg-emperor]

One thing I found particularly interesting in Final Horizon is that in one conversation with Amy, the doctor seems to express sympathy for the remnants of the Ancient's consciousness that only come out at night due to their fear of The End even many years after their extinction. I dunno, it adds dimension to his character IMO that even though he's an awful person through and through, he's still capable of at least expressing some sympathy towards others.

I don't mind if this was the intention with it or if what I'm personally hearing it as was for reasons I'll explain in a moment buuut- I honestly kinda can't really hear it as being genuine sympathy. His tone and the little "hmph!" before saying it sounds slightly amused almost. I keep trying to unhear it and read it as sympathy but I can't.

Putting with sound here to see if anyone else can see what I mean with that in mind:

That's not just me saying this out of wishful thinking or anything as like I said, I don't mind if that wasn't that the intention. He absolutely has low empathy from all I've observed but that doesn't mean he couldn't ever have any at all in any situation ever hypothetically, so I wouldn't be mad if it was the intention for him to feel slight sympathy.

Though I think it'd be a liiittle ooc in this specific way as he's never given a shit about anything bad happening to anyone before, so why would this be the time and way? It'd be a strange way to suddenly throw in now this way after many opportunities before. Cute little creatures don't make him care and feel bad, otherwise he would've felt that way about those he captures and uses in robots.

But it doesn't sound like he genuinely feels really bad for them exactly to me. His tone and his "hmph!" makes it sound like he's more a little amused and says it with a lilt, that was my first impression and I can't unhear it. With subtitles alone, you can imagine a sadder tone more along the lines of what Sonic and co express when saying such things but that isn't what it sounds like from him in comparison. That's why it didn't raise any brows at all when I first heard it.

Going by tone, I'd say the delivery on the memo where he acknowledged The Ancients dying out sounded more like they could've set it up for him feeling sympathy as his tone would've been more appropriate. But instead three memos after, he's just like "Sure it wiped them out but I could handle The End because I'm just built different I'm a genius!" -

He basically brushes off the severity of the tragedy and insults their skill and intelligence with that, like they just needed to get good like him, so he clearly wasn't actually sympathetic then either.

BUT if he somehow was even just a little bit sympathetic for even a second, it would be an even more of a deliberate fully aware choice of his to still be an asshole about it like that, so that would just make him worse and would mean he has a very low amount if any at all to still be able to do that. And that would potentially make him even more dangerous and threatening if he had the emotional intelligence to feel that sympathy, yet he still chooses to be a jerk about them dying out and still choosing to be horrible person. So that's why it's good and funny either way to me lol

But it's not like he changes in tone when talking to Amy like he's just pretending not to care about them or something, if he was feeling sympathy then I don't think he'd even say that in front of her at all. And especially because in the memos he made it even obvious that he doesn't feel sympathy for The Ancients getting wiped out and still chooses to be a dick about it a few memos later- and that's when he's alone speaking to himself and could've been honest and open.

So I'm currently interpreting it as an example of his low empathy shown through a way where he's saying something that could be sympathetic coming from anyone else with the feeling and tone, but he just doesn't have it to match the words he's saying and it just seems detached. Since usually it's through him blatantly stating he doesn't care about something or brushing something off as insignificant. The latter is there a bit by how it sounds like he's bemused and detached but the words don't match like with the common former with him.

But the way it sounds a little amused and attached just almost loops back around to his cruelty because while he doesn't particularly revel in it, him sounding even slightly amused at the idea of them still being in hiding in fear... and how he talked about how he could've handled it better than the ancients... well. XD That kind of makes it seem almost the opposite of sympathetic to me. Not amusement to the point of it being another case of his sadism, but rather just an example of him being a lot more detached and a little apathetic really.

To put it simply, the vibe I'm personally getting is that it's like he's just going "ha! funny how it's like it's just happened and they still hide in fear of what wiped them out." And that alone is far from "he's actually showing sympathy towards something" to me. But as I said, even if that was the intention, it's not a bother to me and I'm willing to entertain it for how it could make him even more dangerous for that (though he absolutely is enough already if not of course). But I can't say I can hear it as being a moment of genuine heartfelt sympathy from him.

[marinaiguess]

I'm aware it's a strange question, but which continuity do you think Tails has the best tails?

not strange at all! but, yeesh, that's a hard question

Games first, Tails has had his ups and downs, right? From Sonic's sidekick to a little brother to his own hero who would always stick around during adventures and actively help Sonic and help save the world. After unleashed and all the way to forces, i think he kinda fell behind sonic's shadow. Only there to provide help with his knowledge and intelligence (which is not a bad thing per se, he still helped a lot) but didn't put up a fight when needed. Yes, he has his moments, like saving sonic in lost world by getting himself captured, but you can't really remember that when you have the forces moment. (sonic forces you to rememeber). And then frontiers comes for the rescue and we get back the tails we know. Inconsistent.

I think idw has been confirmed to be in the same continuity with the games so I don't need to elaborate more on that, even though, i like him better in the idw than the games as a whole, i think. prime is also going here bcuz im pretty sure it's the same case. (haven't read archie, so, i'm not going to analyze that one).

aosth and satam tails. are they the same? i believe so and gosh this is the cutest tails you'll ever get, little baby who is nonetheless very smart. he's quite dependant on sonic but within expected parameters. he's younger than game tails and didnt go through the "im my own hero" character development that game tails totally forgot about. but also independant enough to take on responsibilities for the freedom fighters and is brave enough to make traps and fight robotnik and his robots. (also he's a savage in aosth lol)

tails in sonic x is like game tails but more consistent right? cant remember at the top of my head, but it's a pretty good tails

boom tails. i adore him. truly his own hero, still a sidekick of sonic's just because theyre all in team sonic. he's a more focused inventor than adventurer but still wont back down from a fight. he needs help sometimes but thats just part of growing up (ah jeez). truly the mind of this team who helps in the action as well. still baby though even tho he tries to be "serious and formidable".

movie tails. i almost forgot about him. very independant cuz he didnt grow up with sonic (probably had to fight those bullies by himself). but even that is debatable due to the fact that he admitted he had been uhhh, stalking sonic? lol. generally, baby, so smol, helps a lot in the battles with his inventions and with his mind and fists.

so. if i had to choose a continuity, i'd go for either aosth/satam or boom tails. very different but some of my fav moments of tails are from these two. that's not to say game tails is not a good one, i love him as well!! thankfully, he's getting back on track. (movie tails, im sorry but youre movie tails) and maybe i'm a bit biased too when it comes to my final choice, who knows.

thank you for the ask!

[prowerprojects]

I do hope with Sage being around, it offers Tails some interactions that's more his wavelength and offers different perspectives that gets him to think about double-edge situations. (Sometimes the straightforward solution isn't always the correct one or the most beneficial.)

But I'm definitely vouching for antagonists that Tails encounters on his own. (And I prefer it not being another tech-head. I'm open to like, other aspects of science and creating. {Speaking of magic, I'm curious of how'd react to a necromancer, considering his fear of ghosts} Or even ones that tests his other attributes, like flying, intellect or discovering a different fighting style from Sonic and Knuckles.)

Archie was all over the place, but I was intrigued by the concept of Speedy essentially being jealous of Tails being free and not locked to a bloodline. Expressing a few times he wants out. (But it is funny how outside of Eggman, Tails' biggest beefs is with birds who feel threatened by his abilities{Wave}.)

Yeah, I'm really interested in how their relationship could be developed, and how their characters could push and challenge each other. It would be a waste if there wasn't something done with them. Though it's hard to tell now how it'll go since we don't know what'd happen to Sage after Frontiers.

A necromancer? It'd probably be a bit too much for Sonic, haha. (Well... we do already jave ghosts and spirits...) Though honestly, I'm open to almost anything. There's also the matter of how the game would be played and how it would affect the design and abilities of the villain. Personally I would be interested in a character that also had a rough childhood like Tails but decides to take revenge on others for it (even if it's a bit cliche). I think it could be interesting because I feel like Tails could provide a lot of empathy for them (instead of being like "I got over it so you have no excuse"), while also protecting other people from them. (Though it'll probably be a one off antagonist since there's no way they aren't getting reformed at the end. Still)

Eeehh. I'll be honest I don't consider Tails Adventure canon and the Battle Birds don't interest me. Jokes about toddler Tails fighting off an army are funny, but it's incompatible with Tails's characterization of being a meek and timid kid before he met Sonic. Ignoring Tails Adventure makes Tails's character arc stronger. (Also those birds are ugly as sin. (Sorry). Tails deserves enemies with a cooler design/j)

The concept of someone being jealous of Tails's freedom doesn't intrigue me either, because it's got nothing to do with Tails himself. If it was someone being jealous of Amy's freedom, for example, literally nothing would change. Tails is not a character that has freedom as one of his core character themes, at least not in the same way as Sonic, or Rouge. (Maybe I wouldn't even mind that it's not one of Tails's major character themes if it wasn't already Sonic's. Sonic and Tails have a lot of similarities but I'm sure we could get something that's more unique to Tails if we're making an antagonist for him).

I guess Tails has a similar theme which is about choosing to do things his own way and carving his own path, etc., which could work with "feeling of being locked into the bloodline" thing; but this also works really well with Sage, it's even more on point, I think, because with Sage, she's also choosing, but to do the opposite, to go along with Eggman and his scemes. (At least I'm assuming that's how it'll end up going). I like that it's two characters having agency (I mean Sage doesn't really because Eggman wouldn't be keeping her around if she made the "wrong" choice but she doesn't know that) and having contrasting views on their growth and "destiny". Plus we've already got Sage and we gotta do something with her. (I do want Tails to have his own antagonists but she's already here and we can't waste her)

[apparentlyaswarmofbees]

hiiii! i'm new here (and to obey me in general!) and i love your writing!! may i request some hcs of the brothers with a mc who's scared of thunder during a storm? thank you so much !! <3

Hmm, all people react differently to fear, some become agressive, be it physical or in behaviour, others scream and run away, and some start hyperventilating. The Fight, Flee and Freeze reaction. I am a mix of fight and freeze.

So I chose to turn this into...

The Brothers, You and Fear

Note: there are many responses to fear so obviously I am not able to represent each and every single one of them, also Uncensored Swearing lol

.

Lucifer

I believe Lucifer himself has a fight reaction to fear. Whenever he becomes afraid of something he feels the need to put whatever the cause into submission, which can become quite ridiculous if the cause of fear is immaterial.

If you also have a fight reaction then expect quite a few arguments to happen between you two. Specially if Lucifer is feeling more stubborn than usual.

If you have a flee reaction, Lucifer will either accompany you or help you hold your ground, I'd say it depends on which choice is the best for the situation but he most likely choses to flee with you most of the time.

And If you have a freeze reaction he may freak out internally but will do a good job in soothing you. Problem is he won't be able to soothe himself so you will have to help him too after.

.

Mammon

Onbvious flee reaction with this one. Fast boy go nyoom when he sees anything resembling a ghost even if it's in fact his own fucking shadow. Though he will become confrontational if whatever he's afraid of is something that is hurting those he cares about.

If you have a fight reaction you will actually be an anchor to Mammon, holding him back from running away and getting consumed by fear. He is also pretty damn good at calming you down! If he is in the confrontational side he will most likelly leave it to you and not hold you back unless you go too far.

If you also have a flee reaction then we are going to have to play Sonic's theme because gotta go fast. Chances are he's carrying you like a bag if he deems you not fast enough.

If you have a freeze reaction he will also freak out and will most likelly end up running away while dragging you, though he will become a lot more level headed if in his confrontational reaction.

.

Leviathan

Also obvious, he has a freeze reaction all the way. Hyperventilates to the point of fainting, possibly one of those that have a chance of puking after.

If you have a fight reaction, you will be able to snap Leviathan out of it to some extent, but he will still need to be told to breathe, even if agressivelly.

If you have a flee reaction you will be the one who will have to drag him. Running may either force this snake boy to forcefully breathe or can result in making him even worse, but it will be easier for both of you to calm down if you two are together.

If you also have a freeze reaction... Well, good luck. Chances are you could be more level headed than Leviathan and be able to calm you both down somehow, but otherwise you two will need outside intervention.

.

Satan

This one is a bit difficult, though he does have a fight reaction, he also has a freeze reaction, it will depend on the cause of the fear. If it's something he can punch, he will become agressive, if not, there's a good chance he will malfunction, fry his own brain and get nowhere.

If you have a fight reaction yourself also expect arguments, but if you are dating him it means you have to get used to letting your feelings out no matter how, the two of you will just talk it out in private later if bad words were spoken in the heat of the moment, afterall, he understands.

If you have a flee reaction Satan will definetelly help you hold your ground, and it will also help him not to fry his own brain when he is in freeze reaction as he will start to focus on keeping you level headed, which, consequently, also helps him get himself level headed.

If you have a freeze reaction it will also serve to snap Satan out of it as he will realize what he is doing and calm himself and you down.

.

Asmodeus

I'd say pretty boy has a mix of all three reactions, he bickers if confronted but he is very obviously freaking out, and if he can run from whatever is scaring him, he will, and will not look back.

If you have a fight reaction you may be able to help him hold his ground and snap him out of it, but he can't do much to calm you down on the other hand, so you two will need a one on one conversation later if anything bad was said.

If you have a flee reaction you may actually also help Asmo think twice before running from his own fears! Though the two of you will most likelly end up fleeing together.

If you have a freeze reaction it will once more cause Asmo to take notice of his own reactions, though in this case he may not be able to calm neither himself nor you down and both of you will just spiral down in anxiety until outside intervention arrives.

.

Beelzebub

Also a very good mix of all three reactions. Beel is not much of a confrontational guy but if he can use strenght to crush his fears, he will. But more often than not his fears are immaterial and such his only options are either to run or freeze, the freezing is his usual reaction where he spirals down in his own rabbit hole of thoughts, in which, depending on the conclusion of it, he may choose to flee.

If you have a fight reaction it will actually not be very good with him, because again, he isn't the confrontational type, so things will need to be talked out later on.

If you have a flee reaction he may hold you back from doing it, but it won't be hard to convince him otherwise.

If you have a freeze reaction, it may actually make Beel forget temporarelly about his own fears to help you calm down! Just temporarelly though.

.

Belphegor

Canonly the most level headed in the face of fear out of all brothers but has an obvious fight reaction, though with him it's not on physical fighting but more on becoming agressive in words, he will basically tell everyone to shut up and get their shit together and you bet he is also counting himself in it.

If you also have a fight reaction it will depend on how level headed you can be, if you can still rationalize things, both of you will become the ones to snap others out of it, otherwise he will become pretty exasperated, but will understand (and most likelly tease you later)

If you have a flee reaction he will easily be able to help you hold your ground unless he deems the fleeing option the best option.

If you have a freeze reaction he will try to calm you down, albeit a bit awkwardly, if he is afraid himself it will be hard but otherwise he will be able to comfort you pretty well.

[allegra-writes]

"Fine line" part I

Peter Parker x SHIELD Agent! Reader x Harry Osborn

Teen and Up

Warnings: Canon typical violence

Part of the "Fine Line" series. Welcome to the endgame.

SERIES MASTERLIST | MY MASTERLIST

He had never seen you fight before. It was stupid of him, and potentially dangerous, to stop and think about something like that in the middle of a freaking battle, but he just couldn't help it. You were graceful, deadly. You and Kate Bishop moving together like a well oiled machine. Strike team Delta, Fury's pride. A blur of perfectly shot arrows and high kicks. 

But not even you were enough to stop the giant monstrosity in its path of destruction, not even him was. And it had hostages now. 

"Six!"

"I know K, I'm seeing it!"

"I'm on it guys!" Peter called back as he swung by you like a red and blue meteor, following the greenish abomination currently climbing up the side of a skyscraper, carrying a sports car on his free hand as effortlessly as if it was a toy. 

"One little question though" He switched to coms, "What the hell is that thing??"

"That thing" You explained, "is Norman Osborn…"

Peter's hand slipped, sending him flying face first into the building wall,

"Say what?!" 

"We'll fill you up later, Spidey" Kate quipped, "For now, would you mind giving us a hand before King-kong over there kills anyone? I don't trust his butter fingers not to drop that Audi"

"Yes, ma'am" You could hear Peter's smile in his voice, "S.H.I.E.L.D girls are so bossy"

"Well, we are your superiors..." You noted, finally arriving at the entrance of the building when he was already halfway to the top. 

"Ugh, I hate it when you pull rank on me" He groaned, swerving to dodge the shards of broken glass raining upon him.

You snorted, 

"No you don't"

"No, I don't" He admitted, "Kinda turns me on"

"Ew! Guys, I can hear you" Kate catched up to you, shooting an arrow hooked to a line around her belt. Peter wasn't surprised to see it hit its mark flawlessly on a ledge above his head, "Hi, hot stuff, need a ride?" 

You rolled your eyes, but wrapped your arms around her shoulders nonetheless, holding on tight. 

"Hey!" Peter protested, mid swing, "No flirting with my girl!"

"I saw her first!" Kate released the latch, and soon you both were ascending at breakneck speed, easily surpassing Peter, "Race you to the top, Spidey!" 

His laughter resonated through the coms, as he sped up to follow you, guns blazing into the battle.

…

There was no laughter anymore. The friendly banter and quick comebacks had died long ago, the second you had realized it was a trap. The goblin creature was far more intelligent than you were led to believe, having set the ploy from the very beginning, his seemingly driftless rampage through the city, not so random after all. 

