#i loves it! lvoes it all so much!!

[minimujina]

be still my heart lest i bite the furniture bc i joined zzz specifically for lighter, ended up falling in love with the game so hard i didn’t play genshin for a month, and now he’s finally almost here and immmmm hhdbbfnfjsnfhsjndjfsjjfnfnfnfn shhehehhehehehheeee

[may12324]

Karlach Cliffgate- fire of my heart

[datcravat]

we are SO back

[kiiseru]

God of the Tides

[catgirljaneway]

Tuvok and Kathryn and the time Kathryn destroyed the timeline get Tuvok back.

/I Swear Somewhere This Works - Trista Mateer/

[tianhai03]

hi i havent drawn in almost 2 weeks. have a summer vibe ichiban🏖️

[just-a-toast]

I was really bored so I made used a pintrest reference art thing with suitcase and knife

[so-i-macedup-abit]

i love you pokken aegislash

[kayvsworld]

mcu is guilty of many crimes but the worst is of course that they don't understand that my #1 priority is the little robots. where are U and Dum-E. where is redwing. why did you hurt redwing. gun emoji i just want to talk

[weezerlvr228]

hello everybody and welcome to my 50 (51 thanks to ppsucker-69!) follower special!

[kipperlillyforpresident]

DISCLAIMER: this post is not meant to cause debate or discourse. i genuinely do not want to debate about this anymore. i feel like good faith arguments have been made plenty of times. if you disagree please just feel free to ignore or block me. okay? okay.

ANYWAY. im the most biased woman in the world but. i'm going back to kipperlillys introduction to make a powerpoint for my friend and

how the hell did these interactions happen and the fandom came away with the idea of "yeah. Kipperlilly Copperkettle is the bully in this situation."

the bad kids literally make fun of her name, make fun of her adventuring party, loudly state that kristen should run exclusively because they want her to suffer, and state that she is worse then a villain who tried to end the world and is responsible for two of them having dead fathers.

and all she did to earn this ire at this point in the narrative is... Being Type A.

[squirreltastrophe]

I think Jade sings to her plants so they feel loved :)

original sketch under cut cuz why not teehee

[altruistic-meme]

Young Royals Fic Rec List

hello!! it’s been a while since i’ve done a rec list and this is my first one for yr and im very excited to share!! i know several of these are some of the more well-known fics in the fandom but hey, if there’s someone who hasn’t heard of them then i’d be glad to help direct people there!

i tagged as many of the authors as i could, but there were some who’s tumblrs i couldn’t find so if you know any of the ones im missing, let me know and i’ll add them!!

this got infinitely longer than i meant it to, so it’s going under a read more. please enjoy <3

One-Shots

Simon Eriksson: Just Some Guy From Biology by fandom_commitment_issues @zee-has-commitment-issues (5k, oneshot, general audiences)

The girls in Simon's biology class are obsessed with Wilhelm, but they seem to have no idea that Simon is dating him. If he finds himself in a study group with them... well, he's only having fun. There's no harm in that.

or

Simon is a little shit, but it's a whole lot of fun.

[absolutely the funniest thing ever. There is a sequel and it’s the BEST]

The Thing In The Mirror by fandom_commitment_issues @zee-has-commitment-issues (3k, oneshot, general audiences)

Wilhelm stares at himself in the mirror on the morning of his twenty-second birthday and fights every thought that comes into his head in a losing war. None of them are particularly helpful. None of them make him feel good. He’s pretty damn sure nothing would. Not at this point. They collect in his head and tighten his throat and make him feel sick.

-

-

-

Wilhelm turns twenty-two.

[#1 on fics that made me cry and have a crisis. 10/10 spent an entire shift at work thinking about this fic specifically]

summer feelin’ by willesworld (romanticalrj) @willesworld (2k, oneshot, general audiences)

If Wille were to summarise his entire life in one word it would be disaster.

His hair is crusty and sticking to his face from the pool water Erik just dunked him in, and he’s sunburned and peeling and fucking red as a tomato, and he’s a disaster.

Because there is a boy sitting on the edge of the pool. The sun is beating down on Wille’s freckled (red) shoulders and the sky is blue and his mother is glaring at him from over her sunglasses, and there is a boy sitting on the edge of the pool.

 Or: The all too relatable moment when you fall in love with a beautiful stranger that you will never see again while you’re on vacation.

