#especially between Espio and charmy

[gayemeralds]

funniest labeling of the chaotix dynamics is coworkers actually. they all genuinely believe they’re just coworkers for the detective agency. including charmy.

[true-blue-sonic]

I know for sure I've asked about this a long time ago before but I'm kinda back to thinking about how different the development of Espio and Silver's dynamics would've been in Rivals 2 if they weren't as quick to fully trust each other as they were in canon but remained "enemies" a bit longer and only really teamed up out of necessity. If their dynamic isn't already near-spotless following an inexplicable "for some reason I trust you" type conversation, there's more room (and requirement, really) for growth on both sides; in the original dynamic it feels more like if there's any growth to be had then it'd be solely on Silver, so this thought might also help find a balance

I recall having talked about it before as well, yes. I would say that Espio and Silver alike have quite a few vices that would make cooperating between them far more difficult: they're both tremendously stubborn, proud, opinionated, hot-heated, and just to the extent neither can let evil go its way. While none of those are necessarily attributes that are bad in the situation they are in, I can envision them clashing very badly because of those traits. Considering Espio is actively chasing Silver down to gather evidence of him committing a crime, Silver's hot-headed nature might cause him to fly right off the handle if Espio keeps pushing him about it. And Silver's haughty and rude attitude in turn might make Espio far less willing to see the best in him and try to trust him. I think it speaks to Silver's honest nature and Espio's ability to see the truth in it that they were able to cooperate so relatively smoothly in Rivals 2, but I can also envision many scenarios wherein things did not go so idyllically until far later in the game.

What you're saying next is actually a bit of an issue I have when writing my fics: I've joked before that Espio is "already perfect" because he's just... basically an expert at everything, haha! He completes his missions well, he's driven and skilled, and his overly serious demeanour as the Chaotix's straight man alongside his snark feels like more like comedy than a flaw or something that truly hinders him to me. Meanwhile, Silver is far more 'imperfect' to me: he jumps to conclusions, he can be uncooperative and rude out of nowhere, and even if he is always right in the end, the way towards that end can be tremendously rocky because of those personality traits. That was why I wanted Espio to also go through a development in Stories that made sense to who he is as a character: specifically that he follows Vector's rule to a T regardless of his personal opinion on the matter, which begins to clash with the fact Silver is very much guilty but did what he did for a good cause (aka not a black-and-white scenario at all). And since Silver plays a central role there as well, I think his flaws can play a role also: he doesn't want Espio to be walked over, but the way in which he conveys that (which is rude as hell) might make things worse at first. Vector might be even more pushy about Espio gathering evidence if he gets yelled at by Silver, and Espio in turn might feel needled and put under pressure from two parties now that demand entirely opposite things from him (in his mind). I think such a thing could help make their dynamic more interesting and also different from New Beginnings, while fitting with their personalities.

[rechicken-and-waffles]

Hear me out: Chaotix game in the style of the Telltale Sam and Max games. (if you've never heard of them you should definitely give them a try or look up a walkthrough; either way, they're really good. I recommend going through the remasters, though the one for The Devil's Playhouse has yet to be released this year, so until then you're free to watch the original for that)

I've been conceptualizing a Civil War AU for IDW Sonic where some of the heroes are done with Sonic's pacifistic approach towards handling Eggman and decide to take care of him themselves, which results in a full-blown overarching battle between those hunting Eggman, and those forced to protect him. I plan to have Espio on Team Scramble Eggman Beyond Recognition (and you can probably guess why), but my somewhat lack of knowledge on the Chaotix as characters has me slightly stumped, which is why I turn to you. Would Espio go so far as to fight his own family (Cream, Amy and Gemerl, specifically, still debating on if Vector and Charmy should side for keeping Eggman alive, but I'll also leave that up to you), if it meant ensuring Eggman's end?

1) Yes please. I haven't played a Sam and Max game in my life but I have heard great things about them, maybe I should check them out.

2)I feel Vector and Charmy would be in the side of keeping Eggman alive, because while they don't like Eggman, I don't think they would believe ending him is the solution, especially Vector. And yeah I can see Espio fighting them under the belief that "this is for the greater good". I think the only ones Espio would not have the heart to fight would be Charmy and Cream, for very obvious reasons hehehehe (also that they would be the most likely to talk him out of ending Eggman)

[a-oct0]

So this was a strange little AU I came up with a few years ago that I’ve decided to revisit.

Anyway a few ideas I had for it were:

The kill list going- Chapter 1- Jet “kills” Sonic Chapter 2- Knuckles kills Charmy Chapter 3- Storm kills Vector, Espio kills Storm Chapter 4- Wave kills Silver Chapter 5- Blaze kills Omega Survivors- Shadow, Rouge, Cream, Amy and Tails 

I don’t have full motives yet but my rough ideas are Chapter 1- Get to leave Chapter 2- Something value based ie money Chapter 3- Everyone is drugged with some sort of emotion hallucinogenic Chapter 4- Be granted that which you sole desire Chapter 5- None, the pressure of it all gets to the killer

Sonic is the mastermind, however he’s also the protag for the first half of chapter one, the first kill since is actually a set up. Something something Eggman corrupted his brain with despair or some shit like that. He worked along side Eggman after the fake out death till about chapter five’s ending where he then crosses and kills Eggman to basically take over the killing game fully for the last bit.

For chapter ones death, like said its a set up, Jet being framed out of a random pick. After they find Sonic’s “dead body” the POV swaps to that of Shadow. The set up is hinted at in chapter ones case however, for instance Sonic was only to have been dead about less than an hour but its’ noted that the body is ice cold.

Rouge plays the role of the friendly support, helping out in cases and just hanging out the most during the in-between times. Omega plays a similar role but he’s slightly less helpful as all he has on his mind is killing the mastermind.

The antagonistic support is Tails, as after the first case he becomes slightly bitter towards everyone, especially considering the friend he just made was murdered. He’s less of a ‘mucks the evidence up for fun’ antagonist and more ‘he refuses to share any evidence he finds till seen to benefit himself during the trials’ antagonist which probably throws off whatever case Shadow had come up with a few times.

