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belovedstill · 2 months ago

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NOT a Time Loop (Definitely a Time Loop) (ao3) svsss, platonic cumplane | T | 7.2k, pre-canon, canon divergence, set in modern world, time loop, airplane & cucumber bro, trope-specific repeated major character death (more, including warnings and spoilers, on ao3)

When Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky decided this morning to end his writing career, he didn't expect he'd be responsible for the death of his harshest of readers, nor that he'd unintentionally cause something that's definitely not a time loop. Hahaha, everything is alright, thank you very much! ...But what's the deal with Peerless Cucumber?

a while ago, I wrote a tiny 'different POV' part for this fic which you can find here 😊

Full fic on ao3 & under the cut

It begins like so:

A stranger at the table next to his orders the blandest meal the diner has to offer.

Shang Qinghua opens his laptop. He presses the ‘Post’ button on the drafted work, logs off, and shuts the lid of the laptop with his heart both heavy and light with tentative relief. Some other patron’s phone gives a loud ping. He sips his coffee, too tense to even register the taste. He gets up, leaves a tip too small to be considerate but big enough to leave a dent in his savings, and leaves the diner. On his way out, he hears an enraged shout, quickly doused by the diner’s staff.

Whatever, it’s not his job to care about patrons causing a ruckus.

He goes home, buries himself in his bed, and sleeps undisturbed for the rest of the day.

It begins like so:

Shang Qinghua opens his eyes at the diner table. In front of him, there’s a laptop with his final post on Zhongdian still in draft form. He blinks at the screen. Looks around. Sees the same decor and the same patrons and the same tired staff.

Wow, déjà vu, he thinks, takes a sip of his too-bitter coffee, and clicks ‘Post’.

A stranger at the next table receives the blandest meal the diner has to offer, but accepts it only with a half-hearted hum, staring at his phone instead. The phone chimes.

Shang Qinghua sighs to himself, logs off his account, closes his laptop, and sips the rest of his coffee, too tense to truly appreciate the moment. He leaves a tip too small to be considerable but big enough to leave a dent in his savings and walks out of the place. On his way out, he hears an enraged shout, quickly doused by the staff.

…That’s weird—but it’s not his job to care about patrons causing a ruckus.

He goes home, thinks how strange it is that he still feels as if it’s all happened before, and buries himself in his bed. He sleeps uncomfortably through the rest of the day.

It begins like so:

Shang Qinghua opens his eyes at the diner table… again? He looks around.

The diner is still relatively busy for the post-breakfast crowd. Some of the few patrons look perky enough for it to still be before noon, and the staff still looks tired and already resigned for the fast-approaching lunch hour. Shang Qinghua's laptop is still open on his draft of the final author’s note on Proud Immortal Demon Way, his coffee still looks too black and too bitter, and—after taking a sip—still tastes that way, too.

Is double déjà vu possible? He's definitely experiencing it right this moment, so it must be a thing. Sometimes, real life is stranger than fiction, that's for sure.

“Your low-fat, no-sugar, no-nuts, no-berries, dairy-free porridge,” a waitress announces at the table nearby. The young man sitting there acknowledges her with a hum without looking away from his phone.

Shang Qinghua waits to check if his phone will ping this time, too, but it stays silent.

He breathes a sigh of relief. Damn, he almost thought it was a time loop sort of situation!

He snorts at himself, shakes his head (no more Internet for him for a while!), and with a heaviness in his heart—and lightness, at the same time—he posts his final chapter, logs off, and closes his laptop.

The stranger’s phone pings with a notification. Shang Qinghua freezes on the spot.

Heart beating faster in his chest, he throws the tip money onto the table, grabs his laptop and bag, and flees from the diner.

He doesn’t go home. No, no, no, this is not a time loop! If it were, he would go home right now, but look! He’s not going home. He's not trapped and he has free will, he can go to—oh, I don’t know, the arcade looks fun!

Only he doesn’t have money to spend there and the staff will ask him to leave if he’s just hanging out.

So, the shopping mall, maybe?

Again, no money!

The park. The park! As long as it’s anywhere but home, things should be okay and non-time loopy at all.

The park is pretty much abandoned at this time of the day, what with it being school and work hours. Shang Qinghua would know; he graduated university just last year—(wait. No. It's been two, three years by this point, hasn’t it?)—with a literary degree that earned him nothing and only swallowed the money he didn’t have in the first place.

The job market is a cutthroat place, anyway. He’s never had any illusions that he would find a well-paying job within that short of a timeframe after graduation. Besides, so far, he only has a Bachelor diploma, and everybody and their mother knows that nowadays Bachelor holds next-to-no distinction whatsoever. So what that he’s graduated? Countless other Chinese kids have. So what that he has creative ideas and is ready to work in whatever position imaginable? Countless others do! The sweet nepotism position which was supposed to be his is all but non-existent now, what with his father conveniently forgetting that his first failed marriage actually brought him a son.

…Anyway. It’s a perfect place to be at this time of the day! There are no beds in sight, just benches, so Shang Qinghua sits down on one and doesn’t panic.

He’s not in a time loop. Hahaha. Just because some things are similar to his dream (within a dream within a dream…?), it doesn’t mean anything. Dreams can be wild, and he has been very stressed recently!

Stress dreams, that’s it. What he needs to do is have a good night's sleep! Probably drop the caffeine. And probably meditate before bedtime. And not think about the Proud Immortal Demon Way readers being absolutely pissed at him, and his only source of income being jeopardized because he can’t stand himself writing mindless filth anymore.

Sue him! He’s never intended Proud Immortal Demon Way to get so big, okay! It’s a social commentary on the unrealistic expectations of masculinity and its effects on men’s mental health, and he started it as a joke besides! It was just supposed to open some eyes, provoke conversations, maybe pay for his food, maybe his living expenses if people took a liking to it! Instead, it got him through the final year of uni when he was convinced he would have to drop out, and has paid the god-awful rent for his god-awful apartment ever since then.

…So, in the end, it has never been that mindless, has it now! He mindfully observes what makes people's brains tick, mindfully calculates what will open their bank accounts, and mindfully writes what they want to read! He's an entrepreneur, a businessman! He's basically Shakespeare!

…

He needs to let go. As convenient as Proud Immortal Demon Way is, Shang Qinghua really doesn’t feel that good writing it anymore. People who love it, love it for all the wrong reasons. People who hate it only hit the nail on his coffin on why he has to stop.

Yes, Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky knows that specific work sucks! That has always been the point! It’s supposed to be a trash novel! You don’t point at an obvious mess and say ‘this is a mess’ unless you’re his mother, so honestly, everybody could spare their judgments.

…Even though the judgmental readers have always been the ones he likes the most.

He really doesn’t want to read their comments under the final update. It can’t even count for a chapter: it’s just two sentences. The author’s endnote is longer than that.

But it had to be done. It had to, even if he knows what he’ll find in the comment section. ‘Wasting his potential’—hell, he knows! He knows that, Peerless Cucumber, thank you very much, now go choke on a—

An ambulance siren pulls him out of his definitely-not-panicked state. He was just lost in thoughts, that’s all, it happens to the best of us! A cold shiver runs down his spine as the shrill noise zooms past his hearing range. It turns off relatively nearby.

Man, is somebody dying? A heart attack, maybe. It's so early in the day, too, poor guy. Or girl. Do girls get heart attacks the way guys do? Probably. He should look it up, it’d probably make for a good plot for a new wife for Bingge to—

—ah, no, wait. No more Proud Immortal Demon Way. No more Luo Binghe. That’s gonna take some time getting used to, doesn’t it?

Shang Qinghua lets out a heavy sigh, turns it into a growl, and stands up. He’s made his point: he’s stayed in the park long enough and nothing‘s happened! He can go home now and not go to sleep immediately—just to make sure he does things differently than in his dream.

As he waits for the pedestrian lights outside the park to turn green, the same ambulance sounds its alarm and zooms past him. The speed of it smacks his hair into his eyes.

