#sonic was the first person to actually be nice to him and being nice to him for nothing in return

[transgendermilesprower]

as excited as i am for sonic prime s3, i'm also so worried, (also it is 12 am so excuse me if this is rambly and doesn't make much sense) i hope they do nine right i dunno how to explain it well, it's just he's a victim of circumstance, a heavily traumatised and abused kid who acted out, acted out because of his survival instincts.

i don't want him to be just thrown into the villain category and left there for good, i need him to reflect, i need some sort of redemption

i want this kid to get therapy i want him to at least learn that while yes the actions of those who hurt him we're bad, it doesn't mean he can hurt others... i want him to relearn friendship after 'betraying' sonic

i love nine, i really can't think of how to explain my thoughts with my 12 am brain.

nine is a trauma survivor, a kid who lived exclusively on ways to avoid getting hurt more than he already has been. he's a kid who wants friends like everyone else, who wants to be loved like everyone else. who doesn't know how to have friends, who doesn't believe he can have friends. he needs that second chance, he deserves to experience the love he never got growing up. he deserves the chance to learn, grow, change.

alright i'll shut up for now, i just love my emo son so much

[max-nico]

Sonic has been called an "overprotective big brother" over the years many times. Not his fault that Tails is small, impressionable, and reckless. He's known the kid since he was a toddler, if anyone else had been around that long they would understand too.

Or at least he thought they would, but it seems he was wrong because his own two best friends–Amy and Knuckles–are the ones who call him overprotective the most. This is a huge betrayal on their part, especially when they bring up valid points like Tails' intelligence and skill, because how could he disagree. Sonic has the coolest, most awesome and amazing, little brother ever. 

With that being said, Sonic is pretty sure he has the right to interrogate the little fox this time. He's like 90% sure his panic is warranted when he sees his little brother load and cock a very real and deadly gun. Because that kid is 9. He is 9, and he is putting on his watch and his plane gear to leave, and for some reason he needs a weapon wherever he's going. Sonic thinks he has a right to exercise at least a little big brother privilege here, honestly it would be negligent to not at least question him. 

"Hey bud. Whatcha up to?"

Tails' ear flicks toward him as he packs a few things into the Tornado. "You remember that hard drive that GUN thought they stole from me, but I actually knew they wanted it so I lowered a few of my defense systems so that they could grab it and leave me alone?"

The answer is no, Sonic has no recollection of that happening at all. Though he supposes it's his own fault for only half listening when Tails was talking. He's really gotta break that habit.

"Sure do." Sonic lies.

"Well, I actually have a little bit of data on there that I forgot to back up to another hard drive since I didn't think I needed it, so I'm going to go get it."

"And you need a weapon for that? Why don't you just ask Shadow?"

Tails finally turns to face Sonic, floating down off the Tornado and in front of Sonic. He stands with his hands on his hips, leaning just a little into his personal space. He takes the chance to absentmindedly scratch behind his little brother's ears, making him push his head into his hand.

"I did, actually. He's the one who told me to bring some weapons, he said he wants to help me improve my stealth techniques."

"Huh, and he didn't even bother to text me about it." Sonic huffs. It comes out playfully, but he won't deny being a little peeved that Shadow didn't message him. Tails is a genius and can make his own decisions, sure, but he's also not even in double digits. Sonic is literally his guardian, he feels like he should've been consulted about this. "I find that quite rude."

Tails smacks Sonic with one of his tails. The fur gets trapped in the small quills on his face, which makes his brother giggle.

"Then how do you find that, hm?"

"I find that the person who did it has another thing coming."

Sonic is so gonna fill his pillows with quills and shaving cream again. The fox constantly complains about not being able to get his quills out of any furniture, but he also got his fur stuck on Sonic's face, he figures this is pretty good retribution.

"Sure I do."

This is what Sonic means. Where did his wholesome brother go? Ignoring the fact that he has been a little menace since they first met, this is obviously team Dark's fault. Their devious ways are corrupting his little brother, who has obviously only learned nice things from him, like dad jokes and spindashing.

Tails has been constantly hanging out with team Dark for a few months now. After spending time with Rouge on Amy's last birthday he seemed to acquire a sort of childish fascination with them. Honestly, Sonic didn't really see it as a bad thing at first. They got Tails to spend more time out of his lab, and they always seemed to take care of him so Sonic had no qualms as long as Tails was having fun.

Then the habits came. Habits that Sonic had managed to completely purge a couple years back. Sure, he's not building bombs willy nilly anymore (as far as he knows anyway), but a few weeks ago Tails showed him the Empire nuclear launch codes just because he could.

Just yesterday they were having a conversation about a grocery store in station square. Amy had apparently told him that the cashier was kind of rude, so he asked if she wanted him to "blow up the entire store". She laughed and said no thanks, but when Sonic just shook his head at him Tails had the audacity to say "he'll make sure there's no one in it", as if that was the problem with what he said.

Sonic will not claim to have clean hands. He will not say he's never killed anybody on purpose or on accident, but is it so much to want to spare his brother from the same fate? Sonic still has nightmares over things like that, and even if his little brother is joking, he just can't find it in himself to laugh.

It's obvious Sonic will have to talk to Shadow and Rouge soon, he would talk to Omega as well but the robot honestly just does whatever he wants. Sonic can respect it. He cannot, however, respect Shadow and Rouge teaching his kid brother bad stuff, like how to get away with murder and other things of the like.

"I'll be back before you know it, Sonic, I swear!"

It's obvious Sonic has just missed most of the one sided conversation Tails was just having with him, he zoned out again. Damn it.

"And I'll have my communicator on me so if anything goes wrong, you'll be the first to know! I'll stay safe, Shadow will be with me."

Tails says that as if it's any comfort to Sonic. He may trust Shadow with his life but he does not trust him with children. He's sure Tails will come out physically unscathed, but mentally? This is going to be a trainwreck.

Sonic sighs. He already knows he won't be able to convince him not to go, at least not in the small timeframe he has, so he just pulls the kid in for a hug instead. "Call me as soon as you're able, okay?"

"I will, promise!"

"And if you're not back and not answering in 24 hours, I'm coming to find you myself."

"Yes, Sonic." Tails says, pulling away.

"And I'll give Shadow a piece of my mind if I have to, you know I will."

"I'm leaving now."

"And so will Knuckles and Amy!"

"Goodbye!"

"Remember what I said about calling!"

"I can't hear you anymore!"

Sonic smiles as Tails starts his plane, the kid will be fine, he knows it. After all, he's sure Shadow and Rouge know the consequences if he's not.

woe, the brothers be upon ye I wrote this in like two sittings and its barely been edited, I'll probably put this on ao3 later after I've looked at it again lol. you're welcome to hit me up in my dms or askbox, but if it's a request I would prefer my ask box lol. Remember you have to be nice to me forever and ever and ever if you decide to talk to me btw

[sage-nebula]

I've seen some people surprised that Kit feels murderous toward Tails in the newest issue, but honestly? I really think this tracks. Setting aside his original programming to kill Tails, let's look at their relationship in chronological order, shall we?

As we know, they met in Eggperial City, where Kit tried to do his job and kill Tails. Tails quickly set to work on talking Kit down, which he did mostly successfully (mostly, because it all went to pot the instant Tails suggested they find Sonic). The thing is, if he has taken the time to look back on it (and I'm sure he has for reasons I'll get to), I don't think Kit sees Tails as really being kind in retrospect. I think he sees Tails as having manipulated him.

And the thing is: he's right.

Look at Tails's smirk after Kit shows surprise that Tails likes his gear. That's a got him smirk if I've ever seen one. Tails has clued into a vulnerability of Kit's that he can use to his advantage.

He further tries to draw similarities between them ("I'm different too and people didn't like that either") and asks leading questions ("you don't get support huh?") to get the result he wants. We have further confirmation that this is deliberate manipulation on Tails's part by his internal monologue about Kit's emotional instability.

Now, none of this is to say Tails is a bad person. Kit was genuinely trying to murder him and Tails was trying to de-escalate the situation to save his own life, without physically harming Kit if possible. As funny as memes about Tails murdering the Kukku Army are, generally he tries to avoid hurting others if he can. He's a nice boy.

But what happened after this?

Well, more specifically: Tails mentioned wanting to find Sonic for help, Kit attacked again, Tails knocked Kit out, and then after Kit comes to and they all leave the city . . .

. . . he's told that Surge died.

Surge was his one reason for living thanks to Starline's programming, and she died while Kit was unconscious because Kit fell for Tails's manipulation and then was overpowered. We don't get a look inside his head during the time when he believes Surge has died, but there is a strong possibility that he blamed himself, because if he had drowned Tails right away like he was supposed to, he could have gone to help Surge. But he didn't, so he couldn't, so she's dead. That's mostly on him, but he could easily resent Tails for it, too.

And speaking of resentment:

Kit finds out Surge is alive, and of course his first instinct is to think Sonic lied so that he could kill Surge off for good. So he goes to get revenge, only to be blocked by Tails. And that's when we get that gem of a line: "Why would you bother with me? You already have him."

Remember that, when he thought Surge was dead, he figured he could be used by Sonic instead:

But while he of course doesn't want to serve Sonic now, he has also realized that if Surge HAD actually died, Sonic would still have no use for him, because Sonic already has Tails. Tails, who can break his water tails easily. Tails, who easily manipulated him in Eggperial City. Tails, who disabled his water pack and knocked him out.

So far, Tails has bested Kit at every turn, leaving Kit to feel inferior and worthless by comparison.

The next time they meet, it is a trap where Kit is again supposed to kill Tails. And once more Tails is able to manipulate Kit into temporarily backing down:

Tails thinks Kit has gone back to being, if not friendly, then reasonable. But he hasn't. Kit stops specifically when Tails says Surge is hurting herself, because he doesn't want Surge to be hurt. And I think Tails knows that, and that's why he said it. But Kit also knows that he is being manipulated here, and his silence is him watching for his opportunity. Such as here:

Peep Kit in the second panel. He watches as Tails dives after Sonic. Had Tails hit the water, he would have been fried right along Sonic. But did Kit care? No. He watched. Surge could have easily killed Tails just as she (temporarily) killed Sonic, and Kit would not have cared at all, because at this point he does not see Tails as a friend: he sees him as a manipulative enemy.

This is further cemented by what he says and does at the end of the issue.

He uses his water tails to grab Tails and move him out of the way in the very same way that he does to Sonic. And he says, "I'll bury you all here." All, including Tails. While the focus is put on Sonic's anger because he is the main character, that doesn't change the fact that he is including Tails when he says that he will bury them all. He sees Tails as no different from Sonic, Starline, or Eggman. Tails manipulated and used him, just as the rest did. He just pretended to be nice while he did it.

So when he finally comes back in this most recent issue, it comes as no surprise to me that this is his attitude:

His history with Tails is extremely personal, and not in a good way. It can be easy to miss because most of the focus on Kit has been on his codependent relationship with Surge, and he hasn't openly voiced how he feels about Tails until this particular issue. But when you piece together every step of their relationship (Tails manipulating him, Tails overpowering him, Kit saying Sonic has no use for him because he has Tails), it paints a very clear picture that Kit feels every bit as suffering in Tails's shadow as Surge does in Sonic's. The only reasons why Kit isn't more proactive about it is because of his programming as a support figure. Supporting Surge comes before all else, so if Surge is hurting herself it's best to hang back. And if Surge doesn't want to go after the Restoration because it's a losing battle with just the two of them, then he needs to follow her lead.

But those feelings of resentment are still boiling under his surface. And now that he has the opportunity to unleash them, he won't miss the chance to strike.

[multi-fandomsfreak]

Hi I was wonder if I request tom wachowski with a goth sister and she comes and visits and the trouble trio absolutely LOVE HER because she’s so sweet 🥺

Tom Wachowski with a goth sister

Hey there thanks for the ask!

Honestly I’ve been feeling like shit for the past couple of days so seeing this ask actually put me in a better mood. Hope you enjoy it ~ J/Blaze

Pronouns: Not mention but reader is referenced to be female

Warning: ⚠️Slight mentions of Tails and Knuckles backgrounds in the second movie⚠️

Requested: Yes/No

Characters: Tom + Maddie + Sonic + Tails + Knuckles

Proofread: ❌

Credits: Poster belongs to Sega and the people who created the Sonic movie + Banner by adorbbs on Pinterest

———————————

- Let’s start this off with Tom absolutely loves you, your his sister of course he does. He doesn’t care what you look like or what you do, he's going to support you all the way just like you did for him growing up and defend you from anyone who bullies you about your style. Of course he’s not going to get physical because he’s not really that type of person but he’ll definitely give them a talking to.

