#hell even sonic seems to genuinely like shadow and consider him a friend.

[sonknuxadow]

see i can accept the idea of shadow struggling with the concept of friendship and being hesitant to get super close with people or label them as his friends and not being super openly affectionate with the friends he does have. but the idea that he doesnt have friends at all is just so strange. yes he does ? theres plenty of people who like shadow and care about shadow and he seems to feel the same about them at least a little bit. why did sega give shadow friends and then pretend that they didnt actually write all that stuff

[multi-fandomsfreak]

Hi, It’s me the anon that requested the Xenophanes x Demon Reader that was friends with Fleeway.

I have another idea 💡

So continuing on from my previous request let’s say reader and Xeno are just hanging out and somehow Sonic stumbled into Xeno’s dimension and he sees the reader next to Xeno and he freaks out because he thinks Reader is Amy so he runs up and grabs Reader trying to save them from Xeno and both Xeno and Reader are confused and shocked by what’s happening. So now we have Xenophanes and Sonic chasing after each other because of Sonic’s confusion.

Meanwhile Xeno’s puppets (Eggman, Tails and Knuckles.) are just watching the whole thing go down while Majin Sonic and Unused Sonic (His name is just Unused but yeah..) are just silently making jokes and laughing at Xeno.

Once again, I hope you’re doing okay! 👍🏽 And I’m doing alright as well 😽✌🏽

Xenophanes with a demon reader (Part 2)

Hey there again! Thanks for the ask!

Honestly I love the idea you just said that I started writing this as soon as I saw the request. Although it’s almost 5:00am where I am and I should be asleep right now I don’t care. Just imagine Sonic having an Amy moment when she accidentally confuses others like Shadow for him. Kind of ironic when you think about it. Anyways glad to hear your doing well and once again hope you enjoy reading this! ~Blaze/Dawn

Here’s Part 1 of the Ask

Pronouns: She/They

Warning: ❌ (Sonic has his Amy moment lol)

Requested: Yes/No

Characters: Xenophanes + Sonic + Xeno’s Puppets (Tails + Knuckles + Eggman) + Majin + Unused

Proofread: ❌

Credits: Art by OrcaTheArtist on Deviantart + Banner by 5macc13 on Pinterest

———————————

- It’s been a while since you’ve met and eventually befriended Xenophane and you got to say you honestly don’t regret it. Pretty much after being ‘introduced’ to him by Fleetway you two have been attached to the hip. You even got to know his puppets which although at first they only got along with you because of Xeno eventually they did manage to genuinely get along with you outside of him.

- You even got to know some more of his ‘friends’ , for example people like Majin and Unused. Honestly you found the two of them interesting. It didn’t seem they did any harm yet they seemed to hang around people like Xeno. Just like the puppet gang they were actually decent to be around. Sometimes when you aren’t hanging out with Xeno or Fleetway you three like to have a get to gather and just talk. Kind of like the Unused and Majin Show (By Nominal Dingus on YouTube) just minus the talk show part.

- Surprisingly the two of them somehow don’t confuse you as Amy. Although they do see the resemblance just like Eggman they can distinguish the difference between you two. Plus they understand that you are your own person and understand that it can be annoying when you get compared to someone you aren’t. They respect that so they don’t do it.

- You’ve pretty much gotten used to hanging out with demented version of sonic and his friends as well as being one yourself you haven’t really had the chance to think about what would happen if you met the real deal. Although you couldn’t really care less if you met the actual Amy, however with someone like Xeno you severely doubt that he would be kind meeting the real Sonic or any of his friends. Considering what he did with his versions of Tails, Knuckles and Eggman, who knows what he would do with the actual characters from the hit game series. However, you were about to find out what would happen and although nothing too violent happened it was definitely funny at least to you and those who witnessed it.

- Somehow Sonic found himself in the universe that contains all of you. Not recognising where he was and wondering where his friends were he immediately went and looked trying his best to not get caught by whatever could hurt him. After looking around he stumbled between all of you hanging out. At first he was wondering who the hell all of you were but when he saw you his eyes immediately widened. Although you didn’t have that much of Amy’s appearance, he saw his friend's silhouette and automatically assumed that you were ‘Amy’. He didn’t want ‘Amy’ to get harmed by Xeno and the others so he figured he risked his life and save you.