[incredibly soft and silly, absolutely can relate]

bloom where you are planted by cloudymilk @cloudywilmon (13k, oneshot, teen and up audiences)

Hi Wille, I hope you’re doing well!

I hope you don’t mind but I saw sometimes you give plant advice and I think I might have killed mine

- OR -

Wille is a plant boy, Simon has a black thumb. They both run semi-popular Instas.

*Update: Now with art! (Ch. 2)*

[i need about 10 million more fics like this]

Second Chances by embracedthevoid @ungaroyals (9k, oneshot, explicit)

Wilhelm and Simon don't like each other, everyone knows that. Their ongoing feud has basically turned into one big inside joke amongst their friends. The catch? No one knows that Simon and Wilhelm hooked up in their first year, where Simon ditched the next morning without so much as a note. Three years later the boys still hate each other, secretly harbouring their true feelings about a night they pretend never happened. While at Madison's start-of-term party meant to kick off the gangs last year of university, Wilhelm and Simon are chosen to play Seven Minutes in Heaven, but things don't go according to plan.

[👀 absolutely was waiting for this after s2]

Crown Prince Wilhelm’s Facts Sheet by Piebingo @piebingo (1k, oneshot, teen and up audiences)

“What’s this?” Simon asked.

“What’s what?”

“Crown Prince Wilhelm’s facts sheet,” Simon read, a stack of paper in his hands.

“Oh, it’s just the list of facts about me. I need to learn it by heart before the next set of interviews.”

“You need to learn facts about yourself?” Simon asked confusedly.

“Well, they’re not facts about Wille, they’re facts about Crown Prince Wilhelm.”

***

Simon finds Wille's facts sheet about himself. Or rather about Crown Prince Wilhelm. They play a little game for Wille to learn the facts.

[just incredibly fluffy. in love with this]

Multi-chap on-going

heavy is the head by oforamuse @prncewilhelm (63k, incomplete, general audiences)

At 8 years old, Wilhelm and Simon are inseparable. When Simon abruptly stops showing up to play, Wilhelm just wants his best friend back.

At 16, Wilhelm is sent to Hillerska to find himself and instead finds Simon—but Simon wants nothing to do with him.

 a childhood best friends to strangers to somewhat enemies to lovers au.

[this has changed me as a person. i cannot explain. you HAVE to read this fic istg]

finding home by Elin98 @ishotforthestars (12k, incomplete, general audiences)

Simon's about to close the magazine, throw it in the bin, when a headline catches his attention.

WHERE IS WILHELM?

The words curl their way inside his chest, bounce around in there along with the familiar ache. Wilhelm. He hasn’t thought about him in a while. Has tried to keep himself busy, his mind on other topics. Where Wilhelm is? Simon doesn’t know. Wishes he did.

Two years ago Wilhelm disappeared. Leaving behind a title of Crown Prince, a family in shambles and a tentative friendship built with a boy he used to love. No one has heard from him since.

What Simon doesn't know is that Wille might be closer than he could ever imagine.

[so sad :( i have so many feelings about this story]

dancing with our hands tied by embracedthevoid @ungaroyals (21k, incomplete, explicit)

Prince Wilhelm hates dancing, but he absolutely loathes ballroom dancing. And he's spent his entire adolescent life avoiding it at all costs, something that's become increasingly hard to do when his mother assigns him a tutor in hopes of shaping him into the perfect suitor. Claiming the key to finding a wife and securing the royal line is ballroom dancing. All Wilhelm needs to do is complete his classes, then he'll be free from the hell his mother is determined to put him through. A task that seems tolerable... until it isn't.

or...

Kristina hires Wilhelm a dance tutor in hopes that with a little more skill on the dance floor he'll find a wife. But she and Wille get more than they bargained for once Simon enters the picture. Basically, Simon's hot when he dances and Wille struggles to keep his hands to himself.

[i absolutely love this concept and the execution?? OUTSTANDING]

Like Because, Love Despite by cali-chan (girls_are_weird) @girls-are-weird (61k, incomplete, teen and up audiences)

Simon let out a huff. "For our plan! Remember? To get Englund and August to do business together so we can get them to cut us some slack?"

Wille frowned, confused. "Wait, I thought that was a joke."

"It was," Simon conceded. But then he leaned closer, conspiratorially, and lowered his voice, making Wille's traitor heart start nearly beating its way out of his chest. "But... what if it wasn't?" he asked, pronouncing the words very slowly.