In Chapter four, the victim Wave actually intended to kill was Shadow as, well in the previous trials has shown to be very good at deducing the killers. However she fails in doing so, resulting in her becoming desperate and going for Silver instead.

That’s all I can think of right now- I’ll probably make more posts on it as ideas come. 

[beevean]

Regarding that ask you got about the character ages, this obsession people have with them loops right back into highly disturbing territory not only due to shipping but also because everything needs to be nuclear 1970s style 2 parents and 1.8 children who are all siblings familiar relationships these days instead. Like, to bring up the example of Vector and Espio... personally I find the idea of a twenty year old being a DAD, a FATHER, not brothers but a clear dynamic of parent and child, to a sixteen year old far more disturbing than just shipping the two of them, aged up or ages undefined if that makes you feel more comfortable about it. Especially since nine out of ten times that sixteen year old is shown to be far more mature and on top of things than the twenty year old... why the hell does he need a dad? HE could be dad to both Vector and Charmy and personality-wise I could see that work out more!

True. It's the same logic that destroyed the trope of the found family: instead of being "this group of people are not related in any way but their relationship is close enough that they consider each other a loving family", now it's "this character is the mom, this character is the dad, this character is the brother...". Basically recreating the model of the nuclear family and shoving characters in every role regardless if they fit or not, because it's convenient.

Vector being Espio's dad makes zero sense. He's the leader of Team Chaotix, yes, but that doesn't make him a father figure. Hell, I'm not even sure Vector could be a father figure to Charmy! He's just not the type.

Vector and Espio are way too close in age, and the latter absolutely isn't the type that needs to be babysat. I actually like their dynamic as it is, on the surface it looks like Espio is the one with the braincell, but they're actually both smart and they notice different things. Also, I never got the feeling that the team leaders hold any actual authority over the others? Like, I don't think there's any power imbalance between Vector and Espio lol, if Espio ends up following Vector despite disagreeing with him it's just because Vector has a strong, brash personality :P

I wish people could simply say "I don't vibe with Vecpio" and leave it at that, instead of coming up with these excuses to pretend their dislike needs to be categorically respected.

[whymustyouhurtmeinthisway]

The other day, while scrolling through Tumblr, I saw an Espio x Silver fancomic and somehow mistook Silver for Bark the Polar Bear at first. After realizing Bark was actually Silver, I found it funny that I somehow confused those two very distinct characters for each other and laughed off the idea of Espio x Bark as being pretty stupid, but now that I’ve put more thought into it I think it's kind of a cute matchup.

I could totally see the two of them as the epitome of comfortable silence. Espio's a fairly calm and meditative person and Bark of course doesn't talk at all, so I can definitely imagine them being totally comfortable and capable of having a great time together in total silence. Most of the sentiments shared between them are communicated more through actions than words, body language and facial expression stuff, as if they'd invented their own form of sign language. Bark could tap Espio on the shoulder, gesticulate his hands a bit, roll his eyes, and jerk his head towards the door and Espio would perfectly understand he means "This party sucks ass, wanna go to your place and play video games?" and agree with him.

As for how others would react to them dating, I've always thought of the Chaotix and Hooligans as being personal rivals (like the Hooligans usually have no quarrels with anyone unless someone else is paying them to, but will always immediately beef with the Chaotix unprovoked, even when off the job) so Espio and Bark are kinda like Romeo and Juliet except much less tragic and murderous. I feel like the other members of the teams would react to the news that the two were dating as such: (under the cut)

Vector: Really more confused than anything, he isn't especially angry that Espio's dating Bark, he just straight up doesn't understand why he would. Vector likes Bark more than the other Hooligans of course, he's not as concerned about Espio’s relationship with him as he would be if Espio was dating Nack or Bean instead, but Bark’s still affiliated with the other two and Vector can’t tell if he should trust him or not. He once tried to do the protective dad thing and took Bark aside to interrogate him about his intentions with Espio, but realized how ridiculous the idea of interrogating Bark was after trying for like two minutes and promptly gave up.

Charmy: He'd immediately go 100% annoying little brother mode, pestering Espio constantly about the relationship. He doesn't seem to care at all who in particular Espio’s dating, just that him dating anyone means that Charmy has new angles with which he can prod and annoy him. Charmy's always had a theory that Bark's fully capable of speech but only talks in secret with his closest allies, so every time Espio comes home from hanging out with him Charmy asks some variant of "So what'd Bark tell you today?" or “Is it just me or does Bark’s voice sound kinda nasally lately.” in an attempt to catch him off guard and get him to accidentally admit his boyfriend can talk. This strategy hasn’t even come close to working yet, but that hasn’t discouraged him.

Nack: Despite their long-lived partnership, Nack's really never known much about Bark's personality, what he wants, or even if he wants anything at all, so naturally when the news that his silent enigmatic bruiser had inexplicably started going out with the ninja boy from the Chaotix reached him, the shock stunned him in place like a nuclear flash grenade. According to a certain Duck's reports, Nack proceeded to remain slack-jawed and immobile for the following three hours and swallow at least twelve flies during that time (though the reliability of this claim is debatable). After that initial shock and much considering, Nack begrudgingly decided that as long as it doesn't get in the way of the Hooligans' business, Bark can date Espio. He very noticeably doesn’t approve of Bark canoodling around with one of the enemy, and can be heard loudly complaining to nobody about it every time Bark leaves the house for a date, but he never directly confronts or put more restrictions on him (as he's afraid Bark would quit and join the Chaotix if pushed too far).