- You two often like to hang out when you both have the time with him being a cop and all. Since you often like to come visit him this means that you get to see Maddie a lot as well and she absolutely loves you as well. She’s definitely impressed with your style and absolutely loves it. I feel like she’ll definitely hype you up about what you wear. She also really appreciates your kindness and how you are willing to help her with some stuff.

- Now onto the trio:

- For Sonic I have a feeling you’ve met him some point near the end of the first movie. At first you two were surprised with each other. You were surprised because there was this random creature who claimed to be a hedgehog standing in front of you and was talking to you. If it wasn’t for Tom and Maddie managing to calm you down you honestly thought you were hallucinating. As for Sonic he was mostly surprised yet interested in you. Like sure he’s seen some interesting people when he was totally not stalking the town of green hills but you're different. He honestly admires you in a way. And to think that your ‘Donut lords’ sister just makes it even cooler.

- He definitely opens up to you quickly, this is mostly because of how you are around him. You treat him so nicely despite him clearly being different from you. If you’ve seen the second movie he considers Tom like a father to him and I like to think that maybe he considers you as an aunt. He also may or may not called you aunt one time when you visited him and yes he may have gotten teased by Tom about it but honestly you didn’t even mind. You're just glad that he feels that comfortable around you that he called you that.

- He definitely asked you if he could try on some clothes and of course you let him. Although they clearly didn’t fit him due to the size difference between you two but honestly he didn’t care, he’s having fun with it and may even give you a little fashion show while he’s at it.

- For Tails and Knuckles they’re kind of similar. Both of them met you at some point after the second movie. They mostly likely met you when you decided to catch up with the other three unaware of tails and knuckles. As soon as they heard the door open and to Sonic happily going over to you excited to see you with Tom and Maddie following behind him of course they got curious and when they saw you they were immediately surprised.

- For Tails I feel like he’d be a little caught off guard when he first saw you. He wasn’t scared of you of course but just like Sonic he hasn’t really seen anyone like you. But despite the initial surprise from him he actually kind of admires you. He really likes how you're open about your style and not really caring about what people think about it. He really appreciates that.

- Again just like Sonic he opens up to you quickly as well. Maybe even quicker than sonic. Since he didn’t really have anyone back on his planet seeing how kind you were to not only him but other people makes him kind of want to be around you 24/7. He really likes it when you visit.

- When you do visit over he really likes to show you his gadgets that he created and hearing you saying how cool it looks and how smart he is he couldn’t help but feel really happy that you enjoy them. If you're willing to listen he’ll explain in a lot of detail about them, even if you don’t really understand certain terms he’s saying. Seeing that you're listening to him explain it is enough for him. Maybe if he has the time he might make something for you. As a way of saying thank you.

- For Knuckles as mentioned in some of my previous posts, it takes him a while to open up to people even if they’re the kindest person in the world he’ll have trouble opening up to them. If you consider his backstory in the second movie it’s honestly understandable why. But despite this he’s actually really interested in you. Unlike Tails who may be caught off guard or for Sonic who was initially surprised when first meeting you, Knuckles surprisingly took an interest in you. But despite this he’s still a bit cautious of you so he kind of admires you from a distance. Eventually Tom notices this and somehow manages to convince Knuckles in one way or another to talk with you. This then eventually leads to him being more open around you.

- He’s kind of the same like Tails when it comes to being around you. He’s definitely very attached to you although not as open compared to Tails but still it’s kind of obvious that he is even if he doesn’t directly say it to you. Due to this he can be protective over you. If someone even dares look at you the wrong way or comments on your looks he’ll tear one into them before you eventually have to take him somewhere else.

- I feel like after hanging out with you just like Sonic he kind of sees you like an aunt due to you being related to Tom and how kind you are to him. Maybe accidentally called you aunt as well and Sonic may have teased him for it but quickly gets shut down but Tom when he said he did the exact same thing.

- Overall, although they show it differently all of them really appreciate you.

———————————

[brainworms-all-night-long]

Yesterday I bought ice cream for the first time this year and thought, huh, what if Nine had icecream as well, wouldn't that be nice :]

[703 words]

---

"You ever had ice cream?" Tails gently elbowed him and pointed towards the open terrace window to a nearby patisserie.

"No...no I don't think I have."

"Well then we gotta change that, my treat!" Without further question or prompt, Sonic jogged towards the shop and stopped in front of what seemed to be a large horizontal freezer, at least it sounded like so.

Nine wanted to stop him, give a second opinion, anything. But at this point it would be way too embarrassing to continue stalling, especially with Tails practically dragging him by the sleeve.

Though the notion of a cold and sweet treat on this painfully sunny day didn't sound too bad, so perhaps it wouldn't hurt to try. Just out of curiosity.

"What are the options?"

"Well for a few unbiased recommendations, the chocolate chip mint – personal favorite, green apple, cookie and tiramisu aren't a bad start!" Tails explained all chipper while counting each of the examples on his fingers, clearly overly excited at the prospect of getting said ice cream.

By the time the two foxes made it to the shop window, Sonic was already holding a two-scoop tall icy treat of his own with a bear-head shaped cracker stabbed into the top of it. Then, with a thanks to the mobian behind the counter, handed Tails his apparently pre-ordered green two-scooped ice cream as well. "Or we could get you the Smurf one."

"What the hell is a Smurf."

"Add that to the list of things to show him, partner." Sonic used the cracker as a stand-in for his index finger as he pointed at Tails who only rolled his eyes but nodded.

Nine snorted while quickly skimming through the colorful selection of the freezer before him.

He figured there was a big-time press on him since they were no longer the only ones in line, so he picked the cookie one, to the silent dismay of Tails.

And wouldn't you know it, it tasted exactly like if you froze over Amy's hand-baked cookies he didn't have that long ago. Though he should stop being so surprised, the food in this universe was always nothing short of a delicacy.

The cracker was maybe a bit too much but hey, it made a good spoon for the parts of the ice cream that threatened to fall off from the sides. It also tasted almost as sweet as he anticipated.

"Just be careful so you don't get a brain freeze." Sonic playfully jabbed at him after paying and bidding the seller person goodbye.

Nine rolled his eyes.

"Oh what would I do without your boundless wisdom, thank you for warning me, Sonic."

He knows what ice cream is and was actually lying before, he did try it once. But to no one's surprise it was just as underwhelming as most edible things in New Yoke. Not to mention he rarely could afford or remember to indulge in such a luxury back there.

"Hey, that was in good faith why must you undermine me so!" Sonic gripped his chest in a theatrical manner and Tails laughed.

"Tch, drama queen." Nine poked his tongue out and then properly gave his attention to the treat at hand.

"Right?" Tails perked up with a cheeky grin that Sonic returned with a comically deep scowl.

"Unbelievable! Traitor!" Sonic cried, but an anamused Tails only returned it with a low kick to his shoe.

Yet another thing Nine was fairly new at was this sort of friendly banter. Usually when he snarked, it was genuinely meant to hurt the person which it was directed at, except now he constantly feared accidentally going overboard with something he intended as a playful jab. Thankfully, Tails is way more vicious than Nine could ever expect so it is yet to be the case.

The overall lighthearted and cooling atmosphere between the three of them couldn't help the genuine smile it put on his face.

They continued their merry way through the bright and clean city streets. Despite his protests in the morning, Nine didn't mind following the two as they now kicked and tripped each other, and amidst their giggles tried to keep their respective ice creams intact.

[renegadeknucks]

Something something Knuckles didn't start getting sick until he met Eggman. The Master Emerald and Angel Island were a very safe and healthy environment, working specifically so Knuckles would be healthy and thrive in order to take care of the island in return. He'd never been sick, never had any bad germs to really worry about, he always thought he was just incredibly healthy.

And then he met Eggman. And Sonic and his friends. And suddenly Knuckles felt like he was dying from how terrible his immune system actually was when it came to common colds and sicknesses. What should have been a pretty standard illness for most Mobians turned into Knuckles being so weak he could hardly stand, his immune system shot because it hadn't experienced sickness before. All the symptoms exhausted him and he had no idea how to cure himself and the island no longer seemed to be helping.

The island looked as bad as he felt, flowers wilting and trees losing leaves and the Master Emerald didn't glow nearly as bright as it normally did. It got so bad that even before really knowing Sonic on a personal level he invited him to the island just so the island would be taken care of. He never thought about himself.

But Sonic made it his goal to be the first one to continue to be nice to him, to take care of him and make his first time being sick as easy as possible because he really did look miserable. Sonic didn't mention it though, he knew Knuckles already felt bad enough.

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

What was the prime tails polycule first kiss like?

Oooh ooooh I know this one!

Now I can't tell you which exact order all these happen in, but here are some first kiss ideas I have between each individual pairing within the polycule

(But under the cut because this ended up longer than I expected to answer haha)

ㅤ

Tails/Nine

I definitely don't think this pairing would come first if I were forced to come up with which individual pairings within the polycule shared their first kiss first to be honest 😂. Why? Well, while Nine does have some issues over not being the "only him" so to speak, I personally think canon Nine doesn't have nearly as many issues with Mangey and Sails as he does with Prime!Tails, and that some of his issues with Mangey and Sails really began with Tails. I think before actually meeting him Nine would have this idea of Tails as Sonic's "perfect little buddy". In this case, he would assume that Tails is nice and sweet and always does whatever Sonic wants and is Sonic's perfect little supporter that always helps Sonic but never has opinions of his own or opposes Sonic in any way. Essentially, I think to him Tails is everything he is not, the "perfect" partner in Sonic's eyes, and also a doormat. Tails is both the fox he can never be (jealous) and the fox he can never be (derogatory, "I'm better than you"). Prime!Tails, meanwhile, knows everything he knows initially from Sonic most likely, and after everything...I think Sonic would have a lot to say about Nine. That's all to say that Tails would get that Sonic cares about him a lot, would get that Nine probably liked Sonic a lot, would probably see him in a similar light to Shadow, and may see some of Nine's actions as "over the top" due to only knowing as much as Sonic knows or actually says. So initially I think Nine would be jealous of Tails while holding onto some of that strong dislike, and Tails would be secretly jealous of Nine, but ultimately seeing him as a guy who is rough around the edges, intelligent, and perhaps a bit unstable.

That also being said, I think it would do the two of them good to actually talk about themselves and open up to their insecurities/pasts to each other. I think becoming more open and talking about those things would allow the two to understand each other (and exactly what makes them so different and similar) much better, but I also recognize that something like that's going to take a long time and is probably not going to happen all at once. Realistically, unless he specifically feels like doing it at one point or another, getting Nine to explain himself and his story is going to be like pulling teeth for the most part, and I can see Tails being the type to try to relate to him while straying away from using specific examples (since Tails isn't the type of guy to me that goes around talking about what happened to him either). I think that what's revealed will probably happen over time in bits and pieces, and maybe at some point someone will manage to work one or the other into feeling comfortable enough to vent a bit.

With that in mind, I think that when the two properly meet, it'll surprise them just how far off they were in their characterizations of each other (mostly Nine, but you get it). So I think their first learning curve would be dealing with any jealousy between them + any identity crisis + Nine instinctively not wanting to let go of that version of Tails he made up in his head easily + learning who the other *actually* is.

So...their first kiss. I can't see it being at any other point than a bonding moment between them—something that combines the vulnerability of opening up (which can bring hearts closer) and the ongoing jealousy causing tention to snap. Tails has learned bits and pieces about Nine by now about him being "picked on" as a kid and being tormented until he eventually created a way to fight back (no deep details), or what it was like living in the place he grew up in. Likewise, I think Nine would also know very little about how Tails was also picked on, about how he used to follow Sonic around, etc. Aside from that, I think they'd start to gather more about each other's true personalities by actually hanging around each other or by both happening to be on missions with Sonic at the same time. I think Nine would come to realize that Tails has no problem meeting Sonic sass to sass or telling him that he's being an idiot (mind you, depending on the situation Tails is likely to be softer about it in the way where he explains what he's thinking and asks Sonic what he thinks without specifically saying Sonic's idea is stupid), and that when Sonic isn't rushing in without a plan he's looking to Tails for direction and advice. Likewise, I think Tails would start to realize that Nine is a bit deeper than he assumed and wonder more about what exactly happened to him.

But, of course, the question is how they actually start opening up, and to that I say: Sonic? Sonic. To me, Sonic is both the elephant in the room to them and a shared interest. So...I can see the two hanging alone. Maybe Tails and Nine were both on an adventure with at least them and Sonic going to stop Prime!Eggman's plans, and maybe Sonic is seemingly fast asleep at their camp on the way home. Sitting by the fire with Tails, having just finished eating, Nine can't help but think back to his first meeting with Sonic (when Sonic was explaining how there's nothing like eating a chilli dog with your best pal when everything's said and done). Then, he thinks about Sonic, conked out in the tent and patched up. Sonic's lucky he has such a good natural healing factor, otherwise he wouldn't be able to be as reckless as he is, Nine thinks. Sure, his actions earlier stood the best chance of defeating Prime!Eggman so he didn't have much choice, but still it shouldn't have had to come to it.