At home, he downs a strong cup of coffee, even more bitter than the one at the diner, and does not go to sleep. Depression naps can wait! He has the entire afternoon ahead of him, he can find something to do! There's a new donghua everybody has been talking about, or, if he wants something international, he can always reach for that one ice-skating anime from several years ago. He’s never really got around to watching it, has he? Last he checked, there was a movie coming out, or something.

He boots his laptop up, connects it to the charger, and waits.

The screen loads up on the posted final PIDW chapter. The two sentences of the ending and three entire paragraphs of the endnote stare back at him. The comment count is already at 3333, and he's actively blocking the view stat from his mind.

Ctrl + W and it's not a problem anymore.

On the screen, in the opening scene of the anime, the main character is having a full-blown panic attack.

Shang Qinghua’s face black-lines and he shuts the episode off.

…Maybe taking a nap now wouldn't be that bad, actually? He’s already spent his day differently by staying up so much longer. He deserves a break!

Yes. Yes, he's already proven this is not a time loop. It's going to be fine.

It is not fine, he thinks the moment he opens his eyes and sees the unposted draft of the final chapter of Proud Immortal Demon Way staring mockingly back at him.

Fuck!!!

This is not a time loop. This is not a time loop. This is not a time loop!

He closes his eyes. Nope! He's not seeing anything!

“Your low-fat, no-sugar, no-nuts, no-berries, dairy-free porridge.”

“Mhm.”

Shang Qinghua wants to cry.

More changes, he decides. He doesn't touch the coffee. Doesn't look around as he shuts his laptop without posting the final update. Doesn't leave a tip. Doesn't pass “GO”, doesn't collect ¥200, goes directly out the door without turning back.

So, the park didn't work. He withdraws a couple of bills from his account he kept saved away for his upcoming rent and spends it all on arcade games. Ambulance sirens mix in with game sounds well enough that he almost doesn't notice them.

Almost.

He blinks open and blanks at the sight of the unposted draft of his final update.

So it wasn't the update, huh? He considered that for a moment, back at the arcade, between slaying pixelated aliens. If anything, it seems the repeat started even faster without him posting.

Not that it’s a time loop. But the terminology can very well be the same. Hey, language evolves! Words are used in new contexts all the time! For all intents and purposes, this might still be just a very weird, layered dream.

Shang Qinghua looks at the final chapter of his work and deflates.

“I can't even quit you in peace, can I?”

“Your low-fat, no-sugar, no-nuts, no-berries, dairy-free porridge.”

“Mhm.”

Shang Qinghua sighs.

He opens the editor of the chapter, erases the two lines, and instead writes:

Something has come up, sorry. Next chapter postponed till next week.

Clicks 'Post'.

The phone in the stranger’s hand pings.

This time, Shang Qinghua doesn't leave. Thinking about it, he’s never truly relaxed after posting, has he? That final chapter was supposed to be a load off, but it just caused the never-ending trouble. Now that it’s pushed back in time, he can sit back and enjoy his too-bitter coffee in peace.

…The coffee doesn't have to be so bitter, actually. He reaches for the sugar packets available in the napkin holder and drops the contents of two of them into his drink.

Creamer, too! If he has to be trapped in this time loo—no, dream—then he might as well not hate his drink. The sugar and cheap creamer are free, anyway, and, if he’s right, the money he spent in each of his previous dreams should be back in his bank account.

He checks and breathes in relief. Not a dent! Even the amount spent at the arcade is back, and he did go wild with that one.

The stranger at the other table starts muttering to himself and furiously typing at his phone; the diner is quiet enough Shang Qinghua can vaguely hear him even from his own seat.

If the ping isn’t a coincidence, then is he a reader? Wow, real people in real life are actually subscribed to Proud Immortal Demon Way, huh? The ‘ping me!’ option is only available to VIP readers, too.

Shang Qinghua watches as the guy types and types and types, and wonders. The guy sure doesn't fit the image of a PIDW fan in his mind. The gender fits, but he looks too Rich, even if Neglected (he just has a ‘rich’ face, okay!), and Holier Than Thou than he expects his readers to be. Shang Qinghua knows he’s written filth! It's what’s been paying his bills, okay! If the dude is paying for the chapters then he must know what he's got into! No need to judge, bro, you would only be judging yourself.

…Unless he's a closeted pervert; closeted perverts dipping their toes in his filth are always welcome. Make yourself at home!

The guy is still typing, so furiously his face has turned red with rage.

Wow, sorry for postponing the chapter, dude. Airplane promises it'll be posted when he actually writes something substantial! He can't post the ending he wanted to avoid all this time/dream issue! And, from what he remembers—if he's correct—then weren't you enraged by the ending, too? Seriously, there's no way to please readers these days…

The guy’s face really is getting redder… and tighter… and—swollen? His muttering is more distorted now through his suddenly much smaller mouth.

And he doesn't stop typing.

Shang Qinghua stares, blinks hard, and stares again.

The guy's fingers slow down until he forcefully jabs at his phone screen.

…Well. Don't judge him that much.

Shang Qinghua opens his laptop back up and clicks on the comments, then scrolls through hundreds of individual short comments of confused emojis, keysmashes, and question marks to find the essay the stranger has just left him.

Oh, he finds it.

Stranger no longer.

At the top of the body of words, very much longer than his chapter—not that it's difficult to achieve that, considering—is the guy's pseudonym.

Peerless Cucumber.

…

No way.

No way!!!

An indescribable emotion fills Shang Qinghua's chest, both excitement and frustration, and who knows what else. The guy! The legend! His worst nightmare and the best thing that's happened to his writing! His nemesis and motivation, all in one!

“—call an ambulance!”

Eh?

When he lowers the lid of his laptop, several things become clear.

The guy’s—Peerless Cucumber’s—face is swollen beyond recognition. The neck of his hoodie painfully digs into his skin, his fingers are too thick and stiff to hold his phone, which clatters onto the table, and he's doing something that can't reasonably be called breathing. Wheezing, maybe—if that, even.

A waitress calls an ambulance. Another is trying to make Peerless Cucumber lie down. The staff hurriedly ushers the gawking patrons out of the diner. Shang Qinghua clutches his laptop to his chest as he's outright pushed out the door.

He loiters nearby, still in shock, until the ambulance siren sounds in the distance and gets louder and louder.

The ambulance pulls up. Paramedics run out and into the diner. Minutes pass, then something vaguely person-shaped is carried out on stretches and rushed into the ambulance. The sirens wail back to life. Red-and-blue lights blind him. The vehicle drives off with a screech of tires.

Shang Qinghua stares at nothing in particular.

Fuck. Has he just—given Peerless Cucumber a heart attack…?

The diner door is pushed open again, the waitress looks as shaken as he himself feels. From the inside, he hears disgruntled voices of the other staff members.

Somebody says, “I hope it doesn’t make the news.”

He turns on his heel and leaves.

Goes home.

Can’t sleep.

He blinks.

He’s back at the diner. In front of him sits his laptop with the last chapter of Proud Immortal Demon Way ready to be posted. Above the screen, at a nearby table, sits a stranger.

—not a stranger. Peerless Cucumber.

Shang Qinghua’s struck by the chilling thought that Peerless Cucumber has just died.

But no—he’s right there, alive, staring at his phone. Like he’s waiting.

Shang Qinghua doesn’t want him to wait.

He suddenly wishes he'd never posted his work online.

The waitress brings over the blandest meal the diner has to offer and announces it in the same voice that has just worried about the diner's media presence. Peerless Cucumber accepts it with barely a hum, without even looking at her, as if he knows. But no, he can't know—he has reacted the same way every single time.

His phone doesn't ping and Shang Qinghua knows perfectly well it won't until he clicks ‘Post’.

If he posts the chapter, Peerless Cucumber will die of rage.

If he doesn't, Peerless Cucumber will die of rage.

If he postpones, Peerless Cucumber will die of rage.

