#it reminds me of one of my friend's ideas where he wanted to draw sonic and amy waltzing | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thatgirlwhowantedmore · 4 years

Text

No one expects an angel to set fire to the world

Part 1, Part 2

Summary: When the Doctor learns the truth about her life on Gallifrey, the Master kidnaps you right in front of her. Now, no matter what, she’s determined to get you back.

Warnings: Valeyard!13 with dark!reader, implied torture, hmm, this isn’t too graphic but I do want to write the Master’s torture at the Doctor’s hands, so there will be more, dark themes, angst, mentions of blood.

Word count: 2,317

“No!”

How could this happen? How could she let this happen? When she thought she couldn’t possibly lose anything else, couldn’t possibly be brought down any lower, couldn’t feel more despair and devastation as she does now, she’s proven wrong by the Master again.

She can still see your face in her minds eye, still see the panic in your eyes, the fear etched into your beautiful face as you screamed her name and fought against his grip. To get to her. But then you were gone, both of you gone, in the second it took her to blink.

Despite her warnings and pleas, you had come back for her. Of course you did, you’d never left her before and you weren’t gonna start now. The first face many of her faces saw and you were gone. Taken from her by her best friend.... enemy... acquaintance... whatever the Master was, it no longer mattered. He took you from her.

There’s a ringing in her ears that brings her back to where she is at this moment. In the ruined remnants of Gallifrey, about to be blown up. Now, though she had planned to stay, though she deserved to stay and burn with Gallifrey, she turns and runs, leaving Ko Sharmas to her fate instead. It’s not a desire to live that makes her run like hell to get out of there, it’s not fear for her life running through her veins. It’s rage, a quiet barely contained rage she’s struggling with.

How... dare...he?

He took you, the only person that’s been with her since the end of the Time War. You had been with her when she was mourning Gallifrey and all the people she thought she had killed. You were there when she lost Rose, and everyone after. You were there when she never saw you, stayed by her side when she never appreciated it and she regrets that she hadnt woken up sooner.

All the years you spent together could have been filled with more... if she’d just stopped looking for anything else and turned to look at you. Not too long ago, when she’d regenerated into an old white Scottish man, she turned to ask you question and she paused, just gazing at you. How blind she and her past regenerations had been. How absolutely dim she had been.

Relief fills her chest when she turns the corner and sees the Tardis there. She’d set the old girl to get you and the others home, but boy, is she glad she taught you how to fly the Tardis a long ago. The doors open as she goes tumbling through, shutting behind her as she leans against them, trying to get her breath back.

Her fam, her team Tardis... are all staring at her. Yaz, brilliant Yaz of course, is the first to move. She runs to the Doctor, the need to see that her friend is safe and in front of her overwhelming her... until she realises what’s missing.

“Doctor, where’s Y/n?”

Oh, Yaz, poor Yaz, you’d liked her more than some of her other companions. You’d become fast friends as soon as you were introduced, the Doctor was always so jealous of the small carefree ways you’d touch Yaz, when you were so scared to touch her sometimes. How was she going to explain to Yaz... kind Yaz... that you were gone?

Thankfully, she’s saved from answering as the Tardis is rocked around, throwing everyone to the ground. The Doctor pulls herself up, skidding to a stop next to the controls as she navigates them out of there. She can see Ryan holding onto Graham as they brace themselves against one of the pillars, Yaz now holding tight to the Tardis controls, and the others hanging on to whatever they can.

.............

They’re back in Sheffield now, the others from the future had all been given what they needed to survive in the 21st century and told to live the best life they could. Now it was only the Doctor and her companions left, minus you of course.

Her mind is still on you, there are still endless thoughts of you running through her head and allowing no rest for her hearts. That’s only fair though, she wouldn’t wish it otherwise. She would only be able to rest peacefully once you were in her arms again.

“What’s the plan to get her back, Doc?”

She briefly entertains the idea of just leaving without telling them anything. Did it matter what they thought of her anymore? When each second she stayed here and tried to explain, was another second he had you in his clutches.

“I’m going to find her and bring her back”

“Let’s get going then” Ryan declares, ready to run into danger at any moment if it was for his friends.

“No, Ryan, I said I’m going to find her and bring her back. You have to stay here” the Doctor sighs.

“No, no, I can’t stay here while my best friend is in danger” Yaz exclaims, her hand coming to grip the Doctor’s arm tightly.

“Let go, Yaz! If any of you come with me, I’ll have to worry about you too, I’ll have to look after you and I can’t do that! Each second I spend here, trying to explain that simple fact to you, is another second she’s suffering at his hands! Who knows what he’s doing to her now? Who knows how long she’s had to... to... I can’t be worrying about any of you when I need to save her”

“Then... then you promise me, that you’ll bring her back” Yaz commands, eyes lighting with fire.

“I promise”

He pushed her to this. Whatever she does next is on his head. If he had taken any other companion, anyone of them and she wouldn’t have to take such drastic measures with him. It would have been the same old game they’d been playing for centuries, and she would have happily played it. She would have happily played it. But he took you.

.............

“4 days, 17 hours and 32 minutes” she declares nonchalantly, hands buried in her coat, eyes on him.

He spins around in a dramatic show of display, a carefree smirk lining his lips, hands splayed out in front of him. His crazed eyes lock onto her and his cocky grin widens, excitement creasing in his eyes.

“Doctor!” He shouts out in glee “Welcome!”

Another one of the Master’s plan to get her attention, taking over a small civilisation in one of the well known reaches of the galaxy. He’d infiltrated the military and monarchy, drawing generals and royals to his side until he held no need of them. Taking what he wanted and damning all in his way, damning those that even helped him. A small flare carrying their last message made its way to her, exactly as he wanted. But little did he realise he already had all of her attention the exact moment he even touched you.

She walks forward with deadly intent, no longer rising to the Master’s quips and taunts. The time for games is over, and she’s through playing around with him.

“That’s how long I’ve spent tracking you down, searching for your specific Tardis throughout the galaxy. I’m the Doctor, I always give second chances but I think I’ve given you too many” holding up her hand as he tries to interrupt, she continues to walk towards him.

He raises his eyebrows, a curious gleam settling into his gaze. He shrugs, deciding to go along with whatever she had planned as he seats himself in the throne, lounging about.

“You took Y/N from me”

There is silence as he waits for her to finish, but when she is no longer forthcoming, he shrugs once again.

“I’ve kidnapped plenty of your companions, Doctor, I’m surprised you even care any more. What’s this one? One in a hundred, million, thousand? They all start to blur together, honestly” he’s so carefree, as he settles into the stolen throne.

A bark of laughter escapes her then, leaving her bending slightly at the knees as she tries to get her laughter together. Only then does the Master start to look worried, his face furrowing in confusion as he stares at her. He expected self-righteous anger, for her to come running up to him with a plan already underway, certain she’d save her companion and the day too. What he didn’t expect was laughter.

“You’ve crossed so many lines over the centuries we’ve known each other. Each and every time I let it go, each and every time I let you go. But you took her from me, you took Y/N from me” she whispers the last part, still bent down with her hands on her knees before she stands up.

“I assure you, Doctor, I’ve done plenty worse” he laughs, brushing aside the small confusion and fear he had felt when she didn’t behave the way he thought she would.

“I’m bored now, are you going to do anything Doctor-like or not?” He stands up, rolling his eyes.

Before he can take much more than a few steps ahead, she barges into him, tying the vortex manipulator around his wrist and they’re gone, landing on the cold ground of a damp and dark cellar.

He pulls away from her as she pushes him, causing the Master to tumble to the floor and hit the wall behind him. Chains whip around his arms, wrists, knees, ankles and throat, pinning him there.

“No, not anything Doctor-like, I’m afraid” she muses, pulling the sonic out of her coat pocket and disabling both vortex manipulators.

“Now, now, Doctor, we don’t want to do anything you may regret” the Master chuckles, lazily looking up at her, still so smug.

She wants to punch that stupid look off his face so badly. So, she does. The satisfying way his head snaps back and the blood pooling on his bottom lip ease a fraction of the rage boiling inside of her. But does that fraction count when there is so much rage buried deep, finally coming out.

It’s not enough. Despite his taunts and jeers that turn into pleas and begging, it’s... not... enough!

She gives in to the dark whispers inside her head, gives in to the horrible unquenchable fury boiling in her veins. By the time she’s even remotely done, they’re both equally covered in blood, his blood. It coats her hands, arms, burying itself in her clothes to stain, a stark reminder of her actions today.

The only thing that makes her stop is the thought of you, oh, it’s not the thought of you being disgusted with her actions or the surprise that flits through your eyes at what’s she done. No, it’s the thought of being with you that stops her, that makes her think later. After she got you back, after you were safe in her Tardis. Only then would she return.

“How fitting that you’ve wanted me for so long. But now I... have... you” she whispers, eyes dark, but a small smile lining her lips.

.............

The Master’s Tardis is right there, still an old cottage house, she’d never forget it. There’s a encompassing hope in her chest that she’s unable to ignore. You’re in there... you are in there, only separated from her by the doors of a Tardis. And even that wouldn’t keep her away. Not when you’re no longer so far away, now so near to her. She’s so close to being with you again that her hearts stutter, aching for you.

Bursting through the doors of his Tardis, she sees you look up at the commotion. You’re seated at a small chair in the console room, which still looks like a cozy living room. There’s a book in your hands, and she can tell you’d been absorbed in it, the pages fraying slightly from the hold you had on them.

You were dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a singlet top, but you’d never looked more beautiful to her than you did right then. Your gorgeous hair looked longer, reaching past the middle of your back. That and the collar fastened around your neck has her frowning, despite the desperate relief in her chest at finding you. How long had it been for you?

Before she’s pulled into thoughts that might very well drown her, you lock eyes and her breath stutters in her chest. Her hearts beating wildly out of control. She grins, breathing out your name.

You stand up in shock, the book falling from your hands as you whisper her name and stare at her... so lost. It’s not real, it can’t be, the Doctor can’t possibly be here. It’s a dirty rotten trick by the Master, ever so cruel. Oh how have you misbehaved this time? You hadn’t done anything wrong!

So lost in your spiralling thoughts, you don’t notice the Doctor move towards you until she takes you in her arms. Her arms wrap around you tightly, and pull you into her embrace. Your breath catches in your throat, a choked sob in your chest as a part of you starts to believe what’s in front of you.

She pulls back only to tug you close again as her lips find yours. Your eyes flutter shut, a small moan slipping past as you move against her. Your hands come up to pull her closer, tightening their hold on her shoulders as you finally allow yourself to believe she’s really in front of you. The Doctor’s here to rescue you. Why had you ever doubted her?

“Doctor, you’re here” you murmur in a daze against her lips.

“I found you, I found you, I found you” it’s all she can say as she draws you into kiss after kiss after kiss.

A/N: Oooof, there we go, sorry it’s a bit late, darlings! Oh my gosh, I actually struggled a little bit in the middle of this but I hope the scene between the Master and Doctor is good, I wanted to really do it well as an intro to everything the Doctor does next. Let me know how I did?

I’ve honestly gotten so inspired for this series and I can’t wait to write more. However, though I was hoping to get this finished in the next few days, I may have to wait until next week as, guess what, your girl and her mates got their new place so now she’s moving houses, yay! I plan to have the next update done in the next couple days though so no need to worry, darlings.

Tag list: @thatsonezesty13

#doctor who #13th doctor x reader #thirteenth doctor x reader #13th doctor #thirteenth doctor #doctor x reader #the doctor x reader #self insert #reader insert #angst #my writing #my fanfiction #mine #i dont own the gif only the writing #no one expects an angel to set the world on fire

72 notes · View notes

foxcantswim · 4 years

Text

Timeless Jealousy

13th Doctor x Reader https://archiveofourown.org/works/22981072

A/N: Apologies if this idea has already been done! I also understand that this episode is set in the 1800s... So I can't promise that everything fits in with this time period.

Reader gets jealous after seeing Byron flirt with the Doctor...

-x-

You knew what Byron was playing at. And you didn't like it. Not. One. Bit.

You refused to dance, watching the Doctor and Byron getting just a little bit too close. You gritted your teeth, fists clenching.

"So... that was marvelous. Is anyone up for, I don't know, I'm spit-balling here, how about writing the most gruesome, spine-chilling ghost story of all time?" the Doctor quickly stopped the dancing, wanting to get straight down to business.

Yaz had come over to make sure you were okay, you nodded and assured her that you were fine. You both headed over to the Doctor. The Doctor began to speak, but your thoughts managed to drown out the Time Lord's words. You were focused on Byron who was on the other side of the room.

"Excuse me, Doctor. You broke a rule. Next, you'll be snogging Byron," Yaz stated. That made you flinch slightly. Just the thought made your blood boil.

"I was trying to get them back on track. Something's wrong here. This night, Byron challenges Mary, Polidori and Percy Shelley to come up with a ghost story-" the Doctor spoke. You caught onto Byron, he had been glancing at the Doctor every now and then.

Yaz nudged you to break you away from your stare, "Keep an eye on 'em," she said to you as the Doctor made her way over to Byron, "You and I both know how Byron can get."

She knew about your little crush on the Doctor. Well... 'Little' is an understatement. You decided to deny your crush again, "I don't need to keep an eye on them. The Doc can do what she want-"

"Shut up, (Y/N)," she rolled her eyes, "No matter how much you deny it, anyone can see it."

Well, the Doctor can't see it. Always so oblivious.

Yaz's eyes drifted towards the door, "Don't worry. You two will be fine," she assured before giving you a comforting pat on your shoulder, she then went to leave the room.

-x-

You tried to focus on the sound of the sonic screwdriver, anything to divert your attention away from Byron.

"She walks in beauty, like the night," Byron muttered.

The Doctor continued, "Of cloudless climes and starry skies."

"I'm intensely flattered you're familiar with my work, Mrs Doctor..." Byron grinned. You glared.

"Just Doctor is fine. I'm quite into Shelley's stuff too. He about?" she replied. The tension in the room was thick, and you were the cause of it. You were giving off a slight threatening energy which Byron had clocked onto. He knew that he infuriated you. And he decided to continue.

"(Y/N)?" the Doctor questioned.

Your attention quickly moved from Byron to her, "Y-Yeah?"

She stepped closer, a look of concern clearly present within her eyes, "You haven't spoken much today. Everything all right?"

You nodded, "I'm fine. Well... As fine as I can be in a place like this," you stated as a shiver ran up your spine.

"You sure?" she said, clearly not convinced.

Nodding again, "Cross my heart."

She shook her head, not accepting that answer. Stepping forward, she caught you off guard and grabbed your hand, "Give us a minute," she looked at Byron.

He gave a questionable look before standing aside. The Doctor dragged you out the room and into the hallway. She quickly released your hand before retrieving her sonic screwdriver. She stood close and began to scan you, practically backing you into a wall, "You've been off since we arrived..." she said as a red tint graced your cheeks. The Doctor then shone the sonic into your eyes, trying to get any sort of reading.

"Tryin' to blind me there, Doc?" you squinted, trying to tilt your head away.

She still had a look of concern on her face as she put the sonic away, "Something's bothering you," she decided, "Don't try to lie your way out of this one. I need you to be one hundred percent whilst we're here. Can't have you faltering."

You sighed, "It's noth-"

"(Y/N)," the Doctor glared, "Something is bothering you. You are never this quiet."

"Okay, okay," you said, trying to ignore the little space between you two, "I just... I don't like the way he's looking at you."

"Who?" she said, completely oblivious.

"Byron," you said with venom.

She sighed, before a playful grin replaced the frown, "Ah... I see. Don't worry about that," she stepped back, "We promised not to mess with history, and that's what we're doing."

That wasn't exactly the answer you were hoping for... If this didn't mess with history... Would she be interested in Byron. You shook your head, trying to get rid of the thoughts.

The Doctor's smile remained on her face as she reached for you hand again, "I'm not interested in him, okay?" she assured before dragging you back into the room.

-x-

You stayed behind the Doctor as you ran towards the drawing room, Byron was on your heels. You all arrived to see a... hand? Everyone managed to get the hand away from Ryan, Fletcher dished out the final blow. Dust now covered the carpet where the hand used to be.

"Great shot!" the Doctor announced before she made her way over to the remains. You and the rest of the 'fam' knew what was coming next. The Doctor leaned down to take a sample and lick it, "Hmm. 14th. No... 15th century-" the Doctor trailed off.

A smile spread across your face, finding all of the Doctor's little weird quirks fascinating.

"She licked it!" Claire exclaimed.

The smile on your face didn't last long at all, "She is the most baffling creature I've ever been acquainted with," Byron breathed out with a smirk. You glared once more... If looks could kill.

-x-

"If you ask me..." Yaz began as you all made your way towards Byron's chambers. The Doctor was up front with Byron, leading the way. You had stuck at the back with Yaz, "You should just tell her."

Rolling your eyes, you scoffed, "Imagine that. Me with an all mighty Time Lord. Never gonna happen," you were surprised that Yaz could hear you over the loud crash of lightning.

"Yaz is right," Ryan said, almost appearing out of nowhere.

Yaz smiled, "Never hurts to try."

You suppressed a groan, really not wanting to be a part of this conversation.

Everyone rounded a corner and soon they arrived. Walking into Byron's chambers made your skin crawl... Anything that related to him was bad in your books.

"It's a collection," Byron explained as people gathered in the room.

"Of what? Dead stuff?" Ryan questioned.

"Relics of war."

The Doctor began to wave the sonic screwdriver around the room, scanning for any abnormalities.

"From my travels..." Byron continued, "Reminders that we tread on the dust of empires. Crops now grow where blood was split. An innocent fascination, I assure you."

Anything he said really seemed to tick you off... You weren't jealous. Definitely not. No. Never.

You noticed the Doctor's face light up, she put on some headgear she had discovered, "What do you think?" she said, practically showing off her new helmet.

"Suits you," you offered her a warm smile, she smiled back in return - seemingly glad that you liked it.

-x-

"Well, he just turned sort of zombie and went into one," Graham said with concern.

"What do you speak of? What is a zombie?" Byron questioned.

The Doctor explained, "Kind of a dead person walking, but it won't be that."

"Hey, Doc?" you said, trying to get the woman's attention as she spoke to Graham via the fireplace chimney.

"How do you know?" Byron wondered.

She replied, "Because Polidori isn't dead, for a kick-off."

"D-Doctor?!" you said, your voice starting to tremble more as you noticed Polidori's figure walking in through the wall.

"Mrs Doctor!" Claire tried to get her attention too.

"Really, just Doctor is fine..."

"Doc, Polidori!" you said, now that she was listening. The blonde turned quickly to see him looking like a ghost.

Byron had decided to hide behind Claire, "Begone, demon!" he exclaimed. You glared at him in disgust before looking back at the Doctor once more.

The Doctor took a cautious step towards Polidori, "Doc-"

She cut you off, looking towards you, "It's okay," she assured before looking back at Polidori. The Doctor then raised a hand to check for a pulse, "Pulse? Check. Breathing? Check."

Byron's voice filled the room, "May I just say..." he started, "You are quite lovely in a crisis."

"No-" both you and the Doctor said. The Doctor looked at you in shock, you did your best to avoid eye contact. Byron and Claire looked between both you and the Doctor, unsure of what to say. Byron ended up smirking, understanding the situation quite clearly.

Claire decided to break the silence, clearing her throat, "So... He could just be- be asleep, correct? He walks in his sleep!"

Byron scoffed, "One does not sleepwalk through walls."

The Doctor quickly diverted her gaze away from you, "H-He doesn't just go through walls. He was downstairs a second ago," she looked at Byron, "What you said before..."

"About being lovely?" he smiled, glancing over towards. You bit your tongue.

The Doctor was growing annoyed, "Back a bit."

"Way way back," you added, glaring daggers.

Byron chuckled, "What a feisty one you have here, Doctor," he said, pacing the room.

"Byron-" Claire began to warn before he hushed her.

"We haven't got time for this," the Doctor groaned, "By-"

"Don't you see, Doctor?!" he said, "I can't think in these conditions. What with your pet staring at me all the time."

"You little sh-" you muttered before the Doctor cut you off.