And yeah, Sonic being reckless or self sacrificial isn't a foreign concept to Nine. It's just that now...after everything...he can’t help but be afraid of what will happen if something actually does Sonic in one day. So, he asks Tails aloud, "How... How do you deal with him like this?"

"Sonic?"

"He's always so... He doesn't always listen, he's reckless, he's always pulling those dangerous stunts right at the last second. Even I think it's a miracle he hasn't–" Nine cuts off, and the two sit in silence for a moment.

"Sonic is...like that, you know? Frustrating at times? Yes. Stubborn? Absolutely. Even now that he's...changed a bit, he still pulls off those grand stunts and brushes off my advice sometimes while practically begging me to tell him what to do others. He's much better at the whole teamwork thing than he used to be, but he's still Sonic."

"I know all that. I know all that stuff about how he's stubborn and frustrating but always comes through when it counts and turns things around, but that...that wasn't the question."

"You deal with him, don't you?"

"It doesn't mean I can't be– Doesn't mean I don't...worry sometimes." Then, Nine adds, "And don't tell me you don't."

Then one thing leads to another in the back and forth and Nine is like, "When I met him...I thought I'd found the exception. Everyone else only thought about themselves, about living day to day and taking everything out on those smaller or weaker to feel powerful about themselves. But Sonic... He almost made– makes you believe in hope. And then... Then I found out that he was as stubborn and selfish as anyone else."

Tails chuckles a little at that.

"Not that any of that matters now," Nine adds.

After a few moments, Tails opens his mouth. "You know, I thought the world of him too, once."

Huh, is all Nine thinks.

"Of course, I still think he's cool now. But back then I remember... He used to run away when he noticed me following him, so I had to do whatever I could to catch up. And for a while...nothing mattered. He was my hero. That was all."

"So...he's not now?"

"Well, I suppose he always will be it's just... Well, I only wanted to be around him, so how he acted didn't matter."

"So you thought the world of him, but you were let down, and you decided to stick with him anyways?"

"I mean, well. It's more complicated than that, but... Isn't it the same with you?"

Nine sighs, looking down at his shoes. "I...suppose."

Tails shoots a look at the tent before casting his gaze down at his own shoes.

"The point is...I get it. I don't like worrying about him either, but...I've made peace with it." Then, Tails adds with a chuckle, "As well as I can, anyways."

"...Not as if there's anything else you can do," Nine agrees.

There's a moment of silence, then, before Tails smiles. "Well I'm sure we could try, but nothing stops Sonic the Hedgehog from doing anything—not when he sets his sights on it."

Nine chuckles weakly, remembering bitter and fond bits of memories alike. He can concede that this is true. After all, back then, as the universe was falling apart, Sonic would never give up on the universe's inhabitants just as he never gave up on him.

"One time, there was this hot pepper eating contest in Station Square. It was a promotional thing for a new restaurant or something. And the moment someone mentioned that the prize could involve chili dogs..." Tails shakes his head.

"Like a lifetime supply?"

"No, I think it was... Ah... I don't exactly remember. It was probably a gift card or something. Those people were probably just saying the restaurant had chili dogs—which turned out to be true. But you know Sonic!" He laughs. "Didn't read the terms. Just entered as fast as he could. I tried to tell him that we had to meet up with the Chaotix on business, but..."

"So...let me guess. He made a remark about how it'd be over fast because speed is his thing, implied the contest would be easy as cake, and overestimated his ability."

Tails looks to Nine. "Yeah, heh. You've pretty much got it. The whole time, though, I couldn't convince him to quit."

Nine nods, still facing forward. "The trademark stubbornness. Good at times, not so good other times."

"Heh, yeah. I'm pretty sure he thought it was one of those contests where you try to eat the most, because his impatience was palpable. The contestants would eat a pepper one at a time in rotation, and they all took their time."

"And you were late to your 'meeting'?" There's a bit of an edge to Nine’s words, but it’s a genuine question nonetheless. He doesn't fully understand the point Tails is trying to make by telling this story, but, eh... Talking to Tails so far is...better than sitting in silence. At least, that's how Nine feels about it.

Tails laughs, and Nine turns to him at the sound.

"No, not just late! He was sweating, nearly about to pass out. I had to rush him to the agency, Vector put him on the desk, Charmy pulled a leaf from somewhere to fan him with, and all the while Espio was off getting a 'traditional shinobi remedy' or something. All of that for a prize he didn't even win."

"Pffft. Sounds like him."

And so eventually the two end up trading stories of Sonic and his stubbornness (some funny and others concerning), Nine ends up smiling a little, and the two don't realize how close they are until everything stops. The only light illuminating their faces is from the fire, and neither of the two can see the stars, too focused on the others' face. And, perhaps, one of them decides to take that step on a whim. The kiss is chaste, but reciprocated (much to the surprise of them both).

And that night, as the two lay in the tent, Tails is surprised. When he first met Nine he hadn't thought things would progress like this, and yet...it's something Tails doesn't mind. To him Nine has become fascinating (both in his familiarity and in his alienness), and he's begun to suspect something with the way his heart warms at the prospect of simple things—Nine's happiness, his laughter, his enjoyment. In fact, I think it's possible for Tails to have (in hindsight) been waiting for this to happen. I think it's hard for Tails to balance mild jealousy and his growing interest in both Nine and making sure he (and the other variants) have a chance to coexist in this wide universe without becoming even a bit attached or starting to care more genuinely. So (especially if he's kissed the other variants before now), finding out he likes kissing Nine wouldn't really bother him. If anything, he's likely to be...pleasantly surprised it happened. He'd be a bit pained if Nine rejected him, but he'd be happy if things...continued as they are now (just with some added traditionally romantic stuff).

Meanwhile, I think Tails would be Nine's first kiss out of all his first kisses with the variants. Why? Well, I think if Tails is Nine's first, then it makes everything else a bit easier. Resolving his hangup on Tails (by learning about his true self and having him kiss Tails about those feelings) is something I think that could allow him to feel more comfortable in accepting any feelings for the other two. So I'd like to think that Nine's head races while he lies in the tent. He has to grapple with the fact that he liked that kiss, and it shakes him a bit that it was with someone he'd once held resentment towards. But I'd like to think that he ultimately doesn't reject the kiss or those feelings, not after all the time he's been spending getting to know Tails.

Maybe Nine moves on, thinks about that kiss every once in a while, and their relationship just eventually progresses at a natural pace. One day they're making out in Nine's lab in The Grim or Tails makes him breakfast in the morning (causing Nine's heart to squeeze) and Nine doesn't know how they got here.

So uhhh yeah anyways. Tldr; no matter what I think Nine and Tails have this slow burn relationship, so it takes a while before they kiss. I think they kiss over the usual getting closer to someone/caring for them stuff + their shared Sonic interest. I think their first kiss is on a whim, after they bare their hearts to each other a bit, and I think it's a gateway to future kisses.

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Tails/Sails

Hmmm you know... I think these two shared their first kiss cause they decided they wanted to see what it would be like. Either it's the first kiss out of the entire group because they decided to try it for science (because neither is holding out for anyone else to kiss them (specifically non-tails variants)), or it's not the first, but it’s "for science" (aka, an excuse to kiss each other to see if they like it).

If it's in a situation in which they kiss because they've never been kissed before and aren't holding out for it to ever happen (in what one might consider a traditionally romantic way anyways), then I envision this happening well into the sort of mentorship Tails ends up starting with Sails. By that point I can see them becoming friends after sort of bonding over what makes them similar (and I think Tails would research pirate culture just to understand Sails better).

If it's a situation in which they kiss "for science" as a clear excuse, well. That one's a bit self explanatory. They're kind of grappling with the confusing not exactly clear platonic or romantic nature of their feelings, and they both hope a kiss will clear things up and want to use it as a safe excuse to kiss the other without it necessarily having to be serious if the other doesn't like it (essentially, at least if they enjoy it and the other doesn't, they can pretend it doesn't mean anything).

With that all being said, to me they're the type to be more casual about the affection and the kisses most of the time, but once in a while they get in the mood to participate in...less casual kissing.

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Tails/Mangey

I've said once before in a previous Tailscest post that I feel Tails would be the jealous type deep down (the kind of guy who's jealous and possessive, but also has learned to keep it under wraps for the sake of his image and for not tying Sonic down). Specifically, I also mentioned a theoretical happening in which Mangey hides behind Sonic on instinct when scared, Sonic comforts him, and Tails can't help but see himself in Mangey (because that's what Sonic used to do for him when he and Sonic were both younger).

I think, at first, Tails would be...baseline nice to Mangey. He's another version of him, so he has no reason to be mean or anything outright. At first, though, he's not sure what to think of Mangey I think, so I think his gateway to understanding him is relating to him. This means that, early on, I think Tails kind of thinks of Mangey akin to a largely nonverbal, younger version of himself—an opinion that will shift and change as Tails properly gets to know Mangey better.

As for Mangey, he has no reason to dislike Tails. Sonic has only good things to say about him, and Tails being nice off the bat gives Mangey a good impression. So I think Mangey would start to learn more about Tails by following him around, tasting the food he likes to eat (could this mean that he may eat off the guy's plate, lick the plate later, or out of the trash? ...maybe), sitting in while Tails is working in his lab, etc.

I envision their first kiss going...like this more or less. Either Tails is on a solo mission and Mangey decided to follow him, or Mangey is sitting in on one of Tails' late nights. And then...thunder strikes, scaring them both. Before Tails knows it, Mangey is curled around his legs, shaking.

Thunder strikes again, Tails tenses up, and Mangey yelps. Tails is scared, he can't deny that, but he can't help but be conscious of Mangey. So, practically running on instinct, he sinks to the ground slowly, whispering to Mangey about how "it'll all be okay soon" and if he could "please let go for a second" so Tails can kneel down. Tails wraps his arms and tails around Mangey, pulling him closer, just before the two hear thunder again.

Mangey all but throws his arms around Tails, whimpering, as Tails tries his best to keep his cool (this long running fear of his has never failed to make him feel...a bit dumb for it). And then, as Mangey is whimpering and Tails is trying not to tremble or cry, his thoughts drift to where they always do when he's afraid or hopelessly alone.

I wish Sonic was here.

And then...a moment of clarity. Despite the fear, despite how his brain is just barely affording him the braincells to act rationally, he remembers how Sonic has always calmed him down (ever since they were younger). Still holding onto Mangey, Tails slides a hand up Mangey's back and kneck, resting it around the top of his head. He begins to scratch Mangey just begind the ears, ever so gently.

"I-I'm here. It's... It's going to be okay." In an attempt to calm himself down further, Tails takes deep breaths. "You're not alone. Y...You have me, okay?"

It takes a little while of this, but soon Tails is able to tune the sound of the thunder out a bit better, and Mangey stops whimpering. The two are still afraid, but each other's presence (and Tails' attempts at comfort) manage to make them both feel more comfortable.

And then, once the thunderstorm has passed, there's a moment of utter silence. Tails shifts his hands to Mangey's shoulders, and he lifts up just high enough on his knees to press a kiss to his forehead. At that, Mangey makes a sound—a barely audible purr. Tails strains his ears just a little to hear it, but it causes him to smile nonetheless.

Soon enough, Mangey unwinds his arms and tails from Tails. Though he had already grown interested in Tails, this event serves the purpose of allowing him to grow closer to Tails emotionally too. To me, this event in particular takes place after the Mangey/Sails first kiss. So, Mangey sits on his knees, mirroring Tails.

Tails pulls his hands to his sides, only watching as Mangey settles his hands on his (Tails') shoulders. He assumes Mangey is just repeating his actions from earlier, but, to his surprise, Mangey leans forward, pressing his lips to Tails' own instead.

Mangey lingers at Tails' lips for a second or two, but he doesn't pull back before swiping his tongue across Tails' lips.

An act as bold as this causes Tails' face to heat up, and he can't help but cover it in embarrassment (especially once Mangey begins to giggle).

Now, while I don't think Mangey would be as clingy with Tails as he is with Sails, I think the two would be able to hang out more casually than before (whether this means Mangey curled up across Tails' lap, or the two engaging in parallel play in the same room), and I think Tails has an easier time becoming accustomed to Mangey's presence from this point forward. In addition, I think that while Tails still can't help that jealousy, he kind of adopts a more protective stance when it comes to Mangey (which is to say that he can't help but relate to Sonic and the kind of fondness Sonic must have for him as well), where he knows Mangey can take care of himself but perhaps...takes care of him or begins to spoil him a little more than the other variants (if not because Mangey is cute and Tails is both heavily relating to him now and sort of projecting himself in Sonic's role of the "person and their little buddy duo" phenomenon).