Bean: Remember how I compared Bark and Espio's relationship to Romeo and Juliet, except with much less drama and death? Well Bean seems to be under the impression that Bark and Espio’s relationship is like Romeo and Juliet with considerably more drama and death. He often goes on long tirades whenever he sees the two of them together, acting like a one-duck Greek chorus. Like he could be walking down the street one day, totally minding his own business, until he notices Bark and Espio through the window of a nearby building and suddenly bursts into soliloquy: “Oh woe! The two tragic lovers reunite once more, lamenting in the knowledge this could be the last time they ever embrace! What a sordid past, what an even sordider future, will this misery and drama never end!?!?” Then the camera cuts to Espio and Bark and they’re just eating lunch together at Burger King or some shit. Bean’s fully in view outside the window, sorrowfully praying on his knees that the gods above have mercy on their poor innocent souls. Espio looks at his whopper and goes “This tastes like ass”. Bark nods and dips his in ketchup. Bean curls up into the fetal position and breaks down crying.

I kinda really wanna write more stuff about this ship, I like it a lot more than I was expecting to, the dynamics involved are really fun, and I think it’s funny to never explain how or why Espio and Bark started dating. The only problem now is to make up a ship name. Barkspio? Espibark? I don't know, if anyone's actually has any suggestions tell me.

[number-one-shadisper-shipper]

🖊️ or 😭 for the ask game?

🖊 What is the most recent line you’ve written?

Ooh, this one's a relatively angsty one I typed out at like 1 am last night:

Vector remembered the first time he'd met Espio, just a kid fending for himself. No home, no friends, barely even speaking English. How even now, he almost never talked about his family, and when he did only in the most vague terms.

Maybe Vector and Charmy really were the only people he had.

😭 Have you ever made yourself cry writing a fic?

I don't know if I've ever full-blown cried while writing a fic, (which is funny because I'm super emotional) but I've definitely gotten tears stinging my eyes. I got really emotional writing the most recent chapter of Whispers in the Dark, especially the ending part (I also did a bunch of the writing really late at night, so I was swinging between almost crying and laughing hysterically over things that were not funny at all)

[roughandtumble-r]

Sorry it took me an entire month to get to Issue 62, but I’m finally able to talk about it (and all the other stuff that got revealed between last time and now), so I’ll get right into it!

So Amy decides to take that relic Rouge found back to Knuckles on Angel Island, and the two set out to put it back in its rightful place together (which they succeed in doing).

Meanwhile, Clutch calls Mimic over and proposes a plan to him involving him sneaking into Restoration HQ and gathering materials and weapons from Eggman’s broken bots, and he accepts the offer.

Later, a guy named Duo walks into Restoration HQ and requests to join the new Diamond Cutters team while they were already talking about adding new members, so they decide to give him a chance, unknowing of the fact that Duo is actually Mimic in disguise!

That’s it for Issue 62, but we got quite a few solicits in the past month, including Issues 65 and 66 as well as small teasers for Issues 67 and 68, which are set to come out in September, October, November, and December...

The misadventures continue! It's Knuckles vs. the Babylon Rogues! They have stolen a relic from Angel Island, so Knuckles enlists the Chaotix to track them down. But the Chaotix have a super important date to keep: dinner with Vanilla and Cream! The pair are busy preparing when they get two very unexpected and stinky visitors...

Knuckles will stop at nothing to get the Angel Island relic back from the Babylon Rogues! The Chaotix will stop at nothing to help Knuckles! Except maybe a dinner invitation from Cream and Vanilla, who are busy fighting their own battle after a pair of unexpected guests stop by. I really hope they don't ruin the beautiful gelatinous dishes Cream and Vanilla worked so hard to make!

Surge & Kit return...to join the Restoration?!

Sonic & Tails explore a mysterious cavern.

It was also revealed that we’ll be getting an Amy 30th Anniversary special in September as well as a Halloween special in October, and we may or may not also be getting a Knuckles (...and Fang!) 30th Anniversary special next year.

Cool, sweet, and pink! All words that describe our absolute favorite hedgehog. That's right, step aside, Sonic, and have no fear, Amy Rose is here! Ian Flynn, Aaron Hammerstrom, and Reggie Graham are back for another Classic Sonic special! And this time, Amy’s doing the saving! After Metal Sonic interupts her picnic, Amy uses her Fortune Cards as a guide to free her friends and stop Dr. Eggman. Can she save the day and still get back in time for tea?!

Trick or treat, it’s Charmy Bee...t! It's "A Very Chaotix Halloween" as Vector and Espio take their little buddy out in search of sweet rewards. Little do they know, there's a monster stealing candy from all the kids! Fortunately, there's no mystery the Chaotix Detective Agency can't solve, especially when they've got a little help from Sonic and Tails!

We also got the full list of everyone doing covers and writing stories for 900th Adventure, and in addition to Richard Elson doing a cover for it, it’s also been revealed that one of Sonic the Comic’s main writers Nigel Kitching will also be writing a story for it, which is also really cool.

[nonbinarycharmybee]

Game night but it's younger siblings against older siblings!

Espio Vs Charmy

Amy Vs Cream

Sonic Vs Tails

Silver Vs Marine

and Rouge Vs Shadow

who is winning + what games they're bringing

1. Espio. Espio likes strategy games like chess. Charmy doesn't have the patience for chess.

This also ties in with my headcanon that Espio teaches Charmy Japanese (he's homeschooled, he has a very eclectic education) and will play iroha karuta and shiritori with him at home. (In karuta you have several cards in front of you and you have to find the right one fast, iroha karuta's basically the abc card version for little kids, shiritori's basically a word chain game. They're fun ways to study, especially if you're a kid and hate traditional studying) - anyways Espio finds an English version of traditional karuta and teaches everyone how to play.

Charmy brings Quelf. (I love Quelf.)

2. Sonic, leaning over and whispering: You know you don't have to let Cream win just because she's a kid...

Amy, clenching her teeth: Thanks for the advice 🙃

Amy brings Fuzzy Puppy Buddies. Six hours into the first game Sonic asked how long these things lasted and when she said "oh, weeks, months, sometimes even years!" he went dead silent, stood up, calmly walked out onto the balcony, screamed, then calmly walked back in and sat down. Now she brings Settlers of Catan.