Wilhelm and Simon are a pair of overworked, underpaid assistants who team up to gain their supervisors' favor by bringing them together for a joint venture. It might be the best worst idea they've ever had. PG-13, Set It Up AU, Wille/Simon, romance/fluff/slight drama.

[i love silly rom-coms. i love this. it’s just so !!!!!!!]

Completed

Can I Take Your Order? by littlefandom @little-fandom (207k, complete, mature)

“Okay,” the boy retorts, still eyeing him a bit curiously “can I take your order then, Wille?”

Wilhelm feels the blush on his cheeks deepen upon hearing his name on the boy’s lips. He can’t seem to find his voice again, his mind going blank. Felice did him what she wanted to order, right?

The waiter must have noticed he’s struggling but he only smiles a little, almost like he’s holding back a chuckle. Which does not help Wilhelm, because if his neutral, slightly tired expression was attractive before, now he’s just… wow, Wille’s brain shuts down again."

Wilhelm and Simon meet at the pizzeria in Bjärstad.

[words cant express how obsessed i am with this fic. currently rereading it and dying all over again. also one of the first fics i ever read for the fandom and WHAT an introduction!!]

The Full Prom Experience by littlefandom @little-fandom (18k, complete, teen and up audiences)

"Being a prince, he tends to forget about the normal parts of life sometimes.

So the perspective of prom seems… nice? Normal. Something he’d like to experience. Especially with his amazing boyfriend by his side"

The senior year prom at Hillerska is approaching and Wille finds himself more excited about it than he thought he'd be. Unlike Simon, who remains indifferent to this whole thing. But Wille knows his boyfriend deserves the best, so he settles on giving Simon the full prom experience... he just may not be sure what exactly it includes yet.

[this makes me wish i had ever had a date to prom ;;; also just so cute, let our boys have normal teen experiences please]

The Boy and the Bartender by Spidaya @simons-purplehoodie (82k, complete, mature)

Simon is a bartender at a local bar with a sunny smile and confident attitude that hide the darker side of his life he wishes to keep hidden. Wilhelm, the prince of Sweden, is a lonely boy with too much love to give and not getting much love in return.

After they meet at a bar in not the most Prince-Charming way, their hearts are forever intertwined with each other, but not before going through the hurt, trials, and love that come with both of their lives.

[yES i love this. the writing is just aaaaaaaa]

the sound of our hearts by littlefandom, Spidaya @little-fandom, @simons-purplehoodie (93k, complete, teen and up audiences)

“What if we don’t have any shared experience that we can use?” Wilhelm asks. Simon’s only reply is a tired sigh. “That’s why you should just write the lyrics and I should do the music.” He states again and it makes Simon see red.

“We talked about this,” he says, forcing on a calm tone “a song is something whole. Also, do you really think I wouldn’t want to have any say in the music to our song?”

Saying our song makes his skin crawl.”

Wilhelm, piano prodigy and son of the owners of Royal Records. Simon, an aspiring performer with big dreams. The best and brightest students of the Royal College of Music competing for the same scholarship of a lifetime. When they get paired together to write a song that is crucial for the scholarship run, both of them are ready to do whatever it takes to make it perfect. The problem? They can’t stand each other.

[misunderstanding enemies to lovers my beloved]

did you see the love in my eyes, oh were you gazing through this disguise? By millie_cheesesteak @tooindecisivetopickaurl (67k, complete, mature)

“What if you pretended to date someone else to show Victor you’ve moved on?”

Simon considers this for a moment, then shakes his head. “Who would agree to that? I’m not exactly known for my social standing here. The only people I hang out with are you and Sara and her friends, who are all girls.”

“So I’ll do it then,” Wille offers, like that should’ve been obvious. Simon’s his best friend, and he’s upset. This seems like a no-brainer to him.

 (aka the fake dating/roommates AU you never knew you needed)

[100% needed it and i love it]

home is where I want to be (but I guess I’m already there) by millie_cheesesteak @tooindecisivetopickaurl (19k, complete, mature)

Wille knows that being in Madison is supposed to be a punishment for his “unseemly” recent behavior; he knew that there was never a chance that he was going to enjoy any part of being marooned here. But as he lies on the frozen sidewalk, head throbbing and a warm weight on top of him, he has to admit that he didn’t expect it to feel so punishing so quickly.