+ As soon as Sonic saw his friend hanging out what looked like disturbing versions of him he let his emotions get the of him and placed a hand on your shoulder and pulled you back. At first you were confused at who the hell was pulling you back and it seemed like the others were as well. “Amy! Be careful!” Sonic said hugging you tight, keeping an eye on the others still not paying attention to you who clearly wasn’t Amy. “Who the hell are you? And why the hell are you grabbing onto them like that?” Xeno said slightly growling at Sonic like a goddamn dog seeing another dog. “I’m not letting you get close to her or harm her so back off”. Everyone including you just looked at Sonic. The puppet trio whispering to each other about their friend confusing you for Amy, wondering what Xeno may or may not do to him. Majin and Unused slightly chuckling to themselves, well mostly unused and Xeno preparing himself to attack Sonic.

+ “What do you mean? They aren’t going to attack me?” You said as you tried to remove Sonic’s arms around you “What are you talking about Amy can’t you see…” Sonic was about to explain how clearly dangerous the others looked, however he quickly stopped himself and took a minute to take in what you said. Why weren’t you worried about them? Then he finally decided to look at you directly. That’s when he finally realised that you weren’t Amy. Well at least not mentally and sort of physically. “Wait your aren’t…” he said slightly, stumbled back removing his arms from you. “Unfortunately I’m not your friend ‘Amy’ I’m [Name]” you explained yourself giving a shocked Sonic a smile. You can hear Unused letting out a slight snort trying to hold in his laughter as Xeno approached him. Sonic slightly chuckled to himself out of awkwardness and slowly tried to get away apologising before quickly running off with a slightly pissed off Xeno chasing after him. The rest of you pretty much just stood still watching this whole shit show go down. “Should…we stop him?” Majin spoke up suggesting how to stop Xeno from harming Sonic “Nah just let him do it” Unused waves Majin off slightly entertained with what’s happening right now “Yeah I agree, let’s at least let him get it out of his system before stopping” You added on trying your best to conceal the smirk appearing on your face.

———————————

[ultimateloserboy]

SONIC PRIME RAMBLES!!!!

SPOILERS FOR SEASON TWO AHEAD!!!

(sorry if the screenshots are a bit mushy i was taking them quick)

firstly of course id like to mention these two. i love how when sonic is playing around and talking to himself, shadow just nods along. he didnt tell sonic to shut the fuck up, he just waited until he got his zoomies out. he even slightly participated! i just love how when shadow is cooled down a bit he’s actually pretty used to sonic and doesnt mind his silliness, it only makes him genuinely upset when it’s not the right time or place. and sure this also isnt the right time or place, but seeing as hes been blessed with literal gay magic i think shadow mightve given him a pass. that or shadow is never actually as pissed as he tries to be. which i also believe, because he plays around during fights. i think hes having fun too. hes just trying to ignore it in favor of the overall mission, which is completely fair and is kinda needed. without shadow sonic would have no fucking clue what to do hed just be running around spitting off cheesy one liners like an idiot, but without sonic shadow would be all alone with nobody but space rocks and his pissy attitude. sonic does provide shadow with fun, and everyone needs a little fun and positivity. sonic makes him happy and keeps him entertained but he’d never admit that. they balance each other out in such a nice way. they need each other in more ways than one in my opinion.

this leads me into my favorite thing about this show: sonic is not simply the hero. he’s not just saving the day and that’s that like he thinks. it’s much more complicated. lots of people he’s met seem to have clashing opinions or views of the world, and that’s not a bad thing! most of rouges variants want to just hand over the shard and get it over with, which wouldnt help in the long run but is A REASONABLE THING TO THINK!!! shadow was never malicious he was just pissed off and he’s RIGHT! hell, i dont even think nine is wrong either!!! hes never even seen the reality that sonic is wishing for! all of these people simply want to be happy but theyre from completely different worlds in a very VERY dangerous situation, of course theres going to be conflict amongst people who ARENT the villains! because the world doesn’t revolve around sonic and in situations like these its hard to find a middle ground between COUNTLESS AMOUNTS OF PEOPLE FROM ALL AROUND THE MULTIVERSE!! i think it perfectly demonstrates how all of these people arent bad people, they simply dont view things the way sonic does and thats ok. theyre all just scared and confused and in a life or death situation. well, except for dread. that motherfuckers just crazy.