And far more psychotic, as you had learnt when he tore open the car in his hands to reveal the terrified blond man inside. 

"HARRY!"

Peter's horrified scream matched your own.

"Well well well, it seems you awake quite the loyalty" a massive hand closed around Harry's torso, his indigo orbs finding yours across the rooftop "for such a pathetic little worm"

"Let him go, Goblin" Kate's tone was placating, almost gentle, "you don't know what you're doing…"

The creature laughed,

"That's what you think? What your imbecilic little investigation concluded?" Kate and you exchanged a look. Of course. Your investigation about the Green Goblin and other Oscorp shady experiments relied heavily on Norman Osborn personal files. The thought of the passionate scientist, who valued his work more than his own son, lying in his own research had never even crossed your minds. He had played you like a fiddle, misled you every step of the way, and you had bought right into it.

"I worked with S.H.I.E.L.D longer than you had been alive, and Fury thinks he can sic you after me? Two little girls playing spy and my own creation??" Harry looked about ready to pass out as the Goblin waved him around, gesticulating with his hands as he spoke.

Through the corner of his eye, Peter caught a glimpse of Kate inching closer to the beast, and was only half interested when he inquired,

"What do you mean your creation?"

"Everything special about you," The Goblin's deformed visage twisted in what Peter assumed was supposed to be a smirk, "came from one of my labs!"

"That might be true, you might have involuntarily given me my powers, but you didn't make me Spider-man" Peter countered, "Mister Stark gave me the suit, and showed me what it meant to be a hero, and I loved him and admire him more than you will ever be able to understand, but he didn't make me Spider-man either. 

I choose to be Spider-man, every day. I created myself, cause it isn't who we were made to be that makes us who we are. Our choices make us who we are! You might have the powers and appearance of a monster, but you don't have to be one!"

"If you really think that, you are even more stupid than I thought, Peter Parker"

"Pe-peter?" Harry gasped through the creatures crushing grasp around his torso. Peter hesitated for a second, before taking his mask off. 

"Yeah, it's me, buddy" He admitted, watching his friend's eyes go wide, "It's going to be ok, Haz. We'll get you out of this, I promise…"

Famous last words. Peter should have known better by then than to jinx things like that. Because not two minutes later, he was seeing Kate's little ambush fail, the creature's tail whipping around with enough force to send her flying against a wall and knock her out, Peter's own kick just a little too slow to stop the Goblin from grabbing you in his free hand.

"Wings? It has fucking wings??" Peter cursed under his breath, scrambling to follow the monster as he flapped his enormous, membranous wings, soaring across the city. But the creature had no intention of going too far.

"You say our choices make us who we are, very well" The Goblin challenged him, hovering above 700 feet of empty air, and Peter's heart stopped. "Let's see what yours are. What is it going to be, your friend… or your lover?" 

"Don't do it, Goblin!" He yelled, standing on a ledge, ready to pounce, when he saw it. Or rather, saw her, purple hair blowing in the wind, standing on the air, a little lower and further behind from the Goblin, one palm pointed down, creating some sort of sonic wave that kept her up. She signaled a series of orders with her free hand, and Peter nodded almost imperceptibly, but enough for you to realize something was happening. You twisted in the Goblins grip to see what was going on at your back. Oh, fuck.

"Make your choice, Peter. Now!" 

Norman Osborn let go of you and Harry at the same time, leaving you to watch your boyfriend dive for your ex. But you weren't falling, you were floating, cushioned by a column of vibrating air. 

"Don't worry, rookie," You heard an annoyingly familiar voice say, "big sis is here…"

Great. You were never going to live this down, now. 

Meanwhile, Peter had problems of his own, the momentum the Goblin had thrown his own son away making it difficult for him to catch Harry on time.

And even after he had the other man safe in his arms, he wouldn't stop squirming, fighting in his hold. 

"Noooo! Go after her! Save her!!"

Peter managed to land the both of them in a terrace, 

"She's ok! She's fine, see? She's got this! She's got this…" Peter finally released Harry, pointing up to the place where you still were hovering in the air with that other agent. 

"She… she's… flying?" 

"I think that is actually the other one's making…" Peter shrugged, scratching the back of his neck. Harry started pacing back and forth, obviously overwhelmed, trying to make sense of everything that had just happened.

"And you're Spider-man…" he turned to Peter, who nodded. "And that thing… what the fuck was that thing?" 

Peter hesitated,

"Apparently, a crazy scientist" he finally decided on a half truth.

"A crazy… Mate, what even is your life?"

"Honestly? I've been asking myself that same question for years…"

Harry barked out a watery, hysterical laugh. He wanted to punch the shorter guy, he wanted to throw himself at his feet and thank him for saving his life. To apologize for all the drunken midnight calls, and also stab him in his boyishly handsome face for being so fucking noble and heroic and brave and impossibly perfect and for stealing his girl. 

He clutched as his chest, the burn almost making him double over in pain, and he realized he was hyperventilating.

"Harry, Harry, look at me. Look at me! Do you feel my chest? Can you feel my chest under your hand?" 

Harry noticed then that Peter was pressing his open palm, splayed against the spider logo on his own chest. He nodded his affirmation.

"Good, feel how it moves? Breath with me" Peter ordered, "inhale…" 

Harry breathed in, in time with his friend's expanding chest.

"Now exhale" 

Harry let go of his breath.

"That's right, you're doing so great" Peter's praise warmed up something inside his gut. "Inhale…" and Harry did, catching a faint whiff of your perfume. Peter smelled like you, the realization making him notice just how close to each other they were, only inches apart. And he wondered idly if that was the view you were used to, the one you favored over everything else: warm brown eyes, staring into your soul, right before leaning in. He wondered if you appreciated those hard, muscular shoulders under your hands, before pulling him close. He wondered if Peter's lips still tasted like you.

And before he knew it, Peter found himself with Harry's mouth crashing on his.

He knew he should stop it, step away, but he was rooted to the spot, caught off guard by the sudden onslaught of sensations. It was different from kissing a girl. Hard planes where he was used to soft curves. The tickle of scruff, and slightly chapped lips where he was used to your strawberry sweet lipstick. But as Harry's tongue licked his bottom lip, begging for entrance, Peter couldn't help but open up to him, to surrender to him, as his tongue conquered every inch of Peter's mouth, a greddy, hungry victor. 

"I hate you so much" Harry breathed against Peter's mouth, even as his big hands came to frame the brunet's face, the metal of his finger rings cool against Peter's cheeks

"Doesn't feel like hate…" He quipped, before scraping his teeth against Harry's lips, tearing a moan out of him.

"No, it doesn't" the taller boy admitted, pushing one thigh between Peter's, gasping as he felt one of the hero's hands coming to rest against his lower back, pressing him closer. 

"You taste like cigarettes" Peter marveled, for some reason finding the bittersweet taste delicious. 

"And you taste like her" Harry replied, diving in again.

Peter froze. Her. You. His girlfriend. 

"Harry… Harry stop" Peter muttered, between nibbles "we need to stop. This is wrong"

"Feels right" The heir protested, teeth latching onto Peter's lower lip to stop him from pulling away. Peter groaned, but managed to break the kiss anyway. 

"It's not. We can't do this to her." 

Harry sighed, resting his forehead against Peter's, still reluctant to let go completely,

"I know…" he admitted. 

They stood like that for a few moments, willing breathings to calm, and hearts to slow down.

"You should go" Harry spoke finally, taking a step back, Peter immediately missing the warmth of his body in his arms. He wanted to say something, anything, to chase away the heartbreak, the loneliness in those pale blue eyes, but he couldn't. The knot in his own throat would not allow it. 

So he just stepped away, slipping his mask on, and jumped. He caught a glimpse of Harry's teary, red face, sticking out from the balcony to watch him go, before shooting off a web and swinging away, back to the skyscraper where Kate had fallen. Because if he knew you at all, that was exactly where you were going to be, taking care of your best friend.

…

"...I'm telling you, I had everything under control!"

"Is that why you were hanging 700 feet in the air?" The purple haired girl argued, crossing her arms over her chest, "Admit it, rookie, you're lucky I arrived just in time to save your ass. Again."

You were fuming, face flushed and eyes bright, and Peter found himself struck yet again by how gorgeous you were. A pang of guilt stabbed his stomach. 

"I didn't ask you too" You replied, petulantly, "and stop calling me 'rookie', I'm a level 9 agent."

"... I'm still higher than you"

"For one level!" You cried in frustration, "One single fucking level!"

"Would you two shut up?" Kate stumbled up, and Peter broke free from his haze to hurry and wrap a stabilizing arm around her shoulders, "You're giving me a headache"

"Yeah, that would be the concussion," purple quipped, "don't worry, Simmons should be here any minute to take a look at that"

"Yay, finally a sane person to talk to" Kate deadpanned. Purple ignored her.

"And you must be the boyfriend…" She singsonged, nudging you with her shoulder, "He's cute under the mask, how did you managed to get him to go out with you?" 

"Hey!" Peter and you exclaimed indignantly, in unison. 

"I'm kidding, jeez!" She raised her hands in surrender. "Come on, won't you introduce us?" 

You rolled your eyes, but complied anyway,

"Daisy, this is Peter Parker. Peter, this is Daisy Johnson, weirdo fancies herself my sister"

"Ooh, 'fancies'! You've spent way too much time with that brit boy, didn't you?"

"Daisy, I swear to god I will-"

"You need to tell her" Kate whispered, taking advantage of your distraction.

"Wh-what?"

She scoffed, Kate had never had much patience for anyone's bullshit.

"About what just happened with Harry. She will understand, Peter, I promise. But only if she hears it from you"

"H-how do you know?"

"I see better from afar" The archer smirked, before returning her attention to you and, apparently, your sister.

"Are they always like that?" Peter whispered, a little alarmed. Kate snorted,

"Just wait till you meet the rest of her old team…"  

"Yeah, what do you say, boyfriend?" Daisy smirked, mischievous glimmer in her eyes so much like yours, "Ready to meet the family?" 

Peter gulped, he really wasn't. 

To be continued...

[sissytobitch10seconds]

Hey! just saw your ask opening. I wanted to send prompt for Stony for marvel fics. New couple Steve/Tony,2012 Avengers. Top Tony / bottom Steve. very new relationship for Tony. Steve demands attention, pouts if Tony is late. Makes Tony eat and sleep. Always makes breakfast for Tony, takes lunch to his office sometimes. Changes things in the penthouse just a coushion or a painting and decorating. Tony feels its finally a home. Jarvis and bots treat Steve like the first lady of the tower. 1/3

Prompt Continued: Tony takes care of Steve, takes him out reintroduces him to New York, the world. Is always open for PDA. Makes Steve blush, Pulls chairs for him, opens door, kisses him on the cheek, in front of the team and Steve just turns red but cannot stop smiling. Tony is also romantic in the bedroom. Takes care of Steve but sometimes rough and feral and then Tony gets possessive and leaves hickeys. Steve gets really loud during sex and just moans and loses it, the Team laughs at and teases him for it.Steve makes sure they are always at team movie nights and dinner. Tony is just so giddy at his mother hening and holds him by the wais in the kitchen and just sways with him. Steve just makes his life worth living. He is Tony's sunshine. Tony is so thankful he asked him out and Steve said yes. Sometimes Steve just cuddles up to him and falls asleep in his arms. Cries when he is sad and Tony does everything to make him smile and just holds him. Tony falls for him harder than ever all over.

You can also find this on Archive!

Everything had changed when they finally got together. Steve often thought about that when he was wrapped in the warm arms of his lover with the familiar energy of the Arc Reactor pressed flush against his back. Tony slept so infrequently, though that too was changing, that mornings like this became time for Steve to mull over his thoughts like the slow mornings that he used to have with his mother back before she succumbed to tuberculosis. 

While Steve did miss his old life, he also enjoyed the life that he had made for himself in the future. He loved Tony with his whole heart, and was beginning to love this modern version of New York. It was easier to understand it when he had someone that he trusted so much. Tony was there every little moment when Steve became overwhelmed. He seemed to have an endless kind of patience when Steve needed something repeated to him so that he could try to understand it. Everything was so strange and different. Nothing was even remotely similar to the way that it had been when Steve was living here, and none of it was anything like the science fiction books and shows that he had seen either. To anyone else, it would have been so overwhelming that it would literally be mind-shattering. But Steve had Tony standing by his side and helping him through it, so he knew he could handle it.

When he said that Tony was the love of his life, he really meant it. He hadn’t dated that many people before his transformation into Captain America because he had been too scrawny to be appealing to anyone. Bucky had always been there, and the two of them had basically skirted around dating for their entire adult lives. He and Peggy had basically done the same thing, but he considered it a bit more like dating because they had actually been physically intimate with each other. After both of those relationships, Tony had seemed like a complete blessing.

Now, with Tony and with the change in prudence due to the times, he was allowed to show how much he loved another man without fear. He didn’t have to worry about being beaten to death or shamed because of his sexuality. He didn’t have to worry about what his friends and family were going to think about his choice in partner, other than the fact that Tony wasn’t exactly a popular person because of his own history with sex. He could enjoy their relationship and didn’t have to worry about being slightly sexual or romantic around their friends.

That being said, Tony wasn’t exactly the easiest person to be dating. He often forgot to eat or sleep at regular, human times. Steve was able to remedy that pretty well because he didn’t have a lot of other things to occupy his time. He would bring Tony meals or drag him upstairs so that his lover would eat with the rest of their friends. He also found that because he was taller than his lover, he could just pick Tony up and literally drag him to bed when it was time for sleep. Tony used to have trouble sleeping due to his trauma, both from their first fight as the Avengers and because of the events that led to him becoming Iron Man. Steve was able to sooth these as well because he had more than his fair share of trauma and PTSD from the war and his own fights. 

Outside of not knowing how to take care of himself, Tony could also be a right ass when it came to being compassionate. He had never learned how to deal with other humans when he was younger because of how isolated he had been (first because he didn’t go to public school and then because of how smart he was). They had more arguments than a lot of couples did about Tony saying or doing something that was rude and hurtful. Steve could see that he was at least making an attempt to become a better person and move on, though. 

He could see it with the way Tony stopped before he said something degrading and hurtful, and chose to say something else. He could see when Tony took a moment to do something nice for someone else that didn’t just involve spending ungodly amounts of money on them. Tony was beginning to remember things like birthdays, anniversaries, names, and the like. He had remembered the other day that Clint was deaf and spent a while learning enough ASL to get by as well as making sonic arrows that wouldn’t interfere with his hearing aide. Clint had been very touched with it, even if he did thank Steve behind the scenes. 

Tony was still a gentleman and a good person at the end of the day even if he didn’t know his way around people. He would do little things that someone might think he had an ulterior motive for. He did things like opening doors, pulling out chairs, and pretty much everything else that went with the old-timey chivalry that Steve had grown up dreaming about. 

The blond flushed a little bit as his mind strayed over to their sexual life. Tony was just as romantic and gentlemanly when it came to the bedroom as well. He would often spend hours upon hours worshipping his lover’s body and telling him how much he loved him before they got to the good part. That didn’t mean that he acted like that all the time. Every so often, Steve’s beautiful, flawed boyfriend would get so jealous that he nearly went feral. Steve still loved that kind of sex, even if it did leave him feeling sore and covered in bruises the next day. Whatever kind of sex that they had, the blond always had hickies all the way up his neck the day before.

The team was perfectly fine with their relationship as well, despite coming from all different walks of life. They were almost like Steve’s new family, even if no family would ever really be complete without Bucky. They teased the two of them, but none of them dared to go beyond a certain point like he had almost been expecting. Bucky had other friends back when they were younger and those friends used to tease the two to the point of making even Bucky cry. Steve cried easily, so that wasn’t a hard accomplishment.

The team weren’t the only inhabitants in the tower to treat him nicely, though. The bots in Tony’s lab as well as JARVIS also seemed to be kinder than normal to him. With JARVIS it could have been because Steve wasn’t very familiar with the world and so gave the AI more attention and thanks than anyone else in the tower. With the bots it was most likely because Steve remembered all of their names and would actually say hello to them when they noticed him in the lab. The blond was very fond of the bots, and even fonder of the way that his boyfriend almost treated them like his children.

Tony let out a worried noise behind him, and that brought the blond out of his thoughts for just a moment. He rolled over and placed a comforting hand on his lover’s face. Steve brought their foreheads together and let out a small, comfortable sigh. Tony wiggled closer to the warmth of the blond, burying his face into Steve’s neck. The other man chuckled softly and wrapped his arms around the small man so that he was completely enveloped in his hold. Hopefully he would stay asleep for just a little longer, and manage to get the entire eight hours of sleep that they always aimed for.

The morning sun was beginning to creep into the huge floor to ceiling windows that ringed the room, illuminating the carpet and hardwood floor. During the remodel, Steve had been there to stop Tony from doing anything too impersonal. Pepper had been good for him while she lasted, but she decided that Tony was far too much for her to deal with when he was also being a superhero on top of all of his other issues. She hadn’t been the driving force in Tony’s life that he needed, anyway. Not the way that Steve could be.

With his help, Tony’s house had been turned into something resembling a bit more of a home instead of a barren place that you would see in a magazine. It wasn’t anything big, just choosing warmer colors and thinking of practicality instead of flashy-ness when they had been repairing the damage done by Loki during the Battle of New York. After that, Steve had subtly brought in throw blankets and some of his artwork. Slowly, with the help of the superhero and the rest of their team, the penthouse suite that Tony inhabited had become a home instead of just another space to occupy.