[undercover wille is something i wasn’t expecting but fell in love with]

you and me, meant to be by makeamends (20k, complete, mature)

For clarification, he asks “Prince Wilhelm? Simon, did you just say you used to be in love with Prince Wilhelm?”

Simon doesn’t hesitate to answer.

“Oh yeah, I wanted to marry him and everything. I had one of his posters on my bedroom wall for like a year when I was 15, right before I started high school. I took it down before I started Hillerska, but I’m sure it’s still in some box somewhere. His hair is so shiny, have you ever noticed?” He asks, as if he’s not just upended Wilhelm’s entire existence.

He knows he shouldn’t let this continue, Simon’s drugged out of his mind and doesn’t know what he’s saying and none of it might even be true, so he responds with “Simon, you know that I’m Prince Wilhelm, right?”

 or: when Simon has to get one of his wisdom teeth removed, Wilhelm doesn't hesitate to offer his help. It definitely has nothing to do with the fact that he's been in love with Simon for years.

[so sad and so funny at the same time. brilliance]

guess this could be worse (walking out the door with your bags) by tobuildahome (24k, complete, teen and up audiences)

With fumbling hands, he quickly types into the site’s search bar, i love my homie but homie got a bf and i feel uncomfy what do i do help me?

His index finger hovers over the [enter] button, before he pauses, adding a pls at the end of the question.

Hey, he might potentially be a homophobe, but he has manners, okay?

(or; in which simon gets a boyfriend, and wilhelm is an idiot)

[Willhelm is so dumb here i love him so much]

Screwed by fandom_commiment_issues @zee-has-commitment-issues (174k, complete, teen and up audiences)

Erik lived, but things are still Royally screwed up.

 (beta reader appears at around the chapter 7 mark and it gets considerably better from there)

[if you haven’t read this Why Not. Go Read It Now.]

We Left Footprints When We Passed By by This_time_its_just_me (132k, complete, explicit)

Wilhelm broke Simon's heart twice.

He really should hate him considering everything he's done. Simon has tried for so long to push this thing out of him, sever this connection and burn it away. He's tried to rip it out of his heart until his fingers are bloody and his chest is open and raw. But it always finds a way to pull him back in. Wilhelm is a deep, vast ocean, and Simon is caught in his current. Caught in the swell of his inner storm. He is a planet in some dark expanse of galaxy and Simon is a moon trapped within his orbit. They continuously circle each other, again and again until one of them breaks. An endless cycle of wishful thinking that always ends the exact same way. Wilhelm turning his back and Simon left to pick up the pieces.

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

It has been eight years since the video. Five years since Hillerska. Three years since Wilhelm disappeared from his life as quickly and as intensely as he had returned. Simon has done his best to move on from his past, but old ghosts are the hardest ones to exorcise.

(Written Pre-Season 2; The Cheating Fic as dubbed by Twitter)

[I Cannot Express The Many Levels In Which This Story Fucked Me Up. i literally think about it way too much]

“That’s my seat.” by YoungRydbergs (85k, complete, explicit)

"Oh, sorry, Prince Wilhelm," he said, "we have arranged seats."

Wille straightened again and looked around.

"Do you know where there is a free spot?" he asked, watching as the earlier empty seats started to fill up more and more as more people arrived.

"Yeah, the one on the fourth table over there," Alexander said and pointed at a table where both seats were still empty. "I think the chair by the wall is taken, but the other one should be free."

---

This is basically all of season 1 but with one small twist: Wille and Simon have to sit next to each other in class. Wille is still very much a prince, and Simon still hates the monarchy.

[ehhehe i love the smallest little changes and how much the effect the story]

arrhythmia by pysanky @pysankywrites-updates (75k, complete, mature)

“Do you have the patient file for 223?”

Simon rifled through his papers and found it, extending the file out toward Wilhelm, who took it but remained there, lingering. Madison and Simon both looked at him, waiting.

Wilhelm cleared his throat again, opening his mouth and closing it before opening it again, but then someone was calling for him and he was gone, shoes squeaking against the linoleum. Simon sighed when he looked around the edge of the station and realized that the other was wearing Crocs.