i do think nine should. maybe chill 😭😭. but i think sonic shouldve at least talked with the kid a bit more about the overall goal cuz damn. i like the parallel between shadow saying “theyre not your real friends.” and nine saying hes real. because shadow was right in a sense. nine is NOT tails. he’s REAL, sure, but hes not the real TAILS. he isnt the real tails and hes not sonics friend just because sonic knows a version of him. that doesnt mean they cant BE friends but sonic being quick to assume that nine will end up like tails was just wrong on his part. sonic was quick to assume so many things about nine because of his relation to tails, and he shouldn’t have done that. he should’ve listened to shadow. it’s all “ooo shadows such a fuckin debby downer party pooping asshole” until the universe still isnt put together and THEN people consider that yeah maybe he was a little right. harsh, but right. literally if shadow was able to go into those portals i promise you this shit wouldve been over before we even got a season two. like genuinely i feel like they keep shadow in the void simply because they need to prolong the season. and i love the content dont get me wrong but please just let him go with sonic that motherfucker really does need a babysitter. i think we need BOTH of them in the actual shatterspaces. like i said, they balance each other out. if shadow was to go on his own i honestly think he wouldnt do too good either. hed just ignore everyone else and try to get things done quickly without needing help and sure he might get a little far but eventually hed need the help and he wouldnt have it. so i think sonic and shadow together should finally be allowed to do this shit fully together so that shadow can do what he has to do and sonic can go around making friends with multiverse people and saving them from robots on the side. its a win-win people!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!

i do like the fact that shadows speed is artificial so it isnt the same as sonics, or at least thats what i like to think. i know hes stuck in the void because of the chaos control he did (i think) and sonics speed might not be the only factor but i do think its interesting how they cant do the same things

but truly i think the only reason the writers are keeping them seperate is because they know damn well if they teamed up full time theyd start kissing eventually

[omegafan101]

Alright fuck it, I’m bored and I saw someone say Omega was a bland character but it was on a 5 month old Reddit post so I therefore could not bring myself to comment on it. So fuck it here’s an Omega character analysis type thing.

Omega is not a simple, violent, emotionless, metal husk like a lot of people think he is, he certainly has less character than Gamma but that’s another topic.

Truthfully, yes, Omega’s personality is largely centered around his absolute bloodlust. But even that has more character to it than just violence. In the games it’s not just violence for violence, it’s an anger fueled vengeance quest against his creator and everything he’s made. The Archie comics actually made his thirst for blood even better by making him more of a comic relief who practically fell in love with Blaze because of how dangerous her flames were. Not to mention that version of Omega has Gamma’s transferred memories and emotions.

Beyond that though, this point cannot be stated more with how much Sega denies it these day, Team Dark are friends! Yes, even Omega! Case in point, at the beginning of Heroes Omega sees his team mates as nothing more than a means to an end, they are there to help him find Eggman and destroy him, he even has a voice line in team battles after Shadow and Rouge die where he says “That’s a load off my back.”

However by the end of the game his views of them has clearly changed, which is evident from one scene at the end of Team Dark’s story. In the scene, Rouge and Omega find a room filled with Shadow androids, which Omega is preparing to destroy. Rouge breaks the news to him that Shadow is dead and is more than likely also an android, and instead of making any regard of Shadow’s status as a rebellious robot, he instead rationalizes it that the androids must be clones, and the original must be somewhere. He ends up being right but in the moment it comes across both as a sort of comfort to Rouge and a reasoning for him to not have to destroy Shadow, because he sees him as a friend.

Omega is only in two missions in Shadow the Hedgehog, but he’s involved in the plot line of Shadow learning and coming to terms with the fact he’s an android, which ends up being a lie anyway. The very first thing he asks Shadow is “Are you the original.” He wants to destroy the androids, but he doesn’t want to risk hurting his friend. And even when Omega does find out Shadow is one of Eggman’s creations he doesn’t destroy him.

And finally what I think is Omega’s best characterization, ironically is comes from Sonic ‘06. The very first thing Omega does, upon learning Shadow is in trouble, is go into standby mode for well over a hundred years to essentially brute force time travel and save him. People can say he did this because it was a mission from Rouge, but no, Omega is not one to just blindly take orders, especially not ones that would directly impede his destruction of the Eggman Empire. He only does this because it was a request from a friend to save another friend. But my absolute favorite Omega scene comes from when Mephiles reveals that, years from now, Omega will defeat Shadow and seal him away. Omega doesn’t just continue shooting Mephiles, he takes time to think, and then in a fit of rage switches to his machine guns and rips Mephiles a new one. After Mephiles is gone, Omega shows the most emotion ever even with his monotone voice, by seeming genuinely upset as he breaks the news to Shadow. Hell, even in the final story Omega shows sadness when everyone learns Sonic is dead.