Cream, taking out Hoot Owl Hoot: In this game we have to work together to get the owls home before the sun rises :)

Shadow: If we're all working together, who's winning.

Cream: Everyone! :D

Shadow: ...What's the point of playing, then.

3. You'd think Tails would win most of the time. And you'd be right. Sonic is fine with this. Mostly.

Tails would probably bring Mahjong or something. Somebody points out that nobody here knows Chinese. Tails tells them they can just memorize the tiles. All 36(x4) of them. It's not that hard, right?

Sonic brings 7 Wonders. Any game where he doesn't have to wait around for several minutes between turns is good for him.

4. It's a tie most of the time, they're equally good (bad) at this.

All the board games Silver brings in are from the future.

Marine, bringing out a pack of playing cards: Y'know, if I caught you playing this on my ship, I would'a made you walk the plank

Everyone: ....

Marine: Anyways, who wants to play BS?

5. Shadow, by a SLIGHT margin. He's still a sore loser and will sulk if he doesn't win. Rouge tells him to quit being a baby.

Rouge: I brought Cards Against Humanity

Amy: There are six year olds here

Rouge: And your point is?

Shadow: I brought Fuck You, Buddy

Silver: Doesn't that say So Long, Sucker?

Shadow: I said what I said.

[jinxedshapeshifter]

The Mario and Sonic at the Olympics games are SO STUPID lmao.

Espio being a referee. This gets especially funny when he's with Charmy and judging Vector lol

Sonic characters falling off horses

Sonic does every swimming event with a life jacket on, and while it makes sense why, the visual is hilarious

Are they traveling from their world to ours or does Earth as a planet exist in both the Sonic and Mario universes?

You can make Sonic use a gun. Just do a shooting event as Sonic lol. "I wouldn't be caught dead with one of those things!" my ass

You can make Shadow figure skate to Ave Maria. Not something it feels like he'd listen to (let alone dance or skate to) which makes that contrast between him and the music really funny to me (but also. Maria)

[petalsonfacesnovinesthough]

Sonic Headcanons/AU Stuff 2, because I have many, many more thoughts on the series about an fast indigo erinaceus and his friendos

Sonic got the Tornado in between Sonic 1 and 8-bit Sonic 2, as a gift from Ray, since he decided he wouldn't be using the family biplane since he can natually, or unnaturally, fly. Thus, he gave it to Sonic after hearing Dr. Robotnik was still causing trouble

Until he was 6(or until Adventure), Tails had a very slight rhotacism. The only person Sonic told was Knuckles, who asked why he kept getting called "Knucwes"

Sonic actually ran into "Surge" and "Kitsunami" before Starline got his barbs on them. Kit, actually name Karrent, lived in Marble Zone with his family, meeting the hero when the fennec fox was 7

He met the tenrec later, while adventuring through Westside Island, both Sonic and Tails met Spark the Tenrec along with her uncle and cousins. She was just a dismissive 9yo who thought they were both weirdos, especially Sonic, who she instantly dared to clean up the stables in under an hour

Metal Sonic Kai was originally supposed to have two power sources. The Chaos Rings, and a 3yo Faunan Bee, native to Northeast Isle/"Carnival Island", after removing him from his hive, of course

Said power source was then "stolen" by a 13yo chameleon and an 17yo crocodile, who decided after the ordeal was over to try and raise him themselves, starting the Chaotix Detective Agency! ...Much to the chagrin of Vector's parents, Elwood and Jordan, and Espio's clan in Mimeiratsu[Japan](A direct combination of the word for early dawn(mimei) and lively(ratsu))

Since he hadn't actually been named yet, Vector called the little guy "Charmy", since it was his "charm"(the innate sense most people have for protecting children) that got Espio's attention in the first place

Charmy met Metal Sonic before the original, so he subconsciously feels unsafe around the hedgehog

[true-blue-sonic]

How do Silver and Espio each react to compliments, and how do they like to compliment each other?

It would highly depend on how long Silver has been in the past and the situation at hand, but I think they can both be quite smug about receiving compliments! Both Silver and Espio have the fullest faith in their abilities and know very well what they are capable of, and neither seems to be above some flattery from time to time. Not overly excessive, I think that might make them uncomfortable instead or give them the feeling the complimenting person is just trying to butter them up for nothing, but someone pointing out a good move during a fight or something clever they thought up is likely received by a smug "But of course", or something similar. Though, I do think they can be more bashful about it as well, depending on the situation at hand. But the two of them can be somewhat conceited at times, so compliments are definitely appreciated!

Now, if they give each other compliments, that is a whole other story. They can be smug there too, but that bashfulness and genuineness is much more visible when it's just the two of them! I think Silver focuses a lot on Espio's physical prowess; how quickly he moves, how smooth one of his attacks was, how amazing he looks midstrike, that kind of thing. Espio meanwhile might focus more on Silver's behaviours and emotional/mental abilities, like how quickly Silver solved a problem, how kind he is, or how intriguingly he can put his PK to use. That is not to say they don't have a lot to compliment about every single other facet of their beloved as well, of course. Vector and Charmy might just about have grown entirely sick of each of them gushing about how handsome and strong and brave and cool the other is! But I think Espio likes having his results be highlighted since he is so focused on training and improving, whereas Silver might prefer more 'innate' things like coming off as quick-witted or strong alongside his powers. Also here the smug "But of course" might not take long to follow, but then as more of a joke between the two of them that's followed by a genuine "Thank you" or a countercompliment. And I think Espio especially has long learned Silver gets quite weak in the knees from being exposed to a lot of flattery and complimenting all at once!

[stillafanofsonic]

A friendship between Venice and Charmy could lead to the end of the world, no one has as much ability to cause chaos as these two

It would be so bad!

The real question would be would Venice have a crush on Espio, especially for his cool weapons?

[lea-andres]

Oops have some more Team Chaotix headcanons, guys! This is my idea of their origin story, kind of in chronological order. It's just me rambling, LOL.