[thebudgetgarden]

The Budget Garden 2: Tachikaze “Goodstuff” (V-Premium)

Hello Cardfighters, So, I haven’t even completed a total of 3 posts before I got my very first request ! A person from my Vanguard playgroup overheard me mention this blog in passing to one of my friends, and so asked me if he could see my approach to a very cheap and strong Tachikaze deck. This, for those who are not in the know, is already a challenge, as Tachikaze is based on certain interactions with it’s own units, and on much more rare occassions, very strong, individual cards. So, I thought I would discuss one of the very first decks I build by myself, Tachikaze Goodstuff, an Accel deck that aims to hit hard and hit fast. 

Let’s begin with the grade 3 units, as understanding our win conditions is the key to success with learning and handling Tachikaze properly. 

We shall begin first with a list of our main grade 3 units, which in this case are varying rations of 4 different units, these being:

Light Battle Dragon, Gigannoblazer

Sundering Dragon, Terror Therizeeno

Fiery Light Dragon, Opticalcerato

Savage Mercenary 

[CONT](VC):During your turn, if three or more new equip gauges were put for your units this turn, all of your front row units get [Power]+5000. [ACT](VC)1/Turn:COST [Counter Blast (1) & Soul Blast (1)], draw two cards, and call two cards from your hand to (RC). Put up to one card from the top of your deck face down as an equip gauge for each of those units. (Put without looking at the front of those cards）

[AUTO](VC/RC):When it attacks a vanguard, COST [retire another rear-guard], draw a card, if a unit with equip gauge was retired for this cost, choose one of your opponent's rear-guards, and retire it.

[AUTO](VC/RC):When placed, or when it attacks a vanguard, you may put the top card of your deck face down as an equip gauge for one of your rear-guards.

[CONT]:You cannot normal ride this card. [CONT](RC):If you have no units with equip gauge in the same column as this unit, this unit cannot attack. So, wow, right off the bat, there is a lot to unpack, so let us take it step by step, first by explaining the notion of what “goodstuff” means. “Goodstuff”, used in the context of card games, is a strategy or type of playstyle that doesn’t adhere to the usual norms of having a normal win condition and trying to fullfill that condition every game. It practically means that we are a Jack-of-all-trades, but a master of none.  Taking a look at our grade 3 line-up, this notion becomes all the more noticeable, as we dont really follow a coherent gameplan, rather we decide to play as many tools as possible in order to have the best chance of winning. Reading through these cards, we can already gleam at least three characteristics that set Tachikaze apart from all of the other clans in the game, with those key-words being: Equip gauge, which means placing the top card of your deck under one of your units as a “marker” or “indicator” that can be used in conjunction with various effects Retire, meaning getting rid of one of ours or one of our opponent’s rear-guard units. Excuse me for making such a long-winded introduction to what someone would innitially think is a fairly simple and easy to play deck, but understanding these concepts, as easy as they are for some, is an integral part of understanding the clan as a whole. That is very obvious with our main boss unit, Gigannoblazer. Gigannoblazer encapsulates the essence of Tachikaze perfectly. Not only does he possess a very strong advantage skill that helps facilitate very aggressive plays, but he also allows the Cardfighter that is using him to give a healthy 5k boost in the front row, allowing for magic numbers and choke-points to be hit in a much easier fashion. This is highlighted further by Terror Therizeeno, a strong back-up ride target, as well as a potent rear-guard unit. His skill might seem odd initially, but there is a lot of synergistic potential with his retiring skill, as he allows for dead columns that have already performed their attack to provide some value for you, both in forms of a draw and retiring a pesky unit your opponent may have.  Opticerato is also fairly basic and simple. He’s a good call target that also functions well with the rest of the deck while attacking. A very simple and strong card, running a few copies wouldn’t hurt any Tachikaze deck. Savage Mercenary is an odd one. With a whopping 27k power, higher than any grade 3 in the game, you would think that his restrictive skill would stop him from being a gread addition, however, that is simply not the case. With a stupidly easy condition to fulfill, Mercenary becomes a very strong unit that cannot be blocked easily. Having a few copies in your deck as a simple and strong finisher is a must, as this card can easily steal wins from our opponents. All of these cards, while very strong, are also incredibly cost effective. If you were to buy a play-set of each card, meaning 4 copies of each individual grade 3, it would hardly set you back about 6 euros, which is a laughably low cost for such high impact units. 

Moving on to the Grade 2 Units, we find ourselves in a very odd and unique predicament.

The grade 2 line-up for Tachikaze is, for a lack of a better term, completely pre-determined. This is not, however, a bad thing. It just means that the choices that we do have are both so powerful and inexpensive that they would usually find their home in the full competitive versions of these decks. The downside, though, is that the creative aspect gets a tiny bit stiffled, which is a small price to pay for such power-houses.

The grade 2 line-up is split amongst 4 very high impact units, those being:

Clearout Dragon, Sweeperacrocanto

Ravenous Dragon, Megarex

Turbo Smilodon

Regiment Dragon, Regiodon

[AUTO](RC)1/Turn:When it attacks a vanguard, put the top card of your deck face down as an equip gauge for this unit. [CONT](RC):This unit gets [Power]+5000 for each of this unit's equip gauges, and if it has three or more equip gauges, it cannot be chosen by your opponent's card's abilities.

[AUTO](VC/RC):When it attacks a vanguard, COST [retire another rear-guard], and draw a card. If this unit is on (RC), COST [Counter Blast (1)], put the top card of your deck face down as an equip gauge for this unit, and it gets [Power]+5000 until end of that battle for each gauge equipped to this unit.

[AUTO](VC/RC):When placed, or when it attacks a vanguard, you may put the top card of your deck face down as an equip gauge for one of your rear-guards.

[AUTO](VC/RC):When it attacks, you may put the top card of your deck face down as an equip gauge for one of your rear-guards. [AUTO]:When retired from (RC) by your card's ability, call up to one card from this unit's equip gauge to (RC). You may put the top card of your deck face down as an equip gauge for that unit. This ability may only be used by a card with the same card name once a turn. There is a lot to unpack here. Simply put, both Sweeper and Megarex are insane cards, maybe unfair in the general landscape of budget deck-building. Sweeper gives himself an equip gauge on attack, and he gets 5k power and a removal dodge ability… on BOTH players’ turns. Meaning that, in the overwhelming majority of cases, on the first turn that sweeper is played, he is going to be a 19k-24k attacker that keeps his high numbers and is resistant to pretty much all forms of removal, apart from some unique cases. There was a point that this card was so good people were considering it as a possible candidate for a BAN. Couple that with its laughably low price point, at 50 cents each, and it’s no wonder why people still use this card in every possible build of Tachikaze, no exceptions. Megarex is a completely different beast entirely. His power-up skill is a bit more restrictive, but it follows the exact same path as sweeper, simply less efficient, while also being more susceptible to removal. He more than makes up for it, however, with his retire and draw skill, which is completely free and works perfectly with the rest of the clan. Another thing to note is that he is insanely cheap, an entire playset of him going for about 1 euro and 20 cents. There is not a lot to be said about Turbo Smilodon, he’s a grade 2 version of Opticalcerato, a card we briefly discussed in the grade 3 section. Smilodon is, also, quite an expensive card. In the time of me writing this, we still dont know what the reprint price for him is from the new Revival Collection set, so for now he is sitting at a comfortable 1 euro and 50 cents per copy. If he’s not readily available, then running the grade 3 Optic is suggested as a replacement. Regiodon is also quite simple. A lot of skills in Tachikaze require the retiring of a rear-guard to be activated, and Regiodon is an excellent card, working as not only fodder for the rest of the team, but also as a multi-attack engine, if placed on an Accel marker. A lot of utility as well as a little bit of extra oomph for your combo turn.

The grade 2 line-up was a million times better than anticipated, but with that, it is now time to move along to the grade 1 line-up. The grade 1 line-up, to a certain extend, has also been solved, however a bit more of a creative spin can be put in it if any Cardfighter feels like experimenting.

There are several key budget units to consider right off the bat, those units being: 

Fierce Claw Dragon, Laceraterex

Full Speed Dragon, Bluesprint

Angry Roar Dragon, Roarbaryo 

Sonic Noa 

[AUTO](RC):When placed from hand, put the top card of your deck face down as an equip gauge for this unit. [AUTO]:When it is retired from (RC), COST [Soul Blast (1)], and return up to one gauge equipped to this unit to your hand.

[AUTO](VC/RC):When it attacks, you may put one card from the top of your deck face down as an equip gauge for one of your rear-guards. [AUTO]:When retired from (RC) by your card's ability, call up to one of this unit's equip gauges to (RC). You may put one card from the top of your deck face down as an equip gauge for that unit. This ability may only be used by a card with the same card name once a turn.

[AUTO](RC):When placed, COST [Soul Blast (1)], put the top card of your deck face down as an equip gauge for one of your other rear-guards, and that unit gets [Power]+5000 until end of turn for each of its equip gauges.

[AUTO](RC):When it boosts a rear-guard, put the top card of your deck face down as an

equip gauge

for the boosted unit.

[AUTO](VC/RC):When its attack or the attack that it boosted hits a vanguard, COST [retire one other rear-guard], and draw a card.

The grade 1 line-up, just like the grade 2 line-up, is also quite excellent. We have more and more cards that fulfill our win-condition and allow us to have options no matter what the current board-state is. 

An overwhelming amount of utility and value comes from both Bluesprint and Laceraterex, 2 cards that don’t only gauge themselves but also allow us to get even more value from our retires, both from a card-advantage, in the case of Laceraterex, and a potent multi-attack engine, in the case of Bluesprint. 

Roarbaryo, however, is just pure damage output. With the cost of just one soul he can make a unit not only get an equip gauge for future usage, but also gives a boost that can range from just 5k, to 25k in the case of Sweeper. Overall a very simple and strong card. The 3 cards discussed above will not set you back more than 2 euros for a playset of all of them.

Sonic noa is a special case. He is a bit pricier and harder to come by compared to the previous cards that we discussed, but his effect more than makes up for it. Sonic Noa is our decks’ WHOLE game-plan, condenced into one card. Equip gauges, self-retire, card draw, he does it all and he does it very well. A playset of him will set you back about 2 euros but he’s getting reprinted in the next revival collection, so picking him up won’t be a difficult task in the coming weeks.

Example decklist 

This particular list is not only very cheap and strong, but it’s also an excellent investment for future Tachikaze builds, if you wish to stick with this particular clan.

GRADE 3

4x Gigannoblazer

2x Terror Therizeeno

2x Opticalcerato

1x Savage Mercenary

GRADE 2

4x Sweeper

3x Megarex

3x Turbo Smilodon

2x Regiodon

GRADE 1

4x Roarbaryo

4x Sonic Noa

2x Bluesprint

2x Laceraterex 

GRADE 0

x1 Starting Vanguard 

x4 Draw Perfect Guards

x4 Heals

x8 Front Triggers

(Please keep in mind that these lists are made with the Budget Constraints first, as well as what is the most optimal ratio of cards depeding on their availability in Greece. All of these prices and lists are subject to change, but keeping the price low is the number 1 priority.) 

Final Price: ~19 Euros

Closing thoughts and Special thanks

While this particular Budget profile wasn’t as long as the Previous one, I feel like I did a good enough job at showcasing one of the least appreciated clans out there, and I hope I assisted you in finding a new and interesting deck or playstyle. As a massive tachikaze fan (one of my top 5 favorite clans), this deck was a joy to playtest and write about.Special thanks to my friend Dimitri, who without him this Budget Profile wouldn’t have existed, as well as a special thanks to my close friends for reading through the previous post, even though they don’t know a single thing about Vanguard.That’s all for now, Cardfighters ! If you have read this far, thank you so much for your time and attention. Have a wonderful rest of your day ! Bloom aka thebudgetgarden (if you have any questions, feel free to contact my discord account: Bloom#8890) 

[viviane-lefay]

Yeah, no fucks to give here!

Really not into this ship - at least not in a romantic & sexual context.

—

At this point, I think it is best, if I put a little clarification here, before I continue:

This is just about my personal opinion, theories & headcanon - and by no means lays a claim to general validity (nor does your POV, btw).

I have more of a pick & choose approach to fandom subjects, anyway, so I can customize the experience exactly according to my needs and wishes. This is fiction, after all - the realm of endless possibilities - where anything goes, and where there is a place for the preferences of all of us.

That said, I really want to point out that I have nothing against people shipping the Dr. with Agent Stone - but since I, personally, prefer m/f ships, I’d rather choose the female OC approach, as it’s also my beloved villain x heroine constellation (not the subject of this post, though).

My take on the dynamic between the Dr. and his assistant is, therefore, quite a bit different from the fandom popular one. Well, to each his own.

What this post definitely is not, is an invitation for a debate regarding character interpretation, shipping choices, etc. - and all the potential drama that this might entail. If that is what you’re after, then I’d politely ask you to leave now, because all you are doing is wasting both of our time.

Let’s just agree to disagree and move on, k!?

I do my thing and you do you, guys!

I suppose, I made myself abundantly clear now.

—

Anyway, to return to the topic …

Where have all the male friendships & professional partnerships in fandom gone!?

Because, personally, I think agent Stone rather relates to his boss on that level…

Robotnik being a role model of some sort, that is - not unlike a kohai & senpai, or a younger & older brother constellation, actually - where the former looks up to the latter due to certain traits that he admires (and Stone certainly does). Regarding the age difference of the two, this could also make sense.

I’d estimate that Stone can’t be much older than his mid-twenties at most, since he’s in the position of a junior agent and assistant - still at the very beginning of his career path. And he’s very capable, disciplined and professional, at that, which is probably why he made it as Robotnik’s assistant at all (unsurprisingly, given the man isn’t the most patient).

Speaking of whom - I think, regardless of Jim Carrey being in his late fifties at that point - he, himself, can’t be that old, actually. My personal take (& preference) here would be late thirties, which would still make a lot of sense regarding his academic and occupational career. Being this overachieving genius, I guess that he finished school in time-lapse mode, skipping one, or even more grades - same goes for uni. Therefore, it wouldn’t surprise me if he was done by the age of 25 - his five PhDs included (bet he did two at once), which would still give him plenty of time to make his way as an agent and scientific government official up to the time of the events of the movie.

Aside from that, I can’t help but see parallels to the dynamic of Piett and Vader here, as well - a mixture of professional esteem and a bit of intimidation. But certainly no outright fear, as Stone is hardly under the threat of being strangled to death by his superior, like poor Piett is.

That is not to say that Robotnik’s still frequent misconduct towards him is ok (it definitely is not), but it certainly is more mild than he behaves towards, say, pretty much anyone else. Btw, that includes the “pin yourself to the wall”, grabbing him by the bottom lip and dragging him towards himself, while glaring at and chiding him (For what exactly!? Not being perfect, or as smart as him!? Chill, man, the boy is doing his best, and he’s doing a good job!).

Fandom, of course, does what it always loves to do - construe this as “evidence” for the alleged attraction between the two, which is pretty far-fetched, imho (…although you’re surely free to interpret it this way, if you so please. As I said, this is just my pov & to each his own. *shrugs*).

Anyway, you can clearly see Robotnik displaying this type of behaviour, along with the invasion of personal space, towards other male characters as well - be it “Major Nobody Cares”, “Officer Brainfart”, the big bar dude he threw out of the window, or Tom Wachowski. So, following this line of argument, does that mean he’s into these guys, as well!? Honestly, that’s pretty ridiculous!

If anything, it is a blatant display of asserting dominance, bringing the message home that he is the alpha male, while putting his opponent / subordinate in his place - and that’s it! What this behaviour definitely is not, however, is something remotely shipping related.

Besides, there are many examples of other male characters doing this for similar reasons, too - amongst others Darth Vader (remember that scene between him and Orson Krennic!?), and Severus Snape (after Harry invaded his memories during the occlumency lessons). And Robotnik does that quite aggressively in the cases above. In fact, it seems to be a fairly consistent behavioural pattern with him (not that he actually needed that though, but that’s an entirely different matter).

As for Robotnik’s personal attitude towards his assistant, I think Stone’s one of the very few people he actually respects, and even likes, because the young man’s esteem for him is so genuine, while everyone else regards him pretty much like nothing more than an asset, or a threat.

It’s not like he doesn’t somewhat encourage being kept in that position himself, behaving like he does - aside from actively reducing himself to his intellect & academic prowess. This isn’t all that surprising, as it is something he apparently gets his entire sense of self-worth from, and likely the only thing he got any appreciation for from others, which is, perhaps, also why he constantly needs to spotlight said trait (no behaviour someone truly at one with himself & his abilities would display, btw). Then, there is his little tolerance for failure - especially when it comes to himself. He truly expects to perform flawlessly, like a machine, and when he doesn’t, that really seems to unsettle him (that face when Tom points his unsuccessful attempts to catch Sonic out to him … he was so offended, he almost looked like he wanted to cry ^^;;).

So, of course it is likely that he becomes quite attached to the sort of attitude and behaviour that Stone displays towards him, even though he wouldn’t think of it this way - because, you know, emotional bonds with other human beings obviously are beneath him (Yeah, sure, we did see the veracity of that claim afterwards, didn’t we!?).