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Nine/Sails

Okay so I'll be real with you. My immediate brain thought is telling me that it would be really funny if Sails kept debating Nine over stuff like "Is water wet?" or "Is a sea dog a sandwich?" and they kissed to break the tension or something.

But, for you anon, I will cook up more of a serious answer 😂

Now, aside from culture differences (and of course, uh, after resolving what Nine tried to do to Sails), I think they would come to be like colleagues. To me, they'd have scientific discussions (over different subjects, though, because, despite the shared prowess with technology, the two would be obsessed with different fields of study in my opinion), Sails would share a bunch of riddles with Nine, Nine would show off some of his technology and give Sails some advice for his own contraptions, and Sails would ask questions like "is water wet?" just to argue with Nine about it. I think that Sails would consider Nine as fun to mess with, but also as someone he ultimately likes hanging out with (if not for keeping his mind sharp). Likewise, I think Nine would consider Sails annoying, but hold respect for him deep down and would consider working on inventions *with* Sails once Sails improves a bit. And I'll be real with you, anon. I think that just like how getting closer to Sails and Mangey would assist Nine in getting close and vulnerable enough with Tails to share a kiss, he allows himself to open himself up a little bit more (both emotionally and with uh the idea of kissing other versions of himself) to Sails and Mangey.

With that in mind. If Nine finally kissed Tails as interest and jealousy intertwined, then I think Sails and Nine would kiss...more out of self interest. Sure, Nine deals with the jealousy involving Sonic, same as Tails, but he and Sails are (more or less) friends despite their shared interest in one hedgehog. This means that they do start to spend time together outside of him probably even sooner than Nine does with Tails. So if I had to imagine their first kiss...

I can imagine the two out on an island on a beach in No Place, both chilling under artificial shade. Out of nowhere, Sails decides to start up one of his "discussions" to annoy Nine a bit for fun. So, he makes a blanket statement of something he believes—something he's sure Nine will oppose him on—but Nine doesn't.

Rather, to Sails' surprise, he keeps agreeing. But it's not ingenuine either. If anything, it’s probably a coincidence.

Nonetheless, Sails' repeated attempts to say something annoying taper off as the two enter genuine discussions about the topics (why they each think what they do/agree, their experiences, the history of the thing, etc).

And it's moments like these that they both remember why they enjoy each other's company.

So they talk and info dump and become enamored with the other's knowledge and all of that, until finally, as one is looking at the other (listening intently), the other turns at the right moment.

Actually, perhaps Nine is info dumping before just so happening to look at Sails, and Nine...tapers off. Something pulses in Nine's heart as the two lock eyes, and Sails leans in, sliding a hand up to cup Nine's cheek.

Sails moves slowly, as if giving Nine every chance to refuse this, and Nine...never does. So Sails presses his lips to Nine's, squeezes his eyes shut. Nine allows his own eyes to fall closed, relaxing into the kiss. Most likely, these feelings between them have been building for a little while, so Sails steals a few more before pulling back, opening his eyes to look at Nine as if he's waiting to see his reaction.

But to Sails' surprise, Nine only smiles before leaning back in the chair he brought with him.

There's something about the kiss that makes them both feel a little giddy, and yet...it feels normal. Maybe, as they spend their last moments they can alone (devoid of responsibility), the two interlace their fingers, relaxing.

Quite easily (although Nine perhaps keeps it as secret as he can for a while), I think they'd fall into kissing casually or making out while alone. Depends on the mood.

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Nine/Mangey

Now, in terms of relationship, while I think Sails giving Nine a chance (and of course Nine being apologetic) definitely made things easier than they could have been, I don't think Mangey is as initially comfortable with Nine as he was with Sails and Tails. So I think more often than not (in the beginning) Mangey sticks to watching Nine from afar or being cautious around him.

As for Nine, post Sonic Prime canon I think he holds some genuine respect for Mangey and does recognize him as a capable and formidable adversary (even if Nine thinks himself to be better than him). After everything too, he's a bit apologetic (as I said earlier) and can’t really blame Mangey from being cautious (although he probably finds the spying annoying. Nine is the kind of guy who wants to let someone in on their own terms rather than just deal with them staring over his shoulder or intruding in his space). If anything, he's grateful (and surprised) that Mangey and Sails decided to give him a chance and form some kind of relationship with him despite everything he (Nine) did.

In this case, I think Nine and Mangey are able to grow closer (and Mangey grows to trust him more) just by the proximity, how well Nine and Sails' relationship progresses (starting with the friendship aspect of it), and just by the fact that Nine (despite still being "rough around the edges" so to speak) isn't actively betraying anyone.

Now for their first kiss...

I'd like to think that Mangey (when he feels like it) gets in one of those "if I do this will you reward me?" moods sometimes. And sometimes that means he's asking for berries or snacks, and sometimes it means he's asking for something special, and sometimes it means he wants a little kiss as a prize. I also think that Mangey started the "kiss as a prize" thing after his first kiss with Sails.

So while it's not uncommon for Sails and Mangey to be working on a project as partners, it's also not uncommon for Mangey to play assistant on some of Sails' solo projects. Likewise, I think Sails and Nine grow accustomed to working on separate projects in the same lab (or partnering on one) eventually. So, imagine

Imagine Nine, Sails, and Mangey in Nine's lab in The Grim. Sails has grown much more proficient with technology and inventing since being mentored by Tails—enough now that Nine feels comfortable trying to build something with him. Mangey is playing "lab assistant", so Sails plays along, asking for Mangey to fetch things for him, and then giving him a berry when Mangey inevitably holds his hands out for his reward.

Now, Nine generally prefers to fetch things on his own, but he's worked in the same room with Sails and Mangey enough now that he isn't as afraid to trust Mangey when he needs to. So, Nine asks Mangey to fetch something for him.

Of course, to his mild annoyance (since he's used to this now) Mangey points to himself as if to say "What will I get it if I do it?" Then, Mangey pulls his hands behind his back.

"Kiss?"

It's not the first time Mangey's asked, and it won't be the last. By now Nine's learned that if you don't give Mangey a reward while he's in this mood, he won't do the thing, and trying to make him only makes things worse. So, usually, he just sort of brushes the kiss offer off and figures out some way—any way—to fetch the thing on his own (in which his last resort is calling Alpha Grim Sonic to his location and asking him to help).

This time though (for the record, this would occur both after the Tails/Nine and Nine/Sails first kiss), he decides to just do it. So Nine gives Mangey a forehead kiss.

Mangey (although he does clearly enjoy this, given the fact he's got a smug smile on his face now) shakes his head.

"What?" is the first thing out of Nine's mouth. "I gave you a kiss."

Mangey shakes his head again, and points to himself.

And after a bit of back and forth, Sails shakes his head, and informs Nine that Mangey will only do it with a kiss on the lips.

Nine rolls his eyes, he procrastinates, he sighs, he stares, but eventually...he beckons Mangey closer and slowly (and a bit embarrassed, though he wouldn't admit it) presses a kiss to his lips. Nine turns away after that, face warm, and neglects to turn to look at Mangey when Mangey gives him whatever it is he asked for.

Sails probably teases Nine about it later😂

Nine is largely touch adverse, but he's generally okay with it if he's the one who starts the physical touch or if someone asks first, and if he's used to someone he can handle their sudden touch a bit better. With this in mind, I think out of the three Mangey would be least clingy to Nine, but, as they grow closer and more used to each other, Nine starts to become more comfortable with Mangey snuggling up to him (both if he wakes up and Mangey is suddenly there, or in the case Nine offers for Mangey to chill with him). This, I think, also leads Nine to being a bit more proactive in going on solo journies with Mangey or hanging out with him alone in Boscage Maze.

With that all being said, though, I think for a long while Mangey has to trick/convince Nine into giving him kisses (and has fun doing it) until Nine becomes more used to the casual intimacy and accepting of his own feelings.

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Sails/Mangey

For these two (especially after the s3 interactions) I can see their first kiss being a more sweet and casual endeavor. Like...I can imagine Mangey at Sails' side, assisting on one of Sails' projects. They're up fairly late, and Sails has just decided to take a short break and put it all down while Mangey's sitting nearby. After Sails puts it all down and turns around, Mangey runs over and winds his arms around him. On a whim, he brings their faces closer, swipes his tonge across Sails' lips, and buries his face in Sails' chest. Sails, although a bit surprised, wraps his arms around Mangey in turn. He supposes if he thinks about this a bit it could be a little weird, but it feels...normal. Honestly, what's more pressing to him is that that's Mangey's idea of a kiss. So Sails chuckles softly, presses his lips to the top of Mangey's head. And perhaps, next time he gets the chance, Sails shows Mangey what a "real" kiss looks like (even though Sails barely knows better than Mangey does).

With everything they've been through together, I can imagine Mangey as a little clingy when he's with Sails. Likewise, I think Sails comes to enjoy just chilling with Mangey. I can imagine them as a pair that just sort of clicked with ease, so while their first kiss isn't at all planned, it opens them up to more kissing as a form of casual intimacy (and possible participating in "practice kissing"). Compared to the Tails/Mangey relationship, I feel as if Sails and Mangey consider each other more of equals and are a bit equally protective over the other and their well-being.

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Thank you so much for the ask, anon! I really love talking about the Tails variants and my Tails/Tails variant ships, so I enjoyed answering this question quite a lot😊💖

If you'd like to know any other thoughts/headcanons I may have on the prime!polycule or its individual members/pairing combinations feel free to shoot me another ask

[btnclmrttn]

If he accidentally hurt your feelings

I got my first request and I'm so excited to be working on it but imma drop this here for the time being

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Saitama

He was probably joking around and said something out of pocket

If it hurt you a little and you mentioned it, he would just be like "Oh, my bad" and won't talk about it again

If it was enough to really upset you he will try his best (very awkwardly) to reassure he was joking and like, hold your hand the whole explanation. He does a pretty good job, surprisingly, and it settles quickly.

It would never be anything that would make you cry. If this fool made you cry about anything it would probably be accidentally hurting you physically and man, he would never live it down. Even if it didn't leave any mark.

Genos

It would be something he meant with good intentions but it could easily be taken the wrong way.

No matter how badly it hurt your feelings, the treatment is the same overwhelming apology and loving.

The wrong person could get anything they wanted from him he would refuse to say no to you about anything at all. Even going out of his way to spoil you unnecessarily.

Once things are chilled out you gotta try and reassure him it happens and he's not a failure of a boyfriend.

God forbid it ever happens again he might explode.

Sonic

Yeah he's a bit of a prick in general. You guys can dig at each other forever and none of it means anything.

During a playful date he says something that you initially didnt think much of, but later found yourself overthinking about.

You bring it up just to get it out of your head. At first he said "Wasn't that a while ago?" Seeing how it affected you though he contradicts his initial statement and is actually genuinely sweet about comforting your feelings and is very validating.

Nothing he would say would ever make you cry, he knows most boundaries. He takes it easy on you for a while before getting back to his shit head shananagings. Also tries to add some balance to it by dishing out some nicer remarks. *Tries*

Garou

Now this was probably inevitable, let's be honest. Dude hasn't had enough nice people in his life to know how to not be awkward trying.

It was just some teasing as he usually does, and you were trying to give it back to him. After some back and fourth he takes a little bit of a low ball, and when your face changed it was a serious "oh shit" moment.

Endless awkward silence. Endless

It would really depend on your reaction how he responds. It will vary from a shy, decent apology to some awkward coddling if you're more upset (sad/mad it doesn't matter). He does feel bad and didn't realize how much a low ball it was.

If you somehow cry he will definitely half ass cry later and feel like a huge asshole and don't deserve you after that. He lays off and tries to be more of a sweetheart, forcefully, it just is so painfully awkward you eventually say its water under the bridge and to go back to his old self.

[misteria247]

I'm gonna be honest here:

The Mario movie actually looks really nice. Despite Illumination being known for the somewhat cheap animation it's got (which isn't necessarily bad mind you) you can tell that the studio actually put a lot of effort into the movie just from the trailer alone. You can see the difference in their budget and the passion that the animators have in just the two minutes alone like I was shocked.

The VAing is surprisingly good! Jack Black as Bowser threw me for a loop because I didn't even recognize him! It was only after he'd did the little chuckle and said:

"I do not."

That I caught his voice and realized that it was him. He's done an incredible job with the character and I can't wait to see him in the movie!!!

Chris Pratt on the other hand......

Look I don't know the actor very well other than he's in the Marvel and Jurassic World trilogy but as soon as I heard him talk and say:

"What is this place?"

I couldn't help but feel like he just.....didn't care about his role. It felt like it wasn't Mario at all. Even my mom who's not a fan of video games and only knows the basics of them due to me and my siblings talking to her about, had said that he just wasn't Mario and the voice didn't fit the character. (She also said the same thing when the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie trailer was released and she saw his first design before it was fixed. She literally took one look and said "That's not Sonic.")