I'm commandeering @sonicsmeteor 's headcanon that something happened to make Espio so bloodthirsty toward Eggman/Nega. So Espio is from another country originally, where he was being raised by his ninja clan family. (I like to think it was Chun-Nan, because I love Unleashed, but the Unleashed countries might not be Canon anymore... so 🤷) But, a typical Eggman taking over the world scheme caused his whole family to die when he was 3-4 years old. 😳 And it wasn't even intentional on Eggman's part. They were just... in the way.

I'm not certain on all the angsty, gritty details yet (I'm avoiding that for now with "Espio doesn't like to talk about it"), but that's... A Thing.

Espio was shipped off to Seaside City, and was bounced around a lot between foster families and orphanages. No one was too keen on the idea of adopting a ninja assassin child who watched his whole family die, and Espio was unfairly regarded as a "Troubled Youth"/juvenile delinquent because of it.

Because of everyone assuming Espio was trouble right from the get go, he decided to show them just how much trouble he could be. He'd sneak out at night and wander the city, causing mayhem and picking fights with any Eggman robots he'd encounter. (He's got a criminal record from these days. Nothing really crazy, just some 'destruction of property', 'trespassing', and 'disturbing the peace' violations. It comes back to haunt him work wise sometimes, but Vector vouches for him.)

Vector's past is pretty uneventful. He graduated from school with a degree in criminal justice (helps explain why the Chaotix are so broke, student loans LOL... 😵) and might've minored or even just taken a class or two in early childhood education. He knew he wanted to be a detective from day one, but he's got a big soft spot for kids.

If you had asked Vector before his first case, he would've told you he loves kids, definitely wants two or three someday, but not right now. He needs to get his career going first. (This will be humorous later.)

Vector and Espio met when a jewelry store near his latest foster home was robbed. Vector was just starting out as a private investigator, and this was his first case. Everyone else was eager to just convict Espio of the crime and be done with it (because he was the closest delinquent, who else would it have been?), but Vector was confident Espio didn't do it, and the real culprit was trying to set him up to be the fall guy. So Vector insisted, despite all the pressure otherwise, on doing a full, proper investigation and consider all possibilities. Turned out he was right: the store owner was trying to commit insurance fraud, and figured no one would bother looking into it if he accused Espio. Vector tore the guy a new one for trying to do that to a little kid, earning Espio's respect and gratitude forever.

They'd ran into each other a couple more times after that while Vector was solving other cases and Espio was up to some late night trouble. Vector put a stop to the late night trouble almost immediately, but he was against the idea of sending the kid home (the jewelry store case left a bad taste in his mouth, he didn't know it for sure yet, but he sensed Espio's home life was not great), so he decided to bring the kid with him on cases, and teach him how to be a detective.

It got to a point where Espio would just be over at the office every second he had available. There didn't even have to be a case happening, he just wanted to be with Vector instead of his foster families.

Sometimes people would ask Vector how he tolerates 'that troublemaker bothering him all the time', but Vector always insists Espio is not a troublemaker, and he's not bothering him. He loves having the kid around.

Vector was the one who suggested Espio blend together ninjitsu and being a detective. He thought the two complimented each other well, and Espio shouldn't forget his past.

Espio really cleaned up his act thanks to Vector, and was the happiest he'd been since his family died. He looked up to Vector like a father.

Espio's got some abandonment issues (WONDER WHY), and eventually begged Vector to take him on officially as his apprentice out of fear that he was going to lose his father figure too. Vector refused to be his mentor, and gave Espio a counter offer: He wanted to adopt him, and give him the familial love and care he deserved. 🥺

Adopting Espio was a long, arduous nightmare. "Vector's too young", "Espio's a problem child." "Vector's single, Espio needs a mother to nurture him properly." (That one made Vector the angriest of them all) It eventually worked out though.

This was one of the few times Vector saw Espio cry of happiness. 🥺🥺🥺

Time jump ahead 7 (happy) years, Vector and Espio are hired to solve a homicide case. Well, Vector was hired. Everyone was hesitant about him bringing his 13 year old son, but Vector insisted that they're a team and they solve cases together. Espio just darkly quipped he's "seen worse".

However, this case was particularly hairy, as the key witness was the murder victim's 3 year old son, Charmy. (No, he didn't see the murder, I'm not THAT monstrous, but he did see the murderer make their escape, and he was needed to ID them.)

If you were to ask Espio, he'd tell you that he knew the second Vector laid eyes on the bee that Charmy was going to be his new little brother.

Charmy had been really scared of all of the law officials and lawyers and news reporters all crowding around him demanding to know what happened and what he saw, so he clammed up and was refusing to speak to anyone.

So Vector had to chase them all off, and he and Espio comforted Charmy.

It took a couple days and a lot of patience, but Charmy eventually warmed up to both of them (especially Vector), and as long as at least one of them was with him he had the confidence to give his testimony. His true personality started to shine through again, all his cheeriness and optimism despite the morbid situation he was in. He really won over Vector and Espio at that point.

I don't have all the details of the case figured out yet, but obviously the Chaotix figured it out and justice was served. :)

Vector feared it was going to be harder to adopt Charmy than it was to adopt Espio (because Charmy was younger, and more desirable to the average family), but it wasn't. Vector and Espio milked "You guys said Espio was a problem child, and look at him NOW, after 7 years in MY CARE!" for all it was worth. 😂

So Vector's been teaching Charmy all the detective stuff too, and Charmy's been picking it up, as we've seen.

That's all I've got so far. I have some holes to fill in, but give me a couple days and I will.

I might turn this into a whole fic someday. I could get way more detailed than this, even. 😂

[bitter-sweet-coffee]

Hey, sorry for asking something so unexpected, but one of the things that sparks my curiosity about your Au is Espio and Mighty's past relationship - especially because its not everyday people talk about them that way. What happened between them that was so bad that their breakup left Espio bitter about it for so many years? Because I got curious to know more about them ‐ that is, if you feel like writing about it, tho. Its fine if you dont! :)

BESTIE. bestie bestie bestie. I am FINALLY responding to this!!! in case anyone else doesn't know, I tried responding to this ask multiple times and it deleted itself/tumblr crashed. I was hurt. I was distraught. This is one of the core pillars of my personal sonic lore that originated from the earliest whispers of my childhood, so it is VERY IMPORTANT!!! I learned my lesson and am typing this in the notes app just to be sure... but also I'm not writing nearly as much as I did last time so if you have follow-up questions lmk!