(or: in which Simon and Wilhelm work together as medical residents at the same hospital)

[wilmon as nurses is so shfkdhfs i never knew i needed it]

Fever Pitch by Scissorsandstone (101k, complete, explicit)

It's the Christmas Holidays and Simon can't seem to get into the festive spirit after what happened between him and Wilhelm a few weeks before. In fact, he's downright falling apart while trying to keep a brave face in front of his family. One night it all gets too much and he ends up revisiting an old haunt of Wille's and his and, unexpectedly, Simon is suddenly forced to confront his feelings head on

[this STORY man. its got a hold on my brain in the best way possible]

You feel like the perfect escape now (just like the sun on my face) by LoveIsGolden @sunshine-rudberg (51k, complete, mature)

“Then I guess we’re both going,” Simon concluded, although he sounded anything but pleased at the idea.

“What? Together?” Wilhelm asked, letting out a humourless laugh. “On their honeymoon?”

“I mean, from what I’ve seen about the honeymoon plans, they have booked a suite, a huge room. There are so many different activities offered and already paid for, we don’t even have to see each other except in passing,” Simon explained.

“Yeah, whatever,” Wilhelm agreed with a shrug. “But you better keep to your space, and I’ll keep to mine.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

 Or, when everyone – except Wilhelm and Simon – gets food poisoning at Erik's wedding, they decide to go on the non-refundable all-inclusive honeymoon to paradise together. The only problem is they hate each other – or at least they think they do.

[ABSOLUTE HALLMARK MOVIE VIBES meant in the most positive possible way]

you’re the cats meow by melsj98 @allthefakepeople (43k, complete, teen and up audiences)

Meet Simon. Simon, who is an animal-lover. Simon who works at his local shelter with his best friends Ayub and Rosh. Simon who loves what he does and takes pride in making the shelter a safe space. Simon, who wants to take care of his family while also juggling college classes, his job at the shelter, and his tentative music career. Simon who can’t afford any distractions right now and definitely is not looking for a relationship after his last few disastrous attempts.

Enter Wille. Wille who just wants to get through college without too many problems, Wille who only really has three true friends in his life, Erik, Felice and Maddie, anyone else who says otherwise is lying. Wille who got into a minor fight, the details of why aren’t important. Wille who has a semi famous family and whose face is now plastered across magazines labeling him as “jealous” and “violent” and “attention-seeking” and all these other labels that don’t represent him at all. Wille whose mother sends him to work at an animal shelter to “clean up his image”. Wille whose life begins to change the second his eyes fall on Simon.

[included in “fics that make me want to change my job” its just so cute]

I hate the way I don’t hate you. by embracedthevoid @ungaroyals (21k, complete, explicit)

"So, what do I have to do?" Simon concedes, knowing that neither boy will give it up before he at least pretends to play along with their weird cult-like boarding school traditions.

"You know Prince Wilhelm is arriving at the school next week?" August questions with a sly sort of smile that has Simon's skin crawling. "Well, it's simple really, we dare you to sleep with him by the end of the month."

_ _ _

or where Simon is a first-year boarding student at Forest Ridge, gaining himself a special sort of dare for his initiation. Sleep with the Prince of Sweden by the end of the month or suffer the consequences.

[this fic is so so so stuck in my brain]

the way you look at me by strummerjoe @strummerjoe (33k, complete, teen and up audiences)

After spending his whole life in Bjärstad, Simon is excited to go to university. He wants to embrace all aspects of student life and he's ready for anything.

Anything, except finding a disgruntled crown prince in his new bedroom.

[dumb university boys in love]

i hate accidents except when we went from friends to this by cloudymilk @cloudywilmon (59k, complete, explicit)

Simon is Wilhelm's best friend, so when he confesses that he's insecure about his lack of experience Wille offers to help him. After all, it's what any good friend would do, isn't it?

[what could possibly go wrong amirite? 👀]

[a-flickering-soul]

How I Stopped Worrying And Learned To Love Bones: The Harrow Cosplay

Or: I felt like doing a little writeup of the making of my Harrowhark Nonagesimus cosplay because I worked hard on it and this is also basically the first cosplay I actually completed. And I'm also just very proud of it.

I knew from the start I wanted the silhouette to essentially be a triangle, since I deeply believe that Harrow in full vestments is like a little walking cone. This is also deeply influenced by the many years I spent in church choir wearing those dinky little robes.