"I would really appreciate it if you didn't talk to my friends like that," she said, clear anger lacing her voice, "We're trying to help."

"Help?!" Byron said, "All she's done is look at me as if she wants to kill me!"

The Doctor looked at you before you could stop yourself from glaring at Byron once again, "(Y/N)?" she asked, "He's clearly done something to upset you," she stepped closer, "What is it?" The Doctor wasn't too fond with having Polidori in his current state just standing there but she had to get to the bottom of this. Claire kept her eye on the unresponsive man.

"Nothing!" you exclaimed. The Doctor clocked onto your annoyance... "Absolutely nothing!" She also clocked onto the light sadness that glazed over your words.

"Come on, Doctor," Byron said, "We can solve this... Alone."

That was it. Byron was getting way too close to the Doctor. Thinking back on Yaz's words... You reached forward to grab the Doctor's coat, effectively pulling her closer. Your lips crashed onto hers just before she could protest her confusion. The lack of movement on the Doctor's end had you worried.

You could hear Byron's scoff of disgust and shock.

You were about to pull away, happy with your action - clearly showing Byron to back off. But, you were quickly pulled back by the Doctor who was now responding with eagerness - her arms had secured themselves around you.

"Erm..." Claire gulped, "D-Doctor, I-I don't want to... cut you short or anything. But shouldn't we be worried about Polidori."

The Doctor's face retreated from yours quickly, "Of course!" she exclaimed in triumph, her arms were removed from around you, "Why didn't I think of that!"

"Wh-What?" you stuttered, breathless.

"Have you figured all this out Doctor?" Claire wondered.

"Yes!" she said, excited.

Byron was now glaring at you this time as he spoke to the Doctor, "Well don't leave us in the dark. Enlighten us."

"Jealousy!" she shouted.

"J-Jealousy, Doctor?" Claire questioned in complete confusion.

You felt your cheeks heat up as a nervous laughter escaped, "N-Now... Come on, Doc... No time for joking around-"

The Doctor's brain finally caught up with all the recent events, her smile turning into a look of complete shock, "Ohhh... That's why you were acting like this."

"Doc-"

She cut you off again, "You don't need to be jealous. Especially not because of him," she glanced at Byron.

"Can you two focus on the task at hand?!" Byron exclaimed, annoyed.

"I agree," Claire said, "Polidori is still... Not himself."

-x-

Everybody had regrouped in the drawing room after the Doctor had gotten everybody out of their endless loops, most were admiring the skull and hand under the glass that had been recently been captured.

Byron's eyes focused on the Doctor as she made her way over to you.

"Erm... Doc..." you started, leaning against a desk, "I wanted to apologise for my actions earlier. I just wanted Byron to stop interrupting the investi-"

"You have nothing to apologise for," she assured before a curious look appeared on her face, "Is that the only reason you did that? You weren't jealous were you?"

"Pfft, jealous? Me? Never."

"Terrible liar," the Doctor said with a soft smile. Her hand moved to gently cup your cheek as she kissed your forehead. Your heartbeat quickened in response, "Now once all the rubbish is over... and when we get back to the TARDIS we can talk about this."

"O-Okay," you nodded in agreement.

Just when you thought she was going to step away, she did the opposite. She managed to step closer and you soon felt her lips crash against yours, you felt relief wash over you as she portrayed urgency. Both of you knew that you had to deal with the problem at hand, which caused the Doctor to pull away. You missed the contact, but hopefully there would be time for this later.

Both you and the Doctor noticed Byron's glare, "I think it's Byron's turn to be jealous," the Doctor decided as she stood next to you and put an arm around your shoulders, you began to make your way over towards Byron and the others.

You were just itching to just get this over with. You were excited for what the future holds.

-x-

A/N: The sequel would just be Reader getting killed by Cybermen or something like that cuz I really like angst.

#doctor who #13th doctor #13th doctor x reader #thirteenth doctor #reader #13 #jodie whittaker #fanfiction #thirteenth doctor imagine #thirteenth doctor x reader

120 notes · View notes

sonicfanj · 4 years

Note

Why do you prefer Amy over Sally?

I’ve taken to long to answer this question and would like to first thank you for your patience Anon.

So, I suppose a bit of an explanation for why I took so long is due as well. Mostly, it was a lack of time but also trying to find a way to define ‘why’. There are an awful lot of ways I could go about it as I am the type of person who is heavily invested in the details. Unfortunately the more I thought about it the harder it was going to get for me to really actually break it down. Fortunately, something recently reminded me of the role the Uncle Chuck plays in it and I can fortunately use him to transition into my history with the characters.

Now, I’ve been a Sonic fan for a long time, all the way back to 1991 actually with the original. As a US citizen naturally I saw SatAM and AoStH on TV as well. Where I get strange from what I see though is that I was quite the picky kid. I couldn’t understand why Sonic did not match his in game design, and had no idea what was wrong with Eggman. And yes, even back in the early 90s I was one of the few kids who knew the Japanese name was his original name, though I used them interchangeably back then. The thing is though, neither show ever looked like the games and that bothered me to no end. I recall that my older siblings and I preferred SatAM to AoStH for the more serious story and atmosphere, even likening it to the bad futures of Sonic CD. There in though is where the divide begins.

I was one of the very few kids who played Sonic CD back in 1993 and to this day it is still my favorite Sonic game, no less video game of all time. I actually did not play the higher praised by the fanbase Death Egg Saga games until Sonic Jam on the SEGA Saturn and that little collection did something for me that Sonic CD had also done. They showed me with the OVA trailer that Sonic and Eggman could be drawn properly. It showed me that Tails could be colored properly. They showed me that the wonder of the games could be captured in animation. It was glorious and to this day still leaves me yearning for a Sonic anime that actually captures it. Sonic CD on it’s own though was already killing SatAM for me.

A lot of people praise the Freedom Fighters. That quirky crew of rebels has brought so many people so much joy and I have nothing but respect for them for that. The thing is though, they were forgettable to me. When I turned my back on pretty much anything that was not the games that I knew I completely forgot about them until I finally got involved in the fanbase after Sonic Generations was announced and I had to do some major research to know what anyone was talking about. A game centric upbringing with only really main games as those I played will do that.

Amy meanwhile, despite CD being the only game I played that she was in until Adventure just struck me right. Her design, her on screen personality. These things just filled me with joy and it was very rare that I would not interreact with her in Palm Tree Panic as much as I could. I was actually so disappointed her design was changed for Adventure but her personality was exactly what I was expecting; a sweet bubbly girl with a lot of spunk and a love for Sonic.

So at this point I should come back around to Uncle Chuck as he will be necessary to explain why it took so long for me to even find anything in Sally worth enjoying, no less actually liking her come the 252 reboot. As I mentioned above, Sonic CD is my favorite game all time, but for as much as I loved Amy even back in 1993, Metal Sonic was my favorite character. Getting to Stardust Speedway and spending hours trying to beat him were the highlights with my playing back the until I finally beat him and cleared the game. That difficulty endeared Metal Sonic to me and left a very strong impression on me that still persists to this day. The thing is, Metal Sonic was my childhood and Uncle Chuck was a slap in the face.

You may recall that back in SatAM and a lot of early Archie, Uncle Chuck spent a lot of time roboticized. Now I know I did not see SatAM regularly because TV stations are questionable in their practices and I have parents who wanted the TV for their own shows. As a result I was unprepared for his introduction and in the cliffhanger where they simply showed a pair of red glowing eyes, little Metal Sonic fan that I was thought they were introducing Metal Sonic. When the next episode revealed it was a roboticized Uncle Chuck and not Metal Sonic, it was the last straw for the kid that was into Sonic for the games, and I only had access to two of them. Yet I turned my back on SatAM and everything made in the US that was not directly related to the games.

So because of Uncle Chuck my primary exposure to the cast were the main games and Sonic CD. Adventure finally let me play as Amy and the Freedom Fighters were a shoved aside memory from a wasted opportunity who never impressed themselves onto me. All of that changed come Generations as X showed me that even the Japanese could butcher the games I love and not draw Sonic right and as I joined the fandom through the US Sally should have had the chance to impress herself upon me. Unfortunately she was not given that opportunity because of her fans.

As is obvious, I’m an Amy fan. When I joined the fandom being an Amy fan in the US was not seen as a good thing and the war of hatred between Sally fans and Amy fans still has scars left over today throughout the Sonic community. When presented with Sally through the fans I interacted with, Sally was simply perfection incarnate and Amy should die in a fire while Sonic worships her for killing the hellspawn. It was not a good experience and offered no support for the games and the adventures I enjoyed and came to Sonic for. I also for a time came to despise the character solely for her fans which happened to me in recent years with the Tales of Franchise and the character Alisha. Unpleasant fans make it difficult to enjoy a character or even come to at least understand them. Fortunately I was willing to do some research of my own because I still felt like I needed the knowledge, and maybe the character could speak for herself. I was in for quite a bit of disappointment.

What my research turned up at the time was a character who was simultaneously useless, nothing more but an object of power for Sonic to worship like an indoctrinated thrall, and managed to match Tails in point of view at the time of dumbing Sonic down to where I felt in their presences he couldn’t figure out he was supposed to open his own mouth to eat if they weren’t there. This may be hard to believe but I actually disliked Tails quite a bit for several years as Sonic seemed to be constantly dumbed down so Tails could be useful rather than the kid who could keep up if he gave his all. Yet the OVA (subbed) saved Tails for me. Sally meanwhile continued to undermine Sonic with the Genesis Story during the events of Sonic 1 via the first Genesis Wave where she “helped” Sonic find the courage to enter the water in Labyrinth Zone and he found it not so bad because of her. It was one of the few times I found why people called her a Mary Sue.

What finally saved Sally for me was actually Amy. Though I never liked how aggressive and violent Amy had become compared to playful and mischievous from Sonic X on, and a coming reexamination of her character after learning she addressed Sonic a certain way in the Japanese manuals leading me to fully fall for Kazuyuki Hoshino’s vision of her, her conversations with Mecha Sally would turn the tide for Sally. Amy being Amy spoke of friendship and the friendship they had. While I never read the comics and could not examine their relationship, come the reboot in 252, from the get go the two were shown as good friends and I could finally see Sally’s character. She was wise tactically and cared for her friends, bit was also highly responsible and took her duties seriously. In Amy and her friends she found the comfort to unwind and just be another person no matter what was going on. Her and Amy’s chats while going around the world during the lead up to and during the Unleashed adaption made her fun and enjoyable, no less relatable. She was finally a character, a person, and not just an object that Sonic was chained to like a slobbering cartoon dog with their bone. It was refreshing and I enjoy the friendship between Sally and Amy so much that I still feel if the Freedom Fighters were to have been adapted to IDW for just a cameo that Sally would have been the perfect friend to hand the Restoration off to as she finally returned to her own adventuring ways. And that right there is the big difference point.

I come to Sonic for adventure, whimsy, and wonder. The sense of discover of meeting new people and seeing wonderous new locations. I love characters full of life and the love for adventure. Sally, unfortunately for her, does not represent that. Her role for years kept Sonic away from those adventures. Instead of supporting whimsy and constant new discovery, she supported stability and staying forever at home. By the nature of her role as a character and in universe, she just can’t be that type of character and that is not her fault. Amy meanwhile is a character designed to follow Sonic no matter where he goes. That she also is a girly-tomboy, one of my favorite character archetypes, but also bubbly and silly, playful and mischievous, and generally full of good cheer and limitless positivity (or used to be at lease) just always entertains me. That she also has the courage to open wear and express her emotions, including her love, is both entertaining on one hand, but also inspiring on another when you are raised in a society that hates honesty, emotions, and expressing that you love someone. Amy was refreshing, whereas Sally when I first looked into her, and her fans that I interacted with, represented oppression and that being you was the worst thing that could ever happen to the human race, something that Sonic and Amy both stand against. Fortunately Amy showed me there is plenty to like with Sally, and it’s a real shame her character was vaulted before that potential could finally be perceived. And yet, in the end, as I grew up on the main games and had my expectations born of them and further refined as I learned more and more of the Japanese lore for the games, Sally and the role she has could never provide me with what I come to Sonic for. Adventure, the whimsy that gives rise to it, the discovers that come from it, and the heroics at it’s climax. Sally by nature is not a whimsical character, nor should she be. It isn’t who she is and she deserves to be respected for that. And it’s thanks to her friendship with Amy that I finally saw that and can enjoy her character. But like Amy, I want to follow Sonic on his adventures, and her bubbly, playful, cheerful, optimistic, and mischievous personality makes following Sonic that much more enjoyable to me.

To simplify it here at the end, my love of Metal Sonic and Uncle Chuck prevented me from ever learning who Sally was. It was Amy’s friendship with her that finally changed that and I found a character who has a lot of potential and is quite enjoyable on her own. But Amy’s personality, whimsy, and propensity for adventure, or the the trouble that will take her on one, makes her the more enjoyable character for me. I know the whole explanation was a little long, but I hope it helps explains my preference for you Anon. Thanks for asking.

11 notes · View notes

sonicringbond · 3 years

Text

Sonic Ring Bond: The Journey - Scene 32

Today’s scene is perhaps a little different from most, as it’s really time to start breathing life into the plot of the AU with some world building. And it is perhaps a lot, but hopefully everyone finds it entertaining in...

“Mote says that wouldn’t be a good idea.”

“Really? Rosy asked and looked over at Draw.

~Our travels had taken us far and wide, but today we had ended up in small river town. Almost everything was made up of bricks from the buildings to the roads. The exception of course were the steam pipes that lined the city and powered the massive machine at the heart of the city that directed river traffic and moved water from the river into brick walled canals. The canals took water away from the city and out into the surrounding farmlands. It was pretty amazing considering a single Ring Shift could up end everything. Though there were plenty of signs of new construction, and even abandoned drills here and there.

~But the city was far from what had caught my attention that Draw and Mote warned me against. There was a poster that had been put up and it was advertising a Knight’s Banquet. It was to be hosted by a knight by the name of Claymore the Purple. The thing is though, looking at his photograph on the poster… well, it was obvious he was an autogolem. His gears and pistons were clearly visible under his armor. It was really sharp looking armor and with his long pointy helmet made him look like he was designed around a sword. Still, it was weird Draw didn’t want to go after him. I wonder if there was something special about him.

~We had already heard word about him as it was too. The black robed priests, the Preservers I guess, had been making a fuss about him everywhere we encountered them. They warned that any who still committed the heresy of interacting with the Rings would be put to the good knight’s sword. Honestly, that doesn’t seem very knightly or good to me. But he must have his reasons. I’m sure of it.~

The story of Claymore the Purple was not one Rosy was likely to hear in any detail any time soon. Rather, just the rumors surrounding the autogolem knight. The Preservers themselves had thought that the member of the Sword Knights was but a relic of a forgotten age who had long since stopped functioning. But then the day came when the second Red Star Ring rose into the sky and a bolt of red lightning tore across it from one horizon to the other becoming a permanent scar and crack in the sky. As the world stabilized from the onset of sudden Ring Shifts and opening of Ring Gates all over, the purple armored autogolem came to life with violet glowing eyes and stood for the first time in ages under its own power.

“Oh, to wake again! Hohoho! How many ages has it been I wonder?”

Striding confidently from the temple that housed his slumbering form, Claymore observed the city of Tower Point. It was a religious city that was a mess of towers and bridges stretching into the sky. The architecture of every last one of them was as though meant for a gothic cathedral, save where great telescopes watched the ominous little planet in the sky. Though as Claymore strode across the bridges and terrified the clergy who called the city home, the telescopes were watching the red crack and the world beyond it.

“Hmm, I hear radio chatter, but it seems to be a rather primitive use. Has the world fallen further than we anticipated? Ho! It best be then that I seek out answers to my questions.”

Claymore seemed to lack any real sense of direction towards his goal and simply asked the first black robed priest who fell over and could not flee in terror.

“Ho good Preserver!” Claymore greeted them with a raised hand and boisterous mirth. “You seem fearful of my visage so I must presume that it has been some ages since your order was founded to keep the world safe from Yoluku. I see the foul orb still hangs in the sky as well, but I sense not it’s presence. Would I be wrong in presuming then that Yoluku has not woken?”

“N– no!” the priest managed to stammer out. They nigh screamed though as Claymore squatted down halving his three-meter height and rested his forearms on his knees.

“Yet your words hold question good Preserver. Has the name Yoluku been lost then? To think the Rings could absorb even that much. Have the Preservers then failed in their mission to keep the people aware of the evil of the Rings and Yoluku?”

“No– No!” The priest exclaimed in adamant denial. Managing to get to their feet, they looked upon the gleaming purple autogolem and swallowed fiercely, but their pride and faith gave them strength to address the knight. “The Rings are taboo. Only heretics such as the Engineers would make use of them.”

“Heretics you say. Ho!” With a mirthful laugh Claymore again rose to his tremendous full height. “A few heretics are to be expected. But that they wear not the name Yoluku, then surely, we are fortunate. The foul evil may have been forgotten, but it holds no influence. Yet this scar…”

Stepping forward, Claymore took his pointed chin in hand and gazed upon the cracked sky. “Someone remembers and they are afraid. A Sword Knight would not be woken otherwise.

“Tell me good Preserver,” Claymore again turned his full attention onto the priest, “how many Red Star Rings have you seen rise into the sky? And fear not should you not remember, I shall but wake my companion who can make use of the cursed Rings. After all, the Rings will always remember.”

“…Two…,” the priest managed to answer staring in awe at the knight, and not the least bit free of confusion either. “And within recent enough memory. We can give you no definitive time, but children have far from become adults since the first one was seen. That a second and now this crack across the sky have appeared… The people are afraid–”

“Good Knight,” Claymore interrupted the priest to remind them to properly address him. “I am a knight and will be addressed with the respect I am due good Preserver.”

“Of– of course Good Knight!”

“Glad to hear it. Ho!” Claymore patted the priest’s back gently in affirmation of his good cheer. The priest could still barely contain his horror however at the autogolem and needed prompted to continue. “Now, as you were saying about the good people.”

“They are afraid–,” a look came from Claymore as the priest nearly left out proper addressing of the knight and they near bit their tongue to correct themselves,” Good Knight. They fear that the world is at its end.”

“Ho! Only to be expected. Such is the fear they should hold of Yoluku. But tell me, do the mediums hear Yoluku’s whispers?”

“Mediums, Good Knight?”

“Ho!” Claymore exclaimed in surprise. “Are there none left who speak with the gods? Ho! Completely preposterous. Surely there are some. There must be! How can you know it is time to wake the Sword Knights if there are no mediums to warn you of Yoluku’s whispers?”

“I’m afraid I do not know, Good Knight. Fortunetellers and such witches are at most a curiosity and a mockery of a good occupation. None take their ramblings seriously, and any who do are usually swindled of their time and hope. They are crooks and charlatans.”

“And surely none of which are mediums. Ho!”

Turning away from the priest and again to the sky, Claymore rested his fists on his hips as his cape fluttered down around him. “Yet I stand woken, The scar tears across the sky. There are those who seek the evils of the Rings. Ho! Surely it is a mystery. Could it be that one of my companions stands woken? We must know good Preserver.”

“But how can we, Good Knight?” The priest regretted asking as soon as Claymore turned around and bent at the waist to lower himself to the priest with a raised finger.

“Why by hosting a banquet. And one that all far and wide are welcome to. In such a fashion any of my woken peers will come, and we will be able to find any mediums in their wake. And the sight of a Sword Knight will surely alleviate their fears. We stood victorious once against Yoluku and the Traitor, so there is little doubt that we can prevent Yoluku’s awakening. Ho!

“Now go good Preserver. Gather your fellows and tell them that Claymore the Purple calls for a banquet. And to ready the world for its salvation! Ho!”

As unlikely as it seemed, the autogolem had his way and plans for the banquet were made known far and wide. Pressing a finger into her cheek, Rosy tilted her head as she continued to study the poster.

“What’s the hold up? Sonic asked as he walked up behind Rosy.

“Oh! Sonic!”

Turning to Sonic, Rosy missed Draw tear the poster from the wall and crumble it up.