If anyone tries to tell me Omega doesn’t care about Shadow and Rouge again I’ll scream.

There’s even something to be said about Omega as a foil to Gamma. Many people compare them as they’re both the red E-100 series robot turned friend, but they have little in common otherwise. Gamma goes down the sort of Iron Giant path. The gun that doesn’t want to be a gun. He goes on a quest to free his brothers from their prisons and even considers killing himself to free the bird inside before Beta does it for him. Omega meanwhile is the antithesis to everything Gamma was. Omega knows full well that he is a violent weapon, and he loves it. If the two ever met as allies, and not as enemies like in Archie, they still would not get along, their ideals oppose each other directly. And I think that is so interesting.

TLDR Omega is a fun character who actually has a personality and cares about his friends don’t @ me.

[another-sonic-blog]

Meaning

There she was again.

With her stupid red dress, her stupid red bandana, her stupid boots, and her stupid flowers.

Alright, no the flowers.

So then, why was Shadow so excited to see her for?

"So, you finally decide to show up, 'Mr. I am too cool for a flower shop'?" Amy teased him a little. It hasn't been the first time they talked. Actually, to her understanding, she considers Shadow a close friend.

.

.

.

"Aren't you hungry?"

A few months had passed since Team Sonic was aware that Shadow was brought back from the dead. Well, he had never really died in the first place. He had escaped from the secret place G.U.N. had put him in, everyone looked for him but it was no use.

He didn't want to be found until he met her.

"Stay away from me." Shadow had barely enough strength to utter words. He was the Ultimate Life Form and he couldn't die from starvation, but he could still feel his stomach begging for some source of food. It was like hell, he suffered without dying.

"That's not happening any time soon. Come with me, I'll give you a warm bed and food." Amy walked closer to the black hedgehog who was almost completely covered by snow.

"I'll just end up hurting you...I am a biological weapon...I will end you." Shadow could barely move or even recognize the pink figure in front of him. His senses were at its fullest potential, he felt the extreme coldness 10 times greater than the usual species. Everything was enhanced, and each drop of snowflakes against his fur was like a needle piercing through his skin.

But suddenly, he couldn’t feel anything.

Nothing but warmness coming from the pink hedgehog in front of him, holding her pink umbrella on top of them both.

Green eyes and red eyes met for the first time in a while and since then, they couldn't look away from each other.

"Did you know that umbrellas were made so two people could fit in?... and I still have an empty spot to fill..."

.

.

.

Curse Amy Rose and this strange power she had over him. As Shadow stayed on Amy's house, they got to know each other better. Between conversations, Amy found that Shadow was actually pretty good at flowers arrangements. He also had a lot of knowledge about them and their meanings. After all, Maria had made it a priority for them that whenever they could, they studied all types of lifeforms on earth.

The flower arrangement came later on as a hobby for Shadow. The time he stayed to live with Amy, he saw her taking care of flowers and planting them.

Watching her been so careful, working so hard, and proud...that had awoken something on Shadow.

"I am just making you a favor, I have no need for this." Shadow talked smoothly as he approached Amy on her garden.

"Well then, good luck finding another job. I am sure G.U.N. will take you in anytime."

"You are lucky that I actually get hungry and I need money to pay for my expenses." Shadow bent down and took a moment to appreciate the flowers in front of him. He had to admit that Amy was a natural when it came to gardening, especially her roses. They were probably the most beautiful roses he had ever seen, and its all thanks to her secret fertilizer, or how she likes to call it, 'Rose Fertilizer.'

"No, you are lucky that you are so good at flower arrangements. Ever since you began working at my flower shop our sales began to increase!"

She was right on that part. Before, Amy's business only focused on selling fertilizer (as well as all things about gardening) and flowers once in a while. While he stayed at Amy's place, he didn't want to feel like a burden to the pink hedgehog. Therefore, he dedicated all of his time to learn about flower arrangements so he could help her make her business better.

And it did, Shadow was a natural for these things, just like Amy.