The first thing I figured out was the headpiece. I knew I wanted the hair to be covered (both in a religious way and also so I wouldn't have to wear a wig), but when it comes to hair coverings, there's a lot of ways it could go. I initially considered mantillas, to go with the whole Catholicism of it all, but unfortunately I was possessed with the spirit of half my ancestors and decided to drape a scarf like a dupatta (I considered making maang tikka to go with it, but had a hard time with the logistics of that). I found a drapy, thin black scarf at a thrift store and held onto it for a while. You can tell from the picture that it's pretty sheer and also a good length.

I szuszed it up by hand-stitching some white lace to it (since I'm very taken with the idea of the Ninth producing lace like all good nunneries did), as well as some seashell beads in a suitable bonelike color and these very cool tiny silver skull beads. These are only on the front of my scarf as a nice little decoration.

For the rest of the jewelry, Sculpey really came through. I used it to make some (outsized) teeth to create a rosary, along with some very cool volcanic rock beads. Individually knotting each bead and tooth was a huge time sink, but definitely worth it visually. Nine teeth for each of the houses.

I also made some bone bangles out of Sculpey (although this was towards the end of things when I was kind of losing steam).

My metamour @benthicbimbo was fucking amazing though and literally?? made thee most beautiful phalanges choker out of Sculpey and velvet ribbon and they're weathered and textured so beautifully and it's such a wonderful piece I genuinely wear it around places quite often.

And because they're incredible they also made these beautiful faux earrings for me that I tragically forgot to wear during Halloween but do look genuinely stunning!!! Like what!!!!!

For the big layers, I genuinely got the best luck at Goodwill in one fell swoop and I have no idea how I got this lucky. The dress is Shein (and once you touch it that fact is very obvious) and the overcoat is a CQ by CQ trench coat someone didn't want anymore (sans belt). These combined with the dupatta really solidified the silhouette and both the pattern of the dress and the brocade on the overcoat really were exactly what I was looking for and it was a sheer stroke of luck that I found both of them in one go.

And now, the big boy: the ribcage corset. I wrestled with this thing for what felt like ages and I'm decently pleased with it, but I definitely have plans for improvement. I started off with a wire frame just to see what kind of shape I wanted-- I took inspiration from the book cover, but slutted it up a little with the titty cups because I felt like having fun. This was made with floral wire and duct tape.

Once I had it to a point where it was reasonably symmetric and fit to my body, I added a very thin layer of quilt batting. The goal of this step was to add bulk without weight or necessarily a gajillion layers of plaster or paper mache. As a friend of mine described it, it looked like low-poly gore.

From here, I added two layers of paper mache since I really wanted it to be rigid-- I did not want this to flex with me as I moved or really flex at all. I wanted to really sell that this was made of bone.

It was at this point I realized I fucked up enormously because the bottom was very asymmetric and I never did a final fit to myself, but it turned out okay anyways, especially combined with the overcoat. I slapped a few layers of acrylic paint over it and used a black ribbon to just tie it around my back-- it was going to be covered by the overcoat anyways so I didn't think too hard about that part.

And that's pretty much it! The black leather gloves are my usual winter gear, and the shoes are my everyday officewear black heels. The face paint design was a mix of the book cover, some fanart I'd seen, and some mockups a friend of mine made for me.

Overall, I had a ton of fun putting together what I feel like is my first con-worthy cosplay, and it was a massive upgrade from last year's cosplay. I'm not 100% satisfied with the ribcage-- I believe I can do better-- but this method was pretty solid (I'd recommend overestimating spaces between ribs though when making the frame). The face paint also wasn't my best work-- thick cream paint is a huge bitch to work with and I didn't have any brushes, but it got the point across. Either way, this cosplay was enormously fun to put together, actually quite comfortable to wear and move around in, and very satisfying to look at. As a reward or perhaps punishment for reading this far, a mandatory couples' cosplay with my beloathed Gideon (my dear @laserlesbians). Happy belated boneday!

[jaynovz]

Guys I am fucking IN LOVE with OPLA Luffy they picked a perfect actor he played it to the hilt he is GORGEOUS AND INTENSE AND GOOFY AND INSPIRING AND COMPELLING AND TERRIFYINGLY STRONG ELDRITCH RUBBER GOD all at the same time and AHHHHHH

[fruitsofhell]

It's time for me to unleash the inner crazy Metal Sonic lover within myself and talk so so much about this mother fucking fucker Chaos Sonic!!! (image taken off a post by @/littleaipom)

Ok so what I love so much about Sonic Prime is how much mileage it's getting out of the multiverse concept. It's a good multiverse cause it's surprisingly simple compared to the sort of MCU clusterfuck we associate the term with now. It's just Sonic AUS! And I really love that cause to me if anything screams Sonic media, it's AUs and canon divergence and wacky takes. I think this series is great at that, internally and with inspiring that in fans. What also makes it so great in Sonic Prime is that it has so much confidence in that. In the entire show the only normal characters are Sonic and Shadow, everyone else Sonic makes a connection with is a whole new spin on the old cast and its GREAT. I love Nine to death especially, he's definitely one of the best shatterverse characters.