“Nothing,” the young koala dismissed the whole event. “Just this weirdo gushing about how cool you supposedly are.”

“Supposedly?”

“Take that back Draw! Sonic really is really, really, cool!”

~I guess Draw did a good job of distracting me. Calling Sonic only supposedly cool though. Hmph! How could he? Sonic is infinitely cooler than some golem knight.

~But he is an autogolem, so does that mean that he’s powered by a fairy like Mote?~

Her playful pursuit of Draw losing its energy, Rosy again pressed a finger into her cheek as she tried to catch a glimpse of the yellow fairy who avoided her at all cost. Naturally, she did not spot Mote and grew thoughtful as she looked back to where the poster had been.

~I wonder why it is that Mote is so against me meeting them? Could they be a really strong golem like Ix? Or are they his ally. Maybe, maybe they’re the one who put Mote and their friends in those first auto golems I saw.

~Ooh~! I really don’t know what is going on anymore, and my friends are all still out there somewhere too. What am I supposed to do when I don’t know enough?~

“Something wrong kid?”

“Nothing now that you’re here,” Rosy squealed and grabbed onto Sonic’s hand as it landed on her shoulder.

~That’s right~ Sonic’s here~♥ In that case, I know everything will be okay. We’ll find our friends, find a way home, save Mote’s friends, and save the world too if we need to! As long as Sonic’s here, we can do anything!~

Scene 32 · CLEARED And After That, End

-----

And there we go. Maybe a little off from expectations for a Sonic story, but it’s necessary to really start building the world and starting with a strongly out of place element is a good start as I get to slowly blend it together into a cohesive whole. It’ll take some time, but I hope everyone will bear with me while we travel down what will hopefully be a long and enjoyable Journey.

-----

Special Thanks to Cutegirlmayra Story by @JoshTarwater/SonicFanJ Inspiring Song – Lumacie Archipelago: Mystic Woodland – Tsutomu Narita – Granblue Fantasy Original Soundtrack

Fair Use Disclaimer

Sonic the Hedgehog and all affiliated characters and logos are the express property and Copyright© of SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS used without permission under Title 17 U.S.C Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976 in which allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. “Fair use” is use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be considered copyright infringement. The Sonic Ring Bond: The Journey alternate universe (AU) consumer written work of fiction is a non-profit transformative work primarily for personal use and can and will be taken down without warning or prior notice at the request of the copyright holder(s) should it not be recognized under “fair use”.

*Sonic Ring Bond logo created by DEE Art – twitter.com/daryliscute.

Sonic Ring Bond AU and Sonic Ring Bond: The Journey are the creation of Joshua David Tarwater/ynymbus/sonicfanj/@Joshtarwater and is to be, including all contents herein considered for all legal purposes the property of the Sonic the Hedgehog intellectual property (IP) and copyright owners, SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS. All story contributors via prompt, suggestion, written scene, art, and all and every other contribution acknowledge that all contributed material is forfeit for legal purposes to SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS upon official request from SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS.

#sonic the hedgehog #sonic fan fiction #sonic au #sonic au series #sonic ring bond #the journey #classic amy #amy rose #rosy the rascal #au amy #amy redesign #sonic ocs #patch #draw the koala #mote the fairy #claymore the purple

3 notes · View notes

briarlovesclara · 4 years

Text

Memory of a Song

(NOTE: this is an angst fic that contains spoilers for the entirety of River Song’s arc, series 4 (Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead), and series 5-8, as well as the series 9 Christmas special The Husbands of River Song. Not all material is canon that is quoted.) TW: death/regeneration, wrist mutilation (light)

The red streak startled him. Slowly, he rubbed his fingers over each other, spreading the lipstick onto his thumb, and pressed down as the wave of pain ripped through him. That color.

The plates clattered as he softly stacked them, full for the night. He looked up at her as she ate another biscuit, barely able to take her eyes off of him. With a rare smile, he reached over the table and lightly held her face with his hand. She sighed and leaned into the touch.

"Yes, sweetie?" She asked.

"Just making sure you're still here." He whispered.

"Ever after."

The towel was in his hands before he even noticed it, gently wiping at the smear on his fingers. He wondered idly if it would stain.

He held her face, his much younger now and hers much older. Slowly, he brought her cradled head to his and captured her in a soft kiss.

Even if my timeline kills me, he thinks, I will be ripped to shreds with River Song on my lips.

He rinsed off the towel, slowly wringing it out, and yet the red remained. Did it grow brighter the more he washed?

Her wrist was severely broken. Honestly, it was a wonder that she had gotten it out at all. But if anyone could, it was her.

The pain must be terrible, he thinks, and this thought above all is unbearable.

Gently, he picks up the swollen hand and concentrates deep inside himself. A warmth spreads through him, and he draws the sensation outward through his arms. Ignoring her angry protests, he calmly gives out the energy, healing her as she once healed him, as she will always heal him.

"Look into my eye." He made the Teselecta whisper. She started slightly, looking directly at him. Spinning around, he gave her a wink. His brilliant wife.

"When I was little, I was going to marry you."

"Good idea, let's get married. You stay alive and I'll marry you, deal? Deal?" He said frantically, trying to find a way to save Mels. He couldn't lose anyone, not again, not so soon after River, after the daughter of his best friends, after the strange and inexplicable woman who seemed to know everything about him.

"Shouldn't you ask my parents' permission?"

"As soon as you're well, I'll get them on the phone."

"Might as well do it now, since they're both right here." Mels said with a smirk, earning a confused look from all three of them. "Penny in the air." He watched in awe as golden light began to emanate from her. Who? How? Could she be... how... "Penny drops."

"What the hell's going on?"

"Back! Back! Back! Get back!"

Of course, he mused, that wasn't even the most interesting part of the day. The flirting, the poisoned kiss, the-- he mentally stuttered over the memory-- the voice interface, and of course, his revival. His secret. His moment of connection with her, the indescribable sensation of touching another Gallifreyan being. The towel was dry now, burning his hands as it rubbed against his skin.

The feeling of the silk shifted beneath his fingers, the thread molding to translate. He glanced down.

Oh, God. River.

"And Doctor River Song. Oh, you bad bad girl. What trouble have you got for me this time?" He teased in a low voice, shifting towards her.

The next thing he knew was a sharp pain as her hand whipped past him.

"Okay. I'm assuming that's for something I haven't done yet."

He looked down at the towel. Suddenly, all he wanted was the lipstick as far away from him as possible. He turned on the sink and sharply threw it under the tap before angrily rubbing his face, harder and harder, until he couldn't even feel it anymore.

He looked into her eyes. The impossibility. The mystery. The woman who, though he barely knew, had him wrapped around her finger. Not that he would ever admit it.

"Are you asking?"

"Yes."

"No, hang on. Did you think I was asking you to marry me" --he ignored the tightening in his stomach-- "or, or, or asking if you were married?"

"Yes."

"No, but was that yes, or yes?" He tried to control the nerves that flooded over him.

"Yes." The one simple word stopped him where he stood for a second as the vision hit him. Holding onto her, having some sort of claim to explain why he craved her company, having her crave him back... No! Spoilers. He reminded himself. Smiling softly, he changed the topic.

"River... who are you?"

"Octavian said you killed a man." The question had been growing inside him ever since the Father had died.

"Yes, I did." She said, suddenly averting his gaze.

"Who?"

"It's a long story, Doctor. It can't be told, it has to be lived. No sneak previews." He had expected as much. "Well, except for this one. You'll see me quite soon, when the Pandorica opens."

This complex, wild woman, he thought. He'd barely ever seen her, but as much as he hated to admit it he couldn't stop thinking about her. He doubted he ever would.

In the mirror, his face was getting red and as raw as his hands. Shouting in anger, he threw the rag at the ground, stomping on it over and over.

"It's not supposed to make that noise. You leave the brakes on."

His eyes were burning as he picked up the towel and tried to rip it apart with sheer strength. When that failed, he bit an edge until it frayed and pulled from there.

"that woman is not dragging me into anything."

A rip appeared.

"Oh Amy, Amy, Amy. This is the Doctor we're talking about. Do you really think it could be anything that simple?"

The cloth snapped bit by bit as the towel surrendered.

"The Aplans."

"The Aplans?"

"They've got two heads."

"Yes, I get that. So?"

"So why don't the statues?"

Snap, snap, snap.

"Look at you. Oh, you're young."

"I'm really not, you know."

"No, but you are. Your eyes. You're younger than I've ever seen you."

"You've seen me before, then?"

"Doctor, please tell me you know who I am."

Snap, snap, snap. Snap, snap, snap.

"What's in that book?"

"Spoilers."

Snap, snap, snap.

"Who are you?"

"Professor River Song, University of--"

"To me."

Snap, snap, snap.

"Who are you to me?"

"Again, spoilers."

Snap, snap, snap. Snap, snap, snap.

"The Doctor in the TARDIS. Next stop, everywhere."

"Spoilers. Nobody can open a TARDIS by snapping their fingers. It doesn't work like that."

"It does for the Doctor."

"I am the Doctor."

"Yeah, some day."

Snap.

"It'll burn out both your hearts and don't think you'll regenerate."

"I'll try my hardest not to die. Honestly, it's my main thing."

Snap.

"The last time I saw you, the real you, the future you, I mean, you turned up on my doorstep, with a new haircut and a suit."

Snap.

"I've had a haircut. This is my best suit."

"It's not even a suit."

The towel broke with a sharp ripping noise, sending him stumbling back. He looked down at the halves, surprised back into the present. He took a deep breath and threw it in the garbage before washing off his hands. His face was red and blotchy-- had he been crying?-- but there was no trace of his wife's last kiss on his lips. Shakily, he put on his sonic shades and the trash can erupted into flame. He turned around from the broken man in the mirror and walked to the TARDIS as the remaining bit of River Song burned.

He didn't let himself look back.

fin

8 notes · View notes

signor-signor · 4 years

Text

Trending 27th - January 2020

What have been your efforts in the campaign for SaveWOY and what are your upcoming plans to save WOY? Now this is a question worth answering!

In the past, I made a little list of the things I did to support SaveWOY and bring awareness to Wander Over Yonder’s existence and its third season plans. Since then, I’ve done a whole lot more from hand-drawn art to more intricate art. Some of them are almost as special as that signed poster @peepsqueak got from the WOY crew as a token of their gratitude.

Here’s an updated list of everything I did for SaveWOY so far:

Attended the SaveWOY picnic at Griffith Park, where I got to sign a banner.

Pointed out various higher-ups involved in the business of Disney television.

Sent several letters to the higher-ups, some of which had envelopes with an image of the downed space pod taped to them.

Started a weekly Twitter post series, SaveWOY Thought of the Week.

Made Lite-Brite art of Wander and Lord Hater, which Craig McCracken and Francisco Angones liked.

Attended D23 2017 with an Operation: FORCE drawing of Hater, a colored page of Wander and Sylvia and a few facts about WOY, and an orange pen with a green hat (I got the hat from the aforementioned picnic) - there, I signed a bench with Wander and the phrase, “Never hurts to help.”

Signed my name, drew Wander (and my own character, Jacken DeBox), and wrote, “Happiest place in outer space!” on the highest beam for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Wrote a letter (and drew Wander) for the victims of the Las Vegas tragedy with the message, “The darkest times call for the sunniest smiles!”

Got Craig to reveal the name of the ship (said to play a BIG part in S3, made a cameo in Future-Worm) when I commented that we’d have to figure out the name - his response: “The ship is called The Star Nomad.”

Wrote a couple of cards to two Disney higher-ups with the message, “A little nice makes naughty think twice!”

Drew Dominator in a situation that might take place several seconds after she passes the downed space pod, just in time for Noël Wells’s B-day.

Made the Star Nomad with LEGO Digital Designer.

Made three images in the style of the original Star Wars trilogy VHS set.

Posted 50 WOYS3PredictionPolls on Twitter.

Made an image of “The First 5 Years” with over 140 individuals (including the question marks for 3 new mains and 2 new regulars - I still want to know what they look like!) and one cleverly made Hidden Mickey.

Shared WOY-related images from my 1st 5 Years fan art on Twitter acknowledging the B-days of most of the voice actors (Charlie Adler, Kevin Michael Richardson, Ken Marino, Josh Sussman, H. Michael Croner, James Adomian, Jason Ritter, and Piotr Michael clearly noticed).

Typed a summary of how I think the S3 premiere would go.

Typed lyrics to “Let’s Go Soarin’ and Explorin’,” a song from my aforementioned S3 premiere summary. Wouldn’t it be great if Andy Bean used it?

Made a microgame with WarioWare: D.I.Y. where the player has to spin the fan to make the Star Nomad fly. Part of a chorus from “Let’s Go Soarin’ and Explorin’” included.

Started FanCharacterFriday on Twitter - more Tumblr users seem to like Dr. Otmar Vunderbar.

Made a short comic page of Lord Hater trying to break out of the DTVA vault plus a sly reminder that Disney owns the rights to WOY.

Shared a list of potential episode titles for S3.

Made an actual LEGO Star Nomad based on the model made with LDD. Hopefully, those who worked on WOY have noticed. In case you missed it, here’s a picture...

Now, the ideas I have in mind for further boosting support for the campaign. I may not be able to do most of them myself, but they are certainly for everyone’s consideration.

Provide updated information of higher-ups (if any).

As soon as we find out what Kid Cosmic looks like, expect fan art of him saying, “Watch my show and tell your friends so we’ll make that Mousey Company pay for what they did to my half-brother!”

Another SaveWOY picnic - if there’s one in my general area, you can count me in.

LP album artwork of My Fair Hatey.

A mural identical to that of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate consisting of not just characters from WOY, but also characters who were said to debut in S3 and characters who’d fit in perfectly, namely some of my OCs.

Pumpkin stencils of the main characters for Halloween.

Drawings of various WOY characters stuck on the ex-secret planet explaining why they need to leave said planet. Maybe I could also show how the galaxy’s villains would react if they learn that Lord Dominator’s been bested by Lord Hater.

Drawings consisting of SaveWOY-related messages spoken by the main characters from Disney shows that got at least three seasons (e.g. DuckTales, Fish Hooks), tons of love from the viewers and the executives (e.g. Gravity Falls), or both (e.g. SvtFoE, Mickey Mouse ‘13).

Example with Phineas and Ferb:

Phineas: “We may be creative and famous, but we’re not the ones who came up with the Star Nomad. It’s the ship powered by orbbles! Orbbles! I’d LOVE to see it take flight, wouldn’t you? If you let Mr. McCracken end the show his way, and not the executive way, which, truth be told, is the absolute worst, Wander will surely be elated!”

Ferb: “The Orbble Transporter was invented by conjoined twin brothers, voiced by the performers of the theme song.”

Irving (peeking in from the side): “Speaking of voices, the titular main character sounds JUST LIKE ME! How could you possibly resist?! And look, just because I’m the biggest fan of these guys (gesturing to P&F) doesn’t mean I have no interest in what’s planned for the furry orange fella!”

Since I’m a full-time Disneyland cast member, I should be able to make contacts with anyone who might have more clues about what S3 would entail. It might be a long shot, but if I’m able to convince Disney that WOY’s influence on my life boosted my chance at gaining employment at the company, they should understand.

A weekly Jeopardy-type pop quiz on Twitter - here’s the catch: you must refrain from finding information online when you read the answer (I bet you that the most hardcore fans of the most popular shows will get most of the questions wrong).

Example: This arachnomorph got his name from a dog tag he swallowed when he infiltrated a fish-shaped ship. He later became Lord Hater’s beloved pet.

-Who is Captain Tim?

Summaries of S3 episodes I made up myself a while back.

More fan-made characters - my most recent is an elected official of Cluckon, Mayor Spye C. Drumstick.

Conjuring a logo that best fits the status of S3/TV movie - Wander Over Yonder: The New Galaxy (the center would have the silhouette of the Star Nomad with Wander and Sylvia on it).

Brainstorming possible ideas for the three new main characters.

If all else fails, I suggest we make a web comic based on the hints we accumulated back in 2016 and what we learned from the cameo in Future-Worm’s finale. Team Sea3on has been taking that approach for SatAM Sonic the Hedgehog S3, though they are also making an animated version.

That’s about all I’ve got so far. In closing, I have several questions to ask as the new decade kicks off.

Disney executives: Are you even listening to us WOY fans? What more do you want? I’ve done so much for the campaign that I feel I’m entitled to know everything that was planned for WOY’s third and final season, especially now that I’m working full-time for your company. If you tell us what your demands are, we’d be happy to oblige.

@crackmccraigen: Are you aware of how hard the fans and I have been trying to talk Disney into giving you the chance for true closure? We’ll make sure we watch KC when it comes out on Netflix. If we’re lucky, we might see WOY get added to Disney+, where it should get that closure, assuming you’ll have finished KC your way before then.

@suspendersofdisbelief: I know you’re super busy with DuckTales and you love the plans for WOY S3 so much that you can’t bear to reveal it all in one post, but it’s been waaaay too long since we got any hints from you. Are there any other WOY S3-related facts you could describe in much greater detail? The campaign could do with more motivation.

Non-WOY fans: Are you convinced? Need I remind you what’s in the end tag of the “last” episode of WOY? You know there’s much more to life than tales from the land of Ooo, a blue middle school cat boy in a world of unusual individuals, adolescent twins in an Oregon town filled with oddities, a half-gem half-human protagonist, a coming-of-age princess of Mewni, a trio of ursine trend-followers in San Francisco, and all that jazz. If you’re not one bit interested in Hater’s origin story and all that was planned for S3, it’s your loss.

Pessimists: Will you please dispense with this unnerving “Wander is dead” talk? As a certain Popeye would say, “That’s all I can stands, I can’t stands no more!” You’re not trying to let the Disney bosses win, are you? You probably used to think previously canceled shows like Hey Arnold!, Samurai Jack, and Young Justice could never be brought back. The point is, all is not lost.

@peepsqueak and WOY fans/SaveWOY supporters: Have I been of assistance? Almost every remark I’ve ever made shows wit and perception. I mean, just think. Wander is still stuck in that vault where his goal of reforming Lord Hater remains incomplete, and he has no idea of what threat awaits him. He says, “Glorn, help us.” It’ll take something big and extraordinary to convince every Disney fan (and perhaps every Netflix fan) to talk some sense into the higher-ups. Not to mention the replacement/back-up voice actors we’ll have to find if Disney takes even longer (we already lost one - René Auberjonois). We shan’t rest until we get the answers!

@disneyanimation

24 notes · View notes

timeagainreviews · 4 years

Text

The Filler Fluff of the Cybermen

When is a two-parter not a two-parter? When the first part is tonight’s episode "Ascension of the Cybermen." As stories go, that was pretty damn sparse. I’ll be honest, friends, I don’t have a lot to say about tonight’s story. But that’s not why you come here, so I will try my damnedest to find something to talk about in this latest episode of Doctor Who. Right, now, how many words was that? Sixty-seven? Christ. This is going to be a slog.

I honestly shouldn’t be surprised. It had to happen. I was saying just last week that I hadn’t seen an episode I outright hated so far this series. We were due. That’s not to say I actually feel hate for this episode, more accurately, I feel very little about this episode. Usually, I endeavour to do more than simply trash an episode, but tonight, it’s either that, or I end the review here. So apologies ahead of time.

The episode opens on a Cyberman head floating in space with some knucklehead voiceover telling us about how the Cybermen have been mostly wiped out and what remains of humanity isn’t much better. The episode will now spend the next fifty minutes reiterating this point ad nausea. It was like a Star Wars title crawl, except in Star Wars, the crawl isn’t the plot of the movie you’re about to watch. Funnily, a lot of tonight’s episode reminded me of "The Last Jedi." Our heroes get split up. A slow chase ensues. No new information is gained. And it ends leaving us feeling like not a lot happened.