…

Just chill out, bro! Has nobody ever told you this much anger is bad for you? Shang Qinghua can't be responsible for your death! Who told you to get so invested, ah! Not him!

There really is no good ending here. Shang Qinghua has heard the ambulance sirens nearly every time the events of this day repeated and he knows, instinctively, that it’s Cucumber-bro every time. But what can he do? He's just a guy trying to end his online writing career in peace. There have been stories about fans refusing to let their idols step out of the spotlight, but this is really… too much!

Peerless Cucumber is tapping impatiently on his bowl; it's full three minutes past Shang Qinghua’s update schedule.

Damn. Okay. That's not a good sign, his anger levels are rising already. Shang Qinghua hasn't felt this responsible for the emotional state of another person since he moved out of his mother's house!

Okay. Think, think, think. Posting this chapter didn't work, as did posting nothing or postponing.

Maybe posting something more substantial…?

By the time he gathers his thoughts and clicks ‘Edit Work’, the waitress approaches Peerless Cucumber’s table.

“Are you alright, sir?”

Shang Qinghua looks up.

Cucumber-bro looks angry again. Angry enough his breathing comes out in wheezes.

The waitress yells about an ambulance. Cucumber-bro stares at his phone in frustration, fingers tapping and tapping.

What now? He hasn't even written a full sentence yet! That can't have angered him that much?

Waiting just ten minutes past the normal posting schedule is not that bad, either, come on! Learn some patience…

…Well. A heart attack does not know patience and soon Shang Qinghua is pushed out the diner’s door once again. He spends the little time he has before the next repeat brainstorming the continuation of PIDW.

He blinks and opens his eyes back in the diner. Grabs the laptop in front of him. Clicks ‘Edit Work’ and starts hammering at the keys like his life depends on it.

Well, not his life. Peerless Cucumber’s.

And maybe his, a little bit. He's getting really tired of repeating the same morning over and over again.

If he knew he would get stuck in a moment of his day, he would have chosen a better place! This diner has really shit coffee; it’s never worked on him, but at least it’s cheap.

The laptop is old, with a keyboard that hasn't been properly cleaned in… ever. The keys are loud.

Somebody's eyes bore holes in his forehead.

Don't judge him! He’s doing it for everybody involved!

A bland order is delivered.

“Thanks.”

Shang Qinghua’s fingers freeze and he stares at Peerless Cucumber above the screen.

The waitress nods and leaves, and Cucumber-bro goes back to staring at his phone as if he hasn't just talked!

If this has changed, then maybe…?

Slowly, his fingers stutter back over the keyboard and he types, and hammers, and writes more of Luo Binghe just for Cucumber-bro not to die. And when he gets to an okay stopping point, even though it's by far the shortest chapter of his life, he clicks ‘Post’ without a second of hesitation.

Peerless Cucumber’s phone pings.

Well, that’s maybe 10 minutes past the planned update, but Cucumber-bro not dying out of enraged impatience is a success!

Shang Qinghua watches with a bated breath as the guy taps on his phone. Waits for the app to load. Taps on the new chapter.

Starts reading.

And… uh.

He reads scarily fast, doesn't he…

Shang Qinghua remembers all the pages-long comments posted within minutes of new updates.

Maybe a spur-of-the-moment chapter pulled out of his ass isn't long enough to prolong—

“What.”

—he couldn't have already finished it?! That was 2k words at least!

“The fuck.

“Is this.”

He's not even using question marks this time, or speaking in the same paragraph…

Shang Qinghua gulps as he watches Peerless Cucumber swallow through the spoonful of his porridge and touch his phone screen with a shaking finger.

Damn. He really looks pissed.

Shang Qinghua dares a look at the chapter he's just released. Strangely, the comment section is void even of the “first!!!” crowd.

Peerless Cucumber is typing. His face is growing red. It swells with barely held-in anger.

In the top right corner of his screen, a new notification pops up.

As Cucumber-bro takes a moment to breathe through whatever crisis he's experiencing, Shang Qinghua clicks on the notification. It leads him straight into the comment section. There's only one, from yours truly.

You lazy ass, it says. It's the most illegible thing in the world and I'm not even talking about the plot.

Harsh!

Another comment.

It’s always been obvious you have no standards, but that’s a new low even for you.

And another.

You didn’t even fix typos before posting!

Wow, he's never spam-commented before.

Shang Qinghua looks at the chapter he's just posted, for the first time.

It's, uh… Cucumber-bro might not be… wrong…?

But it's not like he had time to do anything better? You don't write 2k words in 15 minutes without any sacrifices!

“Are you alright, sir?”

Oh no.

Shang Qinghua blinks at the unposted last chapter of Proud Immortal Demon Way and salutes in his heart to the 2k words he's just lost—or never written—or whatever. Those have never existed now. Well, they did not work at tiding Peerless Cucumber over, anyway, so it’s not that big of a loss.

He's not writing like a madman for the guy ever again, though. No gratitude whatsoever, only criticism! No “thank you for trying to save my life, bro”, no “that was an impressive writing speed!”, nor “how are you doing mentally after seeing me die again and again?”. No care at all. Not that Shang Qinghua isn't used to that already, don't actually mind him.

Still, it would be nice to just…

…Talk.

Huh.

Cucumber-bro’s blandest meal arrives. Shang Qinghua gets up. Walks over. Clears his throat.

Cucumber-bro looks at him, a spoon in his mouth.

Okay, maybe just looming over somebody as they eat isn’t the most socially adept thing to do. He came over to say something! He can do that.

“Hi.”

He receives a look as bland as the porridge Cucumber-bro’s swallowing. “Do I know you?”

He talks! Shang Qinghua has never thought hearing somebody talk to him in such a “then perish!” tone would bring tears to his eyes, but there it is! And they’re tears of gratitude, too!

He opens his mouth and promptly remembers that talking to people usually requires the forethinking of conversation topics. He's quite literally drawing a blank.

He stares at Peerless Cucumber and Peerless Cucumber stares back at him. In silence. Why has he approached him, again…?

“You need to chill or you'll die,” he blurts, very helpfully.

Cucumber-bro’s face becomes even scarier than the first time Shang Qinghua watched him write his comment in real time. “Excuse me?”

A chance to back down! Sucks that his mouth has a mind of its own!

“You'll die,” he says, enunciating each word, “unless you calm down. Stop raging so much, it's totally unhealthy—”

“Is that a threat.” Peerless Cucumber’s dropping the question marks again. From the previous rounds, it's not really a good sign.

“Not a threat! Just trying to help, bro!”

Is he allowed to talk about the time loop? This is not a transmigration type of thing where he has a system dealing out punishments, right? It would have made itself known by now…

Okay. He's got nothing to lose.

He drops to the seat in front of Cucumber-bro and ignores the stinky look he receives as a result.

“Look. You know time loops, right? You must, you've read my work, after all. That part where Luo Binghe goes through the same day one hundred times to learn all there is to please the Western Princess so when the time comes he woos her the very first time she meets him and they get married the very next day?” Peerless Cucumber’s staring at him, blankly. His eye might be twitching. “That's what's happening here. You don't know, but this day has happened like five times already and you rage yourself dead every single time, bro, that's not healthy for you.”

“Your work,” Cucumber-bro repeats, and Shang Qinghua starts to doubt the guy’s sanity. That's what he's taking away from this? “You write Proud Immortal—”

—and then he stops himself mid-sentence. For some reason. As if he’s realised he has as good as confirmed that he knows what Airplane is talking about.

Shang Qinghua grins. “Yeah! And you’re a connoisseur of fine arts, I see!”

Cucumber-bro presses his lips into a thin line and mumbles, “...I don't know what you mean.”

Tsundere! He’s definitely a tsundere!

“Aw, there's no need to be shy! Many people read Proud Immortal Demon Way.” Shang Qinghua crosses his arms on the table and leans closer. “Besides, I know you're Peerless Cucumber, there's no need to be ashamed. I mean! You tear me a new one under every single chapter. No wonder you croaked that way, too.”