But I think I have a definitive new favorite character now in Chaos Sonic, because he is that fresh new confident take on an old character but with such an underutilized one in Metal Sonic. I adore Metal Sonic, he's my favorite Sonic character and in my opinion the absolute most slept on. Sonic's robot doppelganger should absolutely have as much love as Shadow - his more serious and hardened antihero rival - and Knuckles - the stubborn immovable object to Sonic's steadfast unstoppable force. But he doesn't!! And it's tragic!! There is so much to do with Metal, with the Sonic created by the man who hates him more than anything, one of his first true rivals who was made to be his perfect antithesis, yet we get so little. But atleast in Chaos Sonic we get an awesome fucking take on him!! It's not Metal, but like I said about Sonic Prime as a whole, I LOVE how this show plays with the characters.

I see a lot of people pitting Chaos and Metal Sonic against each other or putting down one when talking about the other, but they're really just amazingly complimentary takes on the same character. The way it would be weird as hell to say either Nine or Tails is the better version of the character or something. Chaos Sonic's personality is of course what stands out the most between him and Metal Sonic, and while for some people it makes him unbearable or insulting to the OG Metal, it's one of the things I love most about him too. It's the complete opposite of what Metal and most robo-doppelgangers in the series, and especially Metal, are known for. Metal Sonic is all of Sonic's deadliness but none of his heart - he is a Sonic stripped of everything that makes him that energetic blue hero and reduced only to his power, speed, and obedience. He's a very cold a serious take on the robo-doppelganger that encapsulates the theme of classic Eggman, which was to do what nature did but better and deadlier. He's a very dehumanizing take on what Sonic is to his enemy, a potential tool like the rest of the animals and natural resources he abuses. Chaos Sonic is less like the (classic) Sonic Eggman wishes he had, but what (modern) Sonic is to him - this annoying, vain chatterbox who still manages to trounce you no matter how little he takes the situation seriously. Metal Sonic feel like a cold and calculated project driven by nothing but Eggman's frustration that something free and alive that he should have control over him still eludes him, and Chaos Sonic like just a project of pure spiteful mockery. Which I think very well represents how the relationship between Sonic and Eggman has changed to pit them more often as equals with their back and forths. And I really love how well both of them use this assignment to bring out these different aspects of Eggman and Sonic's relationship.

I think Chaos Sonic also specifically speaks to the New Yoke universe very well more than just being Sonic but more annoying. He is absolutely annoying and talkative just to mock Sonic, but stuff like his comments about Sonic being "smelly" and how he wants to be a brand star bring to mind really fun ideas about how he's like a commercialized version of Sonic too. I would love if he was integrated into New Yoke and you could see the Egg Council using him as a brand and he just loves it because he's an equally capitalistic jerk. It's a fun twist on Sonic's ego next to the more obvious one, that if Sonic didn't have his convictions he would very easily fall in line with the vanity of Eggman's worldview. Those are the moments that kind of make me wish that normal Metal Sonic had more speaking roles where him being an anti-Sonic in ideology could show. We atleast have the funny projection of him torturing animals from Sonic CD. I do still think that through Metal's sole commitment to beating Sonic and proving himself superior he does an equally good job at being that ideological opponent though, just in a quieter way befitting his era. Chaos Sonic represents Sonic's vanity in a personality sense with his want to be in the spotlight, and Metal Sonic in purely mechanical sense - just wanting to prove nothing but the fact he is better. And that single-mindedness makes him a great foil to Sonic who is a very wild and free-spirited person and never lets his ego and need to be the best define him more than his loyalty to those ideals. Meanwhile Metal Sonic entirely defines himself by his abilities and need to be a specific identity created by others. Something that makes him really damn tragic in a way I wish for the life of me was explore more.