But, then again, growing up as an emotionally starved child and adolescent, used to being brushed aside, and, later, deliberately distancing himself from other people, he actually might have no clue whatsoever how to appropriately deal with things like these, and thus brushes them aside as “weakness”, which really does make sense, especially in the context that he was bullied as well.

Same goes for him eventually adopting the habit of pushing other people away via plain disagreeable behaviour. I think this phenomenon is called “hedgehog’s dilemma”, and it is quite ironic that he is more afflicted by it than his blue nemesis.

It is so painfully obvious that this guy has some massive issues, stemming from past emotional neglect and negative experiences - so much, that he even rejects all things human altogether, along with his own humanity.

His excessive idealization of and identification with technology, therefore, comes quite in handy as a defense mechanism in order to cope with said experiences.

Machines don’t ask much of you, they do what they are told, they are predictable, and they - above all - can’t suddenly abandon, betray, humiliate, and hurt you (which, I think, is the crux of the matter here).

Even though he might claim that his robots are everything to him, and that he doesn’t need anything and anyone else - his actions, however, prove otherwise … let alone his constant spiteful remarks on the matter, which just sound so damn bitter.

We can recognize that quite clearly when he is forced into involuntary seclusion on that mushroom planet at the end. This is where we see that what he truly is missing are not his machines (I bet he could have easily built a robot to accompany him out of the wreckage of his vessel), but one of the few people (maybe even the only one at that point), that he had apparently grown to value as worthwile company - namely agent Stone.

And, yes, it is very evident that he misses him (platonically, for me - but this isn’t even the point here) - he even tries to make a rock resemble Stone’s likeness in order to have someone to “talk to”, and mimic the social interactions he had with him.

Essentially, all those objects and machines are but a substitutive gratification that he tries to use, but that never come remotely close to the real deal, let alone are ever able to replace it.

In the end, he’s still a human being, along with all the human needs that go along with it - human contact and care included.

If the psycho-social and emotional makeup of his closest known relatives is any indicator to how his own might be structured - and it usually is (I’m speaking about the nature aspect, not nurture) - then he can’t be such a bad guy, after all - at least not inherently.

Taking his grandfather Gerald Robotnik, for example, who loved his granddaughter Maria (a total sweetheart) so much, that he was willing to do anything for her, in order to heal her from the fatal illness that was afflicting her - and who literally went insane with grief after losing her - then it shows someone with a strong emotional life, who feels what he feels very keenly and deeply. Furthermore, he is also someone that happens to bond very selectively, but if that is the case, it has this virtually absolute quality about it, with a love just as intense and profund to match (which is quite beautiful, actually).

On the other hand, though, that can also mean someone that has a high degree of emotional vulnerability, and who, therefore, is susceptible to sustain lasting damage from interpersonal traumatic experiences (which happens to be the case here, imho).

More often than not, it is this type of person that is likely to cork up their feelings and harden their hearts as a result - and who use every opportunity to deride the very traits, needs, and wishes they worked so hard to push away, if they see them in others. That is, amongst others, what gives them away. It’s pure projection - which is why I think that his caustic remarks should definitely not be taken at face value.

There are many, many examples of villains (or anti-heroes) that fit this type. Robotnik would hardly be an exception.

Besides, it is nice to see that Jim Carrey seems to have a fairly similar take on that matter (not that I actually care, but still):

“… and all it really comes down to is, he wants to be special to somebody, only it’s gone megalomania for him.”  [x]

Ouch! Poor guy, actually.

He seems a lot like Ozai in that regard. No wonder I dig this dude (aside from him being hot, that is, haha) - he’s totally the type of villain I fancy.

And also, like it’s the case with Ozai, I can’t help but wonder about his past, given there is known so little about it (aside from a few hints), so the following will be about some of my personal theories and headcanons about him, his family, and his past.

These are such important characters (main antagonists, no less), yet the creators can’t bring themselves to be more specific about the most basic facts concerning their families. Ugh, huge pet peeve here! Nobody expects a huge ancestral chart down to the tiniest details, but they could at least offer more info about their closest relatives - especially the parents, who happen to have the most formative influence on a person.

How old was he, when his parents died, anyway!? That they died seems pretty much a given, as that is what being an orphan is about, per definitionem (and he referred to himself as such). But how did they die? Did he witness their death, or was he absent?

Personally, I have this theory that their demise might very well be linked with what happened to his grandfather Gerald Robotnik, and his cousin Maria. Perhaps they were on that space research colony during the military assault, and were also amongst the “collateral damage” there.

From what I read, the recruited scientists lived there, so I reckon that they did bring their families with them, which is likely, since it is said that Maria was born there, so at least her parents must have lived there for an extended amount of time, as well. Since Ivo isn’t Maria’s brother, but her cousin, Gerald must have had at least two children, who lived alongside him (… and his wife!? No info about her, either.) on that station.

While I think both of Ivo’s parents were from prominent scientist families (after all, that is what the population of this space station was comprised of), it is still unclear whether or not they remained on that station. I am inclined to believe they might have split their time between there and Earth, as Maria and Ivo don’t appear to have been particularly close, such as, for instance, her and Shadow (who was pretty much her only friend there), but I think that might also have been the case due to a difference in age.

Maria was 12 years old when she died during the military attack on the station. Since Ivo apparently seems to have no significant memory of his parents, and seems to have spent his childhood as an orphan, he can’t have been older than 3-4 during this incident.

With Gerald arrested, and pretty much the rest of the inconvenient Robotnik family gone, aside from that small child, I think the military decided to take him along, simply because of the vast potential of this child, coming from a bloodline of geniuses, that was now theirs to mold and to exploit.

They likely left the boy in an orphanage afterwards, mostly to his own devices, and without any support, or caregiver whose bonds transcended the mere duty of keeping their fosterling alive - a lonely life, largely deprived of emotional warmth and attachment.

However, they did keep him under close monitoring, so they could intervene anytime they saw fit, to stir him in the direction they wanted - like a psychological experiment of sorts. I remember that in the movie the presiding pentagon guy referred to him as “a lab rat with teeth” - which is rather telling regarding how they perceived him, and pretty nasty, considering the implication.

The Robotnik name, though, they obviously did not refuse him - a decision they would come to regret later. While this allowed him the only tie to his ancestry, their legacy, however, didn’t do him much good.

Gerald Robotnik was a disgraced man, known to the world as the genius madman, imprisoned and sentenced to death as a criminal - which was, by far not the whole truth. And yet, he was turned into this idealised picture of a hero by his grandson, who so admired his achievents and strove to become a scientist because of it, despite knowing only the official version of the story.

The tainted reputation of his grandfather would haunt Ivo for a long time to come. It would also become the lens through which he was perceived and judged by the world at large, and this turned out to be the main reason he was rejected, and, furthermore, relentlessly bullied by his peers - irrespective of his own accomplishments, which earned him at least the praise of his authority figures.

That he eventually snapped and retaliated, did not exactly improve the situation for him. While the bullying did stop for the greater part, the peoples’ suspicion had turned into fear, as their concerns had come to pass after all, and, as a result, he was shunned even more.

In the following years, he was further on groomed to become this perfect military asset - a morally unchecked scientist and ruthless agent, that the government could deploy like the weapon they undoubtedly saw him as.

Unfortunately for them, however, their experiment didn’t quite have the outcome they had anticipated, as he not only exceeded their expectations on an intellectual and scientific level, but, at the same time, became increasingly unstable, unpredictable (”psychological tire-fire”) and, hence, potentially dangerous - to such a degree that they became very hesitant to deploy him at all (despite the “perfect operations record”), and even downright terrified of him.

Frankly, I think they’d also have ample reason to be afraid of him, other than just his obviously ambitious nature. The most prominent being a possible event, where he finds out about what truly happened to his family and himself, as well as their role in this. Needless to say, that he wouldn’t take this lightly, considering all the shit he had to endure because of it, and likely seek revenge. I’d really be curious about such a scenario.

[bobbystompy]

My Top 88 Songs Of 2020

Previously: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

Though we couldn’t get as trim as last year’s 75, still very happy to keep this under 100 for the second year in a row. This was a very difficult year in many ways, but music helped make it more bearable.

As always, criteria and info:

This is a list of what I personally like, not ones I’m saying are the “best” from the year; more subjective than objective

No artist is featured more than once

If it comes down to choosing between two songs, I try to give more weight to a single or featured track

Each song on the list is linked in the title if you wanna check them out for yourself; there is also a Spotify playlist at the bottom that includes the majority of the songs

Usually a pump up video goes here, but 2020 had a different energy, so Michael, take us in.

88) Katy Perry - “Smile”

Even Katy Perry’s good songs are a swirling spiral of maxed out auto-tune. This one is just fine. It’s... fine.

87) All Time Low - “Trouble Is...”

Is All Time Low the Katy Perry of pop punk?

86) Tee Grizzley f/ Payroll Giovanni - “Payroll”

I have never heard of Payroll Giovanni, but I have two questions:

1) Is this his song, and he got Tee to jump on it?

2) Or, did Tee write a song called “Payroll” and think to himself “You know who would be great on this? Payroll Giovanni!”

Favorite stretch:

Listen, we is not the same, you say "door", I say "dough" You say "floor", I say "flow", you say "for sure", I say "fa'sho"

85) Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande - “Rain On Me”

Coming out in 2020 probably hurt this song, because I have no, like, out of the house memories with it. You can only have so much fun with Big Singers Singing over a pulsing beat when it’s coming from the phone in your kitchen as you’re indifferently scrambling eggs.

84) Benjamin Gibbard - “Life In Quarantine”

Now this is a song you can do nothing to; almost feels like it’s reluctant to even exist. It got released in March of 2020, so the outro (“No one is going anywhere soon”) served as a too sad reminder/mantra for what the year was about to be. Second shout out to Gibbard for the many YouTube sets he put together during the early stages of the pandemic (when so many of his peers were trying to figure out the next move).

83) Cardi B f/ Megan Thee Stallion - “WAP”

This felt less like a song and more of a “whoa, did you see the music video?!” and/or a means to relitigate the eternal question “What is the sexual line in music?” And while it was fun to watch people freak the fuck out... the quality itself really needed to be better.

(Note: YouTube video is the edited chorus; explicit version here)

82) McKayla Maroney - “Wake Up Call”

Former Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney -- of medals and memes fame -- dips her toe into the music waters. It’s inside-the-box modern pop music. One thing that’s hard to escape: it doesn’t really sound like her.

81) Chelsea Cutler - “Sad Tonight”

He vocals really remind me of Alessia Cara.

80) blink-182 - “Quarantine”

Blink doing a Bad Religion impression. Docked a few points for the very weak chorus lyrics (“Quarantine, fuck this disease”). That said, as serious as the song comes off, there are some clever punchlines to be found.

79) Dave Hause & Brian Fallon - “Long Ride Home”

This is kind of a nothing song, but it’s easy listening. Also, if your guitar leads can’t clear the “Could Bobby have written or performed this?” bar, then said leads are probably pretty weak.

78) Travis Scott & Kid Cudi - “THE SCOTTS”

Two artists who pair so well together, it’s hard to tell who exudes more influence on the track (eh, that’s not true, it’s Travis Scott, but Kid Cudi is more of a roommate than guest). They want you to be high by the time the instrumental outro hits.

77) The Strokes - “Bad Decisions”

The beginning sound feels somewhat evolved, but by the time Julian Casablancas croons “Making bad decisions”, the song feels like it could be on their debut album “Is This It?”. And it goes in and out like that from there.

76) Thundercat - “Dragonball Durag”

Thundercat is one of those artists I wish I liked more, but when the occasional track does hit, it’s a momentary glimpse into what real fans seem to always see.

75) TI f/ Lil Baby - “Pardon”

Standard fare. Lil Baby’s cameo is very meh.

74) Porches - “Do U Wanna”

For a song that repeatedly asks “Do you want to dance?”, it sure makes you feel like you’re moving in slow motion.

73) NOFX - “Thatcher Fucked The Kids” 

On the best-named album of the year (“West Coast vs. Wessex”), Frank Turner and NOFX cover each other’s material. To start us off, the legends take a song from 12 years ago about British politics from 40 years ago and, well, very easily apply it to right god damn now in America.

72) The Bombpops - “Dearly Departed”

Ahh, my year’s first cancelled concert. The listed names in V1 always make me want to skip this song -- but patience, grasshopper. Chorus is aight.

71) Ratboys - “Alien With A Sleep Mask On”

This band name will never match what the music sounds like.

70) Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - “She’s There”

The vocals in this song channel, like, four completely different singers for me, ranging from Bob Dylan to Cloud Nothings.

69) NOBRO - “Don’t Die”

An anthemic chorus meant to be belted in a room with sweaty strangers.

68) Oliver Tree f/ blink-182 - “Let Me Down”

The original solo version of this song is 1:52, and though the blink cameo pushes it over the dreaded two minute mark, it adds enough diversity to justify the choice (keep an eye out for the quick Green Day lyrical nod in the back half).

67) AJJ - “Normalization Blues”

This dropped in January, and if you thought the year was bad then. Punk News:

I'll admit I do want the album to age badly because I really don't want to have to listen to it years later and still say this is the world we're living in.

Said album being titled “Good Luck Everybody” is straight cryptic.

66) Selena Gomez - “Rare”

Very chill for big pop; triplet rhythm singing in the chorus gets me erry time.

65) Kid Cudi & Eminem - “The Adventures Of Moon Man & Slim Shady”

Cudi’s second split collab yields bigger results than his Travis Scott joint (admittedly with a worse beat here). It rarely ever hurts to let Eminem do the heavy lifting.

64) Alkaline Trio - “Smokestack”

A little cheerier than the average Alk3 song, but Dan Andriano seems like he’s been in a great place for a long time now; confident and in control. For me, the whole song builds up to the “You changed my life” chorus.

63) Frank Turner - “Scavenger Type”

Here, Frank takes on the acoustic closer to NOFX’s legendary 1994 album “Punk In Drublic”. Though the energy boost is most noticeable, my favorite part is how you can hear how much Turner loves this song as his melody bursts on the verses.

62) Mike Posner - “Alone In A Mansion”

Mike Posner, an artist I have a very soft spot for, released a storytelling concept album in 2020. From the intro track:

This album was written, recorded, and produced over a period of two weeks in Detroit, Michigan in my parents' basement. It's meant to be listened to all the way through. At least on the first listen. And it's about 36 minutes long. If you can't devote 36 minutes of undivided attention to this album, I again politely ask that you turn it off and return at a later time. I love you and I thank you for taking the time to listen in the first place. Also, it's important to note that the characters and the stories in this album are completely fictional. In addition, anyone struggling with a mental illness - depression, schizophrenia - should not listen to this album. Turn it off.

So those are the stakes. Pulling this song -- the record’s closer -- feels unfair void of context, but them’s the breaks.

61) Nada Surf - “Just Wait”

Heavy hitting chorus without having to be heavy; this could really work in a movie.

60) Matt Pond PA - “Wild Heart”

This having only 805 views on YouTube is criminal.

59) Liquid Death - “Unnecessary And Unimpressive”

Liquid Death -- in this iteration -- is a punk rock supergroup with members of Rise Against, Anti-Flag, The Lawrence Arms, and The Bombpops. If that didn’t interest you enough, all lyrics in the project (which, I believe, is for charity) come from hateful comments or negative reviews. Of the four artists involved, this sounds most like a Bombpops song, with Jen on lead vocals as others chime in.

58) PUP - “Rot”

Off my silver medalist for album name of the year (“This Place Sucks Ass”), PUP doesn’t do anything new here, but it was relieving to see them still going in 2020 when so many others got roadblocked, both physically and creatively.

57) Paul Harrold and the Nuclear Bandits - “Massanutten”

This reminds me of local Chicago artist Al Scorch. So much earnestness in the vocals, but a little more prairie for Harrold compared to speakeasy for Scorch. This would be a good road trip song. And I’m not talking about singalong... more for the stretch where you want to sit in silence and look out at the sun-kissed land blazing by. The song’s greatest victory is getting me to like something that cracks 6:00.

Note to future me: Massanutten is in Virginia (saved you a Google).

56) Kesha f/ Sturgill Simpson, Brian Wilson & Wrabel - “Resentment”

Kesha has been vulnerable in the past but never this stripped down sonically; the chorus would feel right at home on a country radio station. Love a good bridge, too.

55) Megan Thee Stallion f/ Beyoncé - “Savage (Remix)”

An up-and-comer pairing with a legend rarely lets down when both sides are this locked in. Bey wins. Fav line: “If you don't jump to put jeans on, baby, you don't feel my pain”.

She matches flows with Megan but also brings melody. Her blessing takes this song from pretty damn good to undeniably great.

That beat, too.

54) Red City Radio - “Baby Of The Year”

If all you want to do right now is grab a drink in a bar, here is a video built to troll.

(Also: a Liquid Death cameo?!)

53) Nathaniel Rateliff - “And It’s Still Alright”

The last time Mr. Rateliff had our attention, he just wanted a drink. That hit had a chorus with the very-sad-when-removed-from-the-song “If I can't get clean, I'm gonna drink my life away” lyric. Well, our man got sober since. And when the party is over, the introspection comes.

52) Direct Hit! - “HAVE YOU SEEN IT?”

Listening to slowed down Direct Hit! is like watching Usain Bolt lightly jog. It kinda makes sense because the core action is there, but it also feels sort of incorrect.

51) Hayley Williams - “Dead Horse”

Solo Hayley songs have this feel like they could do anything at any time... but then don’t. This one does the same until a very fun chorus breaks it up.