Peerless Cucumber continues glowering at him. “You're insane.”

“Takes one to know one. And it's nice to meet you, too.” He sighs and leans back in his seat. It… really is working out quite well, isn’t it? Better than he imagined! Who would have thought all it’d take to make himself feel better was just getting up and talking to people! ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’ and all that! “Never expected to meet a fan out in the wild.”

Cucumber-bro is rapidly growing red. “I am not your fan.”

Shang Qinghua raises his hands in surrender. “Sure, sure! Definitely not a fan!” He watches with worry as Cucumber-bro’s face changes colours. “Calm down, breathe. I wasn't kidding when I said you raged yourself to death.”

Maybe saying that isn't the smartest thing, actually. Peerless Cucumber looks startled, like he's considering believing him. His face looks like it's swelling already.

“Water!” Shang Qinghua calls, and, in panic, grabs his coffee from his own table. That's the only drink he ordered, okay? “Drink!”

“I can't have dairy—” Peerless Cucumber starts to say, but Shang Qinghua is already pressing the mug to his very thin and unnaturally stretched lips. He watches as he is forced to swallow the remaining gulps of coffee and withdraws. “Idiot! You want to kill me?!”

Quite the opposite, quite the opposite! He spent money on that coffee, bro, better appreciate it!

But Cucumber-bro’s redness and swelling don't go down. He continues to rattle at Shang Qinghua until a waitress approaches and asks them to calm down. And that's when Peerless Cucumber stops breathing completely. He just glares at the cup Shang Qinghua fed him coffee out of, mouths at him something that could be ‘you've killed me’, then drops right across the table.

The ambulance doesn't make it in time. One second, Shang Qinghua closes his eyes on Cucumber-bro’s unrecognisably quiet, frozen, swollen face and, in the next, opens them to Cucumber-bro sitting at a nearby table, staring at his phone. Waiting.

The final chapter of Proud Immortal Demon Way is ready to be posted.

Shang Qinghua lets out a shaky sigh. Runs his hand down his face. Takes a gulp of his coffee.

He gets up and tries again.

And again.

He tries everything. Everything! He tells Peerless Cucumber the whole truth at least three more times. One time, the ambulance is called for him, with how “confused” he is. You try being responsible for somebody else's life and fail to save them no matter what you do! It leaves a mark, okay!

That specific time, he strips down to his underwear and claims to know the future. He has a good reason, okay, and it totally makes sense in the moment!

“Would a deranged person do this?” he asks and, as Cucumber-bro stares at him as if he is the ridiculous one and yells out a ‘Yes!’, the diner staff calls the ambulance.

So maybe they have a point at that time. Admittedly, Shang Qinghua might have been going a little bit insane by that point, after watching Cucumber-bro puke his guts out and choke on it to death before the time looped again.

He's tried approaching Cucumber-bro. Talking to him. Explaining. Manipulating. Writing a different Proud Immortal Demon Way chapter; posting it several paragraphs at a time as he writes it. Then posting just a personal note to Peerless Cucumber himself.

He has watched him dying as he fumes with frustration, grits teeth with anger, or chokes on his food.

One time, he outright begs him not to die. He’s exhausted and resigned by that point. Cucumber-bro just looks at him like he's grown three heads. Startled. Suspicious. Vulnerable.

“How do you…?”

Despite the mistrust, Shang Qinghua likes that version of him the most.

He dies that time, too.

It doesn't work. It never works. Cucumber-bro rages himself out of breath again and again and again and again. There really is no point here! Shang Qinghua is not his protagonist, he doesn't have a golden halo nor a wisdom stat of +100, nor access to blood parasites able to control and regulate and heal. He's not a Heavenly Demon lord, he's not a medic, he's not a scholar—he just writes about them. Hell, he doesn't even remember how to administer first aid!

What is with this time loop? Why is Peerless Cucumber so important the universe can't carry on without him? People die everyday, what's so special about him? If anything, he already looks like he's going to hit it sooner than later. Shang Qinghua’s on a self-prescribed Sad, Single, and Unemployed diet and even he doesn't look that bad. If all the food Cucumber-bro ever eats is as bland as the porridge he’s ordered before the start of the loop, then it's no wonder he's so thin. No wonder he’s so salty online, too; gotta substitute somehow.

He doesn’t even notice that the time has looped again and he’s got up from his table until he’s colliding with somebody.

The waitress yelps.

A bowl she’s just carried on a tray falls to the floor and shatters into pieces.

The blandest porridge splatters around on the impact.

Peerless Cucumber’s attention is off his phone and on the shattered bowl.

“My food…”

For a moment, everybody is quiet. Then, the waitress huffs a sigh.

“I’ll bring you a new bowl right away, sir,” she says as she fishes out a rag out of her apron and starts scooping the mess onto her tray. “Please, be careful where you step.”

That last line is pointed at Shang Qinghua. He laughs nervously and—carefully, really carefully—steps closer to Peerless Cucumber’s table and sits down. Cucumber-bro frowns at him.

Shang Qinghua braces himself for another death session preceded by biting words.

And he's not disappointed! As the waitress returns and finishes the clean-up of the mess, Peerless Cucumber spits insults about his work at him, rants about plot holes and continuity errors, about one-dimensional characters and the potential, the potential! His face remains pale and normal-shaped but for a healthy flush on the rims of his ears.

Things seem to be… going well? Cucumber-bro is not choking on his anger, and when the staff asks him to be quieter, please, he calms enough to just glare at him and tell him to piss off if he's not serious about writing the novel properly.

Shang Qinghua breathes in relief. That sounds like a permission!

“Okay,” he agrees, “I'll stop writing it right away. I was meaning to drop it, anyway!”

Cucumber-bro’s eye twitches.

Uh-oh.

When the waitress from earlier approaches their table a full scathing tirade later, she sets a packed to-go container in front of them.

“I'll have to ask you both to leave,” she demands. “You're disturbing the other patrons.”

Shang Qinghua looks around and, surely enough, the heads of the three other patrons blur with how fast they look away, pretending they were not paying attention.

Cucumber-bro grumbles as he pulls his jacket on and grabs his things. Shang Qinghua hurries to his table and haphazardly pushes his laptop into his bag.

Surprisingly, when he runs out the door to follow after Cucumber-bro, the guy is waiting for him outside, tapping his foot like a wife waiting for her workaholic husband who’s late to their anniversary dinner.

He hasn't stayed back for the company, however. He glares at Shang Qinghua and says just one sentence.

“Don't you dare stop writing.”

And then he turns on his heel and leaves.

Shang Qinghua could cry.

Peerless Cucumber has lived!

He should celebrate. People usually go out to celebrate, don't they? Yeah! Prime going out time!

Half an hour later, he's freshly showered and on his way out, with his hand on the handle of his apartment entrance door, when he realises—

He doesn't quite know what exactly people do when they “go out”.

Fortunately for him, he doesn't need to figure it out, because between one blink and the next one, he's back in the diner, his laptop open in front of him, Cucumber-bro staring at his phone at the next table over.

A waitress brings over the blandest meal ever.

Shang Qinghua does cry, then.

And then squawks when the glass entrance door swings open and shatters on impact against the wall.

In the entryway to the diner, against the backdrop of the hectic city landscape of rushing cars and gawking, hurrying pedestrians, there stands an extraordinarily tall man clad in well-fitting red-and-black high-quality xianxia robes, a black menacing sword billowed in black flames and ashen smoke held in his hand.

On his forehead, there gleams a blood-red heavenly demon zuiyin.

Looking at him, Shang Qinghua hears the screams and wailing of countless tortured souls punished out of revenge, even though everybody in the diner is frozen in silent shock. You could hear a pin drop!