*Ring Ring*

"Oh, I'll answer!" Amy went running inside her flower shop to answer the phone. Yes, their garden was placed in the backyard of their flower shop. It was more efficient, and better this way. They could always give fresh flowers to their customers.

Shadow walked through the garden, which was pretty big in size. He picked up some tulips, some roses, and orchids to work on his new flower arrangement.

He took a look at the rose in his hand. Soft and strong at the same time. He gave a quick look at Amy who was still talking on the phone. She was just like the roses, so beautiful.

Shadow thought that the roses could really match with her stupid red dress, her stupid red boots, and her stupid red bandana-

"Hey, Shadow! Stop looking at me like that!"

Shadow was then taken back to reality. He was so entranced in her that he had forgotten that this wasn't a dream.

"Um, I apologize..." Shadow said, trying to get back his cool.

"It's alright, anyway, we have a big order of flower arrangements for a wedding! I should start planting them soon...Ah, planting flowers for a wedding only makes me wonder if I would be the one planting roses for my own wedding" Amy daydreamed again, this was an usual sight for Shadow. Whenever they had a big order for a wedding, Amy would always get like this.

"You would be there with me, right Shadow?" Amy smiled at him and Shadow could feel his cheeks getting hotter. What did she mean by that?

"What?"

"You will be there with me making the flower arrangements for when Sonic and I get married!"

Tsk, what a way to ruin the mood. Shadow could be used to Amy daydreaming, but he always found it annoying that Amy had to fantasize with the blue one.

"You might want to start looking somewhere else."

"Ah, come on Shadow, it wouldn't be the same without you!"

Shadow felt the pink one grab his arm. He turned around to look at her in the eyes. Those stupid green eyes of hers that made him feel something weird inside of him.

He hated not knowing what it was. He blamed it all on her, her red dress, her red bandana, her red boots...her. Just everything about her made him crazy and he didn't know why.

Curse her.

"Fine"

He turned around as he tried to hide his thoughts from her. He kept walking around the garden looking for the most beautiful flowers.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Amy walked towards Shadow once again, but this time she was holding a particular set of flowers.

"Here are some Yellow Acacias, I planted them on my free time. I just thought on giving some to you." Shadow looked at the plain bouquet of yellow flowers. A brown rubber band holding them together, from all sizes, it was obvious that they were recently cut.

"You already gave me too many flowers last week...I don't need more...why don't you give them to Sonic instead?" With that, Shadow walked away from the pink one, not really noticing her reaction.

"Yeah...you are right" Amy's disappointed face wasn't visible to anyone but her. Shadow was too into his job at the moment that he really didn't pay attention to the effect his response had on the pink one.

Shadow then heard Amy's footsteps going towards the flower shop. "Where are you going?" Shadow inquired as he saw Amy leaving the garden.

"I am going to do what you told me to...I am going to give these flowers to Sonic and may be ask him on a date!" Amy didn't bother to look at Shadow, instead, her back was facing him.

"Fine then! I'll just stay here and do all the work by myself!" Shadow sounded annoyed, more at the fact that Amy was leaving him to go to Sonic.

"I thought you were the Ultimate Life Form and didn't need help from nobody!" This time Amy had turned around to face him, obviously angry at him.

"You are right, I don't need anyone...I don't need you! Not now, not ever!"

"Goodbye then!"

"Yes, goodbye!"

And with that, Amy left Shadow alone on their garden.

Stupid Amy, going after someone like Sonic. Her and her stupid red dress, her stupid boots and her stupid bandana...stupid, stupid, stupid.

The only thing that connected Shadow with her more than anything was their strong interest in flowers and now she was going to give that to Sonic.

All those 'Forget-Me-Nots', 'Angelicas', 'Asters', 'Yellow Acacias' and 'Red Carnations' she had given him...for what? So she could leave him the second Sonic came into the picture? In all the things in the world she could give him, she decided to give Sonic flowers. Something that was special between Shadow and her. Or at least that's what he thought. He felt betrayed, Amy was really going to go to Sonic and show her love towards him with flowers-

Wait a second...

"Forget-Me-Nots? Acacias? Red Carnations?" Shadow gave it a thought for a few seconds. Suddenly, he dropped the flowers he was holding and picked up a different one as he dashed through the exit. He stopped mid-track however, as he realized that he couldn' just leave the flower shop open. He locked the doors first and took an umbrella with him as it seemed like it was going to rain any time soon. Now, he began to run...