Like that says a lot.

Personally I think if Chris Pratt wants to make this work he'd actually have to put a little bit of effort into his role. Or else it just won't really work. That or the studio and Nintendo get a new VA who's more excited to voice Mario.

But other than the voice for our favorite red Italian plumber I gotta say that everything else looks and sounds really good!!! The scenery is phenomenal and stunning and colorful just like the video games and the character's designs look so good and well done!! Honestly kinda excited to see what the movies like when it comes out next year!!! (They better not massacre my boys because like Sonic they deserve some respect as well).

Anyways those are my personal thoughts.

[bestjeanistmonster]

How did dc au sonic and shadow meet? Was it like Harley Quinn where they met while sonic was Nicky in Arkham? Where Harley was one of the only nice people there to ivy . Or was it like animated series where they just knew of each other due to reputation?

It was a mix of both!

Sonic and Shadow met like they did in the original batman animated series

Sonic had screwed up and gotten kicked out by Eggy onto the streets, leaving him to fend for himself so out of spite he goes on a solo heist to steal the ‘harlequin diamond’ from a museum

Telling himself that he’s doing it for himself and no one else but he’s doing it to like prove himself to Eggy (even though he technically ‘out’ he’s still very much brainwashed and doesn’t really have a purpose or sense of self besides serving Eggy in, so even though he was kicked out Eggman knows that when he calls he’ll just come running back)

Sonic was real stealthy, dodging laser sensors, security cameras and then using as tool to carve a circle in the glass case that had the diamond in it and he’s so close-

Then the alarm starts blaring like crazy and a black and red hedgehog slides into the room holding onto something and runs through all the laser sensors

And Sonic’s like wtf????

Then he's just like, "fuck it", breaks the glass steals the diamond and runs in the same direction as the guy with the security guards after them and he hears police sirens already from outside

He finds a hiding place and then he's face to face with the guy that tripped the alarm

"Nice job tripping the alarm, why don't ya turn on the bat-signal while you're at it?!"

"You think i wanted to get caught?!!"

"Coulda fooled me!"

They have a mini fight before security show up and they’re forced to work together to evade capture, they escape off into the night on Shadow bike (the only reason Shadow didn’t leave him behind was cuz he didn’t want this guy tattling on him if he got arrested)

They get to a temp base of shadow’s and catch their breath, Shadow recognises Sonic as Eggman's right hand and is immediately on edge but Sonic is like, "me and the Doc are kinda having a rough time at the moment, so im kinda on my own rn, im sure it’ll blow over though.” He said with a nervous smile

Now when they had physically fought earlier Shadow was surprised to see that this clown actually posed a bit of a challenge for him. Shadow usually didn’t care what people thought about themselves or others, but with Sonic being the only person he’s met to actually give him a good fight and to hear him talk so low of himself actually came off as an indirect insult towards Shadow and he would not stand for slander

So Shadow ends up saying smthn like, "Look imma be honest but you’re a bit of a doormat and squandering your potential so much that it's pissing me off a lil bit." Then takes him with him on a city wide rampage to kinda build up that self esteem and give the guy a bit of independence

And from there the rest is history

Nicky and Shadow met during the internship

The first was when Nicky had to ask him some questions about eggman cuz he was in group therapy with Eggman until Eggy killed the psychiatrist and wanted to know if there was something, anything that he could further ask Eggman about so he could use it to get Eggman open up more during their interviews

To get him to go away Shadow told him the little he knew

Then Nicky returned a week and a half later thank him

Nicky: Dr Eggman fessed up, thanks to you

Shadow: I didn’t do anything.

Nicky: (raises eyebrow) you told me about his grandfather

Shadow: that was barely information. I wouldn’t have even told you about it if you were going to be so smug about it

Nicky: (shrugs) eh like it or not you helped me (slips plant cutting into the food delivery box) everyone needs help sometime, and since you wanna wipe humans from the face of the earth…

Shadow: (picks up clipping) so what? You cut a *plant* for me? I could kill you with this.

Nicky: (smiles and walks away from cell) yeah. I guess you could.

Shadow:…

Nicky had read his file before talking to him and in the notes it said that Shadow felt more comfortable around plants due to the nature of his biology and abilities

Shadow has a cell in Arkham with zero plants around just in case he got out of that power restricting collar they made all of the inmates wear and raised hell

So Nicky giving Shadow that plant cutting was him doing Shadow a solid for helping him out with this even though there is a risk of that collar coming off and him breaking out, cuz if he didn’t manage to get it off Nicky supposed that he’d still feel more at ease in his cell with a plant around

Shadow didn’t realise they were the same person till prison roll call

[fuckyeah-jessicabiel]

GQ Magazine - July 2007

The Summer of Jessica Biel

To celebrate Biel’s being in a movie actually worth seeing, we sent Adam Stein to play carnival games with her.

When I told various friends I’d be interviewing Jessica Biel, I got the responses you’d expect—jealousy, mild rage, a plea to give her a phone number because she’s the one person that a friend’s wife would give him a free pass to sleep with. The uncanny thing is, when I asked these guys what they thought of her as an actress, most of them drew a blank. They hadn’t seen a single motion picture of hers. Okay, one or two had girlfriends who’d brought them to see The Illusionist, but otherwise, nada. As my friend Taj put it: “I’m obsessed with a girl I’ve never seen move.“

Well, that’s about to change. Later this month, men across America will see Jessica being very good in a very funny movie, and the nature of their love for her will…deepen. She’ll still be inhumanly beautiful, sure, but now they’ll have to contend with genuine talent, too, and that one-two punch can be disorienting. You know what else can? The fact that despite her recent tabloid exposure, she’s actually sweet, funny, earnest, occasionally a little crude, and—if my time playing carnival games with her can be used as evidence—uniquely driven to conquer whatever stands between Jessica Biel and what she wants.

I am waiting for her at the Santa Monica Pier, sitting on a stool next to one of those games where you shoot water from a gun into a clown’s mouth. I haven’t shaved for a week, because I read somewhere that Jessica Biel likes guys with beards. I’m inspecting mine in the reflective back of my iPod when a nice-looking young woman materializes in my view. “Excuse me,“ she says. “Are you Adam?“ “Jessica?“ I ask, ridiculously. Of course it’s her, in wraparound sunglasses, an open gray sweater over a white blouse, and faded jeans. She wears checkered Vans, like Jeff Spicoli. On the pier, no one recognizes her, which I suppose makes sense: There’s little resemblance between the pinup girl and the sneaker-wearing civilian out on a Monday afternoon. She doesn’t stick out as we walk the wooden planks of the amusement park; she blends in. She is, you might say, a very chill girl.

“Can we get a photo next to a star?“ she asks, stopping in front of a booth hawking photographs with huge cardboard cutouts of celebrities. It’s an impressive, eclectic array: Bill Clinton, Mini Me, Michael Jordan, Hilary Duff, Enrique Iglesias(!), Jean-Claude Van Damme, DiCaprio in Titanic. “They’re all kind of old,“ she says. I don’t know if she means the cutouts or the celebrities themselves (because to me, Mini Me will never age). She’s only 25 years old, so it could go either way. I ask her who she’d most want to pose with. She scrutinizes the assembly and makes her call: “I’d probably pick Van Damme, ‘cause he looks the coolest.“ She takes the Muscles from Brussels over Leo—a victory of might over sensitivity. Nice.

Then she decides it’s time for the games to begin. She passes up the Riptide Ring Toss (“That one is impossible,“ she says) and focuses her attention on the Pier Plank Plunge. The PPP is basically a rope ladder suspended horizontally over an inflatable mattress. The trick is to climb, perfectly balanced, to a taunting red button placed approximately ten feet away. Press the button, win the prize—an enormous Sonic the Hedgehog. I ask her if she’s ever Pier Plank Plunged before. “Yes,“ she says, assessing the structure, looking for its weaknesses. “But I’ve never been able to achieve it.“ She begins barraging the bored-looking carny with questions. “Do you have any tips?“ (It’s all about balance.) “Have you done it before?“ (Nope.) “Has anyone ever won?“ (Yeah.) “Has anyone won today?“ (Not yet.) She turns to me, and I have to say she seems genuinely excited. “This is our chance,“ she says. “It’s our chance to win.“ I’m beginning to get the distinct impression that winning is important to Jessica Biel. “Ladies first“ being the imperative, I take the initial go-round. It’s harder than it looks. My arms shake. Everything shakes. I can feel her hopefulness—Do it, get there—but I fall off within seconds. The shame is truly surprising. I wanted to do it for Jessica and failed. She throws me a “good try“ before stepping up herself.

Jessica was a gymnast when she was younger, and the training appears to be paying off as she mounts the unstable rope ladder. (It also occurs to me that the view I currently have is one the paparazzi would kill for.) She deploys a disciplined crawl, gets tantalizingly close to the red button, reaches for it—and loses her balance, flips over, and lands flat on the cushion, laughing. “Holy shit,“ she yells. “It’s so hard. That’s so frustrating.“ The carny asks if we’d like to try again. She pauses for a moment, looking at the button, and then, with obvious reservations, demurs. “You were really, really close,“ I tell her. “I know,“ she says, still staring at it, reluctant to move, apparently, without conquering the damn thing. “That’s how it gets you.“

Next up is something called the Hi-Striker, a game in which you swing a mallet to test your strength. I take three feeble swings, each one less successful than the last. A huge Hispanic man laughs every time I bring the mallet down on the metal block, and when I exit the cage and hand it off to the female attendant, she takes one exhibition swing and makes my emasculation complete. Up goes the projectile. Ping goes the bell.

J.B. watches, rapt. “Look at her awesome stance,“ she whispers, absorbing the details, memorizing the motion. Some actors “find“ their characters via a process of internalization—investigating emotions, plumbing psychology, creating an “inner life.“ This is known as the inside-out approach. Other actors work outside-in—developing a walk, a gesture, a physicality. Look at, say, Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby. Look at Jessica Biel in the Hi-Striker cage.

Mimicking the attendant’s, her first swing easily skunks my best effort. And she improves with each attempt. She’s getting into character. As she exits the cage, there’s a look of satisfaction on her face. She returns the mallet to the attendant, who looks at me and says: “She did better than you.“ As we leave, I ask her: “Is it more technique than strength?“ She shakes her head. “Brute strength,“ she says. “You just throw it up and slam it as hard as you can.“ On our way off the pier, we pass Zoltar, the animatronic fortune-teller who turned that kid into Tom Hanks in Big. Zoltar senses us and speaks: “Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.“ Zoltar makes Jessica smile. She digs his philosophy.

Jessica Biel’s destiny, at least of late, has led her to a prominent place in the trashy supermarket gossip rags. First it was snapshots of social excursions with second-banana studs (Chris Evans, Ryan Reynolds). Then, upping the ante, there was a beach fling with a sports icon (Derek Jeter). And then, in February, she grabbed the tabloid brass ring for reportedly nabbing the world’s most eligible bachelor, Justin Timberlake. Unsurprisingly, it’s not something she’ll discuss.

One thing she is happy talking about, though, is the unladylike girth of her knuckles. We’re getting dinner at an unassuming Italian trattoria across the street from the pier when she flashes those meaty joints and describes her nascent production company. “It was almost called Fat Knuckle Films. Because I have fat knuckles. See?“ she asks. “They don’t really look that way until you start putting rings on them, and then it stops right there.“

I have to say, Jessica Biel’s chunky midfingers are endearing, human, attainable—a word she uses a number of times in our conversation, as if to remind the world that she’s just a regular girl from Boulder, Colorado, who happens to have been called, by Esquire magazine in 2005, the Sexiest Woman Alive.

“At first I felt really embarrassed about it,“ she says. “You know, it’s a weird thing to talk about. Like, ‘Hey, guys. Guess what?’ You don’t just go telling everybody that.“ She shifts her weight forward and goes on: “But after I got over that, I just started to embrace it. I started thinking, If I ever do have kids, and if they have kids, I can tell them: ‘You know what? Your grandma in 2000-and-whatever was the Sexiest Woman Alive. How about that, kids?’ That’s what I started to think about. I’ll always have that picture to say, ‘That’s what Granny used to look like.’ “

Before coming out here to get my ass handed to me at the Hi-Striker, I immersed myself in Jessica Biel’s Collected Works. She got her start in the mid-’90s on 7th Heaven, the WB dramedy that made a splash with the moral-values set, before leaving around 2002 for bigger (and badder) things. It’s been a grim scene ever since: Summer Catch (2001), which starred Freddie Prinze Jr. and stands at number forty-nine on Rotten Tomatoes’ 100 Worst- Reviewed Films of All Time. The Rules of Attraction (2002), notable only for Fred Savage shooting heroin between his toes and saying things like “I can feel my dick.“ (Remarkably, Biel comes across as fresh and charming, despite the astonishing pointlessness and nihilism of the flick.) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), which was Biel’s first top billing and is her biggest box-office performer to date, with a take of about $80 million. J.B. screams her head off throughout the movie and is entirely believable in distress, but you can’t help thinking as you watch her, There’s got to be better material than this. Sadly, no. There was an atrocity called Cellular, in 2004, and Blade: Trinity that same year (in which Biel kicks much undead ass as a midriff-baring vampire hunter). But the nadir has to be London, in ’06, a delusional piece of trash that starts off with a sex scene, Biel on top, saying, “Are you coming? Are you coming?“ before she proceeds to another not-quite-dignified act and then dips out of the frame to, presumably, swallow. Like I said, a grim scene.