The Doctor and her companions come to a small human colony in the distant future. There are only seven of them left. The Doctor sets up a series of relays to help this ragtag bunch of humans kill off an oncoming Cyberman attack. Only thing is, they had never accounted for the Cybermen to first send out "Cyber Drones." Now, say you’ve got a room full of artists who love Doctor Who. And you tell them all to design drones that will be utilised by Cybermen. You can imagine they might have some rather impressive designs. Now, gather up all of those beautiful and creative drawings into your arms and throw them in the bin. Instead, we’re going to just use floating Cyberman heads. Was this because Chibnall is the kind of guy who thinks a dude with teeth pressed into his face is creepy or is this because reusing Cyberman heads is cheap? I’ll let you decide.

The Cyberheads and their eye lasers do quick work of the Doctor’s relays and sends everyone scattering to the wind. With three of the humans dead, Ryan, a young boy named Ethan, and the Doctor get left behind. Yaz and Graham, find themselves aboard a rickety gravraft with the remainder of the humans. With the TARDIS too far away, the Doctor decides they need to hijack a Cybership. I gotta give it to the Cybermen, they take better care of their ship than they do their own bodies. It’s almost as if there was no continuity in the design. Or maybe it’s like when you see someone whose life is a total mess but they have a dope car. I’ll let you decide.

After Ethan hotwires the Cybership, the Doctor pilots the ship to the most logical destination- her TARDIS. No, I’m just kidding, that would have made sense! Instead, she goes somewhere. I just double-checked with my boyfriend and we honestly couldn’t remember why anyone was doing anything at this point in the episode. After combing the episode I finally found a bit of throwaway dialogue where Ethan programmed the ship to go to a place called "Ko Sharmus." Meanwhile, the other group of protagonists are floating listlessly in space, making them the most relatable characters in this episode as that’s exactly how I felt.

By now you’re probably wondering why I haven’t gotten to the B-story happening in this episode. I guess here is as good a place as any, as it made just as much sense crammed anywhere in the episode it pleased. We see a young man and woman find a baby. This baby grows up to be their adopted son, Brendan. Brendan becomes a cop. Brendan gets shot and falls off a cliff. Brendan wakes up unscathed. Brendan’s dad looks at him like he’s creepy. Brendan grows old and retires. Brendan’s dad and boss, seemingly having not aged, wipe his memory. It makes as much sense as a wicker toilet and gives us no new information. At one point I thought he may have been Captain Jack’s kid, but then he grows old, so I don’t know what to think. What I do know is that you could have edited it down and made it into a far better cold opener than that Cyberhead floating in space shit.

The humans aboard the gravraft get stranded next to a giant Cyberman ship where a battle has gone down. Remnants of Cybermen ping the hull of their vessel like tiny asteroids. They get the bright idea to use the airlock to give the gravraft an extra thrust into the Cybership. I don’t know if it was intentional, but having Graham say "Don’t panic," right before they release the airlock was a nice little Douglas Adams reference. Or maybe it wasn’t at all, but I’ll take any joy from this episode I can get. Much like the idiotic hip bounce from "Can You Hear Me?" that knocked the sonic screwdriver up into the Doctor’s hands, the gravraft makes a million in one shot directly into the Cyberman ship’s docking bay. If they have that kind of luck sinking shots like that, they should really take their skills to the minigolf course.

The second I saw the ship, I knew that they were going to do the rows upon rows of sleeping Cybermen emerging from their tombs. It’s a Doctor Who trope as old as the Patrick Troughton era. My boyfriend was enjoying these bits as he is less familiar with the history of Doctor Who, so I let him have his fleeting enjoyment. I couldn’t even get jazzed about the new Cyberman design as they had already spoiled it with online photos. Basically, aside from the head-scratching B-story, the plot to tonight’s episode could be gathered by looking at promotional photos. There were new Cybermen. The Lone Cyberman was there. Nothing new to be learned here. Though, I will admit those new Cybermen are genuinely awesome.

The Doctor has a brief encounter with a hologram of the Lone Cyberman, or "Ashad." We learn that Ashad doesn’t just want to destroy all humans, he wants to destroy all life in the universe, for reasons. So I guess it wasn’t all a wash. Ashad heads to the Cybership where he begins waking up the Cybermen by what looks like torture. I have absolutely zero idea why he was doing what he was doing. It’s not at all made clear. Was he giving a titty twister so the Cybermen would accept him as their leader? Because after waking up the rest of them, they all seem to fall in line. Honestly, what the hell was he doing to that Cyberman? It makes no goddamn sense.

One thing I will say that made me happy was that one of my predictions from before episode one came true. They gave Graham a bit of a love interest. I called that shit. This possible love interest came in the form of Ravio, one of the human colonists. I found it rather amusing that in the future humans would still speak with British accents but have lost all context for Cockney rhyming slang. It was a cute bit of dialogue that falls apart if you think about it too much. The Cybermen force the humans into a corner to barricade themselves from the onslaught of Cybermen, and that’s where they’re left until next weekend.

Meanwhile, the Doctor arrives at Ko Sharmus which ends up being a person’s name as opposed to a planet. Chris Chibnall’s ability to name characters has not improved. Seriously, there are characters named Feekat and Yedlarmi in this episode. It hardly matters though as they’re all rather forgettable. I had to comb the episode and the internet just to figure out who was who. The Doctor never even introduces herself to Ethan. I had to figure his name out through one of the many throwaway lines of dialogue. That’s not to say that they don’t have real bits of character development. But you can take all of the character development in the world and wrap it around a hollow plot and it equals a lot of me not giving a shit.

Ko Sharmus was a welcome addition, simply because he was played by the charismatic Ian McElhinney. Turns out he’s a human colonist who stays behind in case any more humans might one day also come to this planet. There’s a sort of gateway or “boundary” out of the galaxy where many humans have gone to escape pursuit by Cyberman. Ko Sharmus’ job is to act as a guide to any possible newcomers also looking to reach said boundary. However, the Doctor quickly learns that the boundary is actually a gateway to Gallifrey. Only now it shows Gallifrey as the Master left it- in ruins.

Did I mention the Master? Well, here he is, making a "grand" entrance. The only thing at this point that was grand about the introduction of the Master to the story was that I was excited that something of substance was actually about to happen. Instead, this is our cliffhanger- this not at all surprising reveal that the Master is still alive. Of course, he is, he’s the Master. It’s a season finale with the Cybermen, of course, the Master is going to be there. It’s been that way for the past two Cyberman season finales. I guess the third time is a charm? What about any of this is supposed to be surprising? Remember how I said I was afraid they were becoming far too reliant on big reveals? This ending is the epitome of that. I think they expected to blow our minds by having the storyline they set up at the beginning of the series come into fruition. Try harder Chibs, this shit was weak.

The biggest shocker here is how little happened. What we were left with was akin to a classic filler episode where the Doctor gets captured. They padded out everything because they didn’t want next week’s episode to be ten minutes longer. Tonight’s episode exists purely because Chris Chibnall couldn’t edit down the script of a single episode into something shorter. This wouldn’t be so egregious if at least one storyline came to some sort of conclusion. If the B-story with Brendan had gone somewhere it might have made the entire episode feel somewhat worth the time and effort. Instead, we’re forced to watch a team of talented actors fill time.

I can’t help but feel like last week’s episode should have been this week’s episode with maybe a bit more setup for the finale. In place of this forgettable fluff, we could have gotten a single contained episode in its place. Something that had a beginning, middle, and end. Because of this, it’s almost as if we’ve been shorted an episode. Because of all of the wasted time in "Ascension of the Cybermen," I can only think of two outcomes for next week. One is an episode crammed so full of exposition that it will feel messy and disjointed. The other is an episode that is as equally underwhelming as tonight’s effort. Do you really mean to tell me they’re going to fit a Cyberman battle, Captain Jack, the Master, Gallifrey, the Timeless Child, and possibly Ruth into an episode and it not be a mess? It’s hard to have faith that there is a reason behind this much wasted screentime. I could use some of Graham’s optimism because at this moment it’s looking a bit hopeless.

17 notes · View notes

theeverlastingshade · 5 years

Text

Favorite Albums of the 2000s

10. In Rainbows- Radiohead

After Radiohead released Hail to the Thief it seemed pretty set in stone that while they may still go on to continue releasing great records, it’s unlikely that they’d ever put out another record that shatters expectations and makes a bid for being among their best work. And then we received In Rainbows, a shocking late-career game changer so assured, dynamic, and brilliant that there are music fans that came of age around its release that still claim it’s the best Radiohead album. It’s not, but it’s exceptional nonetheless; a perfect fusion of the art-rock, electronic rock, and avant-guard impulses that they’d seem to have perfected by the time Kid A dropped, but had never quite navigated so fluidly. It’s a best of both worlds record that’s lean, perfectly paced, and contains some of the strongest songwriting of Thom Yorke’s entire career. It was the first Radiohead record since Kid A to sound like a revelatory statement able to stand on its own, and not simply exist in the shadow of prior records. The pay what you want model that they used to sell the record was a game-changer at the time of its release, but it’s the warm orchestration, frigid beats, and dynamic range that gave this record the staying power that it has. It’s the kind of record that displays an assured effortlessness that belies what exceptional musicians they all are, and reminds you why you fell in love with the band in the first place.

The one-two punch of “15 Step” and “Bodysnatchers” sets the pace for what’s to come; the former a glitchy electronic song that seems to hint at a less claustrophobic approach to Amensiac before the latter, propelled by a motorik rhythm and Yorke’s fractured wail, erupts and shatters that notion. The two of these songs taken together give a fairly apt depiction of the poles that Radiohead where bouncing back and forth from, and the tension arising from that balancing act propels the record forward. Caught between the somber guitar ballad “Nude” and the lumbering, electronic midpoint crescendo “All I Need” is the fidgety, nimble guitar work of “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” which does a wonderful job of offsetting the dreaminess of the previous track and preparing you for the creeping dread of what immediately follows. “Faust Arp” is a welcome, jangly transition from the heaviness of “All I Need” into the album’s most accessible song, “Reckoner”, and through that song’s warm melody and infectious percussion the downtempo march of “House of Cards” sounds like a perfect transition, with its string drones setting the stage for the record’s best song to arrive. There isn’t a moment wasted throughout the entire record, and it’s a marvel to hear the band cover such vast ground and still end up with something so concise.

Being a Radiohead record it should come as no surprise that In Rainbows tackles themes of existential dread, apocalyptic visions, corruption, and alienation throughout. “Nude” grapples with groupthink, the tendency for societies to not operate in the best interests of its people, and the inherent emptiness that defines the human experience “You paint yourself white/And fill up with noise/But there’ll be something missing”. “Bodysnatchers” explores someone faking their way through life and being unable to live the way they truly are “I have no idea what I’m talking about/I’m trapped in this body and can't get out” while “Faust Arp” finds someone crushed under the weight of monotony, recognizing the issue but seemingly lacking the courage or conviction to change his surroundings “Dead from the neck up, I guess I’m stuck, stuck, stuck/We thought you had it in you/But no, no, no”. “Videotape” ends the record on a perfect thematic note with the narrator making a videotape for the love of his life before he kills himself “No matter what happens now/You shouldn’t be afraid/Because I know today has been/The most perfect day I’ve ever seen”, drawing an unsettling through line from the closer on Kid A. The themes of despair throughout the digital age have become increasingly more realized with each subsequent Radiohead album from OK Computer onward, but they hit a notable new peak on In Rainbows. In Rainbows isn’t their most ambitious, or accomplished album, but it perhaps best distills what their essence best, succinctly showcasing just how peerless they were and remain.

Essentials: “Jigsaw Falling Into Place”, “All I Need”, “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi”

9. The Glow, Pt. 2- The Microphones

Before Phil Elverum recorded two devastating records about the loss of his wife, Genevieve, and the process of having to raise his daughter without her by his side under his current Mount Eerie moniker, he spent several years recording lo-fi psychedelic folk songs as The Microphones. He switched gears in 2003 and continued recording music as a solo act, having swapped the name of The Microphones for Mount Eerie (the name of the final record recorded as The Microphones) feeling that he had taken the former project to its natural conclusion. Before making the switch, Elverum recorded four albums as The Microphones that each rank as among the most accomplished and thoroughly engaging albums that he’s recorded to date. While all are exceptional and worth anyone’s time, The Glow Pt. 2 is the best of the bunch, and still stands as Elverum’s magnum opus. An idiosyncratic LP bursting with personality and color while folding in psychedelic folk, noise, lo-fi, ambient, and indie rock The Glow Pt. 2 is a colossal tour de force through Elverum’s tastes, and it hangs together remarkably well. He would continue to explore various facets of styles explored here on subsequent releases, but no single record of his before or after captures the vivid imagination and breadth of his musicianship quite like The Glow Pt. 2.

Opener “I Want Wind to Blow” sets the stage for what’s to come through gentle acoustic strums, repetition, and a generous use of space while growing increasingly grand in scope until it explodes during its last minute with pummeling percussion and thick slabs of distorted noise. “I Want Wind to Blow” is one of the longest songs here, with most ranging from 1 to 2 minutes, just long enough to begin exploring an idea and then smoothly transitioning to something else before wearing its welcome. There are songs like “(Something)” that drift by quickly with little more than droning strings floating eerily throughout the mix, and others like “Map” that are a treasure trove of eclectic instrumentation that seem to be constantly rising and falling in intensity for several minutes without locking into a steady groove for too long. “Headless Horseman” gets a ton of mileage out of a softly strummed ukulele and Elverum’s tender vocals while the menacing “I Want to be Cold” pits a searing cymbal rhythm against smoldering, distorted guitars with Elverum’s voice barely audible above the noise. The individual songs may run the gamut through a myriad of different genres, but the analog warmth, droning motifs, tape hiss, and punctual silence tie everything together as one vast landscape of thematic and sonic coherence. No matter how far ranging some of the songs here develop with respect to everything else around them, the production renders each song with the same unmistakable warmth and richness.

The Glow Pt. 2 is centered around a breakup that Elverum experienced, and he details his thoughts and feelings throughout the ordeal, consistently blurring the lines between fact and fiction while gradually finding solace in nature. “I Want Wind to Blow” opens the record right after the storm has died down as he begs for a change to sweep away the sense of loss that he’s beginning to endure “My clothes off me, sweep me off my feet/Take me up, don’t bring me back/Oh, where I can see days pass by me/I have no head to hold in grief”. This leads directly into the record’s centerpiece and title track where Elverum comes to terms with the fact that his girlfriend and best friend became romantically involved with one another. Elverum recognizes that life will go on whether or not he wants it to in that moment “I could not get through September without a battle/I faced death, I went in with my arms swinging/But I heard my own breath/And I had to face that I’m still living”, and slowly works his way back towards the resolve to go on. Throughout the rest of the record he tries to erase memories of the relationship (“The Moon”), succumbs to pure apathy (“I Want to be Cold”), comes to terms with how insignificant he is within the scope of the universe (“I Felt My Size”), and eventually comes to terms with what remains of his life as he slowly bleeds out in the forest (“My Warm Blood”). The experience that Elverum draws from throughout The Glow Pt. 2 is universal, but it’s rarely been translated into such a rich, transcendent experience.

Essentials: “I Want Wind to Blow”, “The Glow, Pt. 2″, “Map”

8. Since I Left You- The Avalanches

While the last decade saw the release of many brilliant records, there were very few that were as legitimately inventive as Since I Left You. The debut album by The Avalanches is a plunderphonics record that seamlessly blends disco, r&b, jazz, bossa nova, comedy skits, and pop music into a glorious, kaleidoscopic whole that truly sounds like nothing else. SILY wasn’t the first plunderphonics record, but nothing working entirely within those parameters before or since has achieved something so fresh and singular, creating a colorful, fully-lived in new context for the 900 plus samples that make up its whole. The perfectly natural flow that guides the record is part of its inherent charm, and belies just how intricate and complex the creation of the record actual was. SILY was so painstakingly meticulous to construct that it took The Avalanches 16 years to return with a proper follow-up, and while that follow-up, Wildflower, was a great return to form, it doesn’t quite capture the singular beauty of their inimitable debut.

The eclecticism of SILY is one of the most immediate, and impressive draws. There are recurring samples and motifs that occur multiple times throughout the record, but no two songs sound anything alike. The pacing is sublime, with songs bleeding into one another in a manner that approximates a DJ mix with supreme versatility. Samples are constantly shifting, being pitched in different directions, being sped up, slowed down, or swapped out entirely. There’s never a moment where something isn’t in flux, and the fact that they manage to accomplish this while still constantly giving each song such a defined shape and tone is a marvel. Sampled voices appear periodically, but rather than leading the arrangements, in true plunderphonics fashion they're tucked into the fold alongside everything else, treated as percussion or texture depending on the song. No single moment overstays its welcome, and because of how much texture is being employed at all times it’s easy to constantly discover something new each time that you listen to it. The last song on SILY transitions seamlessly into the first song, which only heightens the potency of its DJ mix structure.

With a record as coherent and consistent as SILY it’s difficult and almost beside the point to zero in on highlights since it’s meant to be consumed all at once as an experience. But there are a few astonishing songs that stand above the already strong pack, and rank as among the strongest plunderphonics songs that I’ve ever heard. “Two Hearts in ¾ Time” unloads a swirling concoction of xylophone, flute, and keys atop breezy scat singing, and the carefree exuberance that radiates from the composition is infectious. “Radio” pits a massive bassline against repetitious chants and distorted bursts of guitars and keys while “Summer Crane” pairs down the sonic density (slightly) as a slurring thermin, strings, and sleigh bells dance in tandem while the recurring string motif flickers throughout. “Frontier Psychiatrist” is as ridiculous and absurd as things get here, and is legitimately one of the funniest moments on any electronic album through its use of vocal samples lifted from the Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster comedy sketch of the same name “The man with the golden eyeball/And tighten your buttocks, pour juice down your chin/I promised my girlfriend I’d play the violin. And the closer “Extra Kings” unravels in a bouncy psychedelic sprawl with the voice from the first song and title track singing “I’ve tried but I just can’t get you/Every since the day I left you” as noise makers and woodwinds swirl around the vocals in rapturous joy.

The one thing that cannot be overstated is just how much fun it is to listen to this record. Through its many songs and moods, joy, pain, sorrow, regret, and unease are conjured at various moments, but throughout it all there’s a palpable sense that the band are thoroughly enjoying themselves. It remains playful and whimsical even at its most crestfallen, and thrills even at its deepest lulls. A sense of discovery and communal spirit animates this record, and The Avalanches achieve a sense of weightlessness that pervades even the record’s densest moments. It’s the rare record that matches its remarkably accessible, party-friendly nature with an equally groundbreaking execution that completely rewrote the cultural relationship to sample-based music. The Avalanches wisely opted to downplay the inherent brilliance of the music, and they made it as easy as possible to simply get lost in the endless spirals of grooves, texture, and pockets upon pockets of melody. There’s no air of pretension in The Avalanches’ universe, just the pure, unmitigated joy of stumbling upon new sounds in unusual contexts again and again and again.

Essentials: “Extra Kings”, “Frontier Psychiatrist”, “Two Hearts in 3/4 Time”

7. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot- Wilco

Wilco was already a great band before they released Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but it’s this record that cemented them as one of the most compelling of their era. When their label, Reprise Records, an imprint of AOL Time Warner, heard the record they assumed that it would essentially amount to career suicide and opted to release them from the label with the rights to the album. In order to not significantly delay the release of their record before touring it as well as controlling the quality of the songs that were already being leaked from it Wilco put the entire record on their site and embarked on their most successful tour up to that point. Both Being There and Summerteeth were massive leaps forward for the band, defined equally by Jeff Tweedy’s increasingly accomplished songwriting and the studio wizardry of multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennet, but on YHF these forces hit a peak. The songs on YHF are intensely felt, and earnestly conveyed by a band that was completely in-tune with one another, and were perpetually firing on all cylinders. The tasteful sonic experimentation, warm rock and baroque arrangements, and Tweedy’s wistful, romantic sentiments coalesce into a superbly realized whole. Mature, earnest, empathetic, and adventurous, YHF is a landmark for indie rock, and one of the most beautiful and compulsively listenable albums of the century so far.