50) Kid Cudi f/ Phoebe Bridgers - “Lovin’ Me”

Probably the most improbable collab on this list (if 2020 hadn’t repeatedly taught us to not be surprised by anything).

49) The Homeless Gospel Choir - “Don’t Compare”

Listening to The Homeless Gospel Choir is kind of like getting a dedicated pep talk from a good friend... while fire rains down from the sky.

48) Carly Rae Jepsen - “Let’s Sort The Whole Thing Out”

Queen vocals with one prince of a tempo; this chorus is Sour Patch Kids riding Twix logs down a soda pop waterfall -- and it’s a b-side.

47) Green Day - “Meet Me On The Roof”

I like this song because it reminds me of summer and because it doesn’t really sound like Green Day (but still totally does).

46) Broadway Calls - “Meet Me On The Moon”

Promise -- swear -- I was gonna compare this Broadway Calls song to Green Day before realizing they both had titles about meeting in an escalated location. That said, I did put them next together on purpose to more coherently make this point.

45) David Rokos - “Building Bridges”

My buddy Dave wrote this song, and I think I’ve asked him three times what “burning sugar” meant (he says it’s a reference to absinthe). This song will make you want to travel to enjoy not only the places but the people around you.

44) Charli XCX - “claws”

Charli XCX keeps it futuristic in a video that could be described as sexy, cheesy, goofy, and playful-yet-serious.

43) Brian Fallon - “Lonely For You Only”

This is too easy and should not work (and maybe doesn’t). But that chorus... that circular phrasing... it still takes me all the way out. But I’m the same cat who proposed while a Gaslight Anthem cover was playing.

42) Waxahatchee - “Fire”

This song could be in a different language and hit just as hard.

41) Harry Styles - “Adore You”

Purifying pop.

40) Local H - “Hold That Thought”

Hardest rock song thus far. Local H was one of the first artists to play “live” once the lockdown hit (on a simultaneous YouTube/Facebook stream), and watching them attack music in their Chicago practice bunker felt a little bit like taking in the end of the world. New songs, old songs, covers -- it didn’t matter; their cool, unmatched apathy fits a pandemic or peacetime.

Ironically, was able to see them live in 2020, as they played a socially distanced, outdoor drive up concert in a minor league baseball parking lot. It wasn’t the same, but it was still something.

39) Crazy & The Brains - “I Don’t Deliver Pizza Anymore”

This song is just cool*. The verses feel tense and crucial, it starts to unspool in the pre-chorus, and the chorus itself feels like a light comedown more than anything else.

(* -  though the lyric video is docked some points for spelling y’all as “ya’ll”)

38) Drake f/ Fivio Foreign & Sosa Geek - “Demons”

Menacing Drizzy can be very fun from time to time. Also more than happy to keep “Toosie Slide” very far away from this list.

37) Hey Dad!!! - “Life’s Alright”

Small band, big song; though summer feels light-years away.

36) insignificant other - “i’m so glad i feel this way about you”

This song lands a big haymaker in the first few seconds, so it was probably a good call to pull back some for the chorus and, eventually, outro.

35) BTS - “Dynamite”

Heard they made the lyrics bad on purpose for their English hit, which makes sense, because they’re bad. That said, if you listen knowing they’re supposed to be bad, it kinda makes them... good? Listen, 771 million views would have me singing nursery rhymes in Pig Latin.

34) DaBaby f/ RODDY RICCH - “ROCKSTAR”

Someone said this could be the song of the summer, but, because there wasn’t really a summer, I feel like I only heard it once all year. Also, are we really pretending Post Malone* didn’t just do a “like a rockstar” song three years ago?

(* - and N.E.R.D. before that and Cypress Hill before that... though N.E.R.D. only waiting a year after Cypress, so maybe DaBaby actually was patient)

33) The Front Bottoms - “the hard way”

Don’t take it easy on the animal / I am the animal

Not quite sure what this line means, but I fixate on the phrasing every single time. This song sounds resigned in a very self-aware way.

32) The 1975 - “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)”

For a band called The 1975, they sure sound like they’re on their ‘80s shit here. Also, a real thing that happened:

Me: Is he coercing her to get naked?! I thought this band was woke.

/scans lyrics

/notices “She said” before the “Maybe I would like you better if you took off your clothes” line

Me: Ahh.

Sax solo, take us out.

31) Charly Bliss & PUP - “It’s Christmas And I Fucking Miss You”

A song that is already a forever staple on all my future Xmas playlists.

30) 2 Chainz f/ Ty Dolla $ign & Lil Duval - “Can’t Go For That”

Shorty said she love me / I said “I love me back”

This is a real genre blur; rap at its core, but also soulful, funky, and very danceable. Damn creative.

29) Billie Eilish - “Therefore I Am”

Billie's 2020 gave a few singles -- but no new album -- and a body shaming scandal where the backlash to the backlash probably caused more headlines than the tweet that started it all. Still, she stays on cruise control above the clouds; can all eyes be on you if they can’t even make you out?

Video for this is fun, too. Not sure if her running amok in an empty mall is more of a COVID necessity or commentary on the dying retail industry. As always with her, fill in your own blanks for now.

28) Future f/ Drake - “Life Is Good”

This was my most listened to rap song in the first half of the year, and bumping again now, almost forgot how good it is. Drake just chasing one-liner Instagram captions in the first half:

- “Haven’t done my taxes, I’m too turnt up”

- “N****s caught me slipping once, OK, so what?”

- “B****, this is fame not clout, I don’t even know what that’s about”

And, of course, “Workin’ on the weekend like usual”. The man could make anything glamorous. Let’s hit that H&R Block, bro!

Future’s back half is a totally different song and feels mostly like noise, but the vibe is cool, so I don’t even totally mean that in a bad way. You can even make out a “Got Promethazine in my blood and Percocet” lyric to mark your Future bingo card and immediately move on.

27) I’m Glad It’s You - “The Silver Cord”

This song feels like cold air blowing on the back of your neck.

(Sidebar: thought this band was called The Silver Cord until literally right now)

26) The Spill Canvas - “Mercy”

A dreamy, distorted, at-home version of whatever you remember The Spill Canvas sounding like. This song is confessional and at peace, with the Grade A self-loathing we’ve come to love from this band.

25) 100 gecs f/ Charli XCX, Rico Nasty & Kero Kero Bonito - “ringtone (remix)”

100 gecs first hit my radar with the explosively obnoxious “money machine”, but that’s a 2019er, so this remix to “ringtone” will have to do. It’s catchy like a younger sibling persistently singing a song you’re sick of hearing*.

(* - /only child trying to work in sibling analogies)

24) iann dior f/ Machine Gun Kelly & Travis Barker - “Sick And Tired”

Iann Dior -- ...yeah -- channels Juice WRLD on the hook, and MGK/Travis Barker buoy a track that, honestly, doesn’t really even need the help.

23) Nick Lutsko - “Unleash Your Spirit”

Lutsko hit my radar on Twitter with some legendary political anthems (word to the RNC and Dan Bongino + his Dashboard Trump parody). “Unleash Your Spirit” is the song I most fear hearing (or even thinking of) within a few minutes of going to bed. Not because it’s Halloween theme is scary -- because it’s that god damn catchy. It permeates your brain. True story: a week ago, I woke up in the middle of the night with “Bobbing for apples with the boys” so ingrained in my head, it felt like someone was standing there yelling it through a megaphone.

22) Dogleg - “Kawasaki Backflip”

Bad 2020 robbed many concerts from us, and not getting to see this band live might take the cake. I end the year liking them but could have been *all in* with the right performance and the right venue. Also, Song Title of the Year until further notice.

21) Eminem f/ Juice WRLD - “Godzilla”

Eminem has all of the words and all of the lyrical dexterity, but sometimes it feels like there isn’t anything to ground him. Enter: one of the best beats he’s ever spit on and a Juice WRLD hook to give it pop angle. But let’s not put Slim in the corner -- when he starts accelerating at the end, it’s is a true “holy fuck” moment. It sounds faster than if you actually fast forwarded.

The video ends with a touching audio message from Juice WRLD.

20) Soccer Mommy - “circle the drain”

This song is so gloriously ‘90s; it leans in and does not care.

19) Sam Russo - “Always Lost”

The first time I met you, we were on the last bus You passed me a bottle, and I knew you were one of us

Took 25 words to hook me; I was txting friends before the first chorus even hit.

18) Sincere Engineer - “Trust Me”

Deanna Belos pushes her vocals in this one. I asked about the performance, and she said it was one of the first ones they recorded in the studio, but when they were done and listening back to everything, she re-did this track because her throat was much more used to what the song required.

“That’s why it sounds like I’m on roids lol,” she added.

17) Jay Electronica f/ JAY-Z - “Flux Capacitor”

Jay Electronica signed to Roc Nation in November of 2010. At of the start of 2020, he had still -- STILL HOW FUCKING STILL -- not released a debut album. When he announced it was finally dropping in February, it was met with skeptic eyes. He’d “announced” before. Shit, he’d even posted track lists of albums that never saw the light of day. He was a tease’s tease. It ended up getting a release date of March 12. As the pandemic got really bad in the March 11 zone, he finally had an actual reason to delay the proceedings (the plan: a studio live stream listening party*).

But no -- this is Jay Electronica. Why wouldn’t he drop as the world was ending? The same reason why his costar wouldn’t not have a watch like a Saudi prince. It had to end for it to happen. I wish I saved the memes, because they were fantastic. All I have is my own Twitter memory to prove it happened:

I love this song entirely: the “get the gat” hook (soooo New Orleans), Hov calling out the NFL/acquaintances clout chasing his potential death/rapping forever bars, Jay Elect’s ham-fisted and awkward ass Farrakhan line. Everything is exactly where it should be.

Final verdict on the full album: I don’t know, a B or B+? It had a lot more Jay-Z than expected (wooo), but -- and I rarely say this -- it could have actually been longer.

16) New Found Glory - “Greatest Of All Time”

NFG with a song referencing the Jordan-Rodman-Pippen Bulls only a few months before “The Last Dance” aired. Dare we call it marketing genius? The punk beat does not care; the punk beat is too busy taking souls.

15) Dave Hause f/ Amythyst Kiah & Kam Franklin - “Your Ghost”

“I can’t breathe”

On the heels of the George Floyd/BLM protests came Dave Hause’s somber attempt to capture the moment, desperation, and hurt. On a podcast, he said he was aware he might not ever lead the movement but still wanted to contribute something in an effort to use his platform as a white artist to change someone, anyone’s mind going forward.

14) Taylor Swift - “this me trying”

The chorus makes me feel like the crowd is parting like the Red Sea on a high school -- shit, no, middle school -- dance floor; smoke machine and all. Your crush is waiting for you on the other side. What are you going to say?

13) Phoebe Bridgers - “Kyoto”

Phoebe is one of the best lyricists out because of her specificity, but even though this song is about her dad, you can really fit it to your own narrative.

12) The Lawrence Arms - “Last, Last Words”

The Lawrence Arms wrote their new record (which singer Chris McCaughan described as “this end of the world outpost”) prior to the pandemic, but once you start to process album themes -- and research its namesake -- you do wonder. All of this, combined with some “Catcher In The Rye” references, and we’ve got ourselves a winning formula.

Dressed to kill for oblivion 

11) New Lenox - “Fairytale Of Gary, Indiana”

Your boy plays drums and is on the cover art for this one. Dave Rokos wrote the tune, which references The Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York”. Good news: no slurs in the Gary version. We’ll have you in and out in 90 seconds. Also: say hello to the recording debut of Alisa Caruso (some backup vox at the end). 

10) Beach Slang - “Tommy In The 80s”

My most played song of 2020, but it really was more of a byproduct of how early in the year the album dropped. I’m still such a sucker for it, though. Other than forced nostalgia, not totally sure what the track is about. Did learn Beach Slang recruited former Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson to play on their LP, which was named -- /deepest of breaths -- “The Deadbeat Bang of Heartbreak City” (so maybe it has something to do with that).

9) Juice WRLD f/ Mashmello - “Come & Go”

The :55 mark. Wait until the :55 mark. When the guitar kicks in and tempo doubles, we have a real “oh, shit!” moment. I knew who Juice was when he passed but only “Liquid Dreams”. His 2020 album (“Legends Never Die”) showed us of what could have been; 55 minutes, loaded with cameos and creativity and experimentation. This song had me in its gravitational pull immediately. By the end of the year, they were using it on sports broadcasts, and it felt like a ubiquitous part of the culture.

One of my favorite days of 2020 was visiting the Juice mural in Chicago with my wife. We went impulsively during the day after someone posted a picture on Twitter.

I snapped one of my own and posted to IG with the Signals Midwest lyric “There is such quiet grace in private moments in public spaces”. The band responded with “RIP JUICE”; the perfect online exchange.

Shortly after, I was out with a different group of friends, and we went back at night. This time, it was protected by a fence you had to squeeze past. When we got through, there were kids in there smoking, taking pictures, just hanging out; empty liquor bottles lined the bottom of the mural. Even though it didn’t take all that long to make it there, it still felt like a journey and total ‘movie moment in real life’; a complete rarity in a year like 2020.

8) Mac Miller - “Good News”

Maybe I’ll lay down for a little...

Sadly continuing the theme of artists gone too soon, we have this reflective Mac Miller single, which feels more like self-eulogy than traditional rap. You feel it the entire time. The song crests with “There’s a whole lot more for me waitin’ on the other side”, and it conveys a readiness for whatever happens next.

7) The Dirty Nil - “Done With Drugs”

I don’t pray to Jesus or even own a suit

We lost the creators of our last two songs to substances, and, if we are to take this song at face value, The Dirty Nil don’t want to go down the same path. Drying out never sounded so cool and defiant... until the IKEA suggestion.

6) The Weeknd - “Blinding Lights”

Uptempo Abel is undefeated. My favorite pop song of 2020 has you feeling like you’re speeding through the empty streets of nighttime Las Vegas in a stolen car; indifferent to your environment, only tuned in to your personal desire.

And, on the lamer side of the spectrum, it spawned a catchy TikTok dance.

5) Spanish Love Songs - “Self-Destruction (As A Sensible Career Choice)”

It won’t be this bleak forever... yeah, right.

SLS has always been over-the-top with their lyrics spotlighting the hopelessness of the human condition -- so it was the *perfect* combo to being locked inside with nothing looking to forward to. Bonus: fun cake video.

Though the song’s core is uncut despair, a random moment I remember from 2020 was my wife telling me “I can hear you smiling as you’re singing” from another room as I belted the despondent chorus.

4) Worst Party Ever - “False Teeth”

This song sounds like The Front Bottoms; insecure yet so full.

3) Run The Jewels - “the ground below”

There were a lot of songs *about* 2020, but I’m not sure any artist soundtracked what being alive now is like more than RTJ. My favorite rap song and rap record of 2020.

Fav Killer Mike line: “Not a holy man, but I'm moral in my perversiveness / So I support the sex workers unionizing their services”

Fav El-P line: “I'll slap a dying child he don't pronounce my name correct”

2) The Menzingers - “America Pt. 2″

The Menzingers unexpectedly released an acoustic, re-done version of 2019′s “America (You’re Freaking Me Out)” single. It dropped on my birthday -- June 5th, 2020 -- as the rage in this country boiled over and protesters took to the streets. Though some of the lyrics remained the same, the new ones were changed with true purpose:

Well George Floyd was murdered by a cop The whole world saw the video and watched Now justice is long overdue Grab your pitchforks, we’re heading to Pennsylvania Avenue

I had nothing left when the first pre-chorus hit: “I hope the Devil and Donald and Mitch McConnell rot in hell for all tomorrows”. Tattoo this on my fucking soul.

All funds from the song were donated to Community Bail Funds (via Act Blue) & Campaign Zero. I purchased the track before hearing a note.

1) Machine Gun Kelly - “My Bloody Valentine”

Going into the year, I couldn’t tell you the difference between Machine Gun Kelly and Mac Miller -- now they’re both fixtures in this Top 10. All I really knew about MGK involved tattoos and a rap battle lost to Eminem (not that anyone ever beats Eminem).

In 2020, he took a punk/emo turn, with the services of GOAT drummer Travis Barker and new squeeze Megan Fox at his side. This song’s lyrics could potentially be cheesy but aren’t -- they all land. From the simulation going bad to not wanting “fake love” to all the damn second guessing and the earnestness that just won’t let you off the mat.

Every piece to the puzzle adds something: the messy hair, the Ken doll build, the forced iconic pink guitar that now feels actually iconic. It was almost like no one had any fun this year so he could have all of it on our behalf. There’s a half second shot of him sticking his tongue our during the pre-chorus, a joy 99.99% of us never got to feel.

The album itself was just as fantastic*; a 2000′s pop punk throwback with a Halsey duet, horrible skits (hi, Pete Davidson FaceTime), OpIvy lyrical nod (complete with a royalty check), a warp speed punk track that doesn’t even crack the minute mark, your token 6/8 ballad, acoustic closer (about his daughter), and some experimentation that leaves the new genre but still stays nearby; shades of Lil Peep, if he had Blink-182 as his backing band. Speaking of, please do not miss Travis’ fill at the 2:30 mark.

(* - named “Tickets To My Downfall”... woof)

MGK could get cancelled tomorrow, but we’ll always have this year in a bottle. The acoustic version of the song (sung in a lower resister), the 10 minute making of video (that I watched, uh, twice)... shit, he even turned it into a medley at the start of 2021.