And then, just in the nick of time, salvation arrived. A script called The Illusionist, to star Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti. There was a problem, though. The filmmakers didn’t want to give Biel an audition. They weren’t convinced the vampire-hunting Hollywood creation could rearrange herself into the role of a refined fin de siècle Hungarian duchess.

But Jessica Biel has a hard time taking no for an answer. And when another actress “dropped out“ of the film, her tenacity paid off. They finally brought her in. She arrived wearing a full period costume. She made them take her seriously, she says, and three days later, an offer arrived.

The Illusionist wasn’t what you’d call a “hit,“ but it got good reviews, made decent money, and changed the industry’s perception of her. Doors that were closed began to open. They just weren’t opening fast enough for her taste.

She sets down her after-dinner tea and says, “I want choices. I want options. I want to lay out all the directions I could go and have the ability to choose. I’m slowly starting to have that now.“ It’s the “slowly“ that kills her.

One film that will almost surely expedite the process is I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, which will be released this month. It stars Adam Sandler and Kevin James as two Brooklyn firefighters who pretend to be a gay couple in order to receive domestic-partner benefits. J.B. plays the female lead, their hoodwinked attorney who falls for Sandler by the end of the picture.

Chuck and Larry is Jessica’s first real shot at popular, mainstream film success. Unlike her previous big-budget endeavors, it doesn’t rely on CGI or fetishistic weaponry to make its points. It is also—apologies to Freddie Prinze Jr. —her first comedy.

“It was a little bit intimidating,“ she says. “I really admire Adam and Kevin, but then, I didn’t try to equal them or one-up them, and the character I created didn’t have to be that. She’s the straight woman, but very fun and very cool and just—attainable. That’s the kind of part that I’d like to play more. I mean, a vampire hunter? Is that really attainable? I’d just like to play something a little more quirky, interesting, outrageous. And uninhibited.“

“You’re not worried that she can do comedy,“ the movie’s director, Dennis Dugan, tells me. “You can tell she can do comedy. So we just met her and cast her. I really think she can have one of those diverse, Oscar-winning careers. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no horizon to her talent.“

The sun has gone down, and we’re standing on the sidewalk in front of the Italian joint, across from the pier. I’m holding a small stuffed Spider-Man doll that Jessica won as a prize back at the amusement park and which she’s given to me to give to my son. I ask what she’s doing tonight, and she says she’s playing chaperone to a girlfriend on a first date. “Basically, I’m her wingman tonight,“ she says. “I’ll probably slip away if it’s rolling along well.“

She graciously agrees to a photograph with me, which I would include except for two reasons: (1) I don’t want to make Justin Timberlake jealous, and (2) you never quite understand how unattractive you are until you see yourself in a picture with Jessica Biel.

I watch her as she walks toward the pier. I know it’s where her car is parked, but I have this image of her heading straight back to the Pier Plank Plunge. The carny won’t know who she is, nobody on the pier will recognize her, and she’ll just hand over her fiver and go at it. That red button, almost within her reach. Attainable.

[son1c]

rouge wins the prize of "most trustworthy person sonic has met so far" by default

falling stars fic masterpost

The bat Mobian was deathly silent. The whole room, in fact, had suddenly become a void of noise. The only sounds to be heard were the soft hums of the fluorescent lights, and the bubbles lazily rising in the tank in the middle of the floor.

With an icy glare, the bat Mobian looked at Sonic. His accusation felt like a slap in the face. "What do you know? You're just another one of Eggman's toys." She adjusted the bands on her wrists protectively. Almost like she was daring Sonic to take them from her. "Shadow is gone, sweetheart. You can't steal from the dead."

Sonic shook his head. He felt dizzy from the sudden resurgence of memories--memories that his ruptured code couldn't hold back anymore. In his mind's eye, he saw Shadow, asleep in the pod in the basement. Now, it made sense why his wickedness, Doctor Eggman--blech, no. Let's try that again.

It made sense why Mr. Ivo didn't want him going down there. He would've broken free from the doctor's vice immediately if he'd seen Stripes. And Omega was down there, too. Trapped behind that locked door. Sonic felt himself growing angry just thinking about it.

The Robian said, "You're wrong. He's alive, and I can prove it!"

With her hands balled into fists, the bat spat, "This isn't a very nice trick, Blue. Even for an Eggman robot--it's low."

"I'm not a--" Sonic started to say, but stopped. He looked down at his hands. They were made of steel and screwed together with bolts. His argument held no water. Right now, he was an Eggman robot.

But it didn't matter. Robian or Mobian, Sonic wasn't gonna let this thief walk out of here with Shadow's inhibitor rings. And once he got them back, he was going to break his friend out of the basement, and then they would leave. Whatever information the doctor still had about their pasts wasn't worth being at his mercy.

However, before Sonic could charge at the bat, a badnik appeared at the base of the hole that had been smashed into the wall during their fight. It wasn't the motobug with the star on its head; it was a caterkiller that Sonic had saved from falling into the trash compactor last week. It looked worried.

Then, a buzzy bomber appeared. The same one that Sonic had caught after it flew into a live wire that caused its wings to lock up. And after that, a pair of eye stalks peeked over the ruined wall. They belonged to the crabmeat that somehow always managed to fall over and get stuck on its back. Luckily, Sonic had been there to pick it up and flip it back onto its feet every time that happened.

When Rouge saw what Sonic was looking at, she tensed. She knew this place was crawling with robots. She'd seen them when she'd snuck in. But that was why she'd been sneaky--so she didn't have to fight all of them. And now it looked like she was going to have to deal with a whole motley crew.

"Phoning in friends already?" Rouge asked the Robian. She kept her voice light and casual, despite the danger. "That's hardly fair. But you're gonna have to try a little harder than that to intimidate me!"

Sonic ignored her. He actually took his eyes off her entirely, so he could look down at the caterkiller and crabmeat that were now at his feet. The buzzy bomber joined them, although this badnik chose to perch on his head instead. It buzzed at him insistently.

"Sorry, guys, but you gotta go," Sonic said. He attempted to shoo the badniks out of the room, but they didn't budge. "I'm kinda in the middle of something right now, and it's not safe for--"

While Sonic was distracted, Rouge attempted to stomp on the crab robot. Take out the easy ones first, then worry about the big guy, she figured. But she was unsuccessful. Sonic caught her boot with one hand, and shot her a red hot glare.

"Leave them out of it," he said, his robotic voice crackling. "You want to fight? Fine. Waste your time. Just don't forget who you're up against!"

Sonic's grip on Rouge's boot tightened. Then, he grabbed her leg with his other hand, and spun her around, before letting go. She sailed through the air and crashed into one of the computers lined up against the wall. When she tried to push herself back up, her hand caught on a switch, and flipped it down.

The tank in the middle of the room started boiling like the water inside was being heated by lava. But Rouge ignored it, her eyes focused on the strange blue robot that was still glaring at her from across the room. She'd never seen anything like him before. It was already a rarity for Eggman robots to be able to talk, but to be protective over other bots? That was unheard of.

And he'd mentioned Shadow. But there was no way he was serious. She'd seen it herself, through the windows of the Ark--Shadow had fallen to earth, along with the blue hero. They were both dead.

Right?

"Let's get back on topic, hmm?" the bat said, a little tightly. She didn't want to think about that bad memory anymore. "I'm here for Eggman's secret treasure. Should be behind a big locked door. Ring a bell?"

Sonic frowned. The only locked door he knew about had Shadow behind it.

Rouge saw his expression change and smiled. It wasn't a nice smile, though. It was greedy. "Perfect!" she said. Her wings stretched out behind her. "Thanks for the confirmation. Now, are you going to tell me where it is? Or should I get my hacking gear ready for after our little dance? I'll get that information out of you one way or another!"

The crabmeat snapped its claws in Rouge's direction, and the caterkiller hissed at her. The buzzy bomber trilled threateningly.

Sonic stepped in front of the badniks, so that he was between them and the bat. He glowered at her. "You want what's in that room?" he asked. He might've been willing to take her there before, but not anymore. Not now that she'd threatened the badniks. "You better get used to wanting. Cuz you're outta luck! Those inhibitor rings are the only things that'll be changing hands!"

Rouge's smile faltered. The rings again, huh?

Sonic rocketed forward. He attempted to grab the bat's shoulders, but she was expecting it this time, and caught him by the wrists. Using his own momentum against him, she hurled him into the frothing tank in the middle of the room. He hit the water and sank to the bottom of the tank like a stone, momentarily disoriented.

The three badniks screeched. They charged at Rouge, their various blades and pincers ready to run her through like a shish kebab. Rouge turned to face them, prepared to defend herself.

But they never collided. The Roboticizer, with someone now inside of it, activated. A bright white light filled the room, and Rouge had to cover her eyes with her arm to keep from being blinded. She and the badniks flinched at the horrible noise emanating from the machine, a noise that sounded like rusted brakes, metal on metal.

And then, as quickly as it began, it was over. The water drained from the tank, and Sonic, no longer a Robian, was laying flat on the floor of the machine, shivering.

It was cold. So cold.

Rouge covered her mouth with her hand. She was shocked. No one could've survived falling from space. Not even Sonic the Hedgehog. That was what she'd thought, anyway. Even when Sonic's little fox friend insisted upon the contrary; she stayed realistic. And so the possibility that, this whole time, Sonic was alive and had been captured by Doctor Eggman had never even crossed her mind.

But if he was here, then that could mean Shadow was, too.

Rouge set her jaw. She ignored the black smoke pouring out of the cables hanging from the ceiling and flew into the tank. "Hey there, Big Blue," she said, offering her hand to him. "Long time no see. No hard feelings about our little spat, right?"

Sonic forced himself up onto his elbows. It felt like the world was spinning, but he was tough. Tougher than post de-Roboticization sensory overload. He pried his eyes open. Looked at Rouge. She looked back at him, her own eyes widening a bit.

"You're no good at first impressions, lady," Sonic said, his voice hoarse. Still, he grabbed her hand and pulled himself up onto his feet, using the wall of the tank to keep himself steady. "But if you're done trying to dismantle me, I won't complain."

Curiously, Rouge looked Sonic over. "I think I get it," she said after a second. "You don't remember anything, huh?"

"I remember plenty," Sonic said, a little annoyed. He hoped this exchange wouldn't happen every time he met someone from his past. "Like those rings. You gotta hand 'em over. Stripes needs 'em back, pronto!"

Rouge raised an eyebrow at the nickname. "Stripes?" she repeated.

"Yeah, you know, black hedgehog. Red stripes. The name's pretty on-the-nose, if you ask me." Sonic remembered what Eggman had told him before, that Rouge couldn't be reasoned with. But the doctor had turned out to be a scoundrel, so maybe he was lying about her. "He's in trouble. Without those rings, he'll be in deep water. You gotta give them back!"

Rouge glanced at the badniks on the other side of the glass. They looked like they wanted to kill her.

But only her.

She turned her attention back toward Sonic. "Usually I'd ask a pretty hefty price for something like this," she said with a dramatic sigh, "but since you saved the world and all, I'll cut you a deal. Consider it a 'thank you,' from me to you." With one twist of her wrists, she removed the inhibitor rings. But she didn't hand them over to Sonic just yet. "You can have these, on one condition."

Sonic looked from Rouge's face, to the rings, and then back to Rouge. "Better make it count," he said.

Rouge gestured to the badniks with one of her wings. "You keep those bots off my back. All of them. The only thing I want to worry about while I'm here is how much loot I'll walk away with! Not how many nails I'll break fending off Eggman's guard dogs."

"Deal," Sonic said. His opinion on Rouge was still pretty low, but if she was willing to give up Shadow's inhibitor rings without a fight, then maybe she wasn't the absolute worst.

Rouge smirked. "Glad we could work something out!"

The bat handed Sonic the inhibitor rings, and he wasted no time pulling them onto his own wrists. Then, Rouge watched as he jumped out of the tank, and knelt in front of the badniks on the other side of the glass. He said something to them. Flashed them a thumbs up. They all looked at Rouge, still angry, but not outright murderous anymore.