Also, it makes more sense to describe the Chaotix origins lore all together so we're gonna start with:

VECTOR

It all starts with Vector. His father was a gang leader who was all tough and violent but had the softest heart and compassion for his mother, who had been the only nice classmate his father had when they were in highschool. They were never meant to be lovers so he let her go, and unbeknownst to him she was pregnant. He assumed it was her new man's kid but alas, no. TLDR she was targeted by a rival gang because everyone knew she was his only weakness and they burned her apartment to the ground, and Vector's dad couldn't save her but saved him. He was an amazing father and always encouraged Vector to do whatever he wants, trying to keep him out of the crime they survived off of by sending him to school (Vector was amazing in school) and letting him read and make music. Vector has his mother's compassion and intelligence, but the strength and wit of his father. He never wanted to be a criminal, but was always prepared to help his father and the gang if need be since he values family and their support for him over the legal system.

ESPIO

A few of the gang members found him wandering around/outside their turf. He was only 7, armed to the teeth, and had little to no memory of his family: all he knew is he was a detective and was supposed to be investigating angel island but got lost. Naturally, they took him to Vector's dad who was like "hey Vec, you said you wanna help out around here... right? Cool, this is your brother now." Vector was OVERJOYED, and accidentally overwhelmed poor Espio by offering to take him to school and go on adventures together and share a room and listen to music! The truth of the matter is that Espio repressed a lot of his early years (3-5) after he blew up half of south island. Him and Mighty met on a playground frequently since Espio was homeless and after meeting Mighty at the park, always went there and established it as a safe place. He was a hotheaded kid and after they ran off one day they found Eggman, and getting cocky, Espio went to attack him with chaos energy/wind powers. He had no clue how to control the energy he was drawing from Eggman's stolen gem and blew up the forest, displacing all the animals there. This is why he hates Eggman, forgot about his chaos abilities, and why he trained to be a better ninja. Yeah he was a little kid, but that's why Espio is so hard on Charmy and judgemental towards characters like Sonic who have the same ego he once had. Eggman got the idea to use flickies for robot sources because it would protect them from environmental destruction and radiation while also giving the displaced animals a safe place to reside. It spiralled into the world domination we came to see in his villainous actions, but Espio's childhood recklessness is what led to Eggman's first idea for energy (hence why he postponed the chaos emerald power source in his robots).

MIGHTY & RAY

They ran away from their orphanage together and got adopted into a semi-rival gang to Vector's dad's. When they got absorbed/wiped out, Mighty and Ray were saved and brought to live with Vector Espio and the others! This is when Mighty and Espio (9 and 10 respectively) are reunited, but the latter has no recollection of their friendship. Mighty doesn't say shit and they instantly become best friends! Mighty and Vector don't get along though, since Vector sees right through Mighty's lie (that he knows Espio) and Mighty doesn't trust Vector because of authority trauma and also Vector keeps trying to take care of Ray (who is 3 btw) which is a big no-no.

CHARMY THE INSTIGATOR

So uh, by now we've had Vector trying to be responsible, Mighty and Espio sneaking off to befriend the kid on the floating island (Knuckles), and Ray being the soft spot baby of the gang. Espio is very very shy and horribly awkward and embarrassed by the simplest thinks since his repressed trauma (his anger causing destruction) makes him seriously anxious all the time. Mighty is just a young trans guy in the city who wants to explore and make friends and see the world and help Espio see the world too! He's always teaching Espio about pop culture, music, social customs, etc... because he likes the guy, but wants to actually connect with him over stuff. Espio thinks Mighty is the coolest friend in the world and is totally in love with him, so he learns all he can and does his best to be a cool musician too. Remember that gang that killed Vector's mom? Well, funny story, Mighty and Espio find their main base when sneaking out one night and hear a baby crying... baby Charmy. They decide to steal him after seeing all the drugs and weaponry stored near him, since his parents clearly don't deserve a kid. When bringing him back home, Vector's dad almost loses his shit because THEY WERE PLANNING TO TRUCE, NOW IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE HOLDING THE LEADER'S KID FOR RANSOM! Anyways, after all of Vector's hard strategical work to end street violence and unite the gangs so his dad and the kids would be safe, they gotta go in and attack with the intent to kill and genocide the whole place. Vector is now taking care of Charmy full-time (rip his schoolwork) and this makes it even easier for Mighty and Espio to sneak out! Thanks Charmy, you're a real wingman. They gang relocates a couple towns over so RIP angel island you will be missed!

OTHER STREET RATS

Okay, so Mighty is smitten with Scourge, who is the leader of a delinquent gang in the nearby city where their new home is. Yeah he has a girlfriend aka Fiona, but he seems to like Mighty a lot since he wants Mighty to take his spot as lead guitarist (leaving him as just lead vocalist). Mighty tries to teach Espio bass behind the scenes so he can join too, but Espio mainly tags along to watch since he's still helplessly in love with Mighty and seeing him as a band member is even more attractive. Ray sometimes gets brought along since he loves watching his brother perform, and Scourge LOVES Ray (like, he seems tough or scary as shit but he loves kids and is so good with Ray it makes Mighty so giddy). Espio is oblivious to Mightourge and is just like "wow I'm glad Scourge is a good friend to Mighty and lets him be in his band" the poor chameleon is an IDIOT!!! Fiona Manic and Bean are the other members and try to drop hints, but it doesn't work. For the record, Fiona and Scourge are dating but not exclusive (Mighty and Espio don't know this though so they both think Scourge just likes Mighty platonically bc duh he has a girlfriend he's straight). Vector can tell Mighty's heart is elsewhere and it kills to watch Espio obliviously simp for Mighty. Like, don't get me wrong Mighty likes Espio too, but it's exhausting having to explain stuff to Espio and be the cool one teaching him how to socialize when Scourge is already cool and shares a lot of interests with him! Mighty loves Espio but he's IN love with Scourge, and that's the difference. Yeah, him and Espio will sneak into the same bunk bed so they can share headphones and listen to music and sleep all snuggled up and cute, but Mighty will also sneak out on his own some nights to meet Scourge alone or have band practice without Espio tagging along.