Chaos Sonic doesn't HAVE to be an existential tragic mess... but I mean if they're gonna bring him back, he should have moments of that on top of just being awesome to watch fight and emote. OH MAN I HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN INTO HOW EXPRESSIVE HE IS. Once again, something totally different from Metal Sonic that only improves both characters in my eyes. I can't get enough of either of them! Whether it's Metal Sonic's intimidating silence or Chaos Sonic's "teehee giggle ^_^" attitude towards violence, I think both have some great chilling moments to them. Chaos Sonic's voice too is so good, it's probably my favorite voice performance in the show. It just has so much energy, and makes every line sound so genuine no matter how stupid. But at the same time he has good range too! When his voice gets low and serious or angry it's effective (atleast to me)! I mean that guy managed to make "You're too slow!" sound playfully venomous, I love it. With Metal Sonic it's maybe a bit harder to pin down what makes his stoicism work so well. Every character in the classic era was silent to a degree, so it's hard to say his silence stands out. But that's actually I think where I'd say his lack of expressiveness is genius. He manages to mimic the look of Sonic in body and face so much more naturally than any of the other doppelgangers but still in this sleek and blank way that is just amazing. Like I stare in awe at the design of this beast. Classic Sonic is very good at providing character through expressive animation and sprites, and Metal Sonic's lack of any yet ability to still feel like he has the face of a character and not just some robot makes him intimidating.

Which brings me to their overall designs. Metal Sonic is such an enduring Sonic character despite the long list of robo-Sonics because as I was saying before, the design is just too good. It is beyond aesthetically pleasing, straight up gorgeous - which makes him so effective. He truly does feel like Sonic's equal and possibly even superior in mechanics and LOOK, he makes his mechanical and flesh peers look clunky and outdated by comparison. Sonic but polished to an unnaturally perfect finish, with those dead glowing red eyes that house none of his soul. Genius fucking design. I woefully cannot say that I think Chaos Sonic is an equal in that, but it might be physically impossible to make a better Metal Sonic, and he does come damn close! Specifically because he does take the cue of the more natural eyes (every other sonic-robo has some sort of distinctly robotic visor), but still does something new and catching with it in the bike helmet-like screen. It takes everything perfect about that aspect of Metal and builds on it for this version of him, the dark void of blank pixels is replaced with a very beautiful yet icy blue that contrasts the red eyes very well. I've seen many fan designs that use those red eyes for expression, but it is best a choice here than on the original Metal for the reasons I said above. It's so clear how much fun the animators are having with using them to emote without making it feel too natural by giving him a mouth or something. I also really like his chest rocket, it feels a lot more streamlined than Metal's, which helps with how energetic and mobile he is. Metal screams sleekness and speed, but in a very artificial way with how much his rocket takes up his design. Like I said, there's no beating Metal due to the sheer simple brilliance of his design that is totally a product of such a complex concept being perfected in the classic era. In general Sonic Prime tends to make designs a bit more complicated than what would pass as the peak of series design, but they still own in their own right. Chaos Sonic is a great example of this where he is noticeably more busy of a design than Metal but with very clear shapes and colors that make him fit in with the overall series style.

All this praising and blabbering to say. Metal Sonic is the most important thing to me, and Chaos Sonic is also the most important thing to me cause he and Metal just complement each other so fucking good. That's really what a good alternate take on a character should do! Feel fresh but still very flattering to the blueprint, explore different directions the original character could've taken to make you appreciate the execution of those aspects even more. Chaos Sonic is the best example of the show next to Nine. When I think deeper about it some of the other shatterverse versions don't go AS HARD with this, but they all feel like fun takes that do feel like they came from aspects of the original characters. Plus, that's why Nine is the hook, he is a very well developed "what if" for Tails that explores how much of a difference a friendship can make in someone's life. I also just in general really enjoy it when a story says, "Yeah, sometimes people react to issues by being antisocial as easily as they react by being docile when they don't have the space to be sensitive". It's not like... handled explicitly with that much nuance, but the nuance is there in my heart. Also damn, speaking of Nine I didn't even bring up how cool "Eggman (kinda) tricks Tails into making a Metal Sonic using his knowledge of the real Sonic" is. It's epic, and I actually really hope it's more explored, as well as Chaos Sonic in general. I feel like the writers, animators, and VA had way too much fun with him not to bring him back. I would love nothing more as a poor starving Metal Sonic stan-peasant...