The bat was a little surprised. She’d thought that, now that Sonic wasn’t a Robian anymore, he would go right back to destroying Eggman robots like he used to. That was what she’d meant when she told him to keep them off her back, anyway. But maybe his fall had changed him more than she’d realized. Not that it mattered to her—so long as the badniks left her alone, he was staying true to his end of the bargain.

Sonic motioned for her to come out of the tank. Rouge did so, a little warily. But the badniks stayed where they were, at Sonic’s side. The buzzy bomber was on his head again. It glared at the bat, but all of the anger left its expression when Sonic stood up, and the robot looked down at him, its electronic eyes now big and wide. Like she wasn’t even there.

"We're gonna need to go all the way down to the bottom of this place to get to that door," Sonic told Rouge. "It'll be faster if we skip the lift, but it's a long drop to the basement. Think you can handle it?"

With a hand on her hip, Rouge easily replied, "If the only thing standing in between me and Eggman's treasure is an elevator shaft, he can kiss his riches goodbye!"

It took some convincing, but Sonic was able to get the caterkiller and crabmeat to wait for them at the top of the lift. Originally, he was going to tell the buzzy bomber to wait there too, but then he realized he didn't have rockets inside of his shoes anymore. So, when he and Rouge jumped down into the dark elevator shaft, he did so while holding onto the wasp robot's abdomen.

Once they reached the deepest part of the Brain Bowl, they stepped out of the elevator shaft and onto the basement landing. Sonic let go of the buzzy bomber and looked around. There were three branching hallways to choose from, but luckily, Sonic remembered which one led to the room that was locked behind the blast door. He started toward it immediately, with Rouge trailing not far behind.

When they got there, they were faced with their next problem: the door. The only way to unlock it was with Eggman's handprint. But maybe if he had a running start, he could--

"Hey, kid," Rouge said, derailing Sonic's train of thought. "You still with me? The lock's almost cracked. Make sure you're ready for whatever's inside."

Sonic blinked. He looked over at the keypad, and saw Rouge standing in front of it with a small black device in her hand that she had plugged into the wall. So, her comment about hacking into his systems earlier wasn't a joke, huh? Sonic suppressed a shudder.

Then, the keypad changed from red to green, and the blast door slowly started rising. Sonic turned toward the buzzy bomber floating by his shoulder, and said, "Be right back."

The wasp robot circled his head, buzzing indignantly.

Sonic gave it a lopsided grin. "Hey, that's not true! Who else is gonna watch the door, huh?"

Rouge pocketed her hacking gear and glanced over at Sonic and the buzzy bomber. She frowned, but didn't say anything.

By the time the door had lifted three feet off the ground, Sonic had joined Rouge in front of it. She nodded at him, and they both ducked inside the room. It looked exactly how Sonic remembered it. Same gray interior, same blinking machinery stacked around, some of it tall enough to touch the ceiling. And the green pod, glowing faintly, still holding Shadow inside.

However, before he or Rouge could make any moves toward it, Omega jolted to life. His rage from being locked down here for so long was palpable, practically microwaving the air around him. And when he saw Sonic, the settings were cranked up from defrost to high wattage in a nanosecond. He pointed his blasters at the blue hedgehog and opened fire.

"ELIMINATE ALL EGGMAN ROBOTS."

[stardust-selfships]

PLEASE do Boom! Sonic x reader cute moments and overall headcanons😩🙏🙏

FIRST SONIC ASK LET'S GOOOOOO (huge sonic fan)

Boom sonic general (relationship) headcannons!

Genre: fluff, general

Rating: PG

Warnings: none

I headcanon sonic in boom to be bisexual, so honestly he doesn't care what your gender identity is, he loves you all the same!

This is boom sonic, so he's a bit egotistical so having a partner is great for him as he likes to show you off to his friends and the islands folk.

Of course this opens you up to being involved in Eggman's schemes and attacks, sometimes you have to be the "damsel in distress", but honestly it's no biggie as Eggman wount do much to you, mainly you chill at his place til sonic comes in to rescue you.

Naturally you will be on Sonic's friend group, and you hit off well with amy, knuckles, and sticks, but you are a bit closer with tails considering him and sonic are a package deal, those two are together a lot due to their brotherly bond.

Speaking of, the twin-tailed fox will tease sonic about you, saying like "how's your better half, sonic?", of course he's only doing this out of just messing with his step bro, he means no ill will! Though he finds it funny when sonic reacts flusterdly.

All Sonic's, including boom, are absolute saps. He will take you on dates, take you to his favorite spots on the island, tell you stories of all of his adventures over the years, sometimes he will give you small things like rocks or shells that remind him of your eye/hair/fur color!

I headcanon book to be about 18-19, though if you want to think he's 15-16 that's fine too, he just personally seems like a young adult to me.

With that being said he's very flirty and touchy, he likes PDA and will hold your hand in public, hold you close when taking to his friends, cuddle, etc. Though he will have moments he wants alone time on the island, typically napping on top of a roof, on a hammock, etc.

If you don't like chili dogs, or haven't tried one, he will do everything in his power to have you try one. If hot dogs aren't your thing, then he will make you some of the best chili cheese fries you'll ever have on your life! Dude knows what he's doing.

You and Amy surprisingly become good friends, talking about sonic together and she tells you all the dumb little things he's done with her and such, she's definitely a new bestie for you. Plus, she knows what he likes, and will give you pointers to how to surprise him!

He's moody as hell, so sometimes he will be stubborn over things, but he means well.

I headcanon him to be a cancer (the star sign)

If you steal his hankerchif/scarf, he will be bugged by it but honestly thinks you look adorable with it.

(The hankerchif/scarf smells like those ocean scented candles/body wash and chili dogs, that's kinda his scent, it's quite nice actually)

Tbh most Sonic's have commitment issues when or comes to being tied down, though....honestly you kinda changed that, he kinda likes the thought of you both getting married and possibly settling down, though even if that happens, he still has his adventurous nature and will still get up to mischief >:)

I hope you like this! It was tons of fun to do!

I absolutely adore boom, he's one of my favorite Sonic's, and super fun to write for!

My requests are open and my inbox is now clear! So keep the reqs coming, I love you guys, please make sure to drink water if you haven't today!

[cyanidehog]

Hello! Could I request some yandere Silver the hedgehog headcanons? If not that’s okay, I totally understand. Have a good day!

BLOG'S 1ST request is for my favorite boy <333 thank you for kickstarting off my writing with this ! no spellchecking we die like (redacted)

⤷ “ i swear to you. as long as i’m by your side, you’ll never be harmed. ” [ ♡ 1.2k words -- SILVER + READER. ]

> first of all: worst hedgehog to have after you. he literally jumps through time. whether you are a civilian or an overpowered entity, you're screwed. not in a physical sense—he values your freedom and your dignity. it's just... you won't be able to avoid his advances. silver knows you better than you do yourself. after years of studying you, he'll have figured what makes you snap, what makes you melt, and the little intricacies that weave your past. then he'll drop himself back to a point in time where your relationship was still amicable and he'll sweep you up with a winner smile, using up every detail he soaked up in conversation about your person as a stepping stone.

> how you met is inconsequential. it could've been simple happenstance aided by your curiosity, or thanks to amy introducing you at an event. whatever the reason, you come to know of silver's plights and circumstances.

> silver latches onto you with a hunger because of your care and interest in his well-being. it's not that people aren't welcoming, or haven't been kind to him and blaze, of course not. there's been warmth aplenty in sonic's timeline. what sets you apart are the extra lengths you go to for his accommodation in a world alien to him and the love you display in different gestures: cooking him a sprawling dinner (a banquet of cultures, really!) or tidying up a place for him to crash at if need be; spending hours explaining history and the current state of affairs to a being completely removed from the context of modern society and common knowledge; finding time in your schedule to go places together and make albums of memories... the list could go on. you really tried your best for your friend - silver who'd never seen a tree or a valley or a flower... how could you not?

> you won't ever have fights with him. it's surreal and fantastical. he always, always has a hand in guiding you to a pleasant time. attentive and sweet and teasing, silver knows how to rile you up into feverish delight and how to soothe any nerves and doubts of yours. it's slightly unfair, actually, because at times you wish you could have the same tact and coolness he displays. whenever you express the want to make him happy he gets touchier and more joyful than usual, so you count that as a little win of yours. it is nice to brighten the day of someone who treats you fondly. and the tiny, furiously wagging tail is an endearing sight.

> your like or dislike for physical touch will define how he starts showing affection to you. if you're fine with it, silver won't hesitate to caress your back or shoulder, will lock arms with you on walks, and say goodbye with a peck to your temple. warm and strong hugs will be commonplace. you'll find yourself encased in embraces far too tender and embarrassing to remain cool-headed. and the average distance between you two will shrink every week. slowly but surely.

> if you are averse to it, he'll do his best to keep his hands to himself… though if you fall asleep in his vicinity, he'll slide a hand or two through your face and play a little with your features. it will be innocent enough to sate his need for your warmth. for a while. he'll get into the habit of playing with your fingers or tugging your clothes for attention. might develop a fondness for spaces full of people, if only to feel you leaning on him thanks to the moving multitudes. he'll also steal trinkets or inconspicuous articles of clothing that belong to you. he won't realize it, but not having your touch will starve him terribly, and he'll try to have his fill in other ways.

> you call him silvie and he's about to bust an aneurysm. his face catches on fire to the point he thinks it might be a heatstroke, and the real possibility of him fainting grows exponentially. he gives you a very personal nickname. some inside joke between the two of you. will whisper it only when you are both alone.

> he's devoted? dedicated? invested? in your friendships and emotional health. scratch that. like rotisserie chicken, his brain rotates worries about your daily life and physical and mental health to the point of burning itself to a crisp. he fears not having control over your joys. he gets literally sick ruminating on whether or not you are getting your due sleep, your due rewards, or your deserved love from those around you. he'll be a smidge too sharp on picking up changes in your mood and mentions of acquaintances and buddies and family. he probably has a journal with graphical maps on your relationships and other miscellanea. has filled up the margins with ideas on how to cheer you up and keep everything in check. whatever that means, or entails.

> HAHA if you get sick? if you get sick you'll sooner perish from silver's overwhelming presence by your side than from your illness. it's here that his obsession bleeds through enough to be alerted by. he gets super fussy over who's coming over and what you're eating. feels like it's his duty to schedule your time indoors and outdoors, and to make several lists of activities and meals and exercises for your speedy recovery. will have restocked your pantry and fridge with your favorite snacks and fruits before you know it (how did you know this is my fave, silvie? to which he replies: oh - isn't this what besties are for?) and areas such as the bathroom or your kitchen will be cleaned thrice as fervently. he's going to be around so often that you'll stumble across his toothbrush or his towel neatly organized along with your stuff. and yes he will give a subtle nudge towards the idea of being roomies, and having sleepovers, and movie nights, and so on. he won't be moving his stuff out even after you recover.

> anyway - silver is a protective, obsessive, manipulative and insidious yandere. your needs will most certainly be met when he's around and he'll try to elevate you into a lil pedestal while trying to improve your lifestyle in ways he thinks are the best. you won't have to worry about threats (eggman's or others') because he'll make sure you live in a peaceful and beautiful world. if he ever has to travel to accomplish this he'll make sure to return with a plethora of gifts and stories to share. but he'll worm and dig and root his way through your barriers and reservations until you rely on him, to some degree or other. he'll be... soft and good for you.

> and... you'll never have to know about all the screw ups in a different timeline. if silver has committed a chain of overlapping atrocities trying to monopolize your affection, how would you ever find out? you'll never know the depravities he has executed on others, nor the kind of abnormality he is a slave to. he'll always be just silver to you.

> so please, please, please. don't look at anybody else with tender love in your eyes. don't break his heart and make him crawl on his knees. don't make him screw the world over for a few crumbs of your time, and everything will be just perfect.

[multi-fandomsfreak]

Movie!Knuckles discovering echidna!reader after losing his tribe

(Movie!Knuckles x Echidna!Reader)

Love the idea thanks for the request 😊👍

Not going to lie I literally just woke up like a few minutes ago at the time writing this part so excuse the mistakes ~ J/Blaze

Also happy new year everyone hopefully it won’t be as crazy as last year.

Notes: I actually managed to save the request for this post and the next two so yeah

PART 2

Pronouns: they/them

Warning: ⚠️spoilers for knuckles background story in sonic movie 2⚠️

Requested: Yes/No

Characters: Knuckles + Mentions of Knuckles tribe

Proof Read: ❌

Credit: Banner by freakmia_ on Pinterest + Icon by BlueEyedJinSoul375 on Pinterest

—————————————————

- Every day is just the same for knuckles ever since losing his tribe it’s been a endless cycle of nothing but walking through forest looking for things in order to survive another day. He’s gotten used to this feeling of being alone even though he sometimes wishes that one day he’ll wake up and realise that it was all a dream.