Stupid Shadow. With his stupid golden rings and his stupid rocket shoes.

How was he so stupid? All of those flowers had a different meaning but they all shared one similarity.

Love.

From what Shadow can remember, Amy started giving him flowers a few months ago.

Shadow couldn't believe that someone like Amy had this type of feelings for him.

He still was naive when it came down to these things. He didn't know anything about love except the things he read on novels.

Were her feelings genuine? What was this state of bliss? This...soft feeling?

Shadow found Amy hiding from the rain under a tree. Still holding the bouquet of yellow acacias on her hands. Shadow walked towards her and took a seat next to her. She didn't mind his presence. There was no escaping him anyways under this rain.

Shadow was horrible at this. He didn't know what to say, nor how to express himself. He couldn't just go like "Hey, I think you are trying to tell me you love me." It was just a theory he had on his head. If he were to say it and was wrong; then their situation would be...very awkward. Especially since he didn't know if he felt the same way towards Amy.

He just didn't want to ruin the friendship he had with Amy over a stupid assumption of his.

He didn't want to talk about it, not unless he was 100% sure.

But he just couldn't stay and do nothing. Amy was always the one putting on the effort to make their friendship work...now it was his turn.

Shadow didn't look at Amy on the eyes, but he made sure to place a 'Yellow Rose' in front of Amy. The yellow rose symbolized friendship and forgiveness and right now it was what Amy needed. What both needed.

Shadow was the Ultimate Life Form, but even he was so naive when it came to relationships. He didn't know anything about the warm feeling he had every time he was with Amy.

But he was willing to learn, if it was for her, then everything was worth it.

She is worth it.

As soon as Amy grabbed the yellow rose from Shadow's hand, he stood up and opened up the pink umbrella; Shadow placed it above them and with a soft smile he said:

"Did you know that umbrellas were made so two people could fit in?... and I still have an empty spot to fill..."

.

.

.

.

.

A/N: A short ShadAmy FF based on the headcanon @finalhazard made. I thought the concept was really cute and just wanted to write about it. Thank you for lending me your ideas!

[skull001]

I really don't like the idea of Amy's crush on Sonic being downplayed to the point of non-existance because without it, Amy simply becomes another friend... a Tails 2.0 if you will.

Amy crush is not only important because is makes her relation with Sonic different from the rest of the cast, but also because when it's done right, it hightlights an aspect of Amy that seems to be highly regarded in Japanese culture: her devotion.

Between Tails and Amy, who are the closest people to Sonic, it's Amy who plays the "hard mode" because Amy doesn't want to be just a friend of Sonic. No, this girl is chasing the impossible dream. Even if Sonic does not reciprocate her advances, Amy holds such a genuine care and affection for him that in Sonic X, after Sonic was kept from returning home by you know who, Amy had to make a really difficult decision: she could either choose to move on with life, or wait for Sonic to return... and that was even conditioned with a very big "IF". And yet, Amy decides for the option to stay.

Amy's loyalty and devotion is like that of Argos, Odysseus’ faithful dog, but with a happy ending because the moment Amy decides to wait even if it lasts for a lifetime, Sonic returns. Her faith and loyalty that were tested are rewarded by seeing the person she cares and loves return safely. Amy does not quit, ever, and in my book that is a very admirable aspect because those who quit their dreams didn’t truly belive in them.

This is why I'm so very against the idea of taking this aspect away from Amy's character, because it shows yet another endearing aspect of her character that I dare say not even Tails posseses to that same extent. Amy's crush shows that she is loyal like no one, and it's a loyalty feed by hope. Even if for obvious reasons Sonic and Amy never end together, it's hope what keeps it running and pretty much everything, from what the games do give as hints, to even the views of the Japanese staff and former members like Big Island Oshima all say that Amy has a chance. You know, the people that actually respect the characters and not degrade them to gain attention with memes.

I'd really hate to see that part of her character go away because some people have this ridiculous idea that changing her personality and making Amy some kind of role model, especially one that appeases to political correctness, ain't going to improve anything. Newsflash: Amy liking a boy does not make her less of a character. Amy choosing to one day have a life with him and maybe start a family is not being a weak female. It's like these people who say that she deserves better are spitting on Amy's right to choose how to have a happy life and deserve a big "fuck you".