FALLING OUT

Vector eventually confronts Mighty about his irresponsibility; he's not committed to their work here as a family, and expects them to take care if Ray if he's off being in a band and leading Espio on. Mighty gets pissed because he never asked to be here and yet is belittled and controlled every two seconds like he was born here or something, not to mention his only other friend (Knuckles) is too far away now and it's all because of the stupid gang. This is when Mighty is like 15 and they're all close to their current canon ages (around Knuckles Chaotix which happened during this time too) and after enough contemplation he decides to run away with the delinquents and takes Ray with him. Mighty and Espio had their same music-bunk session as per usual that night but when Espio woke up Mighty was gone without even a note and it was just him Charmy and Vector now.

THE CHAOTIX

You thought it couldn't get worse? HAH! Well, besides Espio's horrible emo depression that made him all cold and stoic these days, the gang has gotten a bit too big and Vector's dad anticipates them being shut down by special forces. To avoid raising suspicion, Vector's dad sends him on a mission; take all their money (like, ALL OF it from the gang's revenue) and launder it in the bigger city up north with the kids. Vector and his dad have an unspoken understanding of what's going to happen but never say it, so Vector does as he's instructed and thanks his father for everything. This is where Vector learns about his mom and his birth origins, and Vector's dad tells him to open that detective agency he always wanted, and to use this job as a gift to thank him for being such a wonderful supportive son. Vector takes Charmy and Espio to the city and establishes the agency (it's run-down because what else could they afford? Vector had to spend as little as possible because who knows how long this would take, and he had kids depending on him despite only recently becoming a legal adult himself. They needed food, heating, furniture, etc... so their cash had to be spent sparingly).

AFTERMATH:

Vector is gonna be a cheerful and kind hearted leader in the memory of both his parents who died to protect him and the others (since the police raid killed everyone involved... or so they thought. BUT THAT'S ANOTHER STORY!)

Espio has trust issues and hates Eggman, as well as anyone who is arrogant or heroic or loves adventure since you can never trust an adventurer to stay committed to you.

Charmy... he remembers. He loved his brother Ray, and knew about Espio and Mighty despite only being a toddler or young child for most of it. He misses the brothers that left, but values the sacrifices Vector made so they could stay together, and the emotional sacrifices Espio makes all the time so no one has to see his emotionally vulnerable side again and use it against them.

TLDR

Espio has abandonment issues and got totally led on, but Mighty isn't the villain of the story either. They definitely still have feelings for one another even if Mightourge is endgame and Espio has enough other messy relationships to compensate (Wave, Silver, Shadow, even Infinite to an extent) so he DEFINITELY doesn't need the OG messy partner on his plate! Oh, but he's still bitter and not over it.

Oh, and here's a playlist of songs Espio would sing to Mighty if he got the chance (as a Brendon Urie impersonator and Ronnie Radke apologist)

[headcanonstation]

Sonic Cuddle Headcanons

Your conductors are screaming at the wheel together... wait, why is there a wheel in a train?

Sonic

Let it be known that the blue blur enjoys cuddling, and all his friends are allowed to snuggle with him.

He just doesn’t really cuddle often or feel the need to.

Sonic is a lazy cuddler with anyone, even his s/o.

He’s not partial to anything specifically when it comes to cuddling and goes with the flow.

He’d just prefer something not going on too long because he does feel like he needs to do something, and running tends to be a thing he likes to do.

And, well, cuddling is hard while running.

There’s not really anything specific with his s/o he does aside from occasional lazy nuzzles and kisses.

Sonic isn’t too into spooning really.

It’s not often he’s cuddling as is, so he’s really not doing much spooning either.

The most he would have is his s/o on his chest, but Sonic is the type to get restless in bed to really do much snuggling in bed.

Knuckles

A flustered boy, especially with his s/o, who would be the only one he’d be cuddling with.

He just has the mind that snuggles is more so for intimate relationships like romance.

He’s not very good with PDA in general and gets easily flustered by it, so he much prefers his snuggling in private.

He’d still be pretty nervous and red faced with cuddling his s/o in private at the beginning of the relationship, but as time goes on, he doesn’t get as flustered.

Most definitely a big spoon. He just wouldn’t feel as comfortable being held and would prefer to be the one doing the holding.

Amy Rose

She cuddles everyone. She’s the poster child for cuddling.

She really enjoys snuggling with her friends and especially her s/o.

In fact, her s/o gets special ultra cuddles.

Amy has a large preference on being a little spoon, though she could do just fine being a big spoon.

But she’d prefer being the little spoon because she’d like to have the warmth around her and feel her partner hugging her. But, it’d also be due to wanting to be like the movies and books where a strong man holds a delicate woman.

Even though she could absolutely punch pretty much anyone through the wall.

Shadow

Not into PDA, so not a big fan of cuddling with friends in a casual way in public.

Snuggles are really only reserved for his s/o.

Even then, he doesn’t really actively show or indicate how he feels about cuddling or if he even wants them.

So his s/o is really the only one of the two to initiate any cuddling.

When they do cuddle with him, he doesn’t exactly show how he feels about it too much.

Shadow doesn’t hate cuddling, but he doesn’t love it either.

Not to say he doesn’t enjoy cuddling, he just doesn’t show how he’s enjoying it much aside from a soft smile every now and again.

Shadow isn’t a fan of spooning too much, but if he is doing it, he’ll only be the big spoon.