Luo Binghe struts in like he owns the place despite it very much not being part of his own dimension; it's not like anybody would ever dare free him of that conviction, anyway. He walks past Shang Qinghua's table, throws him a glance—and an honest to god nod, he swears, unless he really blinked and dreamed up the entire interaction—and approaches the waitress who stares at him in half awe and half trepidation.

He raises one hand, gives her a charming smile that doesn't meet his eyes (so scary!) and, in a single move, blasts the bowl she's holding into shards.

…Well, at least it wasn't Shang Qinghua who made the mess this time!

“My food,” Cucumber-bro mumbles in a barely heard objection, and that makes Luo Binghe's face darken. He squares his back even more, truly intimidating, opens his mouth, and in a tone that will forever haunt Shang Qinghua in his nightmares says:

“He asked for no nuts.”

And then Shang Qinghua watches with his own two teary and tired eyes how Luo Binghe pulls out a neatly wrapped bowl and turns to Peerless Cucumber.

The same Peerless Cucumber who has flamed under every single chapter of Proud Immortal Demon Way as the unofficial president of the unofficial Binghe Protection Squad, who is staring at the very same Luo Binghe as if it's the last thing he's going to see in his damn life.

Knowing what he knows, Shang Qinghua can't really blame him for it.

“Shizun,” Luo Binghe addresses Cucumber-bro (!?) and, using both hands, reverently sets the bowl on the table in front of him. “This disciple has brought you your midday meal. Pray Shizun forgives his tardiness; he's encountered an unexpected obstacle on the way.”

What, thinks Shang Qinghua.

“...What?” echoes Cucumber-bro.

“W—what,” stammers the waitress. “Wait, y—you can’t bring your own food—”

Luo Binghe shoots her a dark look; her mouth immediately slams shut and she scutters back into the kitchens.

Shang Qinghua curses inwardly and collects his things. When he makes his way to Peerless Cucumber’s table, Luo Binghe is already sitting in a chair across from him, and looking at him as if it’s Peerless Cucumber who is miraculously defying the rules of the universe and breaking the wall between reality and fiction.

“Uh—excuse me, sorry, pardon—” The glare Luo Binghe shoots him isn’t nearly as scary as the one he sent the waitress earlier, so Shang Qinghua pushes on. “The staff will probably call the police, so we’d better go.”

Peerless Cucumber looks up at him as if it’s Shang Qinghua whose approach is out of the realm of real-world possibilities. “Who are you?”

And isn't that the question of the hour?

Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky.

A god, apparently.

Somebody who’s watched you die over fifty times.

Your friend, and the guy you hate, and the person who’s lived to keep you alive.

He answers instead, “I don’t even know anymore.”

Cucumber-bro stares at him like he’s just told him Proud Immortal Demon Way is based on a true story. At this point, Shang Qinghua isn't sure the main idea didn't come to him in a prophetic dream.

“Shang-shishu,” Luo Binghe says. All attention is immediately on him. “You’ve done well assisting Shizun. Your efforts have been noted and will be duly rewarded.”

Huh?

…Wait.

“Who do you think this guy is?” Shang Qinghua asks, pointing his thumb at Peerless Cucumber.

Luo Binghe’s eyes narrow into dangerous slits. “Just as this lord will reward Shang Qinghua’s assistance, he will punish any disrespect shown to Shen Qingqiu.”

Shang Qinghua laughs nervously.

Luo Binghe turns back to Cucumber-bro. “Shizun should eat,” he says in a tone much warmer, with eyes so much kinder—Shang Qinghua is getting a whiplash. “He needn’t worry; no meal from this Binghe will ever harm him.”

Cucumber-bro puts his phone down and reaches for the spoon Luo Binghe’s holding out to him.

Well, Shang Qinghua has tried, but he’s not staying here to wait for the police to arrive! He's heard enough sirens to traumatise him for a lifetime!

“Don’t die again?” he asks Cucumber-bro who only gives him a blank, confused stare.

Luo Binghe answers in his stead. “He won’t.”

And that’s really as good as he’s going to get, isn’t it?

With one final nod, Shang Qinghua adjusts the shoulder strap of his laptop bag and makes his way to the exit. Behind him, Peerless Cucumber and Luo Binghe talk.

“That’s really good!”

“I knew Shizun would like it. Eat more.”

“Are you a cosplayer?”

“I don’t know what that is. I’m Luo Binghe.”

“Really into it, are you? Either way, you look so cool. Where did you get this costume? Such good quality.”

“Thanking Shizun. These robes, I’ve had them—”

The rest of their conversation is left behind the remains of the diner door.

Shang Qinghua doesn’t go home right away. He spends an hour in the park, then another at the arcade, then walks by the diner and peeks in through the window.

Cucumber-bro and Luo Binghe are gone.

There have been no ambulance sirens.

Hours pass. The sun sets and the night blankets the city like a beast creeping closer and closer to its prey. Shang Qinghua stares out the window of his crappy apartment as he stands in complete darkness for the first time in around two months.

He lies down on his uncomfortable bed. Turns and twists for hours before sleep finally overtakes him.

And when he opens his eyes, it’s to the paint peeling off his greying ceiling, and to the weak rays of sunshine filtering through the blinds, and to the buzzing of a fly fighting a losing fight against the window.

His eyes sting.

It’s finally over.

He stays in bed into the late afternoon. Just in case.

It’s only when the day has turned into the evening again that he dares a step from out of his blanket and he almost trips on his laptop, haphazardly abandoned in the middle of the room.

He plugs it in to charge and turns it on. Types in his password. Listens to the worryingly heavy hum of the built-in fans.

—and is immediately jumpscared by the unposted draft of the final words of PIDW lighting up on the screen. He almost slams the laptop lid shut.

Almost. His hand is already grabbing at the screen when a pulsing red dot in the top right corner catches his attention.

A new notification.

He clicks on it and stares.

New direct message from: @Peerless Cucumber

16h ago Who the fuck are you and where the hell is the new chapter?

…

GIVE HIM A BREAK!!!

#svsss #svsss fic #cumplane #time loop #my writing #m #i suggest you read the tags on ao3!#i'm so excited to finally post this 🥺 i had a blast writing it!#go be free my child!#there's one single instance where sy is kinda freaked out and he and airplane--who is Not Really Doing Okay--use an offensive word #to describe his state

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hadesknockedupintheunderworld · 9 months ago

Text

Sonine Prime ... Part 7

Hi, everyone and welcome back to Sonine Prime! The part of the show when I come out and talk about Sonine (and a bit of Sontails) in Sonic Prime!

Last time we covered the first big scene in The Grim, and now we're so so close to finishing off Episode 6. This time, I'm hoping to move on to Episode 7 and hopefully reach the end of this season, but we'll see if my hopes are cut short by the tumblr media limit again.😂

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<< Part 6 | Part 8 >>

(Essay/thoughts/analysis under the cut)

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So, starting off where we left off last time. I will note that Nine just informed Sonic (with a serious face and a frown) that he's going home right after this battle (essentially giving Sonic a second chance to join him in the Grim before Nine closes himself off forever), and Sonic responded by being so happy that he knew Nine would "come back". Keeping this in mind is important. Why?

Well, after being so frustrated and disappointed that Sonic didn't choose him in the Grim, and after just posing sonic a new choice ("You can either stay here and I'll seal myself off alone in the Grim, or you can join me there in the Grim")...Nine can't help but smile in regards to Sonic again.

"I'll take em low, you take em high!"

"Already on it."

Once Nine makes his point to Sonic as best he can, they fall right back into working together again. It's been so long since they last fought together, and both seem...happy for it. Even if Nine doesn't actually want to be here, you can see on his face how much he enjoys cleaning house with Sonic (not surprising, given how much he perked up in Episode 1 when he believed Sonic was telling him that the two of them used to fight the Chaos Council and win).

That also being said, despite the fact that they (chronologically) hadn't actually spent a lot of time together in the first few episodes and spent a while apart, it really is a testament to their relationship just how well the two work together and continue to. You get the impression from this short little scene that the two don't need to say much to know how they should fight, actual plans be damned. Yes I think one can extrapolate that Nine has already been forming a strategy and Sonic was largely planning to wing it, but the fact Sonic didn't need to say much says that they trust each other (and that, at the very least, they both think the other understands an unspoken plan).