The biggest development that took place on YHF was Tweedy’s songwriting fully blossoming into a sincere, singular voice that propelled to the band to unprecedented heights. On opening song “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” Tweedy’s depiction of someone wandering around Chicago post-breakup “I am an American aquarium drinker/I assassin down the avenue/I’m hiding out in the big city blinking/What was a I thinking when I let go of you?” sets the tone of the album with wistful, poignant urgency. “Jesus, Etc” depicts the desolation and the simple pleasures clung to within urban, contemporary American life “Voices whine/Skycrapers are scraping together/Your voice is smoking/Last cigarettes, are all you can get/Turning your orbit around” while positing love as a balm for the ills of modern existence “Our love is all we have/Our love/Our love is all of God’s money/Everyone is a burning sun”. On the album’s stunning closer “Reservations” Tweedy’s trying to reassure his love that he’s invested in their future “Oh, I’ve got reservations/About so many things/But not about you” while on the album’s centerpiece, “Radio Cure”, Tweedy laments the difficulty of sustaining a long distance relationship despite advancements in technology making it easier to do than ever before “Oh, distance has no way/Of making love understandable”. Tweedy’s writing is concise and direct, cut with an emotional through line that elevates the sentiments beyond what may scan as initially simplistic.

YHF doesn’t provide any overhauls to their approach to the extent that Wilco’s previous two records did. Rather, it’s a case of tightening up what they already did well and improving considerably on all fronts. Jay Bennett continues to showcase how he was the band’s not-so-secret weapon at this phase of their career with a sly touch that embellishes each song here with surprising amount of dimension. Bennett really began to experiment considerably with Wilco’s sound on Summerteeth, but his most compelling contributions are those throughout YHF. Whether its the ambient swirl of chimes that open “Ashes of American Flags”, the spring-loaded percussion on “Pot Kettle Black”, the melancholic string drones that dominate “Poor Places” or the whirring samples that swirl in perfect harmony alongside the infectious concoction of cymbals, xylophone, and acoustic guitars throughout the build of “Radio Cure”, Bennett’s use of texture was subtle, but supremely effective in fleshing each composition into wonderfully distinct shapes. The songs are certainly strong enough to stand on their own in much simpler, stripped down forms, but Bennett’s tinkering perfectly complemented Tweedy’s songwriting, imbuing his romanticism with a welcome surrealist bent.

The suspected allusions to 9/11 in a few of the songs despite the record having been finished months before 9/11 dominated the narrative of the album upon its release, but that supposed prescience overlooks Tweedy’s astute observation of American despair and generally just glosses over the fact that, regardless of possible foresight, YHF is simply a magnificent record. There’s a universality to the sentiments that are beautifully rendered by Tweedy’s aching tone, and the band finally seemed completely comfortable dropping all pretenses of “alt-country” and leaned unabashedly into their intrinsic weirdness without much concern for what the record might initially scan as. What continues to really impress about YHF is that Wilco simultaneously became more experimental and tuneful, with some of the melodies dominating songs like “Radio Cure”, “Jesus, Etc”, “Pot Kettle Black”, and “I’m the Man Who Loves You” ranking as among their strongest to date. There are few albums that I’ve heard that strike such a fine balance between strong melodies and forward-thinking composition, but YHF manages just that, while offering a compelling insight into initial 21st century American malaise.

Essentials: “Radio Cure”, “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart”, “Jesus, Etc”

6. Madvillainy- Madvillain

MF DOOM and Madlib were already renowned figures in underground hip hop with a couple of great records under each of their belts before they linked up to write and record Madvillainy. But in each other they found the perfect collaborator whose sensibilities ran parallel to their own. In the universe that they built together dense internal rhymes float effortlessly over dusty soul loops and thick clouds of pot smoke. There were obvious precedents for what they accomplished on DOOM’s Operation Doomsday and Madlib’s The Unseen, recorded under his Quasimoto alias, but on Madvillainy they helped one another reach a creative breakthrough with them both redefining the form of their respective crafts. Madlib’s beats are relentlessly eclectic, gorgeously textured, and masterfully mixed, while DOOM’s verses are some of the most varied, superbly rapped, and thought-provoking of his entire career. The ease with which their styles complement one another belies the effort that they put into it, and the end result doesn’t sound fussy or labored over, but it did herald a new era of faded west-coast hip hop built on a throne of comic books, jazz records, and a dizzying array of internal rhyme schemes.

The production on Madvillainy was handled entirely by Madlib, with DOOM co-producing the opening track “The Illest Villains”, and it’s the most cohesive collection of beats that Madlib has ever assembled while still packing a considerable amount of variety within its grooves. “Rhinestone Cowboy” is the longest song, clocking in at 4 minutes exactly, but most of the songs are under 2 minutes and concisely introduce their ideas while DOOM unloads brief, but substantial bars over them. The samples span the likes of The Mothers of Invention, Sun Ra, George Clinton, Bill Evans, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Street Fighter II, and so much more sometimes within the same songs without once showing the seams. The atmosphere is soulful and jazzy with a hazy tinge that the samples lend the compositions on the whole juxtaposed superbly against the visceral nature of DOOM’s rapping. The music is rendered within a quantized grid so there’s no mistaking it as anything other than hip hop beats, but these beats are arranged more tastefully than the vast majority of instrumental hip-hop that’s come before or since. Whether it's the guitar/sleigh bell stomp of “Shadows of Tomorrow”, or the sluggish bass crawl and metronome sigh of “Meat Grinder”, or the anthemic brass leads that frame “All Caps”, the beats are simply bursting with texture and personality.

Since reemerging as MF DOOM towards the end of the last century Daniel Dumile has completely owned this specific lane of verbose, off-kilter hip-hop defined by his knotty phrasing, complex internal rhyme schemes, and magnetic personality that draws from all ephemeral of pop culture. Madlib brings out the best in DOOM, and his rapping is by turns loose and tight, dense and reference heavy while delivered with a level of precision that transcends pop culture acumen. “Living off borrowed time, the lock ticks faster/That’d be the hour they knock on the slick blaster” are the first lines on “Accordion” that open the record, and things only get more surreal from there. The rhymes are eloquent and guttural, often open to various interpretation, and packed with colorful imagery while never being anything less than thought-provoking. “Meat Grinder” depicts DOOM’s pimping of a stripper named China “Heat niner, pimping, stripping, soft sweet minor/China was a neat signer, trouble with the script” while “America’s Most Blunted” is an absurdist ode to marijuana “Quas, when he really hit star mode/Never will he boost loose Philies with the bar-code”. “Curls” reveals a glimpse of DOOM’s lost innocence after smoking his first spiff at 7 “Spliff made him swore he saw heaven, he was seven/Yup, you know it, growin’ up too fast/Showin’ up to class with Moet in a flask” while on “All Caps” he’s reveling in pure braggadocio “So nasty that it’s probably somewhat of a travesty/Having me, then he told the people “You can call me your majesty””. The complexity and eclecticism that DOOM imbued his lyrics with hit a new peak for hip hop as a whole on Madvillainy.

Although the partnership between MF DOOM and Madlib only resulted in Madvillainy, the influence of that lone masterwork continues to ripple throughout the underground and mainstream alike. Odd Future, Brainfeeder, Black Hippy, Pro Era, Bruiser Brigade and countless other crews, collectives, and labels were informed tremendously by the nerve this record struck. DOOM clones are still rampant, and Madlib’s anything goes crate-digging approach to sample-based composition can be heard in everyone from Kaytranada to JPEGMAFIA. There were very few records that came out this decade that drastically altered the direction for what hip hop can sound like quite like Madvillainy. DOOM and Madlib were such a perfect match for one another that neither of them have made music with anyone else before or since (or solo) that comes close to the brilliance of Madvillainy. Whether or not the two of them ever reunite to create that tantalizing follow-up seems like a coin toss, but truth be told we’re better served with things as they are. The original is still paying enormous dividends 15 years later and it’s only going to continue getting better from here.

Essentials: “All Caps”, “Figaro”, “Curls”

5. Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.- Deerhunter

No other double LP from the last decade delivered so much, or asked so little from the listener, as Deerhunter’s extraordinary Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. Originally just intended as a single LP, Bradford Cox generously recorded all of Weird Era Cont. to reward fans that purchased Microcastle after it leaked months in advance (unfortunately, Weird Era Cont. would be leaked as well). Microcastle finds the band honing their populist impulses with impeccable clarity without completely abandoning their murkier roots, while Weird Era Cont. completely dives into their stranger, more abstract realm of their sound. Each record is exceptional in its own right, but when taken together they form the perfect realization of all the sides of the band, spanning the likes of garage rock, post-punk, shoegaze, ambient, musique concrete, krautrock, and psychedelic pop while managing to make such amalgamations sound like second nature. There’s more range covered on each of these LPs than most bands manage within entire careers. While Cryptograms first showcased the seemingly limitless potential that Deerhunter was capable of, Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. proved that they were one of the defining bands of the century so far.

Microcastle is sequenced in a way that is comparable to Cryptograms, but there are just a few more bright pop moments right out of the gates before the record descends into its shorter ambient middle section. After the obligatory ambient opening interlude, this time in the form of “Cover Me (Slowly)”, Lockett Pundt begins the record proper by taking lead vocals on Cox’s “Agorophobia”. Having Lockett sing the first actual song on the record is a testament to how far their lead guitarist had come as another vocalist (and songwriter, with “Neither of Us, Uncertainly”) in such a short order. With “Agorophobia” Lockett leads one of the gentlest sounding songs that the band had released up to that point, with a disarmingly gorgeous vocal melody superbly juxtaposed against lyrics that describe the sensation of being buried alive for sexual pleasure. The sharp immediacy of “Never Stops” follows suit, and here Cox completely comes into his own a pop frontman, no longer content to wallow innocuously behind the squall of guitar distortion, and he propels the arrangements with a legitimately anthemic melody. Both “Little Kids” and the title track provide two of Cox’s most tender vocal performances up to that point while still making room for Lockett’s spellbinding guitar tones.

“Calvary Scars”, “Activa”, and “Green Jacket” aren’t quite as engaging as any of the ambient songs throughout the stretch from “White Ink” to “Red Ink” on Cryptograms, but they nonetheless draw an effective bridge to the record’s high-point, the colossal “Nothing Ever Happened”. “Nothing Ever Happened” has the band firing on all cylinders and delivering a show stopping performance that blends krautrock, garage rock, and shoegaze for a song far more satisfying and life-affirming than the sum of its parts. After that rollercoaster we’re treated to the bouncy jangle pop of “Saved by Old Times”, and the soothing dream pop of comedowns “Neither of Us, Certainly” and “Twilight at Carbon Lake” before the later erupts into a cacophony of jerky guitar spasms. It’s a welcome ending for a record with such a clear emphasis on melody, and it reinforces the notion that you shouldn’t get too comfortable with any fixed idea of what Deerhunter sound like at any given point in time.

Weird Era Cont. is where things really get interesting. It’s the only album of theirs that includes songs that were recorded and performed by individual members of the band intended for their various solo projects (these being Bradford Cox’s Atlas Sound and Lockett Pundt’s Lotus Plaza). The album as a whole hews closest to the first Atlas Sound LP, Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel, in that both are absolute treasure troves of sonic riches that prioritize pure sound and overall immersion above proper song structure. The fact that Weird Era Cont. is so disparate and yet hangs together so cohesively is as much a testament to Deerhunter’s discipline as it is their sheer intuition with respect to flow and pacing even amongst such inherent disorder. And so here you get the raucous garage rock anthem “Operation” colliding into the noise-pop gem “Dot Gain”, the ambient interlude “Cicada” seeping right into the twisted ethereal waltz “Vox Humana”, and the whirring instrumental collage pop “Moon Witch Cartridge” segueing nicely into the droning noise of “Weird Era”. While Weird Era Cont. is only strengthened when viewed through the lens of it existing as the flip side to Microcastle’s warped pop, it still provides a welcome microcosm of Deerhunter’s incredible range all on its own, and it’s the most adventurous record that Deerhunter ever recorded.

Due to the fact that Microcastle and Weird Era Cont. are both Deerhunter records, the lyrics deal almost entirely with dreams and death. Most of the characters that occupy these songs are trying to escape from their nightmares or literally sacrificing themselves for the sweet ecstasy of oblivion. A version of “Cavalry Scars” appears on both records, the former a brief guitar lullaby and the latter a blistering shoegaze freakout, but the constant thread that ties them together aside from the title is that the narrator is crucifying himself in front of all of his friends. “Saved By Old Times” is more literal, and it depicts the alienation that Cox experienced growing up in his parents house by himself after his parents divorced while trying to cope with his Marfan Syndrome “You are trapped in your basement for a war of 16 years/In a combat for victory/In a combat with ourselves/In combat with these cultural vampires”. Cox’s fixation on death seems to serve as the ultimate salve for his lifelong struggle with simply having to exist, and regardless of whether or not music functions as a temporary solution for his anguish it’s clearly a natural medium for him to exercise his demons. Deerhunter have spent the rest of their career honing in on that release, but Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. is where those fixations first crystallized into something truly singular.

Essentials: “Nothing Ever Happened”, “Never Stops”, “Microcastle”, “Vox Celeste”, “Dot Gain”, “Slow Swords”

4. Strawberry Jam- Animal Collective

Strawberry Jam was the first Animal Collective record to have been released after band member Panda Bear’s exceptional solo breakthrough, Person Pitch, so for the first time in their career there was an obvious precedent in place for where the tight knight crew of David Portner (Avey Tare), Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), Geologist (Brian Weitz), and Josh Dibb (Deakin) might take their sound, but like all their prior records it sounds nothing like anything that came before it. Having completely moved on from the full-band analog approach, SJ is the sound of a band moving fearlessly outside of their comfort zone and harnessing the immense potential of samplers. On the whole, the compositions are more richly textured, melodic, and better paced than the bulk of their past work. The band continued to incorporate field recordings into their music, but given the prevalence of the samples happening at all times it can be difficult to parse who’s doing anything other than percussion and vocals at any given point in time. Avey’s presence dominates SJ to a large degree, with his idiosyncratic approach to melody defining the bulk of the standouts here. But despite Tare’s voice being the focal point on most of the songs on SJ, Panda Bear still holds his own as a songwriter throughout, and his softer melodic tone helped superbly counterbalance Tare’s outbursts. On SJ you can hear the band bending the fabric of pop music to their will in real time, and it remains both a masterclass in warped pop, and a joy to revisit time and time again.

During the tour in support of their incredible 2005 psych-rock LP, Feels, Lennox was mesmerized by the look of a tray of inflight jam, and decided that the production on their next record should sound the way that the jam looked. On SJ the band capture that superbly as they deliver some of their strongest, and sweetest melodies coupled with Avey’s most abrasive, and expressive singing to date. This tug of war between the band’s heightened melodic instincts driving candy-coated, psychedelic arrangements against Tare’s octave leaping shrieks provides an entrancing juxtaposition that loses none of its potency from the frantic opening song “Peacebone”, to the longing closer “Derek”. Songs like “Chores” and the aforementioned “Derek”, both of which are Panda songs, execute sublime, unpredictable transitions midway through that demonstrate both his knack for sample-based composition and the West-African influence on his songwriting that really congealed in earnest on PP. Meanwhile Tare songs, like “Unsolved Mysteries” and “Cuckoo Cuckoo”, still favored conventional chord changes and verse-chorus-verse structures, but they managed to pack the hallmarks of the band’s sound into much more succinct packages that don’t nullify any of the impact. Neo-psychedelic synth textures, tribal drumming, choirboy vocal harmonies, feral shrieks, and a pervasive use of space still reigned supreme throughout SJ, but the band were crafting legitimate pop songs while still in service of their wonderful idiosyncrasies. Nothing on SJ could be mistaken for the work of any other band, but it’s remarkable to hear just how significantly they tightened up their arrangements while still still remaining an island unto themselves.

As soon as opener “Peacebone” kicks into gear with its stomping percussion and dazzling array of arpeggio synth leads setting the foundation for Avey’s full-throttled yelps, it’s clear that this is his record. At the time of its release, “Peacebone” was the most immediate that AC ever sounded, but Tare’s shrieks kept listeners giddily at arm’s length even as they adopt more approachable structures. The midsection breakdown is still thrilling, and a good barometer of whether or not SJ is really your cup of tea or not. “Unsolved Mysteries” follows suit and doubles down on the pervading sense of whimsy from a compositional standpoint, and Tare’s vocals continue to provide a satisfying juxtaposition. The backbone of the album consists of “For Reverend Green” and “Fireworks”, the strongest back to back songs on any of their albums. On “For Reverend Green” Tare provides one of his most thrilling vocal performances to date, gleefully leaping between octaves mid-verse and switching between cathartic wordless croons and feral shrieks on a dime. It’s a stunning display of virtuosity and passion that couldn’t have come from any other musician. “Fireworks” is one of Tare’s most tender vocal performances to date, and it finds him contemplating the cycle of life as well as his place in the world over stuttering percussion, wordless croons, mesmerizing field recordings, and minor key piano. It’s a touching, albeit heavy listen, but the band play with such joy and warmth that it never suffocates under the weight of its ambition, and it’s one of the greatest songs that Tare has ever written.

Despite SJ being an album dominated by Tare’s presence it was still a major showcase for Panda Bear as a songwriter in his own right. “Chores” nails the sort of transitional finesse perfected on PP as it starts from a frantic intro dominated by bass drums and noisemakers before seamlessly shifting into a brief droning mid-section and then ending on a psychedelic, West-African influenced march. The disparate movements sound nothing alike one another, but they’re stitched together in a way that not only flows incredibly well, but sounds completely natural. “#1” is the closest that the band get to one of their signature drone compositions, and although it’s far sparser, and not nearly as developed as most of their prior ones it works on the strength on Panda’s gorgeous vocals alone. The arpeggio synth melody, sleigh bells, and vocal samples provide a refreshing minimal framework on an album otherwise defined by maximalism, and gives Panda’s voice the kind of room necessitated for it to achieve its maximum impact. The finale, “Derek”, also clearly sprang from a PP compositional influence, with an intro full of chirping synths and tranquil organ chords that slowly give way to an explosive, double kick drum wall of sound beneath one of Panda’s most triumphant vocal melodies to date. It’s a massive sound, but his sentiments couldn’t be any more tender “You can count/When you count/Count on me/What do you/See when you/See inside of me”.

On SJ AC grapple with their adulthood, their lives as touring band, and the daily routines they now find themselves entwined in. Panda’s “Chores” is about him getting his chores out of the way so that he can get high in the rain while his closing contribution, “Derek”, finds him pondering the weight of having a living being depend on him for survival. None of Avey’s songs have the the playful energy of “Chores”, and he spends the album delivering a stream of consciousness on the nature of death (“Cucko Cucko), exploring the delusions that we buy into to feel okay about life (“Winter Wonder Land”), and the futility of living in the past (“Peacebone”). In addition to to being compositional standouts, “For Reverend Green” and “Fireworks” also form the emotional backbone of the album. The former explores the jovial existence of childhood against the crippling realities of adulthood “A running child’s bloody with burning knees/A careless child’s money flew in the trees/A camping child’s happy with winter’s freeze/A lucky child don’t know how lucky she is”. It almost plays like a spiritual successor to Tare’s masterful early song “Alvin Row”, and it perfectly exemplifies their ethos as a band. On “Fireworks” Tare contemplates the passage of time, acknowledging how quickly everything moves, and fantasizes about what bliss might look like to him “It’s family beaches that I desire/Sacred night where we watch the fireworks/They frighten the babies and you know/They’ve got two/Flashing eyes and if they’re color blind/They make me feel/That I’m all I see sometimes”. It’s a universal sentiment delivered with their singular charm, and one of their strongest statements to date.

On SJ AC retained their idiosyncratic whims and experimental proclivities, they just learned how to harness these elements into more immediate forms. As with each of their records released throughout the last decade SJ sounds nothing like what preceded it, but it’s too eclectic to be the work of any other band, and despite the shift in sonics it still operates by the dreamy logic that the band imbued it with. Each release following Danse Manatee has found the band creeping closer to full on pop, and although they embraced it unabashedly on SJ it’s still on their own terms entirely. SJ was the latest in a progression of records since Ark that found AC being ahead of the curve of several indie trends, and many of the sample-heavy indie acts throughout the end of the last decade owe their careers to this record. SJ isn’t AC’s most immediate record, nor is it their most challenging, but it is one of the most inspired developments within their progression, and it jump started their sample-based mature phase. MPP remains their most celebrated work, but the crystallization of their sound that took place on that record wouldn’t have been possible without the groundwork laid by SJ. Although SJ was overshadowed by PP the year that they both came out, SJ still stands as the best showcase of the band’s work with samplers, and it remains a landmark of experimental pop music.