It might be cliche to say “stay winning”, but when someone stacks this many W’s with no end in sight, what the fuck else do you call it? Real love.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading. Here is the Spotify playlist (includes 87 of the 88 songs).

[gofancyninjaworld]

I am heavily disappointed that you did not answer my question. Duty vs desire is a theme common in One Punch Man. The reason why Genos is mentally weak compared to others (for the same reason that Atomic Samurai is weak) is because they see hero work as duty. Does Genos want to be a hero? No, he wants to kill the Mad Cyborg. He may be physically able to fight some monsters but he won't stand a chance against those who are really strong. As you said, there is a lack of passion in what he does.

I didn’t?  I’m sorry, let me try again then.  If we’re talking mentality, Genos is definitely not weak.  But he is working his shit out and it’s messy.   Genos does not lack passion.  I said he doesn’t take joy in fighting.  There’s a difference.  Fighting is not a source of fulfillment -- he’s not looking for a nice fight or a sense of triumph.  It is for Saitama, but Genos fights because of what it achieves.   As to what that is, let me leave it a paragraph.

His commitment to finding and killing the Mad Cyborg cannot be underestimated, but he’s so much more than that.  It’s absolutely true that Genos said he had no interest in being a hero and roamed the world looking for said cyborg. But even then, when it was none of his business, he still couldn’t help ridding the world of evil, stopping bad guys and killing monsters.  Even though none of it was helpful to him.

And whenever you see a difference between what a character says and what they do, something interesting is afoot. 

When Saitama asked him to become a pro-hero with him, he took it lightly at first, thinking it was basically the same as he was doing anyway, only with pay and recognition. How very wrong he was. As a vigilante he could pick and choose his battles and come and go as he pleased, choices no longer extant as a hero.  When all eyes are on you and people expect you to save them, being a hero is very heavy indeed.

Genos watching the crowd watching him. This is literally the first time anyone has looked *to* him for salvation and he’s a bit nonplussed to say the least

And then he learned to shoulder the burden. Between chapters 38 and 64, we see how he’s gone about it, telling Saitama to let him work things out on his own (which Saitama mostly does -- hey, more time for games!), flitting back and forth to the lab trying upgrades, learning how to deal with the people who keep gathering round (ignore them), and always, always pushing himself forward.

It’s taken him a very long time but he’s finally owned up to the fact that he is a hero (chapter 83)  -- telling it to the other hero in denial, Garou, of all people.  If only they could have seen into each others’ hearts, what a different story it would have been!  In chapter 84, Genos comes to face what it is that really breaks his heart: and that what really breaks his heart is not being able to protect people. 

the reason Sonic’s words struck him so hard in chapter 25 (above) is that they speak to his true fear, which he finally consciously acknowledges in chapter 84

More than personal vengeance, Genos wants great power not just to defeat his enemy, but also to truly protect people. To be able to remove oppression from anyone by stretching out his hand and smiting that evil.

Lack of passion my left foot.

As far as mental strength goes, I ceased to worry about it once he fought back against Elder Centipede.  When he had been cut in two and was in the worst pinch, he could have quit, and he should have quit, and instead, he was like fuck no, I will not be dismissed, and literally pulled himself together and attacked, that’s the point at which I knew that Genos has the mental strength to turn miracles. And just to underscore the miraculous nature of his rejoining himself, not only do the cut halves work perfectly,  but we get a nice look at his body in chapter 89, where there’s not even the slightest weld mark across any of the plates. 

Right now, he has no idea how he did it. If you questioned him about how he came to rejoin himself so perfectly internally and externally, he’d probably put it down to an undocumented feature of the upgrade. [Big Edit: Because the monster didn’t die, it taints the experience of what he did. With no one to competently debrief him, the good things he did are likely to get lumped in with the stuff that didn’t work. Ah well, struggles, struggles. ] He is unlikely to be able to pull off another ‘impossible’ come back like that in the current battle, he’s going to flail for some time to come but eventually, he’ll find out how to do it again.  And again.  And eventually, it’ll stick.

That’s what working your shit out it about.  Having the perseverance to work out what his path to strength looks like, that’s not weak at all.

from itenerant vigilante to committed hero, the joy of the human mind is that it can change

Does that answer your question better?

[sonicfanj]

A little while back I made a comment in regard to Sonic’s character not being understood and pointed out that he has the potential to be a “selfish hero”. Not surprisingly I was asked about what I meant so I’m going to tray and explain.

Before beginning though, I should note that I view Sonic as an adventurer first, and not a hero like most of his fans do. This creates completely different expectations out of his character and results in me seeing things very differently from others. For example, I disagree with the notion that Sonic lives to stop Eggman. To me, it’s simply something that happens and we see so much of it because those are the stories of his adventures that we are shown most commonly (I think Eggman has only missed one game that Sonic has been in so that kind of says something).

So, for my explanation I am going to try to stick to as few examples as possible, but I get a little long winded so apologies in advance.

To begin, let’s look at Sonic’s motivation to be a hero. Well, simply put he has none. That may seem a little short-sighted, especially in light of Sonic’s heroics, but the thing is, Sonic does not present himself as wanting to be a hero. If you ask Yuji Naka, Sonic’s favorite thing to do is run, and his running is spoiled if he doesn’t get a full eight hours of sleep. If you consider this Sonic’s constant lazing around makes sense as he’s trying to put himself in a mood to enjoy what he loves best. But for as hard as it seems for Sonic to get a good night’s sleep, which supposedly also makes him irritable, he still loves to adventure. When describing Amy’s character Hoshino has stated that Sonic’s mind is always on the next adventure or challenge. This is important as it tells us that Sonic is not thinking about who to help next. He is thinking about himself. In other words, he is being selfish, or he adventures to enjoy himself and his running, not to help people like most of his fans believe.

Naturally this raises the question of why does Sonic help people. That is a very easy question to answer, but it also reflects a bit on Sonic’s nature and his selfishness some more. Out of the gate, we are told that Sonic has a strong sense of judgement and a big heart. And we know how compassionate Sonic is. In case anyone has forgotten, though he bashed the poor guy in the brain a few times over, Sonic calmed a raging God of Destruction and desired to console it so it could live in peace. It takes a big heart to do that and Sonic has it. But he is also said to have a short temper (though it is rarely demonstrated) and that he can’t stand injustice and dislikes tears. At this point I would hope that a clearer picture of Sonic’s selfishness as a hero is starting to become clear, but as I’m explaining my viewpoint I’ll continue.

Making what will feel like a sudden jump, Sonic helps people on his adventures because seeing or knowing that people are in trouble ruins his adventure for him. The moment he knows people are in trouble he can’t enjoy himself no matter how much sleep he got. His big heart and distaste for injustice spur him into action. He’s acting on his own emotions to bring himself back peace of mind. This is a horribly selfish thing to do, but we see him do it quite a fair bit, sometimes even putting himself before those he is aiming to help. Obviously, I need some examples to back these claims up, so I’ll go ahead and get started with Sonic CD.

Now, a lot of people do not know this, but Sonic did not go to Little Planet to save it. It kind of happens as it stands due again to Sonic’s short temper and reaction to things he dislikes and can’t stand. The whole reason he actually goes if I remember correctly is that he already knew the legends of it and wanted to both see it and see if he could actually time travel using his speed. When he arrived Eggman being there was a total shock to him, and seeing what the good doctor had wrought spurred him into action. In other words, he was there for himself, and saves Little Planet only because his moral compass and own feelings happen to align with what appears to be heroic. But roughly, Eggman ruined his plans and Sonic responded in kind. It’s almost petty his actions at Little Planet if not for how it is painted due to Eggman being the rather destructive villain. But CD is far from the only example.

In Sonic Adventure he gets involved because he is involved by Tails and Eggman. Stopping Chaos 0 is a matter of his evening run being ruined by the clash between Chaos and the Cops. He can’t leave the cops to be slaughtered and jumps in restoring his peace of mind. A selfish action. It isn’t much better with Tails either. With his peace of mind restored we next join Sonic chilling at the pool until Tails appears and ruins his nap. Though not Tails’ intentions, Sonic’s shrug tells us a great deal about how he feels about the situation before going off to make sure the fox is alright. If Tails came first he would not have delayed or even shrugged. He simply would have taken action. He also is later on disparaging of Knuckles, dismissive of Amy when she is trying to ask for help until he actually sees the danger, and gets wrapped up in the thrill of chasing Eggman rather than making sure Tails and Amy get away alright. Most of the game he puts himself first and displays irritation when he is needed to be heroic. It doesn’t really paint him as a hero. He isn’t much better in Sonic Adventure 2 either where he really drives home his preference for doing things his way. Then in Sonic Heroes he only gets involved because it seems like fun. Despite the danger, Sonic puts himself first. It isn’t until Shadow where Sonic is really painted as heroic straight up, but that game takes place through Shadow POV, and in relation to himself Shadow does see Sonic as rather heroic.

In 06 though Sonic goes right back to his selfishness. Yet another seemingly lost detail, even though it is repeated at the end of the game, Sonic goes to Soleanna to see the Sun Festival. It is literally his only reason for being there. If not for Eggman arriving he would have never interacted with Elise and would have been gone the next day. Yet Eggman attacks and Sonic gets involved. And seeing the mess that Elise is Sonic can’t have any peace of mind until she has some and shares a lot of his philosophies with her until she finally stops being mopey and has the strength and resolve to do what she needs to. Then, sure enough, even with the subtle hints that Sonic remembers what happened, he heads right on out once he knows everything is fine, including Elise. He made himself a big part of her life and then leaves because that is who he is and he can enjoy his running again knowing that everything is resolved.

When we get to Unleashed, we see a slightly different side to Sonic’s selfishness as he puts himself before his charge of the game; Chip. When Sonic meets Chip he blames himself for the latter’s memory loss and offers to help him restore it. Yet when he can’t resolve it and is informed of the larger mess at hand by Tails he heads right off to solve the problem. Now yes, he brings Chip along, but he has no basis on which to base Chip regaining his memories in his company. Yet he gladly exposes him to danger while thrill riding on his own adventure, where Chips memory coming back becomes insignificant to him. Chip simply becomes a friend on the adventure and Sonic mostly enjoys himself. Again he is being selfish.

Like 06 before it, Black Knight is a game where Sonic is heavily doing things his own way and for his own enjoyment. Most of that breaks later on when facing Merlina, a friend he has to save as much as her world, and of course the Knight Trials. The Knight Trials are one of the more interesting examples of Sonic’s selfish heroism as he has been tasked with saving the world but will not refuse the child in need. Worse, the Lady of Lake knew Sonic’s abilities when she put the time limit on him and the trials which would assure that Sonic would fail should he deviate at all. But Sonic has a big heart, and he hates tears, and here is this child crying due to the dragon. There is no way Sonic can have the peace of mind to focus on his quest to save the world while this child suffers and chooses the child over the world. Kind of funny that Amy gets chewed out by the fandom for this but Sonic clears his Knight Trials with flying colors for the same thing. But I digress. While it worked out for Sonic here, it could have been disastrous, but in his selfishness, he prioritized his feelings and went against what was requested of him. I may sound heartless here, but when faced with the choice of saving the few or the many most “heroes” seek a way to accomplish both, but Sonic chooses to satisfy his feelings instead. It is a selfish action on his part regardless of the outcome.

Beyond the games though you can also find Sonic being selfish in the OVA where talking him into going to Eggmanland is to stop Tails from worrying. He has no desire to go and outright refuses. It is only when someone he cares about is expressing genuine concern that Sonic is prompted to act. Even then he is visibly irritated by the whole affair the entire time. He had to go against what he desired to do, and it frankly agitates him, which implies a very selfish nature. When he does agree, it is to address something which does bother him, which is anything but heroic.

So, I’ll admit that some of my readings may seem excessively extrapolative, but as I addressed at the beginning of this explanation, I look at Sonic in a different light than most and this paints my view of his character. That Sonic’s selfishness is never really called into question tells me that most people at SEGA also don’t understand it, or as Sonic is supposed to represent everything cool about SEGA it highlighting a negative trait would be seen as unfavorable to say the least. Regardless, Sonic’s selfishness slips in and paints the character in a very unique light, but if you don’t fall for the trap of him being a hero but rather an adventurer who lives for himself first, than it starts to not be a surprise. Or at least, that’s my view on it.

[ecoamerica]

Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://youtu.be/5C-bb9PoRLc

The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!

[writersrealmbts]

Con Amore: Part 13

Bulletproof Melody Sequel

Description: Con Amore– A directive to a musician to perform a selected passage of a composition tenderly, with affectionate emotion, or in a loving manner; an instruction to the player of an instrument meaning ‘with love’ or ‘lovingly’. Three years with all seven of your loves, three years of relative peace. But now everything is threatened as darkness surges from the horizon.

Originally Posted: 04/03/2020

Tags: Superheroes, Ot7

Fluff/Angst: 2,470 words

A/N: One month until my birthday! I’m trying to finish this series. any guesses on the gender of the baby?

Previous Part.

That was as far as you’d gotten, the words seizing in your mouth as you tried to think of how to explain it all and Namjoon’s power wore off.

You were sitting partially against the wall and partially in Hoseok’s lap, trying to think of how to explain it all to them.

They were all gathered around you with pillows and blankets, cozy next to the fireplace you hummed into existence.

Hoseok was braiding lavender into your hair, and Jimin was singing softly as all of you relaxed from the stress of the ‘mission’.

Taehyung was sprawled across the floor and Yoongi, muttering about missing Yeontan.

Jungkook was curled in Seokjin’s lap, wrapped in his arms.

Namjoon was sitting against the wall beside you and Hoseok, waiting for you to be ready to talk.

“I went to the conservatory after my parents…well, after my mother was killed. I needed a distraction, a way to move forward. The conservatory offered training in hand-to-hand and other skills that I saw as useful. I’d only ever been trained in artifact retrieval and care, and self-defense. I thought learning something would help distract me. Everything was fine until about a week after I’d arrived. Every time I tried to just…go outside, to even just go to the gardens, I couldn’t. I asked the dean if I could and he said no. He wouldn’t give me a reason why, and he made it clear I wasn’t allowed to ask anymore.”

“So you went searching,” Yoongi said, smirking.

You nodded, looking to Jin. “You can imagine the secrets I found.”

“The testing,” He whispered, his grip on Jungkook getting taut and causing the younger to glance up at him in worry.

“Among other things. They were testing ways of stealing the students powers, brainwashing, hypnosis…bionic replacements.”

Taehyung sat up, looking worried. “Like Heuning’s wings?”

You nodded. “The man who did that was driven out when they realized it was hurting them, but he wasn’t stopped for quite some time after.” You fidgeted with Hoseok’s hand.

His other hand rested on your stomach, warm and comforting.

“But that didn’t stop the other testing. Or the abuse of the students. Manipulation and hypnosis, brainwashing them into their little soldiers. Maybe if I hadn’t been hiding who I was, I might not have had the backbone to resist their testing, but I was stronger than they knew. The students were prisoners. Test subjects. And they still are.” You let your gaze drop to the floor, thinking about the things you had to listen to, avoid, and endure. “If I hadn’t been able to sneak away to even just my little living-space pocket, I might have gone insane. I would also have been in trouble if I hadn’t been able to keep up with my hair dye. I was using a constant melody to keep my visage hazy, but a change in hair color would have been too noticeable. But getting away was difficult. I actually had to go to restricted areas just to find enough privacy.”

“You two weren’t there at the same time?” Yoongi asked, looking between yourself and Jin, holding hands with Taehyung.

Jin waffled a bit. “There was a little bit of overlap. About three months, actually, but we were always in different places. Or if we were in the same place, neither of us took notice of it. I was trying to escape already, after having exposed the man that did the bionic replacements. He called himself Daedalus. His test subjects had their memories wiped, and most were kept at the school, giving them new identities. After that the youngest kids disappeared before I could rescue them. I’m assuming that was you?” He rested his cheek on Jungkook’s head.

You nodded. “Yeah. After they were brainwashed. I had their files from the lab and I put them in a time-frozen room until I escaped. I met Nadya on my way out. They had been trying to find a way in to investigate. She knew that I was an Archivist, she’d been told she would meet one and that I was the answer. But when we returned to the temple and got the kids settled in with their former identities to help them recover, the time super also told us that the time for her to return to the Conservatory had yet to come.”

“I don’t understand,” Hoseok murmured.

You took a deep breath. “The conservatory fights, but they don’t value the lives of those they send to fight. They’re like toy soldiers. Fighting for whatever cause the conservatory’s dean determines worthy of their attention. Sometimes that means whoever is the highest bidder.”

“Or the fight against super-powered people,” Jin added quietly.

It hung heavily in the air.

“And you and Nadya want to put an end to it,” Yoongi said, nodding slowly. “Make it into a real school for heroes, a safe place for them instead of a nest of evil. But what about your connection to the current dean?”

The boys looked to Jin when you hemmed and hawed a bit, struggling to find a way to explain it.

He shrugged and shook his head. “I don’t remember her at all.”

“Ryoko…she’s…” You sighed. “She was a student. One of the ones that was in charge of keeping me in line after they realized I was an escape artist.”

“And?” Namjoon asked, one of his hands encasing yours.

You stared at the floor. “She found out about me. And I had to use a memory spell on her. But when I did it…I had a lot of ideas. So I gave her an artifact that puts her in the good favor of those above her, one that earns you promotions…but that also let me know what happened at the conservatory.”