He isn't the little spoon. He’d like to have control in the situation.

Rouge

Proud cuddler.

Shamelessly so. 

She does only the lightest of cuddling with friends, but not much. 

Closer friends she totally doesn’t mind getting into the “this is a straight up cuddle session” vibe. 

Her s/o has to deal with a new level of cuddling. 

Rouge isn’t clingy, but she’s needy and will not be subtle about wanting some snuggle time. 

She likes to have pampering done to her, but she’s certainly all for doing some loving on her s/o easy. 

She’s absolutely both a little spoon and big spoon. It really just depends on her s/o and their preference.

Silver

Awkward cuddler. 

He likes to cuddle with either of his friends or s/o, but he’ll end up pretty nervous throughout the whole time. 

At some point he’d let himself relax more when he does it more, but a new cuddle buddy will be faced with a stiff boy. 

When he finally enters a relationship with his s/o or crushing on his s/o, he’s back to being stiff and awkward again for quite awhile. 

There’s an incredibly high preference to being a little spoon, and he makes it clear that this is his preference. 

He wouldn’t mind being the big spoon if his s/o wants to be a little spoon, but he’s never volunteering to be the big spoon. 

And, although he loves doting on people, he really loves being doted on himself.

Blaze

She’s also an awkward mess when it comes to cuddles. 

Only her s/o would be allowed to cuddle with her. 

Blaze doesn’t necessarily look to having cuddles unless it's been a long day or she’s totally stressed and needs the attention. 

She’s more inclined to be a big spoon, but she’d be fine being a little spoon as well. 

It really depends on who her s/o is. 

Though if given the choice, there is a much larger preference to being the big spoon so she can feel she has more control in the situation.

Espio

Cuddling privileges with Espio are restricted to his s/o and Charmy and Vector to a degree. 

Vector more so has accidental cuddle action on both parties. 

Nothing too much though, most being Espio leaning on Vector and falling asleep during a movie or when they’re out camping for whatever reason. 

Charmy however is a cuddle machine from the start. 

The bee needs affection, and Espio doesn’t mind giving it to him. 

There’s been plenty of moments where the two are just sleeping completely knocked out on the couch (or Charmy wide awake with Espio asleep and perhaps with marker drawings on his face and horn). 

Or when Charmy gets a nightmare and doesn’t go to Vector for the night, Espio is fine with giving the bee comfort. 

Any sort of domestic cuddles can happen between Charmy and Espio. 

With his s/o, Espio doesn’t seek cuddles unless he was deathly worried about them and just needed to have it cemented that they’re with him. 

Similar to Charmy, he also wouldn’t mind giving cuddles to his s/o if they wanted it or see they clearly needed it. 

He doesn’t really do spooning and would need to be reminded he’s not the only one in bed. 

Espio doesn’t seem like the type to lay on his side often since it gives an opening to any attackers. 

So the fix it here would be to have his s/o laying on his chest with his arms wrapped around him.

Jet

Cuddles with Jet are only with his s/o rather than with friends. 

He wouldn’t actively search for cuddles really. 

The times he does is when he’s genuinely tired or after an extremely bad day where he’s bitter but also completely exhausted. 

However, he doesn’t necessarily outright say he wants cuddles but rather strongly suggests to his s/o that he wants cuddles before they give in to what he wants. 

When he isn’t having tired cuddles, he sometimes gives the occasional snuggle, just not much. 

Typically, he only gives the cuddles when his s/o wants to, but he certainly has his moments when he’s relaxing that he alludes to wanting to cuddle. 

His preferred style of cuddling would be where his s/o is on his chest. 

Jet is also determined to be the big spoon, and sometimes he manages to keep being the big spoon, but he typically ends up falling into being the little spoon naturally.

Wave

Her s/o practically drags her for cuddles. 

Wave really just likes to do things and doesn’t enjoy doing nothing. 

She can certainly do nothing for a bit and relax, just not too long and wants to be doing something. 

As a result, Wave doesn’t actively seek snuggles. 

She’s also the type where when she’s not doing it, she sees no appeal or point of cuddles. 

But when she’s actually having a cuddle fest, she melts into it. 

Wave seems like the type to have too often a broken sleep schedule to really be spooning anyone with her going to bed when her s/o is getting up. 

If any spooning does happen, it’s really give or take as to if Wave is the big or little spoon with who she’s with and who’s more awake. 

Some nights, there’d be no spooning taking place. 

She’s overall not very affectionate in a physical sense, but wouldn’t mind receiving or giving attention. 

However cuddles are off limits for friends.

Infinite

Not at all a cuddle buddy really. 

Tends to avoid it. If he does cuddle, it’d only be with his s/o, and even then it doesn’t happen much. 

He’s more mixed feelings about cuddling and doesn’t actively try to do it. 

When he does, it’s certainly on part by his s/o or complete accident. 

Subconsciously however, Infinite is certainly a big spoon and often reaches anything in his grasp to spoon something.

Honey the Cat

Honey adores cuddles, and her snuggles are reserved for her s/o and incredibly close friends. 

She tends to lowkey make sure when she’s cuddling with someone that it’s all aesthetically pleasing. 

Sometimes it’s on purpose, other times not so much. 

Honey prefers being the little spoon, but she’s occasionally willing to be the big spoon.

Bunnie Rabbot

CUDDLE MACHINE. 

This woman will suplex you into a hug. 

She’s just dandy about giving cuddles to anyone who’s a friend, family, and so on. 

Bunnie wants to be the big spoon all the time, wrapping herself around her s/o. 

Just giving nuzzles and kisses every now and again.

Antoine D’coolette

Easily the most flustered boy. 

Whether platonic or romantic. 

Once he gets around, he very much enjoys his cuddles. 

However, to him, cuddling seems too intimate for something done between friends. 

So only really his s/o and children would be allowed for snuggling with him. 

Antoine would have the preference of a little spoon certainly, though he wouldn’t mind being the big spoon every now and again. 

He’s just embarrassed to say that he prefers being a little spoon.