Essentials: “For Reverend Green”, “Fireworks”, “Derek”

3. Kid A- Radiohead

Few artists have managed to make such a drastic leap in sound on any of their records the way that Radiohead did with Kid A. Throughout the 90s they developed organically from a run of the mill Brit pop band into one of the most idiosyncratic and forward thinking bands of all time. With their landmark 1998 record Ok Computer they created a blueprint for a form electronic rock equally informed by classical music and the various strains of experimental electronic music that emerged in the 90s courtesy of the likes of Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, and Autechre. By the time that they were gearing up to record the follow-up to what was then unanimously recognized as their masterpiece they disavowed the form of rock music entirely. On Kid A the guitars are stripped away in favor of icy keyboards and the austere glare of syntheizers, with the stark precision of drum machines deployed to provide the heartbeat for their desolate soundscapes. The risk paid off immensely, resulting in a work that sounds like nothing that’s come before or since. It’s the sound of a band grappling with existentialism, early information overload, and the sweeping saturation of advanced technology and responding with doomsday prophecies that sound more prescient with each passing year. No other record released this century has better set the tone for everything to come quite the way that Kid A has.

As soon as Kid A’s opening song “Everything In It’s Right Place” begins it’s undeniable that a great deal has changed with Radiohead this time around. Despite the chilly exterior that Ok Computer exudes, there are still moments of melodic warmth such as on its opening cut “Airbag”. “Everything In It’s Right Place” presents an uneasy atmosphere at the offset, and things gradually become more foreboding from there. Thom Yorke’s heavily manipulated wail sounds like it’s glitching as it soars over the horizon of digital keys and kick drums. The mix slowly becomes an overwhelming wall of vocals and keys that form a repetitive bludgeoning motif, incorporating their heightened love of krautrock. Along with the classical music and IDM touchstones that informed Ok Computer, krautrock, jazz, and ambient were large influences they drew from as well. The title track follows “Everything In It’s Right Place”, and it’s an ambient lullaby that finds the band prioritizing atmosphere and texture over any semblance of conventional composition. On the following song, “The National Anthem” the band spiral into a propulsive epic that fuses jazz and krautrock into something else entirely. The first three songs sound nothing like one another, and in addition to the late album IDM stomp of “Idioteque”, they set the parameters for the record as a whole.

Despite the variety on display throughout Kid A it still achieves a remarkable cohesiveness through tone and atmosphere. Every song is masterfully paced, and exquisitely produced, and most blow open their sonic parameters further then they’ve ever dared before or since. “Optimistic” is one of the few songs here that hints at the sort of driving guitar compositions they prioritized early on, but when coupled with the forlorn melody and the eerie synth loops it almost sounds like an unsettling throwback that achieves a sense of perpetual weightlessness. “Treefingers” dives headfirst into ambient, and is one of the most gorgeous instrumental compositions that Radiohead have ever written. It also provides a superb bridge from the existential acoustic reverie “How to Disappear Completely” into the moody lurch of “Optimistic”. “Idioteque” is the pounding heart of Kid A’s detached overlook, but despite being the closest the album comes to a single it’s still claustrophobic and uninhabitable. After several songs that aim to instill dread and discomfort at every turn, the album’s last proper song “Motion Picture Soundtrack” ends things with a gorgeous harp arpeggio set against an organ wail as Yorke sings softly about a suicide fantasy. All these years later and Kid A continues to hold together as an astonishing collection of experiments from a band at the height of their powers.

Emerging at the dawn of the current century, Kid A didn’t commit to any pretenses of subtlety whatsoever, particularly with respect to its thematic concerns. On “Everything In It’s Right Place” Yorke lays out his perception of the state of a world laced with depression, anxiety, fear, and disconnection “There are two colours in my head/What was that you tried to say” informed by a breakdown that he experienced while touring Ok Computer. “How to Disappear Completely” takes the form of an out-of-body experience with a narrator thoroughly disillusioned with his life and ready to precede to the next plane of existence “In a little while/I’ll be gone/The moment’s already passed/Yeah, it’s gone”. “In Limbo” traffics in pure abstraction as the narrator wanders aimlessly throughout life unable to escape from his fantasies “I’m lost at sea/Don’t bother me/I’ve lost my way” while “Morning Bell” depicts a lingering spirit that supposedly resided in a house that Yorke used to own “The lights are on but nobody’s home/Nobody wants to be a slave”. The aforementioned “Motion Picture Soundtrack” provides a superb ending to the album rendered in bleak, cutting detail “Red wine and sleeping pills/Help me get back to your arms/Cheap sex and sad films/Help me get where I belong”, and it culmines with the narrator easing into suicide. The songs portray a grim culture of isolation and pacification that we’re much closer to living than we were when the album came out.

A year after Kid A Radiohead returned with their fifth LP, Amnesiac, but it mostly plays like a well-sequenced collection of thoughtfully repurposed leftovers from the Kid A sessions. Several great records followed suit, the latest being their sublime 2016 LP A Moon Shaped Pool, while various members of the band have spun off to focus on solo careers and film scores. Radiohead have never released anything less than a good record, but nothing since Kid A has come close to capturing the consistent brilliance of that record. The paranoia, uncertainty, and disillusionment that was pervasive at the turn of the century is rendered remarkably through their stark arrangements, liberal use of space, and distant temperament. The shift in Radiohead’s trajectory following Kid A was so pronounced that a band releasing their Kid A has become shorthand for the sort of dramatic, swinging for the fences left turn that's all too rare in music these days. While it’s almost certain that Radiohead will never release anything of this magnitude again, Kid A has held up incredibly well, and it continues to loom large as a relic of an already bygone era defined by a sense of wonder slowly being crippled beneath the weight of an encroaching dystopia.

Essentials: “Everything In It’s Right Place”, “The National Anthem”, “Optimistic”

2. Feels- Animal Collective

While Sung Tongs was the true breakout record for Animal Collective, Feels was where the band locked in as a full group to showcase that the remarkable melodic warmth peeking out through their intrinsic weirdness was far from a fluke. Avey Tare, Panda Bear, Geologist, and Deakin had all come together once before for Ark two years prior, but the pop craftsmanship, confidence, consistency, and sheer range displayed on Feels are worlds apart from the unsettling, freak-folk noise collages that define Ark. Psychedelia and drone music are still large facets of their sound, but they hadn’t previously been utilized to reinforce such strong song craft. Having moved beyond their freak-folk and noise roots, Feels was a departure towards presenting themselves as more of a conventional rock band, and it’s still the closest they’ve ever come to releasing any semblance of a traditional “rock” LP, but true to form Feels defies any easy classification. Guitars, drums, piano, and vocals dominate the proceedings to be sure, but so do dense field recordings, and otherworldly drones, particularly on the record’s spellbinding second half. While perhaps not their most adventurous, nor their most unpredictable record, Feels is certainly their most consistent, offering a glimpse of a band still changing dramatically from record to record while offering far more than any of their peers.

Since Feels was only the second album of theirs to feature all four members by that point it’s a far more fleshed out sounding record than the bulk of those that preceded it. Both Avey and Deakin play guitar throughout, and Avey typically played lead while Deakin provided a warm melodic underpinning. Feels was the last record to feature Panda Bear behind the kit until Centipede Hz, and his drumming is some of the best that he’s ever recorded, alternating from frantic tribal percussion on “The Purple Bottle” to serene minimalist rolls on “Loch Raven” and everything in-between. Geologist’s superb use of texture hit a new peak here, particularly throughout the dreamier compositions that made up side B. Tare’s singing is anything but conventional, swinging wildly between octaves mid-measure, and flipping from tender croons to blood-curdling shrieks on a dime. Panda’s vocals continued to play a larger role in their music, and throughout Feels his voice acts most frequently as additional texture that lends their music an ethereal glow. In addition to larger contributions from all of the members besides Tare no other record of theirs features as much from outside collaborators. The piano playing courtesy of Doctress (who was married to Tare at the time) and the violin playing courtesy of Eyvind Kang add quite a bit of unexpected dimension that evens out the record’s more warped leanings. Despite everything that’s going on the instruments all have quite a bit of breathing room thanks to the record’s superb mixing and pacing. No single element ever dominates, and the amount of variation on display is a marvel.

Feels tells you everything that you need to know about its sentiments in the title alone. From the opening track “Did You See the Words” all the way through to the closer “Turn Into Something”, the band chronicle the euphoria of falling in love on the first side, and detail the poignancy of enduring heartbreak on the second side. With the exception of the superb, droning breather “Flesh Canoe”, that bridges the adrenaline burst of “Grass” to the grand, propulsive shuffle of “The Purple Bottle” the first side translates the euphoria of falling in love with infectious giddiness. It’s here where Avey’s delivery is at his most delirious and unpredictable, and he provides two of his greatest vocal performances with “Did You See the Words” and “The Purple Bottle”. “Did You See the Words” establishes the scope of the record as Tare recites the sparks that led to the relationship with keen details “Have you seen them?/The words cut open/Your poor intestines can’t deny/When the inky periods drip from your mailbox and/Blood flies dip and glide reach down inside/There’s something living in these lines” as his voice enthusiastically zig-zags around Panda’s minimalist tribal percussion. “The Purple Bottle” articulates the pure bliss of a relationship in its honeymoon phase, and features what’s quite possibly the most expressive vocal performance of Tare’s to date as he fantasizes about a future with his girlfriend “Well I’d like to spread your perfume around the old apartment/Could we live together and agree on the same wares/A trapeze is a bird cage and even if its empty it definitely fits the room/And we would too”. Naturally, things take a turn for the worse.

Side B is what really elevates Feels to a classic, and it’s the strongest stretch of songs that AC have ever recorded. Even though “Bees” is technically the conclusion of side A, tonally, and especially sonically, it fits far better with the rest of side B. Over chiming autoharp drones and sprinkles of piano, Avey depicts the calm before the storm “They came wide/So wild, the bees/They came crying/They said, “I’d take my time/You take your time/Please take your time”” as Panda’s angelic croon glides across the mix like a mirage. It’s a breathtaking moment of mesmerizing tranquility that emerges just before the clouds begin to take shape. We then transition into “Banshee Beat”, the centerpiece of Feels, and arguably one of the best songs that the band ever recorded. On “Banshee Beat” Avey depicts how his relationship fell apart after he learned that his girlfriend cheated on him, and every second of the sublime, nearly 8-and-a-half-minute song is necessary. “Banshee Beat” opens to wispy trails of droning guitar and brief spurts of piano as Avey solemnly sets the tone “Oh there’ll be time, to get by, to get dry, after the swimming pool/Oh there’ll be time, to just cry, I wonder why, it didn’t work out”. The song then slowly builds up steam as melodic guitar chords cut through the drone set against Panda’s nimble, chugging rhythm. Avey looks back on the memories that he and his ex had together, and despite his sorrow, he comes to the conclusion that he’s far better off without her in his life, and the song reaches a cathartic coda that features wordless harmonies between him and Panda as the song spirals into silence.

After “Banshee Beat” we’re led into “Daffy Duck”, the record’s most surreal, structure-less drone song. The guitar textures that Deakin provides here are some of the most immersive in their discography, and Avey’s at his most abstract “And if I had volcano boots/For swimming in volcanoes/Do you know the origins of laughing ducks?/Oh what’s a matter with those words”. It plays like a dream sequence that emerges right at the tail-end of the glowing resolution from “Banshee Beat” right into “Loch Raven”, one of the record’s other high-points. “Loch Raven” is perhaps the closest that AC have come to writing a straight-up lullaby, and it’s equally haunting and life-affirming thanks to the understated melodic sweep and soft, high-pitched textures that wafts through every corner of the mix. Panda’s honeyed tenor is unbearably tender as he repeatedly sings “I will not give up on you” juxtaposed against Avey referencing lines from Little Red Riding Hood that contextualize his cheating partner as the wolf plotting her deception. It’s truly something that couldn’t have been written by any other band, and it’s the last completely ambient song on the second side before the explosive finale, “Turn Into Something”. “Turn Into Something” is a classic sounding AC song, defined by explosive yelps from Avey alongside droning guitar, sprightly piano, and a bouncy floor-tom beat courtesy of Panda. At the 4-minute mark everything breaks apart and the song transitions into a ambient conclusion with Tare and Bear’s vocals floating through the ether as the droning guitars chime around them. It’s just as effective as a conclusion to Feels as it is an entry point into their work as a whole.

Merriweather Post Pavilion is easily the most successful record that AC have ever released, and most critics will tell you that it’s their best work, but it doesn’t come close to Feels across most conceivable metrics. Feels is the sound of the band firing on all cylinders, having developed exponentially as musicians and songwriters within the span of just five years. It didn’t push their sound forward quite as much as Strawberry Jam, nor did it signal quite as dramatic a leap in song craft as ST, but no other record of theirs succeeds in tackling so much ground with such remarkable consistency across the board. Feels was the last record that AC released before Panda Bear’s landmark solo LP Person Pitch irreversibly changed the entire trajectory of indie music, and influenced them to begin using samplers as the focal point of their compositions over guitars. Like all of their great records from Ark onwards, there are traces of everything that they had done prior on Feels, but listening to this record still leaves the impression that they could truly go anywhere. With almost any other band that’s ever existed, that claim is mostly disingenuous, but up until Centipede Hz the possibilities for AC truly seemed limitless, and that unprecedented unpredictability remains a key component of their appeal to this day. No 2 of their 10 records sound alike, and while they’ll almost certainly never again release anything that comes close to touching the pure bliss of Feels, the magic of this record is still an absolute marvel to revisit every time.

Essentials: “Banshee Beat”, “Loch Raven”, “The Purple Bottle”

1. Person Pitch- Panda Bear

By the time that Panda Bear (aka Noah Lennox) released Person Pitch he had moved from Brooklyn, New York to Lisbon, Portugal, gotten married, and his band Animal Collective were rapidly growing into one of the defining bands of the 21st century, but even knowing all the ground that they covered in such a short span could hardly have prepared anyone for anything as singular as PP. The last solo record that Panda released prior to PP was his gorgeous, yet devastatingly poignant 2004 folk record Young Prayer, a tribute to his late father who passed that same year from brain cancer. On PP the analog instrumentation that defined YP and Panda’s past work with AC was opted out entirely in favor of compositional approach informed by plunderphonics that was spurred by his increasing fondness of producers like Madlib, and his formative musical influences like GAS, The Orb, and Daft Punk. The end result is a remarkably rendered patchwork of disparate sounds that span the scope of recorded music history tied together with Panda’s signature tenor, and his sharp ear for sequencing. While PP isn’t technically a plunderphonics record due to the incorporation of Panda’s vocals recorded fresh for these compositions, it’s still more wide-ranging, and superbly realized than any plunderphonics record released before or since. PP went on to completely shift the trajectory of indie music in the years since its release, and very few artists have managed to release an album that matches the scope of this dazzling breakthrough since.

PP is superbly sequenced into seven songs, two of which broach the 12-minute mark, with well-placed comedowns emerging right after the epics. The songs consist of loops cherry-picked from old records that Panda was exposed to during his time working at the Other Music record store in Brooklyn throughout the early aughts. The music shifts and contorts on a whim, segueing through different motifs with acute finesse while drawing through lines between various eras of music that may have been previously unthinkable, but nonetheless seem to sound like natural evolutions in Panda’s hands. Nothing sounds out of placed or forced because of the careful sequencing, and the precise tweaking of the samples that are being deployed. The opening song “Comfy in Nautica” perfectly sets the tone as a choir of vocals descend upon what sounds like an ascending roller coaster, and samples of racing cars. The construction is simple, but striking, and the tone he achieves is one of pure humility established with his homespun mantras of self-preservation “Coolness is having courage/Courage to do what’s right/Try to remember always/ Just to have a good time”. Whether it’s the dreamlike glide of “I’m Not”, or the cozy, glowing conclusion “Ponytail” the samples that Panda utilizes perfectly achieve the aesthetics of what the songs themselves are striving for. Everything is meticulously placed, and a single shift would disrupt the lean symmetry of the whole.

Nothing on PP underwhelms, but the high points are among the most remarkable achievements throughout the history of sample-based composition. “Take Pills” starts with what sounds like a lumbering stroll along a cobblestone road with percussion cribbed from Scott Walker’s “Always Coming Back to You” as Panda’s sighs guide the caravan forward unassumingly, but after several minutes the song transitions smoothly into jaunty surf rock propelled by a sample courtesy of “The Popeye Twist” by The Tornadoes. The shift is immense, but nothing about it scans as gimmicky or unnatural, and the ease with which the song transitions belies the ingenuity on display. “Bros”, almost certainly the most celebrated song of Panda Bear’s solo career, is a masterful 12 and a half minute tour de force that cycles through various eras of pop music’s history with the sharp precision of DJ set. Beginning with another sample from The Tornadoes (this time in the form of “Red Roses and a Sky of Blue”), “Bros” establishes a merry-go-round framework that never manages to sound stale within the course of its 12 and a half minutes. The acoustic guitar thrust sampled off of Cat Steven’s “I’ve Found a Love” alongside Panda’s harmonies that forever recall those of Brian Wilson propel the second act of “Bros” up until its life-affirming third act that gets a great deal of mileage out of a sampled vocal loop from The Equal’s “Rub a dub dub”. PP’s other epic, “Good Girl / Carrots”, spends its first 3 minutes spiraling through a dub freakout that eventually folds neatly into a rousing, spring-loaded midsection featuring some of the finest melodies that Panda has ever sung. As the song transitions into its carnival-esque, music box final act with a sample from Kraftwerk’s “Ananas Symphonie” Panda caps things off with a rejection of the sort of music nerd hive fandom that helped propel him to such heights in the first place as noisemakers soar along the periphery of the mix. The peaks of “Bros” and “Good Girl / Carrots” are astonishing, and those two songs alone cemented Panda Bear’s status at the vanguard of sample-based composition.

The lyrics throughout PP are heartfelt admissions from someone whose life had undergone massive shifts within the few years leading up to it. The release of AC’s landmark LP Sung Tongs in 2004 allowed him and the rest of AC to begin sustaining a career in music, and that very same year his father died, he decided to move from New York to Portugal after falling in love with a woman while on vacation from tour, and he soon after married her. The warmth seeping out of the music on PP reflects the atmosphere that Panda suddenly found himself immersed in much in the same way that AC’s superb 2003 record Ark was informed by the chaos of their lives in Brooklyn. “Take Pills” grapples with the history of Panda’s family’s reliance on anti-depressants “Take one day at a time/Everything else you can leave behind/Only one thing at a time/Anything more really hurts your mind”. “Bros” is a plea to his brother Matt for space to live his own life in the wake of their father’s passing “I’m not trying to forget you/I just like to be alone/Come and give me the space I need/And you may you may you may you may/You may find that we’re alright” while on “Good Girl / Carrots” Panda’s taking taste makers to task for trying to instill a false sense of superiority over those who aren’t as informed on underground music “Get your head out from those mags and websites who try to shape your style/Take a risk yourself and wade into the deep end of the ocean”. On the album’s closer, “Ponytail”, Panda offers up little more than “When my soul starts knowing/I am as I’d want to be/And I know I never will stop caring”, but it’s a perfectly fitting conclusion to the record, and as sincere a sentiment as anything I’ve heard on any album. The overwhelming sincerity of the music is tempered by a beyond-his-years wisdom that’s well-earned and deeply empathetic.