They want Amy to improve? Like, honestly? Then go after the real root of the problem.

Amy shines in the comics without changing her personality because the comics actually do give her space to display what she can do. This is something that holds true to every character that is given the necessary screen time and focus. Just to put things in perspective: does anyone think Blaze the cat would be considered a good character if she had been introduced in this current Sonic-only era where the only two other characters who hardly do something are Tails and Eggman? Hell, she would only appear for two scenes and have only one line in each of them and do nothing but cheer from the sidelines.

All that Amy (and any other of the neglected characters for that matter) really need is to be given the same kind of relevance and spotlight that Blaze had in her debut. The same Shadow also got when he was introduced. The comic may not be perfect in it's execution since they pop for an issue and then are rotated instead of following through, but at the very least in their little time to shine they achieve much more in a single issue than in all of their respective game appearances over the last ten years.

Without investing on giving the necessary spotlight, focus and relevance, they can't realistically hope for the cast of characters to ever have a chance at shining and show WHY they have fans in the first place. They could go for the easy route and change the personality of the "controversial" characters to appease the haters at the expense of their fans, and bloody things would still be the same because they're not having the guts to really address the cause of the issue.

[hallelujuh]

shay’s favorite albums of 2018

10. Hivemind by The Internet - TI are insanely underrated and definitely helped me remember how much I adore R&B music. I literally love the bass lines so much - I’ve learned about half of the ones off this record, honestly. Syd’s vocals are amazing as ever, seamless and sexy and gorgeous, and I just, I love R&B music so much, gotta get into more soul shit. Favorite track: Bravo.

9. Sweetener by Ariana Grande - Somehow Ari flew under my radar for years; I simply did not care about her, and rarely heard her music on the radio, let alone sought it out. But some friends succeeded in getting me into it, and now I respect her as a singer and a person. She’s been through hell, and I admire her strength. Not to mention she’s incredibly talented as a singer. I have a hard time with pop records, because of the lack of substance and depth, but this record is a look into a person I think we’d come to forget was a person at all; it’s all her feelings, her heart on her sleeve, and it’s awesome. Not to mention her voice is literally so damn pleasant to listen to, I could fall asleep to it, haha. Favorite track: Successful. 

8. Dirty Computer by Janelle Monae - Miss Monae literally has so much going for her. She’s so immensely talented at everything, and after her success in the film industry, it was nice to witness her return to music. Dirty Computer is fun, personal, and reminds you that Janelle deserves a lot more attention and admiration as a musician, because she does some really innovative and unique stuff that is always something special to behold. She’s a damn good rapper, too, and the accompanying short film to this record was really cool. Favorite track: Screwed. 

7. Pray for the Wicked by Panic! At The Disco - After being a fan for literal ages, I finally saw Panic this year, so that was pretty damn cool. Pretty much DoaB Part Two, but that’s not a bad thing. The music is fun, Brendon’s vocals are as awesome as ever, the production is smooth as hell, and the songs were a damn blast live. A little too uppity for me, but several of the songs have been on replay at times. Favorite track: One of the Drunks. 

6. Trench by Twenty One Pilots - I have a love-hate relationship with 21p, and I’m not emo anymore, so I nearly didn’t even listen to this record, but I did, and I, grudgingly, liked it very much. It doesn’t deviate significantly from the sound of Blurryface, but incorporates a lot more bass in (which I appreciate, as a bassist). It’s also notable this album was lighter in tone, at least sonically. That’s nice. Had a bit of punk, in there, a New Wave sound, almost. Pretty interesting. And deep subject matter. I wish this band hadn’t been spoiled for me. Damn. Favorite track: Bandito. 

5. Queen by Nicki Minaj - A truly fitting title. Nicki’s always exuded a majestic sort of power, a confidence, strength, and sexiness we all can admire, and she’s never faltered in that, but she’s definitely at her top form here.  Favorite track: Barbie Dreams. The Biggie-sampled beat makes an already awesome song even better. This is essentially Nicki’s Control; honest, biting, but also wonderfully comedic and light-hearted. I will literally never forget listening to this for the first time, absolutely awed at every rapper she managed to playfully go at, and how clever each sneak-diss was. 