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Now, when Sonic and the Rebels celebrate the defeat of the last of the Eggforcers (and what seems to be the Chaos Council's retreat), Renegade mentions that he doesn’t know what happened to Nine. While we as the audience know Nine was captured by the Council, Sonic hasn't seen Nine since he jumped off of his ship. Neither he, Rebel, nor Renegade know where Nine is.

However, here's what's interesting about this scene.

"We're good. Not sure what happened to your "friend" though."

"I don't like this. The shard could be anywhere."

Rebel and Renegade still have no solid reason to trust Nine. Even if it's true that he came to aid in the fight, they didn't see him finish it, and they have previously expressed the concern that Nine would hand the paradox prism shard over to the council. While they're not as convinced that Nine has traitorous intentions as they were earlier in the episode, they still are afraid that the shard is in the wrong hands or could be. Whether Nine is traitorous or not, it's concerning to them not to know the whereabouts of the shard.

"You're right. I better find him before he portals outta here again."

Now, I think it's clear Sonic agrees it's good to have a good eye on the shard, and that he is meeting Rebel and Renegade in the middle (so to speak) by offering to look for Nine.

However, what's important is the focus. Rebel and Renegade are focused on the shard. Nine's well-being? Not so much. Sonic? Sonic is focused on Nine himself. The shard? Well, find Nine and find the shard, right? Sonic doesn’t go into this expecting Nine to be in any danger, and Nine had told him earlier that he'd be leaving after the battle. So, if anything, Sonic’s concern is exactly as he says—finding Nine before he leaves.

Since Sonic never makes a reunion with Nine here, it's hard to say for sure what would have happened if he did. Or, rather, I feel confident that Nine would remind him of the choice he presented earlier in some form, forcing Sonic to choose, but I can't say for sure whether Sonic's intentions were to convince Nine to stay, to make sure he knows to keep the shard safe, or what. All I can say is that...Nine's absence at the end of the battle seems to leave him focused on the fact that Nine will leave soon if he doesn't get to catch him and see him beforehand, not so much on the shard itself.

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And we are finally finished with Episode 6 (an episode that has now spanned three parts😂)!

Onwards to episode 7, where while looking for Nine, Sonic accidentally portals out of New Yoke.

"Okay, stay calm. One minute I was looking for Nine, then I saw that gnarly ship, and then, somehow..."

Funny, huh? All 3 times he was transported to another shatterspace after his original arrival in New Yoke, Sonic thought about Nine's whereabouts just after arrival. This time, he was looking for Nine before the transport, versus the last two times, where he'd at least briefly thought about doing so after arriving.

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Okay, so just like with Thorn Rose in episodes 4 and 5, I'd like to talk about Knuckles the Dread for a minute (and not just because he's my other fav).

While I can't pull a "wow there are some surprisingly direct parallels here" as I did with Thorn and Nine, Dread serves a different purpose for being brought up. Simply put, Dread is also a character who forms a fast relationship with Sonic, his story is a bit more complicated than "guy who is secretly evil", and Sonic's relationship with Dread shows the audience just how much Prime Sonic can handle when a friend turns on him.

Now, since we're only on season 1, we won't be touching on this last point until later, but I'm going to compare and contrast Dread and Nine on purpose.

So, let us begin with the first meeting.

Sonic was specifically searching for Tails when he trailed Nine all the way to his lab. This was the beginning of the show and he still didn't know much about what was going on, so when he entered Nine's lab, he assumed that Nine was Tails. He acted friendly off the bat, entering the lab and turning Nine's chair like he does in that flashback depicting him entering Tails' lab. However, as Sonic was a stranger to Nine at this point, had intruded in his space, and called him a name only thrown around by his bullies, he ended up in a fight with Nine.

As for Sonic's first meeting with Dread, he isn't specifically looking for anyone before this. When he arrives in No Place, he recounts what he was doing and what happened before he landed first. After this, while he does wonder about the outfit change for this shatterspace, he's largely focused on his own safety. This can be seen in the number of times he puts emphasis on how much water is around, how many times the camera focuses on water as Sonic darts around trying to avoid the pirates, and how panicked he gets trying to argue for his safety in front of Batten Rouge, Black Rose, and Sails.

"Aharr harr I don't mean to harm, ye. I'm just a wayward hedgehog, looking for a way home. Agh! Water."

...

"Listen, I'm not a part of any crew you're looking for. In fact, I've lost my crew. It's...a bit of a sore spot, actually..."

...

"Wait, you're leaving? Uh, you can't leave me here! There's literally water everywhere! Uh, where you going? Somewhere with a lot of land hopefully?"

...

"I'll row! I'm a great rower! I'll bet you twenty coconuts I'm the best rower you've ever seen!"

...

"Or else...the plank? I can assure you that this hedgehog has no interest in planks. Captain's orders. Got it! I love captains.

As for Dread, even beyond the fact that he's surrounded by pirates, Sonic has good reason to meet Dread assuming he's (Sonic's) already in danger (in contrast to how he'd assumed that things would be all okay as soon as he found "Tails" in episode 1), even beyond the fact that Dread is a pirate captain.

"I say we pirate!"

"A-But...the captain's not here! I-I don’t think he'd approve of us—you know—pirating."

"What kind of pirates don't pirate?"

"Well, you know how the saying goes Rose. Dead men tell no tales."

While it clearly throws Sonic off that the pirates would be under orders not to pirate, I'd say if one kept in mind the trio's actions, it's not hard to conclude that they may fear going against Dread's order's. After all, they reason that they can cleave Sonic to the brisket as long as Dread doesn't know about it, and as long as they think Sonic is from "the old crew" (who do periodically mess with their ship and steal their supplies).

And given how happy Batten, Sails, and Black Rose were to attempt to "cleave him to the brisket", even though Dread's orders are not to pirate, I don't think it's a stretch to say that Sonic could preemptively assume Dread will be harsh on him or aggressive the way these three were (which is to say, happy to deliver harm).

"All right, all right. Enough's enough. Gather the coconuts. The captain'd want us to get back to the ship without takin' too long. Leave this scalawag for the buzzards."

A bit of urgency to get back (which one can assume is either or both because of captain's orders and for balancing his disposition), and essentially a "let's leave him to die".

Then, when Sonic asks where they're going and says that they can't just leave him...

"Back to our ship. And we don't take scallywags."

"You know... With all that speed, this landlubber could be useful. Swabbin' the deck. Raisin' the mizzenmast. Rowin' the boat?"

"Agh. I hate rowin' the boat..."

In short, I this little moment conveys to Sonic that they don't just take people onto their ship, and that if he wants to leave this island with him, he'll need to prove himself useful. It's pretty clear that he's acting in the interest of his safety and not being confined to this tiny island, so it makes sense that he'd try to argue that he's useful.

"Fine. I, too, hate the rowin'. But there is one condition when we get back to the ship. It's captain's orders. Or. Else."

And judging by Sonic's understanding of that being "or else you walk the plank" and insisting he by no means plans on disobeying the captain, he understands this threat for what it is. He needs to be useful and follow orders (or at least suck up and pretend he will be/do these things) so he can survive and/or have a chance to escape and continue his search for the prism shards.

However, given how causally Sonic comments on Catfish drinking "a few too many coconuts" and about how the pirates should consider cleaning the poop deck (essentially, how much more casual and less on edge he is) compared to his disposition change after he learns that the captain is a Knuckles variant, I'd say that once he feels assured that the crew isn't going to kill him or leave him to die, he settles back into a more casual attitude. However, once Black Rose and Batten Rouge introduce Knuckles the Dread as "The Dread" and Sonic sees that he's Knuckles, he flashes back to his meeting with Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. We can clearly gauge by the flashback that Knuckles was strong, assumed Sonic was a threat, fought him like one, and stubbornly refused to listen to reason after listening to Eggman. Unlike how Sonic was bewildered by the idea that "Tails" would fight him in Sonic Prime Episode 1, after all of his knowledge of Knuckles the Dread he's gotten so far comes to head, he no longer seems as confident in his safety on this ship.