Panda Bear released three solo LPs following PP, and the approach on this record has gone on to inform all of the AC records that have followed in its wake. The influence of this record simply cannot be overstated. As easy as it is to roll your eyes at chillwave and the “vibe” generation, everyone from Tame Impala to Travis Scott owes an enormous debt to Panda Bear. As the bulk of their peers began to stick to their respective lanes Panda and the rest of AC continued to swing wildly between trends and genres throughout the last decade, leaving their stamp on various forms before pivoting wildly to where their muses led them next. Thankfully, Panda has continued to push his sound forward throughout his solo career as well, and even when returning to sample-based composition for his stellar 2015 fifth solo record, Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper, it marked a clear shift towards the influence of hip-hop and house, and away from the minimal techno meets psychedelic guitar pop that PP favored in abundance. No musical artist throughout the 21st century has covered as much ground as consistently or as impressively as Panda Bear, and PP still stands as one of the few truly idiosyncratic statements from any artist throughout the last decade. It’s aged tremendously well in the years since its release, and it still presents a disarmingly well-realized euphoria that couldn’t sound more radical in the moody, deconstructed landscape of music that has defined this current decade.

Essentials: “Bros”, “Good Girl / Carrots”, “Take Pills”

#panda bear #Animal Collective #Radiohead #deerhunter #madvillain #wilco #the avalanches #the microphones

48 notes · View notes

birds-punch · 5 years

Text

Archie! Sonadow AU: Spectrum (issue 222) Part 1

“Summary: Sonic and Shadow goes out on their first public date in New Mobotropolis, but ran into some trouble while on their date.

Characters: Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog, Sally Acorn.

Pairings: Sonadow, Sonally (Past.)

Warning: Implied Homophobia.

A/N: This is going to be split in two parts because of how long it is. I hope you all enjoy reading this.

“Nervous, Faker?” asked Sonic to a certain black hedgehog, walking besides him. The two were heading down the path, hand in hand to wherever the blue hedgehog was taking his boyfriend to eat at for dinner. This drew several eyes and looks at them, as they continued walking to their destination.

Shadow simply answered back with his usual haughty tone, “Hmph! As if, Hedgehog.!” He paused slightly to shoot a glare at a pair of citizens pointing and whispering at him and Sonic. “And isn’t that something I should be asking you instead?”

The blue Freedom Fighter’s expression turned from teasing to surprise. He then scratched his chin in thought while the two hedgehogs still kept walking down the path. “Okay, okay I’ll be honest here Shadz, I was a tiny bit nervous at first when I thought of asking you out on our first date in public since; we don’t know how everyone else in the city will respond to us, even after we both came out to my friends,”

The hybrid couldn’t help but mentally snort as he was reminded of the various expressions, the Freedom Fighters had shown. Priceless!

Sonic then brought his hand away from his chin to rub the back of his head, “And I also thought you might not be ready too because I know how difficult it was fifty years ago when it comes to relationships like ours...”

Hearing that made Shadow actually feel a bit touched that his lover had considered his feelings over this, despite being fine with the idea of a public date; since he wanted to come out in the first place.

“But then I figured, ‘Aw! What the heck? It doesn’t matter what other people think of!’ As long as I know I love you and that I am just happy being with you Shadow. Then the opinions or who judge us, don’t matter.” Sonic had a small blush, blooming across his muzzle as looked over towards his boyfriend, waiting for his response.

Shadow was in complete amazement over what Sonic just spoke to him, but allowed a small smile to appear on his face, before walking closer to the blue hedgehog and kissing him on the cheek. Sonic looked surprised from the cheek kiss Shadow had gave him out in the open public at first; but couldn’t help but allow a smile form on his face as Shadow stepped back and retook his hand. Both hedgehogs continued to stare into each others’ eyes, forgetting the world around them and some of the people who were staring at them.

Shadow then spoke up, breaking them out of their trance.

“So Faker. Do you actually have any plans for where we’re suppose to eat or are we going to stay out here all night?”

‘Geez, nice job killing the mood there, Shadow.’ Sonic thought as he couldn’t help, but pout at Shadow before answering back.

“Course I have, Shadow. And before you ask, no. It’s not my favourite Uncle’s restaurant,” He then started leading Shadow down the path as he continued talking.

“Since this date is both an important and a special occasion for the two of us, I managed to get both of us reservations at a restaurant that Twan’ recommended. Something about the place not using margarine or whatever that is.”

Sonic then stopped at his destination before letting go of the GUN agent’s hand and walking towards the waiter behind the reservation table booth (or whatever it’s called.). Shadow allowed his surroundings to take in. It didn’t really looked all that special compared to the other fancy restaurants he had seen back in Capital City. Just your average typical restaurant with a fancy sign and the name: “Creme de la Creme”, displayed on the restaurant green awning. But the atmosphere didn’t seem too bad, it looked rather pleasant and welcoming.

So maybe this date won’t be so bad after all.

“Reservation for two, under ‘Sonic’.” Sonic said to the waiter.

The waiter only looked at the hedgehog pair, his eyes darting back and forth as if he was confused by what he’s seeing, “I’m sorry sir, I don’t-”

Sonic swiftly cuts him off, slamming his hands on the reservation booth, “Sonic, Hero of Mobius? Fought Robotnik? With the Ultimate Lifeform right here? Helped me stop the ARK?”

“Ah, yes of course! Right this way.” The waiter then lead them to their table.

Despite what just happened, Sonic seem to be pretty chill. Shadow on the other hand, was glaring at the back of the waiter’s head, like he trying to make his head explode with his mind. He did not like the look the man had gave him and Sonic when they were outside the restaurant. While his boyfriend probably did not noticed, but the hybrid knew his instincts were telling him that this waiter is discriminating them for their relationship.

Remembering what the blue freedom fighter had previously told him and realising that this was getting to him, the black hedgehog heaved a sigh before letting his eyes wander around the restaurant, in order to distract him from his thoughts. Like the outside of the restaurant, the interior wasn’t anything that different to the ones in Capital City that Rouge and Hope drags him to. There were lots of plants and flower which look fake and made out of plastic which served as decorations and the walls were pretty much all beige with light grey highlights, giving it a somewhat plain yet simple and homey comfortable feel to it. Shadow snapped out of his thoughts, the moment they got to their table and Sonic took his seat, while the waiter went off to continue his job.

“You okay Shadow? I noticed you were glaring at the back of the dude’s head like you’re gonna kill him?”

The said agent looked somewhat surprised and embarrassed that his lover had noticed, before taking his seat in front of him. Despite that the fact Shadow stayed silent, that expression of a small pout, along with a set frown and slightly drooping ears was a dead giveaway to the blue hedgehog.

Sonic gave his boyfriend a sadden expression before speaking, “Listen Shadow, I know your thinking that dude was judging us for being together, but please don’t forget what I told you earlier about not caring on other people’s opinions and...” he then stood up from his seat and took Shadow’s cheek into his palm, gently caressing it. “I’ll never be ashamed of you and what we have. No matter many idiots and jerks are there currently jeering and mocking us right now.”

Hearing this, coming from the hedgehog who’s known for being so cocky and laid-back to an annoying amount, greatly improved the black hedgehog’s move as he allowed Sonic a tiny smile before closing his eyes and started leaning into the hero’s hand to let his god-forsaken touch take over him.

Unfortunately, the blue hedgehog had to slide his hand away from the dismayed hedgehog’s cheek so he can take Shadow’s hands into his, as that laid-back tone, he’s used to hearing came back on.

“So for tonight, the only thing you have to worried about is what you’re gonna order.”

Welp, moment ruined. But it managed to squeeze some amusement out of the hybrid, as he only rolled his eyes and softly chuckle while another waiter came to their table, placing down a basket full of bread.

“Welcome and good evening.” the waiter greeted to the pair.

Sonic responded immediately, but still kept his attention on the black hedgehog, “Hey there pal, we’ll start off with water and-”

But the waiter cut him off before Sonic could finish talking, “Actually, I was wondering if I might ask you something first.”

Sonic and Shadow sat down on their seats, their attention on the waiter.

“Uh...sure, shoot.” Sonic answered.

The waiter hesitated for a short second as if trying to find the right words to say what he thinks about the couple. It just doesn’t make sense to him. “When do you plan on going back to dating the princess, if this new relationship you have is a phase and...”

He immediately trailed off the moment he noticed the expressions sent to him. Sonic had already dropped his friendly expression, his eyes were narrowed down and Shadow was giving him the same glare he gave the previous waiter, but actually looked like was ready to skewer him.

Despite the rather rude and obviously discriminating question, Sonic tried his best to keep a calm tone in his voice; but not changing his expression, “Look man, Sally and I have already talked about this. We’ve-”

Then another customer spoke up, trying to come to their defence, “Yeah man! Leave them alone! Can’t you see they’re trying to enjoy a date together?!”

The customer’s attempt at trying to defend the couple, only seem to make their mood even more worse as the waiter attempted to save face.

“W-Well yes I can see that, I just don’t understand why he didn’t give the princess another chance.”

“She slapped him across the face in front of all of us and dumped him, duh!”

By then, Sonic decided that there was no point in wasting his time with correcting these people and actively made an attempt to ignore the “noise pollution”, by drawing his eyes away from the view and eating a piece of bread from the basket. Shadow also tried to do exactly what his boyfriend is doing to ignore the nuisances, but instead he had his eyes sealed tightly shut and was griping the bread in his hand so hard, it was almost like the hybrid was imagining one of the waiters or customers were in his tight grip instead and was trying to squeeze the life out of one of them.

The argument continued as more of the customers and staff got involved with their own opinions.

“But I still don’t understand why Sonic started dating Shadow now! He was straight until-”

“Just give it a rest! If he happy-”

“He once worked with-”

“You don’t understand-”

“Yeah, well I think-”

Shadow’s grip on his untouched bread tighten as he tries to block out, the opinions being tossed back and forth in the restaurant. He also begin trying to remind himself that he changed. He was no longer the hedgehog who obsesses over his past and joined up with the doctor to look for answers. He is now an agent of GUN with the duty of protecting Mobius. Just like his boyfriend and the Freedom Fighters.

“But Sonic and Princess knew each other since they were kids and they loved each other for a very long time! I’m sure whatever he’s having with Shadow right now is fake and against his will!”

Okay to hell with what he just told himself.

Letting his anger take over his senses, Shadow suddenly stand up from his seat with a chaos spear sparking in his hand, startling Sonic who practically choked on his bread.

Thinking fast, Sonic quickly jumped out of his seat before his boyfriend could seriously hurt anyone and grabbed Shadow around the waist before immediately pulled him out of the restaurant with his speed.

TO BE CONTINUED...

#sonic the hedgehog #shadow the hedgehog #sonadow #archie sonadow #fanfiction #first sonadow fanfic #reblog

31 notes · View notes

minimin1993 · 4 years

Text

S/M 41 & B/L 34

Warning: Implied smut. Violence.

Sebastian and Min had decided to keep their relationship out of the spotlight and keep the fans guessing and just continue with what they had been doing. He had recently cut his hair and mustache to Jeff’s style while wandering around the hotel practicing the accent making Min laugh her ass off only to be tackled by Sebastian.

“You gotta stop laughing at me princess.” Sebastian said groggily, he just woke up and found Min laying on her stomach giggling at him.

“I can’t you look so funny.” Min said pulling on the mustache.

“I might just keep it, its growing on me. Totally bringing back the 90’s vibes don’t you think.”

“Oh god please don’t, I won’t be able to handle you looking like this all the time.”

“Why not? I thought you love me for me and not my looks.” He teased.

“I will love you even if you rock a bald head and round tummy but god this mustache has gotta go. You look like you have old school pornstar-stache.”

“You don’t like that pornstache that much?”

“Nope, I like you without it or your normal scruff.” She said rubbing his dimple chin.

“Uh huh, so what are you going to be doing today when I’m heading to set?” Sebastian said pulling her on top of him.

“I might go visit Chris on set early since they are filming already.”

“Sure, you just want to see Chris working the nomad look with his long hair and a beard.”

“Pft… Whatt?? Noo… Pftt.. what gave you that idea?” Min teased Sebastian.

“Yeah, right. Don’t even lie, his new look is doing things to you.” Sebastian said tickling her sides having squirm on top of him but he holds her still.

“You play dirty Mr. Stan. Okay, okay I admit. But I can’t help it I like a man with long hair and heavy beard.”

“Ohh so you only liked me because I had long hair.”

“Well it was a bonus but I like this short due on you. I can see your eyes better.” Min said running her fingers through his short hair only to giggle again when she looks down on his mustache. “But to be honest Chris is totally not rocking an old school pornstar-stache.”

“Okay that's it, you are so going to get it now.” He aid flipping them caging her underneath him. “Who do you belong to babygirl?”

“I don’t know, maybe you should remind me.” Min teased causing him to growl before reminding her who she belongs to.

“James I swear to god, get you butt up, we gotta feed the children before they eat through my flower bed again.” Linda slaps Buckys butt who refuses to wake up for the umf time.

“I don’t want to right now.” He said pulling her in bed caging her underneath him. “Right now I want to enjoy you.” He smirks feeling the strike of arousal from her running down his spine knowing he got her right where he wants him. They have been living a very quiet domestic life for over a year now in a hidden place in the edge of Wakanda enjoying each other through their soulbond which Bucky clearly loves to take advantage of.

“Nope, we not doing this again. This will be the 4th flower bed in 2 months, I would like to enjoy my hard work before it gets eaten.” Linda said flipping them back over before getting off the bed hearing Bucky groan behind her while to walk to the edge of their hut. “Maybe if you hurry up we can enjoy each other under the waterfall.” She transmitted an image to his mind winking at him.

“Yes mam.” He said leaving the hut making her giggle.

Bucky was feeding their goats they call their children, Linda was currently on the ground with a goat in her arms while 2 wakandan children was petting it when King T-Challa and Okoye comes up to their hut.

“James.” Linda said nodding over to T-Challa as 2 of the Kings Guards men comes over with an equipment case opening it, Bucky and Linda walks over to the case seeing a new Black and Gold Vibranium arm.

“Where’s the fight?” Bucky said grabbing Linda hand both sharing the same thoughts.

“On its way.” T-Challa said. “Shuri wants the Blue Phoenix to come to her lab as soon as possible.”

“Yes King T-Challa.” Linda said watching them leave leaving the couple to their thoughts. “We will never get a break huh.” Bucky said as they walk back inside their hut. “All I wanted was to go to war come back and enjoy living a normal life with you in the 40’s, maybe pop out a few Barnes here and there but god love throwing me a curve ball. Now I finally get what I want, a quiet normal life with you only to have it end it in a fight. This is my punishment, this is what I get for all th...” He said sitting down on the bed rubbing his face.

“James none of what Hydra did was your control so don’t blame yourself for that. I understand how you feel but the world needs us. How about this, after all this is all over we go away off the grid just me and you. We can settle somewhere.” Linda said tilting his face up to look at her.

“You would do that?”

“Of course I would, you may have been fighting for 70 something years but I have been fighting for many more than that. I am tired of the fight. I just want you, and maybe like you said pop out a few Barnes.”

“I love you so much you know that.” He said

“And I love you too, now think about it. Now you will have 2 arms to finally do what you want with me.” She winks at him.

“God you are going to be the death of me.”

“Don’t you even start, we both know you are the one that is insatiable.” She said pushing him lightly on his shoulder making him chuckle.

“Can’t help it, 70 years dry spell will do that to a guy.” He joked winking back at her.

“Uh-huh, Now come on before Shuri get mad at us.”

After Bucky was fitted with the new arm, Shuri had excited move over to Linda with a new weapon for her to try.

“So I know you draw your energy from things around you to conjure your whip what if I told you I have a device small enough to hold your type of energy where you can conjure your whip at maximum capacity everytime without feeling drained.” Shuri said

“And I say you are lying?” Linda joked.

“I wish I was but I am a genius, here.” Shuri said throwing her a necklace containing a crystal Linda recognized immediately.

“How did you get this?” Linda said looking at the crystal she used back on asgard a long time ago.

“You ‘L’ sent us another package not to long ago label for emergencies only.” Shuri said.

“Thank you Shuri, you have no idea how much this means to me.” Linda said putting the necklace on feeling rejuvenated.

“Now get suited up, Captain Rogers shall be here any minute now.” Shuri said

Both Linda and Bucky for suited for the mission walking out of the palace holding each other's hands seeing the quinjet and the rest of their friend walking towards them

“How we looking?” They heard Natasha say

“You will have my Kingsguard, the Border Tribe, the Dora Milaje, and…” T-Challa said nodding over to the them.

“A semi-stable, 100-year-old man.” Bucky said letting Linda hand go hugging Steve.

“How you been, Buck?” Steve asks

“Uh, not bad, for the end of the world.”

“I missed you Linda.” Steve said giving Linda a hug.

“I missed you too Stevie.” She said before giving everyone else a quick hug before they move to Shuri Lab to see if they can remove the Stone from Vision.

Sam, Rhodes, Bucky, and Linda decided to stay outside on guard waiting only to see an alien vessel coming down straight toward them.

“Cap we got a situation here.” Sam said in the com as the defense shield surrounding them destroys the vessel.

“God, I love this place.” Bucky said as they all look up in the sky

“ Yeah, don't start celebrating yet, guys. We got more incoming outside the dome.” Rhodes said watching 3 more ships burn through the sky.

“Evacuate the city. Engage all defense procedures. And get this man a shield.” T-Challa said through the com.

The soldiers all marched out to the appointed aircrafts and were all transported to the edge of the border.

“Always remember I will love you.” Bucky transmitted to Linda who looks over at him holding his hand.

“I love you too, We will do it together.” She answered back.

“This is going to end bad.”Bucky transmitted.

“Till the end of the line.” Linda joked making him roll his eyes.

“MAYEFA YA HU! MAYEFA YA HU! MAYEFA YA HU! MAYEFA YA HU! MAYEFA YA HU!” The Jabari warrior chants as M'Baku, rallies his soldiers

“Thank you for standing with us.” T-Challa said patting M’Baku on his shoulders. “Of course, brother.”

T-Challa, Steve, Linda, and Natasha walk to the edge of the barrier, where Proxima Midnight and Cull Obsidian stand seeing Proxima tests the strength of the barrier by drawing her sword across it consideringly. “Where's your other friend?” Natasha said.

“You will pay for his life with yours. Thanos will have that stone.” Proxima Midnight said

“That's not gonna happen.” Steve said.

“You are in Wakanda now. Thanos will have nothing but dust and blood.” T-Challa said.

“We... have blood to spare.” Proxima Midnight said as she brandishes her sword with a snarl, and the ships behind her start raising their outer hulls to allow their "passengers" to disembark.

“Oh by the way Luna, I am sorry to say that your Asgardians family is dead.” She said with a smirk. Linda/Luna hands were radiating blue about to attack.

“Not now my love.” Bucky transmits into her feeling her rage stopping her as they walked back to the massed forces.

“Did they surrender?” Bucky asks

“Not exactly.” Steve said.

T-Challa leads the Wakandans in the war cry "Yibambe!" telling them to hold fast as the Outriders bound toward the barrier; Proxima drops her sword arm down in the signal to attack.

“What the hell.” Bucky said astonished by the amount of outsiders charging at the shield.

“Looks like we pissed her off.” Natasha said as they watch horrified as the Outriders bombard the force-field, squeezing limbs and bodies partly through only to be bisected.

“They're killing themselves.” Okoye said in disgust.

As a few Outriders managed to squeeze through intact, the Border Tribe take a knee and raise their shields. The Kingsguard behind them level their sonic spears over their comrades' shoulders, and on T-Challa's command, fire at the approaching monsters. Bucky uses his M-249 machine gun, Linda/Luna sends charges of her own, and Bruce fires the Hulkbuster's hand repulsors. “You seen the teeth on those things?” Sam said flying over them shooting as he goes

"Alright, back up, Sam. You're gonna get your wings singed.” Rhode flies over the heaviest concentration of Outriders and drops a barrage of mines, all exploding fantastically.

“Cap, if these things circle the perimeter and get in behind us... there's nothing between them and Vision.” Linda said as they watch the outsiders circle around the shield.

“Them we better keep 'em in front of us.”

“How do we do that?” Okoye asks T-challa

“We open the barrier. On my signal, open North-West Section Seventeen.” He said over the com.