4. KOD by J. Cole - Cole’s been my favorite for years, and each of his recent albums have resonated with me deeply because of how genuine he comes across, even when he’s rapping about the typical things a rapper might rap about. Somehow Cole does it in a unique way and always makes it his own, so I never tire of the same topics. And he’s real, real as fuck; unapologetic and confident, but not assholish or excessively cocky. I really applaud him for that. Favorite track: 1985. Cole’s proudly embracing the fact that he’s not a youngin in the rap game anymore, and taking the role of a older figure, a wise one who advises his younger peers to reconsider their careers and their admittedly slim chances of remaining relevant. It’s brutally honest, harsh but not cruel, and absolutely admirable. Not the mention the beat is chill as fuck. Whole thing gives me goosebumps; easily one of the highlights of Cole’s career. 

3. Kamikaze by Eminem - Okay, I’m a former hardcore stan who’s turned critical in recent years, but this record fully blew me away. Marsh got relevant again! With the dope flows! Damn! One of my favorite parts of this record was the reactions - watching people remember that Em is not one to be fucked with. Not to mention the now-iconic MGK beef. What a bunch of horseshit. Killshot totally roasted the dude, though. Favorite track: The Ringer. What a way to open a record! Holy shit. I re-listened to this one repeatedly because it was so unexpectedly incredible, with the way the flow is changed up frequently, and the wordplay never falters, clever as ever. Renewed a lot of people’s faith in Em’s abilities, I think; myself included.

2. Iridescence by Brockhampton - In last year’s post I said how excited I was for what the future had in store for BH; and boy, was this year a good one for them. On this record, despite the absence of Ameer, they hold their own without him; Matt, Joba, and Dom even seem to step up to the plate, in fact, and each member spits fire, so that the manic energy from the Saturation Trilogy remains. Said trilogy helped them establish their winning song-writing and production formula, and this record polishes it.  Favorite track: Weight. Absolute goosebumps. The whole track has an otherworldly energy, but the transition from Joba’s verse into Dom’s is especially visceral. Joba’s holds an enthusiastic nihilism of sorts, and optimistic perception of life’s pain, while Dom’s is deeply depressive and harrowing, his voice full of a hurt and his words holding a wisdom beyond his years. It’s a beautiful track, through and through. 

1. Post Traumatic by Mike Shinoda - This album pretty much saved me this year. I’m very thankful to Mike for putting his feelings to music, because these tracks helped me sort out mine, and I connected to each individual song in a way I haven’t in a long time. I would actually kill to go to a show of his; it’d probably be somewhat of a spiritual thing for me, considering how deeply even the studio versions resonate. Favorite track: Hold It Together. I literally love every song on this album (except IOU...), and each is uniquely special, deeply personal, and beautifully resonates, but this one stands out for some reason. I think that breakdown towards the end adds a lot. Some other favorites are About You, Ghosts, Make It Up As I Go, and Running From My Shadow. And there’s not even words for Brooding.

honorable mentions

Expectations by Hayley Kiyoko - This one very nearly made my list, but Hivemind ending up dethroning it. It’s a great debut, full of gay bops that really kicked off 20gayteen well, I’d say. (Favorite track: Wanna Be Missed. Fun fact: My most listened song for all of 2018.)

Mania by Fall Out Boy - It’s unfortunate that my long-time favorite band didn’t make the list, but I just couldn’t get into the sound of this record. (Favorite track: Sunshine Riptide)

Bloom by Troye Sivan - He’s so big now! A big boy! I’m so proud of how far he’s come. I wasn’t as big on this album as I was on Blue Neighbourhood, but it’s still a solid sophomore record. (Favorite track: Dance to This)

Be the Cowboy by Mitski - Mitski’s sound is an aquired taste... I’m still not entirely in love with it, it’s so otherwordly in a jarring way? But I applaud her innovation. (Favorite track: Nobody)

extended plays

they’re too short to be included in my top albums, but i wanted to mention them anyway.

Lake Effect Kid by Fall Out Boy - The Chicago fuckers strike again! While the themes took away from the, uh, relatability, of the music, they’re still solid tracks that deviate from their earlier 2018 effort in a pleasant way. (Favorite track: Super Fade)

My Dear Melancholy by The Weeknd - Abel is one of my favorite musicians of all time (and was my most listened to for two years in a row) and he’d never disappoint me. MDM is sad, harrowing, and visceral, proof that Abel continues to be one of the best artists of this decade. (Favorite track: Call Out My Name)