- Although he is thankful for his father for preventing him from going with him and his other members which also prevented his possible demise he also wishes that he was able to travel back and do the same for him but no matter how long he can think of all the possible things that can prevent the incident he knows deep down that he can’t do anything about it

- However today was the day that the endless cycle knuckles has been going through will be broken. At first it started the same waking up, making himself something to eat etc. After a while he decided to take a break and have a walk through the forest to clear his mind. He likes walking through forests if he wanted to find a way to calm his nerves he likes to walk through the forest.

- That’s when the peace was broken he heard something or someone else walking through the forest that wasn’t him. His body suddenly alerted at the noise “who’s there?” Knuckles shouted preparing for a fight “don’t worry I’m not going to hurt you” a voice came from the other side of a bush “come out from the bush then coward” knuckles once again shouted not believing what the voice was saying. That’s when the thing came out and it was…another echidna?

- The sight of another echidna froze knuckles, ‘this can’t be?’ He thought to himself after all these years of being alone he finally found another of his kind. “Are you alright?” The other echidna questioned afraid that they have done something wrong. Knuckles couldn’t help but move closer, he didn’t want to believe it but his eyes weren’t lying there was another echidna. He felt a tear exit from his eye “what’s the matter? Your crying?” That’s when knuckles brought the mysterious echidna into a hug “have we met before?” The echidna stammered out at the surprise hug. “I’m sorry, it’s just that it’s been a few years since I’ve seen another echidna” knuckles loosened the hug “oh I’m sorry I didn’t realise” the other echidna express sadness “what’s your name?” They asked “oh apologies I’m knuckles” knuckles introduced himself “I’m [NAME] nice to meet you knuckles” you smiled at knuckles

- “What’s gotten you out here [NAME]?” Knuckles asked you “oh I was bored so I decided to have a walk through this forest” “do you have a tribe as well?”Knuckles asked wanting to learn more about you “no not really I’m more of an independent person if you get what I mean” “well if you don’t mind do you want to work together or along the lines of that if you don’t mind” that sounds fun I’d love to” you agreed to knuckles terms to which knuckles gave you a slight smile. After all this time his dream finally came true and there is no way in hell he’ll let it get ruined

—————————————————

[guardian-of-da-gay]

“The Legend of the Wailing Head Village” (as told by Knuckles)

Read on Ao3

tw for body horror and general fucked-up-ness

 Their camping trip had been going well so far.  Maddie had her doubts at first.  Two of her kids spent most of their lives as in-voluntary campers.  She hadn’t been sure they wouldn’t take to it as a recreational activity.  Apparently she didn’t need to worry, because, honestly?  Knuckles was like a pig in mud out here.  He'd actually seemed disappointed they had tents and wouldn’t be sleeping in self-dug burrows.  And while Sonic had obviously been very bored on their hike, campfire chilli dogs (more magical than regular chilli dogs!) and s’mores were right up his alley.

 That said, Knuckles was less than impressed with scary stories around the campfire.  “You mean they aren’t true?  How can they be scary if they aren’t true?”

 “Ugh,” Sonic rolled his eyes as he flicked off the flashlight he’d been holding under his chin during his rendition of the man with the hook hand.  “You’re no fun.”

 “Scary things are not fun.”

 “Agree to disagree, big guy.”

 “Maybe you can tell the next one?”  Tails piped up.  “Sonic’s been telling all the famous scary stories from here, but are there any scary echidna stories?”

 Knuckles frowned.  “There are… but they are not made up.”

 Sonic rolled his eyes again.  “Bet they’re not even that scary.”

 “They are!  I have one… it is truly horrific.” Knuckles glared.

 Sonic zipped over, handed Knuckles the flashlight, then zipped back to sit between her and Tom.  “Prove it, tough guy!”

 Knuckles glowered, but was always up for a challenge.  He stood up on the bench and carefully switched on the flashlight, holding it under his chin like Sonic had.  Maddie probably should have told him this wasn’t required for scary story telling, but it was kind of adorable and she didn’t want to interrupt.

 Knuckles cleared his voice and took a moment to gather his thoughts before he took a deep breath and began.  “There once was a… very scary witch.”

 Sonic burst into giggles.  “Oh, I can tell this is gonna be an excellent scary story already!”

 Knuckles scowled at him, but pressed on: “He called himself a doctor… But I very much doubt he has received a doctorate and he was not a healer by the standards of our people.”

 “Impersonating a doctor?  Nothing could be more frightening,” Sonic chimed in.

 Tom nudged him.  “Hey, be nice and listen.”

 “My people had an innate connection with chaos energy,” Knuckles boasted. “And we could use it to manipulate the chaos energy in plants.  But a single mistake can cause death or worse, thus only the high priestesses were allowed to manipulate chaos energy in an animal or person.  The witch broke this rule when he…”  Knuckles paused and something pinged Maddie’s Mom-Radar.  “He broke the rule.

 He… was obsessed with this one echidna legend… Which could be a scary story all on its own.  His ambition was to revive an ancient echidna demigod who dwells, scattered in the Chaos Force.  He thought one with power such as mine could be used as a vessel for this god.  He manipulated my great-uncle–”

 “Great-uncle?”  Sonic sat up.  “Wait, is this like… one of those ‘it happened to my uncle’ almost  true stories?”

 “This is a completely true story,” Knuckles scowled.  “It happened to my great-uncle and to my great-aunt and to me! For I am in this story as well.”

 “Well, that makes you questioning this guy’s doctorate status hilarious actually.”

 “This story is not hilarious,” Knuckles said very seriously.  “It is a sobering reminder of what happens when you manipulate chaos energies in living beings and meddle in forces you do not fully comprehend!”

 “Okay, let’s settle!”  Maddie cut in.  “Sonic: no more interruptions.  Knuckles: go ahead, honey.”  This story was already making her feel uneasy, but Knuckles wasn’t exactly a ‘sharer’ and she wanted to hear what he had to say.

 Knuckles’ scowl deepened and she thought for a minute that he might refuse to continue.  Apparently the urge to prove to Sonic that his story really was scary was too great.

 “He manipulated my great-uncle into helping him.  I was only just at walking age and it was easy for my great-uncle to lure me from my parents and bring me to the witch-doctor.”  The Mom-Radar was pinging again.  “Of course, I was too young to serve as a vessel for a god.  My tribe believed their plan was to infuse my great-uncle with my power so he might be the vessel.”

 “Why couldn’t this fake doctor use himself?  Oops!”  Sonic clapped a hand over his mouth and looked apologetically up at Maddie.

 Knuckles’ scowl deepened and it took a moment for him to continue:  “He… did try previously.  Using me.”  There it was.  Red flag located.  “He attempted to siphon power from me–”

 “Holy crap?!  Did it… hurt?”  Sonic asked.  Maddie touched his shoulder, either to quiet his interruptions or calm his concern, she wasn’t sure which.

 Knuckles glared at him before he spoke at length.  “It was agony.  Now shut up.”  He continued, oblivious or uncaring to how this admission affected the rest of them.

 “Chaos energy does strange things in those who are not meant to have it.  He gained a sort of chaos power but… it was wrong.  Certainly not something he could draw a god from.  It also left him physically and mentally altered.  Also he was banished.  Which is why he needed my great-uncle, Dimitri, to sneak me out of the village for his second attempt.”

 This story was already horrifying, but not for the reasons Knuckles seemed to think.

 “Of course, it all went wrong,” Knuckles continued, his gaze falling on the campfire.  “The chaos energy put in my great-uncle recoiled.  His body was destroyed until the only thing left was his head.  Unfortunately, it had been so infused with chaos energy that he survived his dismemberment.”

 Tails pressed against her.

 “My people were already searching for me,” Knuckles carried on. “They heard Dimitri’s screams and followed them.  The witch fled before they arrived, and when they did, they were so repulsed by what had become of my great-uncle, they immediately sought to end his suffering by driving an ax through his skull.”  She put her arm around Tails.

 “Unfortunately the head healed from this wound.  At this point, I was taken away.  I did not witness the rest of it, but I’m told they attempted numerous methods to end his life.  Even to the hardened warriors it was so horrific that eventually the chief and high priestess sent them away.  They built a fire and threw his head in the flames.”

 Their campfire flickered ominously.

 “When nothing was left but ash, they dug a hole to bury the remains.  But as the high priestess began to give final rights they realized the ashes were knitting themselves back together.”

 Sonic leaned against her just as Tails pressed even closer.

 “Unable to think of anything else, they waited until his head had reformed enough to speak and asked what he wanted them to do.  He first asked for me, thinking a little more of my power might restore him.”  Maddie’s breath caught.  “They refused.”  She breathed again.  “He next asked for his family.  He asked for their care.”

 Something in his voice changed, lightened, as he explained: “Sometimes in my tribe, a warrior would be injured, or a child might be born in such a way that they couldn’t quite care for themselves.  In these cases their family would care for them, with the rest of the tribe supporting.  This is what he asked for.

 “The chief returned to the village and asked my great-aunt and grandmother if they would take up his care.  My grandmother refused.  My parents would not have him anywhere near me and she agreed.  If he were in her home, then I would not be allowed there and this was unacceptable to her.  The task fell to my great-aunt and her family.

 “The chief took her out to where the high priestess guarded Dimitri's head.  My great-aunt wrapped him in a blanket and carried him home.  But when they reached the center of the village she collapsed to the ground.  Dimitri had siphoned the chaos energy from her, killing her.”

 Maddie gasped, and she wasn’t the only one.

 “He asked for me again.  He was certain my energy would be enough to restore him.  One of her children tried to pull my great-aunt’s body away and nearly collapsed doing so.  It took many attempts to retrieve her.  No one could get close to him without becoming weak.  He was drawing in chaos energy like a leech.  Still he cried out for me.”

 Maddie didn’t know when she and Tom had started holding hands until she started squeezing his.

 “The chief used a long branch to push Dimitri’s head into a dry well.  But the echo only made his screams stronger.  When the grass and shrubs around the old well began to shrivel up, the high priestess declared that it was not safe for us to remain anywhere near him.  The tribe packed up and the village emptied by midday.”

 Knuckles shrugged as though the rest of the story was natural, casual.  Routine.  “The warriors barred the entrances.  The priestesses placed seals on the barricades.  My father helped inscribe warnings on the walls, since he spoke the most languages.”  A touch of pride entered his voice at that.  “All the while, Dimitri screamed for them.

 “We moved to the far side of the island.”  Knuckles looked up.   “It was a terrible thing for my people, but they told the story of the Wailing Head Village to the tribe’s children so we would know why it was important not to meddle with the living chaos force… and also that if we should find a barricaded village on our travels, that we should stay far away, even if we hear a cry for help from within.”

 He turned the flashlight off and jumped down from the bench.  “The end.”

 Maddie suppressed a shiver.  There was a long, long silence, finally broken by Sonic:

 “Okay.  You win.  That was horrifying.”

 “It wasn’t really true though, right?  It’s just a made-up scary story, right?”  Tails was practically in Maddie’s lap; he was squeezed so close.

 “I told you it was true,” Knuckles said, somewhat affronted.

 “But you don’t really remember it, yourself right?” Sonic asked.  “Maybe your family made it up?  Or-or-or!”  He backtracked quickly at Knuckles’ outraged expression.  “OR!  They massaged the truth?  I mean it is a good story to convince you not to mess with chaos energy.  Something they probably would’ve had an interest in… what with having a superpowered toddler and all?”

 Knuckles shook his head.  “No.  I do not remember much, but I remember the tribe moving.  The chaos of it all.  And my parents would not let me leave their sides, which was unusual because I had always been allowed to wander in the village.  And I remember…” He tapped his head.  “It is permanently carved here… I remember my great-uncle’s face when he realized his body was gone.  How he screamed at me.”

 Tails shuddered and Knuckles noticed.  “Fear not, Tails.”

 Tails perked up, obviously hopeful that Knuckles would debunk his story.

 “Dimitri is only a head.  Even if he is still alive, he cannot climb out of the well.”

 “Oh,” Tails deflated.  “Okay.  That’s… not that reassuring.”

 “This means that he cannot drain your chaos energy.”

 “Okay…”

 “He is not under your bed or in your closet.”

 “O-kay!”  Maddie cut in.  “That was a great–” super fucked up“--scary story, Knuckles!  Maybe Tom can find his guitar and we can do some campfire songs!”  She looked to her husband in a mild panic.

 “I like that idea!”  Tom jumped up.  “Lemme get it from the truck…”  He started off, leaving the comforting ring of light around their campfire.

 “Y’know, Knux!” Sonic said in his ‘I’m trying to lighten the mood’ voice: “I’m with you.  I don’t think that witch guy had a valid medical license.”

 “No,” Knuckles said.  “I doubt that he does.”

 The present tense scared her more than anything else.