“Requesting confirmation, my King. You said open the barrier?” Dome control asks

“On my signal.”

“This will be the end of Wakanda.” M’Baku said

“Then it will be the noblest ending in history.” Okoye answers.

Steve readies his Vibranium shields with Linda/Luna conjuring both her whips ready to fight. T-Challa commands in Xhosa; the Border Tribesmen disengage their shields and stand, as he walks out in front of them, never taking his eyes off the enemy. “ WAKANDA FOREVER!” He shouts crosses his arms in the Wakandan salute and closes his Black Panther helmet, charging for the barrier. The heroes and leaders are at the fore of the charge. Halfway to the barrier, the Black Panther shouts into his comm “Now!”

Steve, T-Challa, and Linda picks up their speed and full at full charge leaps into action attack. Linda whips her whip practically disintegrate whatever her line of target. “Oh how I miss you Lunar.” She said to her crystal.

“I see how you it is my love.” Bucky transmitted jokingly into her mind while he shoots the outsiders.

“Jealous of it?” Linda snarks back playfully with a smirk on her face.

“Gotta say though doll seeing you in full attack mode is doing things to me.” He thought sending her an image

“Maybe once this is over you can make it a reality.” She moans in her mind hearing him chuckle.

“God I love this bond.” He answers as they both never stopped fighting.

The fighting continued non stop for who knows how long before they were starting to get way to outnumbered. Linda/Luna felt Bucky struggles through their bond fights over to him seeing him knocked over trying to fight the outsider with his favorite knife who was snapping their fangs at him, then Rhode, Banner, one by one getting swamped with Outsiders. She was about to jump to Bucky when someone enters her mind.

#james buchanan barnes #bucky x reader #sebastian stan #sebastian x reader #steve rogers #the first avenger #originl character #chris evans #original character #winter solider x you #winter soldier #captain america #infinity war #marvel

2 notes · View notes

trashboatprince · 5 years

Text

So, I’m planning on working on the final chapter of Ink Spots this week (several months late, but who cares) and I was reminded last night that there were a lot of ideas I scrapped during the writing of it and I feel like sharing some of them with you

Spoilers for the story under the cut

-Bendy found blueprints for the Ink Machine during the Chapter Two arc, the ones you can see on Sammy’s desk, and there was a reason for this. Originally, Bendy and Henry’s goal was to return to the first floor and use the blueprints to shut down the Ink Machine completely from the inside. This would have resulted in the Ink Demon and Bendy having a big fight on the inside and nearly killing each other, but it was scrapped when Chapter Four came out because I started thinking about using Chapter Five for the ending

-Henry was going to become completely color blind thanks to the ink. I think Bendy says he can’t see color except the yellow in Henry’s eye and his own, which would have resulted in the same happening to Henry when his right eye turned black and gold. I dropped the idea in favor of just giving him a break

-Henry wasn’t going to keep his ink demon powers, but I let them stay cause it keeps Bendy and Ink Demon bounded in one body and keeps the connection between the three. Also, because it’s cool.

-Wally wasn’t going to be Boris until I started the Chapter Two content and said, screw it, let’s up the angst. It got worse when Chapter Four dropped

-Henry was originally named Ross instead of Stein, but that was before Chapter Five. There are a lot of changes to that, but I missed a few, whoops

-Chapter one’s middle was completely scrapped and rewritten cause of the Chapter Four updates to the previous chapters, and that includes the Jack content in Chapter Two being added. I was pissed off about having to do that, I spent way too much time drawing Ink Bendy and Bendy as a blob creature, even having to open up youtube videos of a play through of the original Chapter One to get the background of the Ink Machine room right.

-Everyone was going to live. I dropped the idea because it became too difficult to work for the plot so their souls were released and the ink creatures were free. Only Henry, Bendy, Ink Demon, Allison, and Thomas escaped. Joey too, but... yeah.

-Joey was going to be worse. I hated the idea actually, cause he seemed too much like a comical villain, even for this story, so he became a desperate man who was too scared to fail his kingdom, fall from his throne, and lose himself to the death curse placed on him due to his need for success

-Ink Demon was suppose to curse Henry. There is a weird scene early on in the story where Ink Demon taps Henry’s forehead, originally he was going to do something to him if he pushed him into the ink. But I dropped it because I seriously forgot it, so now he’s just doing it to freak Henry out something bad (and to try to kill him for shits and giggles cause he knows Henry will be released from the ink)

-The Dark Puddles were the most annoying thing to write, but headcanons and Chapter Four saved me from writing my original idea. Henry was suppose to be stuck in a state of constant drowning until someone pulled him out. Bendy was going to do that, but I changed it to Ink Demon, then it became Ink Demon telling him how to get out of the Puddles in a voice similar to Henry’s own (you can’t recognize your own voice and demons are known for imitating people, that’s the reference I was making)

-I wanted Malice and Henry to fight. But I dropped it for the Brute Boris content

-Bendy gained a tail for aesthetics and to represent how much his own body was changing thanks to the effects of the ink and the studio, just like what was happening to Henry

-Henry was suppose to become a full on Ink Demon during the original final fight in the Ink Machine. I was stuck between two ideas on his design, either give him the same body as the Ink Demon, but give him Wandering Sin eyes in green and yellow, or make him a monster. Neither happened. There is a design of a Beast Henry though I did yesterday.

-Bendy and Ink Demon weren’t going to fuse. Originally Ink Demon sacrificed himself to destroy the Ink Machine, ala that weird ass Sonic OVA where Metal Sonic says ‘there can be only one sonic’, that would have happened with Ink Demon telling Bendy there can only be one Bendy, and he destroys the machine. That never happened, haha!

-The stains and marks that Bendy worried about so much at the start of the story were more important originally, but I never went into full detail and no one ever asked about them. Basically, if you were marked with a stain somewhere on your body, it was where an ‘ink infection’ would begin and spread into your body to prepare you for what Joey was going to do to turn you into a toon. The same thing happens in Pulling Strings, which is where it came from. The only reason Henry and Joey got different marks that were shaped like Bendy were for plot reasons.

-Basically, Joey’s was his connection to the Ink Demon when his blood fused with the demon’s ink. The same can be said about Bendy’s ink mixing with Henry’s blood from the cut he got during the events of the Chapter Two finale.

-I made A LOT of references to easter eggs in this that a lot of people missed, along with a Cuphead reference (a few got it) and two yugioh references that only ONE person got, and that’s my friend Spottie! Any time Bendy called Ink Demon ‘the other me’, that was a reference, and Bendy’s soul room is also one.

#john's commentary

9 notes · View notes

cutegirlmayra · 5 years

Note

I assume you've played Sonic Adventure and therefore know Gamma's story. I had this idea that Gamma could fall in love with Amy after she saves him. Obviously she wouldn't reciprocate because feeling attraction towards machinery is nigh impossible. Just an idea I had for you. Appreciate your writing!

Sonic Adventure was very fun! I have fond memories of the game :)c

PROMPTS ARE ON SHUTDOWN! Please do not send me any requests at this time!

Commissions can be made through my blog’s tab or by simply messaging me, please go over specific rules first before any purchases!

Also, I appreciate your request. Gamma needs more love! lol And yeah, Amy wouldn’t feel anything more than friendship for a flicky, but I like the idea that one falls for her charms and big heart XD

This also reminds me of Game-Grumps lololol (they made a comment like this I think once. Ha!)

Prompt:

It was hard to process emotions when you’ve been turned into metal, but as Gamma looked through his green specs at the young hedgehog girl, he could briefly feel the muscles on his weakened wings. They felt stripped of flight, of the power of free life. For a moment, a tiny heart fluttered when his wings could not.

Amy…

Her name was Amy…

He had witnessed his friend, brother, and comrade be taken away to destruction by Eggman’s command and said nothing. Suddenly, the young hedgehog girl was asking him to find the remaining humanity still left in him, depart from the robotic pull of the machine strangling his tiny body into its control.

What gave her so much compassion towards his steely hide. What aided her in seeing the helpless little Flicky he truly was inside? He had forgotten so much… and yet…

He could, for a brief moment, imagine he was staring out from the robot. He imagined himself a small bird again, gazing at a girl he wished to perch on and nuzzle with loving affection.

She had loved him when all she could see was a robot. She had pleaded and given him back what he had thought he lost. She was…

Everything to him now.

He was a number with a gun. She stood before him when destruction in the form of a blue hedgehog was going to eliminate him.

A friend… she considered a robot, unfeeling and destructive, to have a heart and soul.

He had protected her back, he had released himself from his prison… at least…

Was the Flicky Gamma? Or was Gamma like a faint dream and that strange other life was still somehow living on inside him?

He had recently reunited with his family, but as his pink little wings fluttered along the coasting wind, he looked to see that same pink hedgehog girl moving on to Station Square.

After a moment’s pause, he joined her.

Finally, his longing to perch on her shoulder and squish his cheek against hers in a loving thanks could be realized!

But then he never wanted to leave.

After seeing him off, he perched on a branch and sorrowfully watched her enter the train, waving to him as he flapped his little wings in a return sign of mutual missing.

When the train departed, he ruffled his feathers and pouted. His companions noticed this and began to think…

With some help, and careful communication with gestures and claw-drawings, they were able to tell Tails that this little Flicky wanted to do more than just live freely in bliss.

He had a job to do and a hedgehog to protect.

Tails loosely understood and began to rebuild his Gamma incarnation, but before this, the little Flicky knew he couldn’t be away from Amy for long.

So a few weeks later…

There was a persistent tapping on the window, as Amy awoke with her face smushed into the pillow, trying to drown out the annoying ticking.

“Ohhh… What now?” she wiggled her face around the pillow before leaning up, yawning slightly and rubbing her eyes as she carefully tossed the bedsheet aside and looked out the window.

“Hmm..? Birdie? No… Ah! The Flicky Gamma saved!” She gasped, excited to see the handsome little bird sitting on the windowsill.

He puffed up his chest, happily panting at his accomplishment of getting her recognition.

She immediately opened the window and he flew up to her, flying around her in a circle as she spun along with him.

“Oh my! Hehe, you sure are full of vigor. I’m so glad you are safe.” She placed her hands neatly on her chest, overlapping the other.

Her sincere words filled him with great joy. She was still the loving Amy Rose he remembered through Gamma’s hazy memories.

“Oh, are you hungry?”

He chirped.

“Well, I’ll have you know I make the best food there is!” with a hop in her step, she hurried to her kitchen and the Flicky happily followed.

Once there, he helped her prepare a meal for each other, all the while whistling his affections for her.

He gripped the spoon with both talons and stirred before, looking over to see a radio and remembering something from being a machine.

He flew over and tapped it on with his beak, able to vaguely recognize words.

“Hmm?” Amy’s ear flicked a bit as a classic swing song came on. She laughed, “You’re a smart little Flicky.” she grinned warmly as he flew over and flapped his wings a bit in the air.

Then, out of nowhere, he swooped down and lightly took her hand in his beak, spinning her around.

“Ohh!” She was pleasantly surprised but realized he was trying to dance with her. “You’re just full of surprises!” she giggled, curtsying.

Everything was going to plan! The little Flicky gave a closed-eye smile in glee,… but that changed the second the wind blew by the door.

“Huh? It couldn’t be… could it?” Amy looked around the Flicky, hearing a knock that jolted her in spot. “Sonic?” There was a pause.

“The one and only.” A chippy voice spoke out.

“Sonic!” her enthusiasm in rushing to the door left the Flicky hovering in spot, disappointed that the same expression hadn’t been created with his own tactic.

When she opened the door, everything was about Sonic, and the Flicky was left as an decoration flying in the corner.

This new dynamic, her cooing and fawning over him as she made him some food and ignored him, left him in such wild, instinctual jealousy that he had gripped Amy’s shoulder and death-glared Sonic the whole time.

“Just thought I’d drop by! Tails says that family of Flickies you saved has a surprise for you.”

He ate some food as Amy reached down and pulled some food up for the Flicky to eat.

Angstily, he quickly grabbed it and chewed in the other direction, making her confused as to his behavior.

“Really? Oh… I really don’t need anything but their happiness though.” She smiled and lovingly scratched beneath the Flicky’s beak.

His feathers couldn’t help it, they ruffled and puffed and he melted at her touch.

“Haha! Seems to really like you, Amy.”

“Hehe! He even asked me dance! Unlike some shy hedgehogs I know.” she poked fun at him, huffing a sly remark and forcing Sonic to fold his arms and look away, not commenting.

Gamma! If the Flicky could regain his form that Amy had first bonded too, maybe he could receive more attention than Sonic!

The little Flicky suddenly went ballistic, cawing and crying out, tugging on Amy’s dress to get her to follow him.

“Woah, woah! What’s gotten into him?” She was being dragged away by the Flicky, and Sonic got up to see what was going on.

“He seems pretty determined to get you out of the house.” He noted, before shrugging and pivoting away. “Oh well. Looks like your charms are too much for him, Amy.”

“Oh, stop that, Sonic! Help me out!”

“With what? He’s just a small Flicky. Bat him away if you really want too.” Sonic gestured weakly the motion, mostly mocking her as the little Flicky flapped his wings with all his might.

“Where do you think he’s taking me?”

“Tails’s, I’d imagine.”

“OoooOOOOOoooh! Why are you acting so calm! He wasn’t acting this way this morning…” she looked worriedly to the Flicky as she finally gave in and stopped resisting, walking in whichever direction he pulled her.

“Persistent, isn’t he?” Sonic frowned a moment, seeing as Amy let the little tike win. “Guess I have too.” He sighed, racing after her.

After having tugged her so far, the Flicky realized she would willingly followed and started guiding the two. Though he pecked at Sonic whenever he got too close to walking alongside Amy… he finally led the pair to Tails’s workshop up on the hill.

“Hey! Sonic! Amy!” Tails waved but upon the hill, “I was just about to phone you!”

“No need. A little birdie told us it couldn’t wait.” Sonic joked, pointing his reversed thumb back at the Flicky, who with determined eyes, raced to Tails.

He briefly reunited with the other Flickies, who hurriedly told him how to access the new metallic body and regain his previous form.

“Tails, what’s this all about?” Amy worriedly looked to him, but he just chuckled in delight.

“Your new friends seem to really owe a lot to you. I think they wanted to bring back an old friend for ya, thinking you might have missed him.”

“Who?” Amy put a finger up to her cheek, trying to recall any Flickies she may have missed on her little adventure. “It hasn’t been that long… has it?”

The Flicky dived like an arrow into the deactivated, scraped Eggman contraption Tails had put together. It was as close to the real look as he would have hoped. He moved into the pod that would serve as a source for the robot and began moving his wings into what he thought might be the right position for them.

Suddenly, the machine whirred to life and little wires and lights began to buzz on all around him.

He opened his beak, his eyes sparkling with the thought of Amy dashing into his metallic frame and hugging him with blissful glee, just like she did the blue hedgehog.

He closed his eyes… expecting the experience to be very similar to the first time.

But it wasn’t painful… it wasn’t happening.

He worriedly squawked, his friends looking down at him as he struggled to kick and try and make the thing absorb his essence.

Tails, Sonic, and Amy approached the garage as Amy saw the little device, like a puppet, start to wiggle and turn.

She covered her mouth, “I-…Is that…?”

Tails smiled to Sonic, who nudged his arm as though saying, ‘Good job’ with a wink.

“E-102 GAMMA. REPORTING FOR HUGGINGS.” The little Flicky learned quickly that Tails had not perfectly designed the robot to match Eggman’s sadistic ways. Instead, it was more like an operating gizmo, one he could manually move and speak at his will.

The other Flickies flew a few inches away as the robot stood up, resembling Gamma very well as it stared blankly out at Amy Rose.

It gripped its gun and fired a warning shot to get Sonic to move back.

“H-Hey!” Sonic tip-toed away from the beam, but clearly looked on edge.

“Woah! What was that all about!?” Tails turned worriedly upset to the Flickies. “I gave you that to help out! Not to hurt my friends!”

The other Flickies glared down at the robot, Birdie even giving it a swift kick to remind the Flicky inside to play nice.

Gamma bounced wildly for a moment, as though mocking Sonic, before tucking the gun to his side and holding out his hand to Amy.

“MISS HEDGEHOG. I HAVE FOUND A WAY TO REPAY YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS. I HAVE RETURNED TO SET A BLAZE TO EGGMAN, AND TO PROTECT ALL WE BOTH CHERISH.”

“Oh, Gamma!” Amy was moved, but worriedly looked to the smoking area where Gamma had fired. “But… Make sure you keep that blaster in its holster! Understood?” she put her hands to her hips, a slight lean forward to show she meant business, as Gamma stepped back a moment in unbalanced shame.

“I MEANT NO THREAT. HE WAS JUST TOO CLOSE TO YOUR EXCELLENCE AND BEAUTY.”

Tails and Sonic gave confused looks to Gamma, but Amy giggled, absolutely smitten by his words.

“You’re too kind~ But Sonic is allowed to be in my presence, so no worries!”

“B-BU-BU-BU-BUT!” rapidly bouncing again, Gamma seemed to very much appose Sonic’s permission to be near her.

“No, buts!” Amy winked, wiggling her finger in a scold. “However, I would absolutely love to give you a hug, old friend!”

Sonic gagged as Tails just awkwardly sweatdropped, scratching the back of his head.

“Guess he wanted more than a thank you from her… huh?”

“Oh, you think?” Sonic joked, rolling his eyes as he ignored Amy’s energetic jump into Gamma’s arms.

“YES. I HAVE DONE IT. I HAVE ACQUIRED YOUR PURE AFFECTION.” Gamma happily held her as the little Flicky did a cute little dance inside his new robotic toy.

Amy giggled, “I didn’t realize you wanted to thank me so much, even going back inside such a dark and scary experience for you… just to say hello again to little old me.” Amy trailed off, missing his point as he realized something very heartbreaking.

“YOU… YOU ONLY SEE ME AS THE ROBOT?”

“Oh no! I see you as that charming little Flicky you always were too!”

“…YOU SEE ME NOT AS I HAD HOPED.” The Robot leaned down, showing the Flicky’s disappointment as he gently set her down.

“I SEE NOW… THAT HEDGEHOG… HE IS THE OBJECT OF YOUR AFFECTIONS. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR A FLICKY OR ROBOT.”

“That’s not true! Many people dwell in my heart!” Amy happily placed her hands over her heart, then guided Gamma’s to the circular opening where the Flicky had flown inside. “Just like you hold a very special one in yours!”

The same feeling of understanding and affection filled the little Flicky, but he decided to pull more affection out of Amy by playing dumb.

“DOES NOT COMPUTE. HOLD HAND LONGER.”

“Umm… Like this?”

“YES. THIS IS GOOD.”

“Oh you. This isn’t even your real hand!” She let it go and reached in the circular hole all the way to the little Flicky, who happily, with a blush, reached out and let her touch his wing.

“Oh! There you are!”

He smiled sweetly, darting out of the machine and embracing her head, lightly pecking her with kisses on her forehead and cheeks.

Amy placed her hands over her face, giggling at the affections and squealing at how much it tickled.

Sonic continued to look uncomfortable while Tails looked to the other Flickies, nodding to them.

“I think I’ll keep Gamma Mark II with me. As long as he doesn’t blow anything up, he can come by and operate it anytime he wants too.” Tails gestured with a hand to shake on it and one of the little Flickies flew down and gave him his talon, shaking to it.

“You’re awfully nice, Tails.”

“What can I say? I’m a sucker for giving others their hearts true desire~” he teased as he nodded his head back to Amy.

His tails wagged as Sonic groaned, turning his head away.

Amy jumped up and down when the Flicky returned to Gamma’s form and Gamma lifted her hand and spun her around.

They had an awkward dance, where Amy would do a little jig and then have Gamma, while standing in place, lift his arm to twirl her every now and then from side to side.

It was a cute moment, but the Flicky knew he wouldn’t lose his gratitude nor love for Amy Rose… but that perhaps, in either form, it wasn’t meant to be.

#Sonic prompt #flicky #Flickies #gamma #e-102 gamma #sonic adventure #sonic #amy rose #tails #sonic the hedgehog

36 notes · View notes