"The Dread is...Knuckles?"

*Queue flashback sequence*

"Yeah, does make sense. But you're pirate Knuckles. I'm not taking any chances."

So, to clarify, while it bewildered him that "Tails" would fight him when he first met Nine, the idea that Knuckles would fight him (especially a version that doesn't know him) is not at all surprising to him, given that he assumes that Dread will be aggressive towards him.

So, interesting I suppose that we have Tails (someone who Sonic can't fathom wanting to hurt him, who he feels more okay around), Amy (someone who is sweet, but nevertheless is someone who's not beyond being aggressive towards Sonic), and Knuckles (someone who is not beyond being aggressive towards him and has done so in the past).

So, while Nine pretty quickly gets defensive, preemptively assuming that Sonic wishes him harm, and thus tries to get on the offensive, Sonic does the same with Dread. The main difference here is that Nine reacts quickly, treating Sonic as someone who wishes him harm and actively fights him. Sonic holds out a sword, showing that he's prepared to protect himself, but he doesn't rush into battle. Rather, he makes it clear that he has a weapon, isn't afraid to use it, and that he doesn’t trust Dread.

With this, while Sonic fought an uphill battle trying to convince Nine during their fight that he meant him no harm and that they are friends, Dread was able to talk Sonic down in a more peaceful setting, which he does instead of treating Sonic like an aggressor or getting angry and attempting to get rid of Sonic. Needless to say, it's a bit out of the expectations one would have, given how the crew had talked about Dread and that he's presumed to be just like Prime!Knuckles at first.

With Nine:

"Yes! There's my two-tailed genius friend. Surprise!"

*Nine growls*

"Tails, it's me, your best–"

"What did you just call me?"

"Uh... Tails?"

"The name's...NINE!"

...

"What do you want?! Who sent you?"

"Woah! Heck! How many tails do you have?"

"Nine!"

...

"Tails, stop! We're buds—amigos! Best friends!"

"I have no friends!"

"'No friends'? You have the best friends!"

...

"You've been working out? Heh. Who's your trainer? Ow!"

"I was trained by the misery of life in this foul and heartless city."

"Snap out of it, we go way back!"

...

"All my best memories of Green Hill have you in 'em, and you're not punching me!"

...

"Don't you wanna go home? Blue skies, sunny beaches, palm trees?"

"I don't know what kind of mind games you're playing, but it won't work!"

...

"You...saved me?"

"I've been trying to tell you that we are friends."

"Fabricated stories won't keep me from beating you back, intruder!"

"Stop! Just...stop. We're friends—best friends. This has to ring a bell."

Of course, after this Sonic and Nine have a much calmer conversation, but Sonic can only seemingly convince him he's not a threat, not fully convince him that the two of them are friends (though Sonic does recount times with Tails and soft events they often partake in together).

With Dread:

"The Dread is...Knuckles?"

*Queue flashback sequence*

"Yeah, does make sense. But you're pirate Knuckles. I'm not taking any chances." *Sonic sniffs the air* "Fire? Fire! Wait...dinner? Dinner!"

"I'll trade you that sword of yours for this nice, shiny apple."

"So you can stuff it in my mouth? Uh, no thanks. Uh, you do know hedgehog quills are a choking hazard, don't you?"

*Dread and the crew laugh*

"Don't you worry. The fire isn't to cook you. It’s to welcome you!"

"Agh!"

...

"...Definitely not the Knuckles I know."

"Besides. Have you seen your legs? I've seen more meat on a starfish!"

"Wait, this really is a party?"

"Ha ha. Sure is!"

It's worth noting that relations become more amicable after both of these events. Nine is still a bit prickly, not completely sure why he and Sonic would have been friends once before, but he is no longer fighting him, he let's him into his lab, and he does help Sonic out and worry for his well-being. We also know that this leads into Nine's attachment to Sonic. As for Sonic, once Dread convinces him he's not in danger and throws a party, he calms down, even proclaiming that Dread is his favorite Knuckles.

And this entire scene with Dread is very interesting. Though he doesn't actually act like The Dread of the seas anymore, it's still strange given how the crew talked about him that Dread is...taking everything so well. It would be one thing if he had just decided to let Sonic attack like with the old crew, or if he was just getting on Sonic's good side so he could use him, but (first of all) he actively (and calmly) talks Sonic down from being defensive, and he hasn't met Sonic before now. Dread doesn't yet know about Sonic's speed or usefulness!

We can infer from Sonic's first meeting with the crew, and Sonic's finding Catfish asleep on the dirty ship and surrounded by coconuts, that these days Dread only gives his crew orders when needed. We know from later (when he decides to have another party for the second day in a row) that Dread is trying to keep his crew happy and largely out of danger by his doing. And, even though Dread mentions that they "don't come across adventurers that often" as a reason for throwing a party for Sonic, it says a lot by the fact that his crew had assumed Sonic was part of "the old crew" pestering him without real proof.

I think we can safely conclude that whether Dread had planned this party in advance for not, the idea that it is for Sonic specifically is something he decided on the fly.

And why?

Well, the simplest explanation is that since Sonic is neither necessarily someone to be brought into his crew, nor someone who wishes him and his crew harm, he used his words and demeanor to take control of the situation so that Sonic the adventurer may pass through peacefully. And frankly, I do believe that this is part of why Dread initially acts the way he does.

But...I don't think that's all. Rather, like the way Nine and Sonic take to each other fairly fast, I personally wager that Dread initially gained an interest in Sonic beyond any particular usefulness he'd have.

Well, and that Sonic takes to him fairly well too, if you consider the return of this expression (being leveled at Dread this time) significant of anything

"You're officially my favorite Knuckles ever!"

For the sake of the tumblr picture limit, I've compiled a video of some clips of Sonic and Dread interacting (mind the quality) that take place after the "You're officially my favorite Knuckles" line, and before Dread gets a firsthand demonstration of Sonic’s speed and fighting prowess (i.e. before he learns that Sonic is or could be useful).

Of course, the main reason I compiled these was to show off how...touchy Dread is with Sonic for someone he's only just met (not to mention the limp wrist gesture😂). However, there are a few other things I want to point out from these clips.

So, just to begin, I'll emphasize once more that Dread does not know about Sonic's speed yet, and he’s very much at the moment trying to distance himself from his past self that was willing to work his crew to death for the sake of getting the blue shard. So if there are any ulterior motives as to why he's focusing on pampering Sonic, then it can't be because he wants to use him, and it's unlikely that it's because he's either trying to push Sonic along and out of his life peacefully, or because he's trying to recruit him for the crew. For the former, if he was trying to peacefully push Sonic the adventurer towards his destination for the safety of himself and crew, then he wouldn't be (frankly put) as in Sonic's personal space, he wouldn't have tried to rope Sonic into a second party til sunset on day 2 of knowing Sonic, and he would have talked at all about where they can drop Sonic off so he can pursue his mission or adventure. For the latter? I'd like to explain why I personally don't believe Dread intended on necessarily recruiting Sonic into the crew.

The short of the "why" for why Dread is most likely not trying to recruit Sonic into his crew, is because he's treating Sonic even a bit differently than his existing crew members. Earlier, while writing this, I considered the idea that perhaps Dread pulled this whole "I threw a party for you!" routine for his other crew members back after losing his previous crew. I considered that Dread picked them up originally because he was in need of a crew (and didn't want to leave the high seas), and because they were wayward souls (so to speak) or looking to become pirates. However, while all of this is plausible, there are two things that came to mind regarding Sonic.