“W-what?” Jungkook’s eyes were huge.

Jimin’s mouth was open.

“You…used an artifact on her?” Jin asked, sounding like he couldn’t believe it. “What if someone had taken it from her?”

You shook your head. “It was a rare one, one that can only be used once.”

“So when Nadya asked if ‘She’ remembered you, she was talking about the dean?” Yoongi asked, frowning.

You nodded.

“What happens if she remembers you?” Jimin asked in a small voice.

You shook your head. “Nothing good. She’s always been power-hungry, that’s why she was the perfect choice to become the next dean and be my unwitting spy.”

“I still don’t understand,” Taehyung said. “I mean, I’m getting the feeling that there’s still brainwashing and experimentation being done…but I feel like there’s something else you haven’t told us.”

You met Jin’s gaze and could see he knew what you were going to say.

“None of you have asked about what happens to the students who don’t end up working for the Conservatory,” You said quietly. “Or why none of the students appear to be over the age of eighteen.”

The atmosphere of the room plummeted.

“Oh,” Hoseok breathed, hold on you just a little tighter.

Taehyung looked scared. “What happens to them?”

Jin cleared his throat, taking over. “If they reach the age of 18—”

“If?” Jimin asked, sounding distressed.

“They’re still used as soldiers, Jimin,” You told him, then gestured for Jin to continue.

“If they reach the age of 18, they’re given a choice: stay and work for the conservatory, or go out into the world. If they choose to go out into the world…they’re stripped of their powers, their identity…they become zombie-like. Eventually they can recover a little, but they will never notice supers or anything having to do with powers. They usually die from having their powers stripped from them, though. Or become addicts. I’ve heard of very few leading real lives.” Jin was holding onto Jungkook, like the kid might disappear at any moment. “The only reason I escaped was because I was a teacher, and I managed to leave during the turnover of staff. I wanted…I wanted to help them, but I didn’t know how. The conservatory is strong.”

“But you and Nadya think that this is the chance to change everything, to get the upper hand on the conservatory,” Yoongi said, putting it all together.

“Except I can’t be there.”

“What if we made sure the fight was drawn out, until after you’ve had the baby?” Namjoon asked, slowly and carefully.

You shuddered. “How many might die because of that?”

“Why do you need to be there?” Jungkook asked, frowning.

You looked around at all of them. “Because I can reverse the brainwashing. I’ve had the song for that school figured out for years.”

“Our first time back there you threatened to destroy the school,” Jin said softly.

“Yes. But more than anything else, I threatened to bring Ryoko harm, because it wasn’t the artifact that corrupted her. All of us lost count of how many young supers she has gotten killed.” You shuddered. “And Soobin is actually a former student.”

“What?” Taehyung yelped.

“He caught me as I was escaping and I brought him with me, took him to the home. That’s why he wanted to be closer to us instead of the people from the home. That’s why I didn’t want the boys staying there.”

��What are his powers?” Namjoon asked, frowning.

“Sonic senses, transmutation and peace inducement,” You answered, shifting and resting more on Hoseok. You felt insecure. You wanted them to assure you that they loved you, even if you did break your own rules. Your sacred rules of archives.

Hoseok’s hold tightened slightly, both hands on your stomach. “That is a dangerous power.”

“Which one?” Jungkook asked, frowning.

“Peace inducement,” Seokjin answered. “Under the control of any sort of villain or person with ill-intentions, he could induce everyone to peacefully accept a tyrant to reign over the country.”

Taehyung shuddered and pressed closer to Yoongi

“And the other boys? What are their powers?” Jimin asked, coming over to essentially sit on Namjoon so he could be close to you.

You chewed on your cheek for a moment. “Well, Beomgyu, you know has healing. Soobin told me he would keep the others safe if we made the wrong call about sending him with them. But I think it was the right choice. Heuning Kai has light, photokinesis, and the wings, but he also has air manipulation. Taehyun…I’m still not entirely certain about his powers, but I think…it’s largely psychometry, maybe enhanced memory reliving. Either way, it’s an extremely potent weapon. Especially since he also wears the badge of the high priest, meaning he trains directly with the high priest of time—not with one of the bishops or normal priests like other acolytes. That means he probable has prophetic visions or dreams.”

It was quiet after that.

Finally Seokjin forced in a breath, then forced it out. “And the last?”

“Yeonjun, he had the green robes of a nature acolyte, and his appearance…it’s definitely evidence of it….” You tried to remember what powers you’d sensed from him, working to pinpoint the exact name for them. “He was powerful too. Very powerful, but I was so overwhelmed by Taehyun’s power that I…I couldn’t really focus on his. But he was aware of Jimin, and there was some sort of…nature to him.”

“That would explain the horns,” Jimin whispered. “And the way…I didn’t really say anything but I felt like he was connected to me the moment we reached the archives and were away from the noise.”

You nodded. “I think…don’t quote me because I’m guessing here, but I think he has Ecological empathy…and maybe…something strong that has to do with the elements.” You tangled your fingers with Hoseok’s and vines quickly bound the two of you together by the wrists.

Jimin placed his hand over both of yours, smiling slightly when the vines wrapped around him too. “And are they okay right now?”

You nodded. “They’re fine. I have a song placed on Soobin, he knows how to let me know if something is wrong. I checked in this morning too, through the note-dropping system. He said they’re fine. Yeonjun is completely healed now, and they’re getting along, and apparently Huening Kai is very excitable and screams when he’s excited.”

“I wondered if he was okay, he seemed so uncomfortable and stiff,” Hoseok murmured.

“He’s young and had to go through a lot.” You let your eyes close.

You could hear them all moving closer, joining the pile.

Someone pressed a kiss your temple.

“You did so well today, baby,” Namjoon whispered. “I know it wasn’t easy telling us about what’s been going on, for you or for Seokjin-hyung. I know you probably downplayed a lot—”

“Probably?” Yoongi objected.

“Everything,” Seokjin said at the same time, sounding so heartbroken that it silenced the room again.

You opened your eyes to check on him.

Taehyung pressed a kiss to his lips. “I wish I could say I was sorry you went through that hyung.”

“Tae—” JImin hissed.

“But I’m not. I’m not sorry that you went through it because it’s what brought us together. It’s what brought you to me. You knew how to save me because of your time there, you knew how to help all of us become better people because of your time there. I’m only sorry that this place still haunts you, and that we didn’t realize how much trouble it was before now. You saved me, hyung. I know that might not be enough to you, but it means the world to me.” Taehyung pressed his face into the crook of Jin’s neck as he hugged him from behind.

Jin leaned back into the embrace, one arm still firmly planted around Jungkook, but his free hand going back to rest on Tae’s leg.

“He’s right. Your knowledge is what kept us from getting our butts kicked, now it’s you and y/n keeping us from getting our butts kicked and frankly…I think it’s because you both attended this school. So, we’re going to take it down. We’re going to find a way. Maybe not during this threat, but we’ll find a way,” Namjoon said, voice firm. “After. After our baby is born, and y/n has recovered. Until then, we build up our arsenal of allies. Or, if this fight takes longer than we think, maybe you come back in time for us to take down the school at the same time. Okay?”

There were murmurs of consent from everyone, including you.

Then all of you were just laying there, cuddling.

Because you would have to leave them once the conversation truly ended, and none of you were ready for that.

~~~~

Part 12.   Part 14.

Masterlist.  ~  Series Masterpost.  

Tagging: @ephemeral-mindset​, @alex–awesome–22​, @bryvada​, @missmoxxiesworld​, @knjhe, @i-dont-even-know-fck​

[mobius-prime]

210. Sonic the Hedgehog #142

The Original Freedom Fighters (Part 1)

Writer: Romy Chacon Pencils: Art Mawhinney Colors: Josh Ray

It's been a while since we saw anything of Hope, but she's settled into life in Knothole quite well. She's been going to school, and today, she's stressed because she procrastinated on her history report and now has to look for sources at the library last-minute. While looking around, she finds a file on the "original Freedom Fighters," though she doesn't recognize any of their faces. As she's walking home, Sonic accidentally blows all the papers out of her hands while racing by, and helps her pick them back up as an apology.

So I've actually been excited for this story, as it ties into some stuff I've talked about before, though I won't be able to go into details till part 2. Tig Stripe was a retired general from the Great War, but when Robotnik's takeover began over a decade ago he immediately leaped into action to save as many civilians as he could, directing them to Knothole during the evacuation. He even helped a five-year-old Sonic personally when he became separated from his group.

Hundreds of citizens were evacuated to Knothole, which was originally a tiny hideout hidden from the rest of the world. Under Stripe's leadership the place was transformed into the village we know today, but the Robotnik problem still remained. One night Sonic and Sally were sneaking around when they overheard Stripe and his allies talking through a window. They were torn on what to do, with some insisting that it was their duty to fight back, while others reasoned that they didn't have the proper firepower to mount a successful invasion of the city. Stripe settled the matter, bringing everyone together into the first Freedom Fighter group.

Stripe led the team in hit-and-run strikes against Robotnik's factories in much the same way that Sally's Freedom Fighters did (and still do), and they became a symbol of hope for Knothole. They even passed the word on to other parts of the world, encouraging more people to form their own Freedom Fighter chapters to battle Robotnik's tyranny. Hope asks why they're not around anymore, and Sonic replies that they were betrayed by one of their own… who we'll find out about next issue.

I Wanna Be a Freedom Fighter!

Writer: Romy Chacon Pencils: Steven Butler Colors: Jason Jensen

Once upon a time, several years ago, Amy Rose threw a massive temper tantrum because Sally wouldn't let her join the Freedom Fighters. She whined that Tails was allowed to be a Freedom Fighter even though they were the same age, and accused Sally of just wanting to keep Sonic for herself when Sally tried to reason with her. Remember, she was a little kid back then, so this behavior was a bit more understandable.

There's actually a mistake on this page - Amy didn't use Sonic's billionth ring to age herself, but the Ring of Acorns. I suppose I can't blame Romy for getting this one wrong considering that they're both just magical rings, but continuity is important to me, dammit. Anyway, Sally continues her speech, recognizing how despite the horrors the war has brought, it's also brought everyone together. She recalls Amy's most recent act of heroism, where she fought off the first wave of swatbots singlehandedly during Operation: Triple Threat, and then awards her an Acorn Medal of Valor for her service.

She's had to grow up quickly (though to be fair, a lot of that was by choice), but now Amy Rose is a full-fledged member of the Freedom Fighters! I mean, she's basically been an honorary member for a while now, ever since the first Sonic Adventure arc, but it's nice to finally see it made official.

Mobius 25 Years Later: Moment of Truth

Writer: Ken Penders Pencils: Steven Butler Colors: Jason Jensen

We're getting close to the end, guys - almost everything in this arc is plot-related now, thank goodness. Knuckles has a restless night full of disturbing dreams about what the future might bring, and wakes up late. When he comes down the stairs, Lara-Su is there to greet him, and pointedly informs him about a recent encounter of hers with one of Knuckles' old friends.

Oh come on Knuckles, you know she's never going to give this up. It's actually worth pointing out that while Lara-Su may seem incessantly whiny about this from an outside perspective, we should keep in mind that she's the latest in a long lineage of Guardians who have been going back hundreds of years protecting the island, and not only that, but the majority of her father's family and friends are war heroes who all had their chances to save the world multiple times over. It's really no surprise that she isn't taking her father's offhand rejection of the idea of training her well - from her point of view, he's basically babying her and being so overly protective that she doesn't have the chance to choose what she wants for herself, even though at her age Knuckles had already fought a dozen battles for the fate of the world.

Meanwhile in Cobar's lab, he and Rotor are still hard at work trying to find a proper solution to the end of the world problem, but none of their simulations are giving them enough data. Lien-Da is nowhere to be seen, and they don't seem bothered by anything she might have said to them, so apparently her showing up all ominously in their lab last issue meant literally nothing. Rotor has an epiphany that if they could go back in time they could properly study this phenomenon, and when Cobar points out that echidna scientists are forbidden from researching time travel due to its inherently volatile nature Rotor retorts that the echidnas aren't the only ones who have advanced technology in this world. Back at Knuckles' house Sally finds Sonic and confronts him once more about his attitude lately, and he again reiterates that he doesn't like being king and that he thinks she should be handling all this political stuff. Nevertheless, when Knuckles comes to find him saying that Rotor and Cobar are calling, he dutifully comes along to listen to what they have to say.

Sonic gives the go-ahead for them to meet at the shuttle port in two hours to head to the storage site, telling Knuckles once the call has ended not to tell Sally, as he doesn't want her coming along with the kids. Man, no wonder you and Sally are having problems, Sonic, apparently you actively hide things from her even though you then complain about having to handle those same things! Knuckles says he has business to take care of first and heads out to do whatever it is, passing Sonia and Lara-Su on the way. Sonia complains that even though she was born first, Manik is the next in line for the throne because he's the firstborn male. Hey, wait, what? That seems… oddly archaic, even for a monarchy. I know that this is a rule based on like, ancient patriarchal monarchies, but it just makes no sense in the world of Sonic the Hedgehog, because apart from where Penders seems desperate to insert it, there really isn't much gender discrimination in this universe. Men and women alike both participate in battles, politics, home life and the like, and though it's been noted before that Sally would have been the first female to bond with the Source of All in her bloodline, I just kind of assumed that it was because the line was predisposed to male babies or something. Plus, it seems like a bizarre tradition for Sally in particular to want to carry on, considering that by all rights, going by this rule she shouldn't have even become queen due to being both female and not the firstborn. Sonia is clearly the more interested of her and Sonic's two children in becoming queen someday, so why pass her over in favor of Manik, who isn't interested at all? That's almost an exact recreation of the situation with Elias, and we all know how that went! I fully chalk this up to Penders' weird gender biases leaking into his writing, because the Sally I know wouldn't be down with this rule at all - but eh, we've already seen massive amount of out of character behavior in this arc, so I suppose we shouldn't be too surprised at even more. Anyway, the issue ends with Lara-Su complaining to Sonia about not being able to become Guardian due to her father's wishes, and when Knuckles overhears this, he appears to become contemplative, thinking to himself about something important…

[chaosworthyarchive]

                                                 5.06.3226                                        Location ¦ Scrap Brain

                                            ------------------------

     The sound of the bedroom door opening caused Mina to look up from her phone, and upon seeing exactly who she expected she broke into a smile. She always had found Sonic pretty adorable first thing in the morning (or the start of the afternoon in this case) when he was still just waking up, messy quills and all. Something about it was almost innocent, so unlike his typical casual self, that she couldn’t help but adore it.  

     Which accounted for the smile on her face as he walked into the kitchen to join her, though it was accompanied by a raised brow before too long. “So this sleeping in thing really is normal for you, huh?”

     It took just a little longer than she expected to get an answer, obviously the hero’s brain wasn’t quite up to speed yet, but he returned the quirk, soft smile and all. “You’re just now figuring this out? Almost two years int' this?”  

     Mina stuck her tongue out at him, but wasted little time closing the space between them. With one hand carefully tracing along the jagged scar on his chest, though never touching the mark, it soon raised to cup a tan cheek gently, her smile unwavering. “No, I’m just saying maybe you ought to try to go to bed at a normal time every once in a while. I miss you at breakfast.”

     It was the last words that made the hedgehog's smile turn into something more apologetic, even as he reached up to bring their lips together in a gentle kiss. “I wish it were that easy.”

     The response didn’t exactly surprise the mongoose, the hedgehog had been a night owl for as long as she had known him but not necessarily by choice. A part of her had hoped that would have changed when things settled down but it hadn’t. It hadn’t gotten any worse, luckily, but it still worried her at times.  

     “Everything’s okay though, right?” She had to ask, even if she had predicted the look he gave her as he turned to pull the kettle out of the cupboard. In return, she gave him a pointed look. “Hey, it’s my job as your girlfriend to check every once in a while, okay?”

     Sonic seemed to consider that for a few seconds before making an off gesture with his free hand. “Alright, alright. Fair enough. Everything’s fine, I promise.”

     There was a slight pause after that, a thoughtful look coming to his face as he sincerely considered the question, a grateful tone slipping into his voice as his lips quirked. “Better than fine, really. Things are pretty great, all things considered.”

     It was said in such an earnest manner that Mina, caught off-guard, didn’t know what to say after, she could only stare for a few seconds as the hedgehog went about filling the kettle and putting it on the stove to heat up. It wasn’t until he turned to grab the tin of tea they kept on the counter that Sonic noticed both the silence, and the look she was giving him, and quirked a brow. “What?”

     Mina smiled, perhaps a little too brightly, as jades met emeralds with a content air. “Nothing, it’s just…nice to see you like this, that’s all.”

     “...Like what, exactly?”

     “Yourself.” It was simple, matter of fact, and when Sonic looked none the wiser the mongoose took it onto herself to explain, smile steadfast. “Ya know, without the whole hero ‘stigma’ and all the crap that comes with it. I mean...I know that’s who you are but it’s nice to see you be - I don’t know, normal? - every once in a while.”

     “And here I thought you’d be the last person t’ ever call me normal,” the quip came with a feigned shock, and the hedgehog only chuckled at the playful glare that followed. Though, after a few seconds, some of that mirth seemed to die away as he looked back to the kettle. “’Sides, I’m not sure the title really fits when people aren’t that fond of me anymore.”

     Mina scoffed, a sound that was almost bitter though the scorn wasn’t directed at the hedgehog. “Don’t be ridiculous, of course it does. It doesn’t change the fact that you’ve saved the world and more than half the people on it, does it?”

     Sonic didn’t answer, and she knew exactly why. He was right, after all. Ever since the fight with Chaos, ever since that day in the city, things had changed. People were scared, and some (if not most) of that fear was directed at the hedgehog himself, and it sucked. She hated it and, deep down, she knew he did too. That brave face couldn’t fool her.

     Reaching over she grabbed one of his hands, fingers intertwining with his and he looked back at her as she offered a soft smile. “Do you really regret it? Saving Chaos, I mean.”

     It took a moment before the hedgehog shook his head, this time with a conviction. “Of course not. I regret a lot of things but that’s not one of them.”

     “Like what?” The question was almost automatic, asked before the mongoose could bite her tongue, and yet, at the same time, she found she didn’t want to. She wasn’t wholly surprised to learn that her boyfriend had regrets, everyone did after all, but it was rare he brought them up, or even hinted at the fact. “What do you regret?”

     Sonic gave her a look, a silent warning. “This is not a road you want t' go down, believe me.”  

     “Why? It’s not like it involves me, besides I’m curious.” There was something in the mongoose’s voice that said she wasn’t going to force the conversation. Or, rather, that would have been the case if not for the look that came over the hedgehog’s face next.

     She was pretty sure that was guilt, and she didn’t like it.

     “Wait...it does involve me, doesn’t it?” She already knew the answer, knew it by the silence that lingered after the fact and she pouted, only half reassured when Sonic gave her an apologetic smile, both hands raised in reassurance.

     “’S not what you think, I promise.”

     “Then enlighten me. What is it about?”

     “It’s...” Sonic paused, this time with a frown as he thought his words over. Though he had to wonder why because no matter how he spun them in his head they still sounded wrong but he took the dive anyway, giving the mongoose a defeated look. “I mean, let’s face it Mina, ‘s not like our relationship started on the best of terms. I guess I just regret…acting on impulse. It was kind of a grimy thing t' do, even you can’t deny that much.”  

     Comfort wasn’t quite the expression he had expected from her but it was the next look to come over the singer’s face, and he was only partially surprised when she didn’t sigh in relief to add to the appeal. Instead, she smiled at him with understanding, and just a hint of playfulness in her eyes. “Okay, so we don’t have the most romantic story, so what? In case you forget it takes two to tango, Blue, and I’m definitely not complaining about the end result. Besides, we were teenagers, convinced we were alone in the world and we needed someone to show us differently. It was just a roll of the dice that led us both to that club that night, it could have been anyone, but I’m glad it wasn’t.”

     Even though she was technically right, Sonic didn’t look convinced. In fact, Mina would almost say he looked ashamed and this time she did sigh, shaking her head. She couldn’t count how many times she had tried to convince him that their night together hadn’t been a mistake, that it was a companionship they had both so desperately needed at the time, but this time she wasn’t letting it go. This time, she had an ace.  

     “I, personally, choose to think it was a stroke of good luck that night,” she continued, and her tone suggested nothing different. “If it hadn’t happened, we never would have met, never would have become friends, and we never would have gotten here. That’s something to be glad for, isn’t it?”

     She was glad when she saw her boyfriend's lips twitch. Even he knew he couldn’t argue with that one, and he relented. “Yeah, you got me there.”  

     Silence lingered for a moment more, not uncomfortable but clearly one of reflection, and it was only broken when the kettle started to whistle, turning the hedgehog's attention to it. It was only after Sonic saw to it and finished making his tea that he turned to the mongoose again, his tone curious. “So you really don’t have any regrets? About any of it?”

     Mina had to resist the urge to roll her eyes, and she only managed to do so because of the straightforward look in the hedgehog’s eyes. It was like he needed confirmation, in spite of everything that had been said so far, and she gladly smiled at him.

     “How could I? It was a pretty good night,” her tone kept that playful air but there was pure honesty in her eyes as she took both his hands in hers, squeezing them reassuringly. For a moment, she looked away, almost embarrassed by what she was going to admit, but saying it regardless. It was about time she got it out anyway. “Besides, as far as I know, it’s still our little secret and, not to be cheesy or anything, but...there’s not a lot of things out there that’ve come close to that night, or you in general, for me.”

     Be it out of embarrassment or doubt, Sonic snorted. “I’m flattered.”

     “Sonic, I mean it.” This time there was little room for argument in the mongoose’s tone and it was enough that the hedgehog fell oddly silent, head cocked in a sign for her to go on. He knew it had to be something serious because Mina hesitated, looking down at the ground between them uncertainly, a rare expression for the singer to have.  

     This time, it was Sonic who squeezed in reassurance, the action enough to get the mongoose to look at him again and she found that she had his undivided attention. It really only made her more nervous but she had brought the conversation up, so she knew she had to finish it. It just sounded so...bad in her head and she had to look away again before taking a breath and speaking. “I’ve...had a handful of terrible times with some pretty terrible people, and those I regret. The fact we spent one night together and I couldn’t get you out of my damn head says something. And before you say it, it had nothing to do with what we did...well not entirely, it was about everything before, and after, that.”

     Sonic hadn’t had it in him to even think such a thing, namely because he knew she was right. He wasn’t an idiot, he knew that, unlike himself, the mongoose had been in other relationships before him but they never seemed to pan out (not that he was in a position to complain) and he knew that, for some odd, unexpected reason, they did work. He was grateful for that.  

     It was something that made a little more sense when she continued, awkward tone or not. “Up until then people had always been treating me like I was some kind of..., hell, I don’t know. Like some sort of goddess and not like a normal person, and I thought that maybe I was just being stupid, or overthinking, or something like that, but it didn't take me long after the last one to realize it had nothing to do with them. It was you.”

     To that, the hedgehog blinked. It hadn’t been said in a bad way, just the opposite, and when the mongoose did finally turn back to him he saw nothing but earnest adoration on her face, despite the embarrassment she was still feeling. Yet, the smile she turned to him was readily returned, which only made it that much brighter.  

     “I didn’t realize that I was so disappointed with everyone else because they weren’t you. They were always nice at first but then they were either too intimidated by me or what I was, or just in it for the publicity. But you never changed,” she told him, pausing only for a moment to rethink her words and give a small shrug. “Well, I mean, you did, but you were still the same guy despite that. Even years later we still talked like normal people, we were still friends with a lot more in common than anyone really realized and, maybe it was dumb, but after I realized that I…wanted to wait. I wanted us to take a fair shot at this.”

     Much to his own amazement, the hero felt something give away inside him and he reached out to mirror his partner's early gesture, cupping her cheek with a bare hand as he looked at her fondly. “I picked up on that part, believe it or not. I’ll never know how you managed t’ wait so long, but...I’m glad you did. I don’t say it enough but...I think you were one of the few things keeping me grounded this whole time.”

     Mina was the one to look shocked this time, though it was in a grateful way. It was like she had said, despite their differences and different choices in careers, they still had a lot in common, and that was something they had found out that night and every day they had talked since. Their love of music was one thing, a strong thing, but it was the weight of being famous that they had truly bonded over. It was that pressure, the weight to be perfect, that they both hated, and it was always the first thing they dropped when they were around each other. That had meant the world to her, and him, but there was more to it and the sullen expression that came to Sonic’s face told that fact very clearly, his eyes locked on her’s with certainty.

     “You’re right, y’know. Back then…I didn’t have anyone, or anything. Not after I got back.” After he got back from The Canyon, that was. It was a time in his life the hero would never forget, no matter how much he wanted to. It had been his all-time low for a number of reasons, and he had hit rock bottom just a few weeks before meeting the mongoose.

     And that was when everything had started to change.  

     “You were the first person in a long time who wanted t' bother with me and…that helped me out a lot. T’ be honest, I didn’t expect you t’ stick around after that night but I’m glad you did,” he smiled again, brightly and this time he looked just a tad embarrassed. “Not t’ get too cheesy either, an’ I know it sounds awful, but I was kind of hoping you’d wait. Believe it or not, I think…I might have fallen for you pretty hard that night, and not for the obvious reasons, but with everything else I didn’t want t' start something I didn’t think I’d be around t' finish.”

     “It doesn’t sound awful at all,” she countered without hesitation and, giving into emotion, she brought their lips together for the second time that morning. It conveyed all her feelings at the moment, and when they parted, her eyes shone with appreciation. “And I’m glad we waited. I’m glad we get to spend time together like this and not having to worry about looking over our shoulders all the time. Now if I could get you back to playing guitar, everything would be perfect.”

     The last part was a joke, a small chuckle leaving the singer before she wrapped her arms around the hero with no signs of letting go anytime soon. Which was perfectly okay since it didn’t take the hedgehog long at all to return the gesture with the same fervor, and while silence did reign for a few more seconds, there was one last thing the hedgehog needed to point out as the mongoose’s last words hung in the air.  

     “Everything already is.”

[cutegirlmayra]

Hi I'm really enjoying ready a lot of your prompts. I'm not sure if you have answered something similar before but my question to you is if you could explain why do you think Amy is in love with Sonic and possibly why do you think Sonic 'might' like Amy in return. Thank you so much and I really appreciate it if you could answer these questions.

I would love too! It’s been a long while, so I might as well collect ‘new evidence’ right? :)b Also, thank you so much! I’m sorry everything is on shutdown (except Commissions! Rules link: x Pay link: x ) but I’m always excited to write a prompt when I get around to it! lol

Let’s start with the beginning. According to her creator, Amy was made with many “Fingers in the pot” and one of the main traits he mentioned was that he wanted Amy to be cute and have her focus set on Sonic. Since Sonic is always moving towards the next adventure, not really focused on anything else, he needed someone who would be completely concentrated on him. In Japanese culture, devotion/loyalty is an endearing characteristic, and it’s clear that Amy exhibits a sole fidelity to Sonic. This was intentional but perhaps mistranslated when interrupted by American culture.

Rosy the Rascal was meant to, based on fan speculation, set up the world’s perception of Sonic. He was famous for his heroic deeds, but in Sonic Adventure, we learn that he never considered himself a hero. He tells Shadow he’s just a guy who loves adventure, and according to the Canon Timeline, Amy was the first ‘friend’ Sonic ever had. His first ‘saving the damsel’ act, that defined a hero (especially in those time periods) was set up by him saving Classic Amy Rose.

She, therefore, has a small backstory explaining how she admired his heroism, used Tarot Cards to find out where to meet her ‘destined’ and was soon kidnapped and rescued by him. This only solidified her feelings for him, showing that not only did Sonic have a fan, but now he had a devoted self-proclaimed girlfriend in the process as well.

It was important that Amy was ‘self-proclaimed’ because besides being ‘shy’, Sonic is also not one to demonstrate a lot of emotion. This correlates with the ‘cool’ image that is reflective of Japanese young heroes. So, Amy set up that Sonic was a popularly recognized hero and even had fans, but she also revealed that most found Sonic attractive in his deeds and personality. “He’s so cool!” kind of stereotype. But besides being a rising star, Amy fell in love with him for his good deeds and risking so much to save her.

This is stage 1, let’s move on through the timeline.

As Amy kept reappearing (after Sonic met and befriended Tails and even Knuckles) she asserted herself into his circle to be closer to him. She gained a new strength, the Piko Piko Hammer and drew new expressions out of Sonic that normally wouldn’t have been seen before. Because Sonic doesn’t show many personal emotions, Amy has emotion enough to spare between the both of them. It’s relevant that this behavior, common in Japanese anime stereotypes, is frowned upon in the American fandom, but it’s actually praised and regarded with admiration in the Japanese fandom.

Another Sonic official on Twitter stated that if Sonic didn’t have a boy’s heart(A.K.A, wasn’t a young boy), he would probably choose Amy. I believe that’s because “The one who stays in the race, finishes the race” is true in this regard. Because Amy chases Sonic (A healthy part of any romance) she is constantly there (In sight, in mind.). So it’s safe to say one of the reasons Sonic could be more fond of her than he lets on is because he recognizes that she’s always there. She won’t abandon him nor her feelings for him. This level of devotion is praised in Japanese culture, and I would imagine he reciprocates this.

He rewards her efforts for this loyalty time and time again. Not only by saving her, but by also allowing her to do as she pleases. He never really goes against her. He never fights back with her. In fact, in Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 battle, directly resulting after the Classic Era, it shows Sonic’s consideration for her feelings.

“Amy…. Take care of yourself.” In the Japanese version, Sonic pauses a considerable amount of time as Amy expresses the horror of his supposed sacrifice to protect her. He gives her one last cool pose, preparing for whatever may come, and reveals that in his heart–he felt it was his job to take care of her.

This correlates with Classic Sonic’s feelings, although not fully expressed in words and mostly done through deeds.

Amy’s feelings only grow stronger after this point, resulting in her being even more forward about wanting to marry Sonic, as it is her way of saying she’ll be his forever, and love him for all eternity. It is stated by SEGA that Amy can never get over Sonic, there will never be a ‘another love interest’, though they have explored Sonic being charming to other girls. Due to his already stated ‘attractiveness’ because of his heroic deeds, many girls have swooned over Sonic, and he’s treated this with patience and a heroic smile. He comforts girls, but he always returns to Amy’s side. Why is this? You may say, “Well, it’s because you just said she’s devoted to him, so he’s returning the gesture.” Well, you’re half-right, but it’s only half the tale.

In later additions, Sonic is shown to also get exasperated with Amy’s overly energetic flirtations with him. It’s actually more an anime stereotype once again, where the boy is embarrassed by the girl’s forwardness. In Japanese culture, the demure girl is praised as the most attractive quality for a woman. Amy is the stereotypical opposite, due to Sonic’s aloof nature, she has to be bold in her declarations of love for him. You can see the ‘demure’ type of girl found in Cosmo, Vanilla, Elise, Shahra, and even some in Blaze. Rouge is the stereotypical ‘older matured woman’ to put it lightly, but Amy is the energetic girl in anime stereotypes, bold and quick to anger or at times bossy.

In a Japanese translated bio online, Amy is stated to ‘cheerfully embarrass men’ which is shown in many incidents in Sonic X and the video games. In this regard, we could deduce that Sonic silently enjoys the praise as well as reciprocates her devotion. She loves him because he won’t hesitate to do what’s right (Heroism) and always follows his heart (cool and willful personality) while Sonic stays relatively close (in spirit) and is always devoted to protecting or being there for her.

These are the biggest traits that define Sonic and Amy’s feelings for each other. Mostly demonstrated in Sonic X, we see Sonic returning home to Amy, their telepathy ability when Amy is thinking hard about Sonic, and revealing that Sonic was thinking solely about rescuing her. We also see it in Sonic saving Amy from drowning, and Amy diving in to save him from the Metarex. There is also stated attraction on Sonic’s end for Amy during the ‘dress’ scene (But Amy is canonally stated to be a ‘pretty girl’, which is subtly expressed in the Video Games as well. Silver stating this world is beautiful, but pausing to blush and look away when Amy tilts her head while the sun highlights her is just an example. Sonic flirting with The Lady of the Lake and having a date with Amy is another example from Sonic’s POV.)

So, to conclude this little essay, I’ll say that the real answer is- “Sonic returns to Amy because she’s his perfect match. Her devotion is of course included in the mix, but it’s also because she expresses her feelings for him so openly, it’s touching how she’ll risk everything for him and he would willingly do the same.” They both care so much in such different ways, and the different ways they express it is perfect for how the other wants to be loved. Sonic doesn’t always like the forward attention, but he appreciates that he never has to question her devotion to him. Amy loves Sonic because although he’s shy, he finds ways to still show he cares deeply about her.

Although these two are still very much children, they have a foundation of mutual fidelity and trust that can’t be broken. (Sonic won’t destroy Omega, Sonic protectively defends Amy against Jet, and Sonic accepts Amy’s bracelet for him, A.K.A shows he accepts her feelings for him.)

Many in the fandom argue that Sonic can be inconsiderate of Amy’s feelings, which is true. He’s still a young boy and makes mistakes, but there is supportive evidence to suggest he does this in the presence of Eggman or others. I also support the theory that he doesn’t want her to get hurt because of him, so he keeps his distance during crowds, but as it is often player choice, he also goes on dates off and on with her from time to time.

In conclusion, these are just some things that result in Amy’s love and Sonic’s crushing. I say ‘crushing’ because Sonic isn’t quite fully there yet. He’s devoted but rarely speaks his honest opinion of her.

Even Omochao states in Sonic and Mario Winter Olympic’s: “No one knows if Amy is or isn’t Sonic’s girlfriend or not.” He never tells. Could this be because of his fear of her getting hurt by his enemies? Or his shyness? Possibly the fact that he never does say how he thinks about Amy?

Ever notice that?

But he constantly thanks Amy, and I think that subtle, “Thanks, Amy. I appreciate it.” Is honest. It may not be “I love you” but it’s something along those lines. Amy’s “Marry me!” Is her way of saying it, but moreover, what she wants to say is– “I don’t want to give you an ultimatum, because how you live your life is wonderful! But at least let me and my love for you be a part of it!” Which I believe he does return in full freedom of allowing her to love him in the way that suits her best.

He may refuse her advances, but he never has refused her heart.

She may not like it when he doesn’t consider her feelings, but she will always believe in him.

This is what I believe Sonamy is today.

There is plenty more, but I believe this is what needs to be stated, and perhaps this is too long already, so that’s how I’ll leave it for now ;) Thanks for the ask!

[ecoamerica]

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