Presumably, Dread doesn't really need more crew? He doesn't know anything that would make Sonic stand out from anyone else ability wise, he clearly doesn't care for recruiting someone to help with the old crew's plundering of their ship, and he doesn’t offer at this point to recruit Sonic. He merely treats him as a wandering adventurer. Does he even need Sonic for upkeep of the ship or for getting supplies/food or even for steering/navigating on the ship when he has crew members already who can handle it all?

That Dread has clearly told his crew members his tale of woe (because they seem to know a bit more than simple rumors), but not only does he skirt around telling Sonic, he gets angry at the prospect of any of his crew telling Sonic the story of Dread at his worst. If it's common knowledge or something that Dread told the rest of his crew, why would he not tell Sonic? In fact, if you check those clips, when Batten goes to tell Sonic about when Dread used to be a "not so nice" pirate, Dread is not only quick to angrily shut the talk down, but he moves much closer to Sonic to ask him about himself instead. In addition, as you see towards the end of the video I embedded, when he emphasizes that Sonic should leave the story and shard be, he glares at him, pushing a fist lightly into Sonic's chest (again, physical contact).

So Dread doesn't know about Sonic's speed. He knows that Sonic isn't from his former crew. He doesn't need more crew. While he's very nice to Sonic, seemingly focusing on him and doting on him, he's quick to get angry at the crew if they try to mention his past to Sonic. The crew knows Dread's story. Dread doesn't want Sonic to know his story. Dread keeps on switching the focus on Sonic or trying to get him to party more, and he neither talks about recruiting him nor about Sonic leaving at some point. Do you want to know what this means to me?

Dread is acting the way he is about Sonic, treating him differently than his crew, trying to learn more about him, being more "physical" with him so to speak, neither trying to make Sonic leave nor make him a crew member, trying to pull him into a party again or incentivise him to chillax on his ship, trying not to let Sonic know of his backstory of being "not so nice"...

...because he likes Sonic.

Dread doesn't need Sonic or anything, he's not making it clear he needs Sonic, but perhaps he just wants him around, and not in a way that makes Sonic his subordinate. He wants Sonic to think of him as this nice pirate captain, not as the guy who lost his crew over his obsession with a jewel.

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Okay, okay, let's take a momentary breather. You're probably wondering what everything I just said has to do with anything. If Dread met Sonic and decided he wanted him to come along with him, no responsibility attached, as a "friend" after barely knowing him, what does this have to do with Nine (or Sonine, for that matter)?

Well, there's something I'd like to remind you of. Just like with Sonic and Dread in S1 E7 (to the point that Sonic assumes he and Dread are going to fight the old crew in tandem), in earlier parts of Sonine Prime I mentioned that Sonic and Nine really haven't known each other for very long. In fact, before Nine picks Sonic up in S1 E6 to take him to the Grim, Nine doesn't actually need Sonic.

Nine has two prism shards at this point, and (as we see later in S2) he has the power to start molding the Grim into the home he desires. By the time he goes to fetch Sonic, he's planning on staying there, closed off from the rest of the shatterverse. He's planning on showing Sonic what he's already created and living here alone with him. Nine doesn't even care about gathering the other shards until he has to worry about what the Chaos Council will do with even one shard, and once other characters besides him and Sonic can jump between the shatterspaces, he actually has to worry about keeping his new home and his own life safe.

But back in S1 E6? Nine doesn't need Sonic. He doesn't need anything from him. Not his speed. Not anything he possesses. Not his connection to the prism. He wants Sonic there to build a home with him, even if Nine can do it without him, has everything already lined up.

Likewise, early S1 E7 Dread doesn't need Sonic. Not his speed (that he doesn’t know about yet). Not as a crew member. Not to fend off the old crew (he wasn't preparing to fight them). Not to get the blue shard (which he explicitly didn't want anything to do with or for Sonic to know the details about). He just wanted him to come along and hang out, party, relax.

Interesting, right?

And also funny that Sonic ends up rejecting both Dread's offer to continue to hang back and relax on the ship and Nine's offer to stay and build a new home with him in the Grim

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And so ends our time in S1 E7: It Takes One to No Place. Now we will finally move onto the last episode of the season!

So begins Season 1 Episode 8: There's No AARGH In "Team"

So, like with Nine, once they're on amicable terms Sonic begins to form an idea of Dread in his head that differs from how the Echidna actually is. While we can see this sort of come to head a bit in episodes 7 and 8, one major moment I want to talk about is when Dread flees the sinking Angel's Voyage. The once mighty Knuckles the Dread, who Sonic had thought of highly due to first impressions and of certain traits of Knuckles' he assumes of Dread, is a coward.

But...that's not all that's going on here.

There are miscommunications abound in this show, and Sonic has a pattern of listening to people's backstories (Nine, Dread, Thorn, Shadow, etc), thinking he understands this person and their situation, and trying to help what he believes the problem is at hand (in a way that's often pointed towards his own goals, and leads him to assume the other person wants the same things as him or should). For Dread, Sonic got the part where Dread lost his courage when it comes to pirating. Even when his inexperienced crew fought during episode 7 and at the beginning of episode 8, he yet hid and hung back.

But Dread is also scared of something other than fighting other pirates or death. He's scared of himself.

"I don't care what version of Knuckles you are. You don't give up. It's your most annoying virtue! This shard is my only hope of finding my home! I need you. Your crew needs you! You're Knuckles the Dread, captain of the Angel's Voyage! Dreaaaad!"

Sonic thinks that Dread has simply lost his courage and pride. He needs Dread's help to get the shard, and he can't do it if Dread is gone. So bringing "The Dread" back fulfills two purposes. The first, (like with Thorn, Prim, and the scavengers) is to "make things okay again" (also known as "the right thing to do"), and to restore Dread's courage as a captain. The second, is to get the shard. The Angel's Voyage and its crew have a proud captain, and Sonic gets the blue shard. It should be a win-win, right?

"I gave up years ago, blue, when I wrecked trying to get that shiny rock yer after."

"We can still get it! With your captaining and my speed, you're not gonna wreck on those rocks again!"

"He is fast—fast enough to get me past them rocks..."

"We can do it together! And I can get home!"

"And I'll finally get me treasure."

"And you'll forever be known as the legendary Knuckles the Dread. The legendary Knuckles the Dread!"

"Aye. The legendary Knuckles the Dread."

The part of Dread's tale of woe that Sonic missed (or perhaps ignored), was the part where he was so obsessed with the blue shard that he lost himself and put his crew in danger. Dread lost his crew because he showed that he didn't care about them, not because he failed to get the shard. So sure, it makes sense that Dread is afraid, but for Dread getting that treasure became tied to being the "Dread" of the seas. The fact that he even took a crew on after that, tried to make most days fun and relaxing, and forbade them from acting like pirates, I don't think it's a stretch to say he was trying to keep history from repeating itself.

Because being the great pirate he used to be means going after his white whale again, and he'd responded to losing everything by trying to keep it from ever happening again.

Dread, like Nine, is the type that does care about people, they just both tend to place their goals and their well-beings over the innocent. Nine hesitated before leaving Renegade, Rebel, and Rusty Rose behind, ultimately choosing the safety of himself and the shard. Dread took in a new crew, got a new ship, left who he used to be behind, and focused on making the days peaceful and fun. He stopped going after the shard to protect himself, to keep from hurting anyone else for his obsessions, and so he doesn’t have to be responsible for the deaths of others (like his new crew).

So Sonic M. Hedgehog pushes Dread to help get the shard, because Sonic wants it, and because he thinks Dread will become a great pirate again if he succeeds. He convinces Dread to take this path once more, perhaps not realizing the outcome that convincing Dread to go for the rock (that "brings nothing but pain") will bring.

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Okay, so I'd like to back up for a second and talk about both Dread and Nine.

Both of them have a wish, a great attachment to something they wish to get, but initially believe is impossible to. For Nine, it's "home", and for Dread, it's his treasure, the devil's lighthouse. Home and treasure. Neither of these things are inherently bad to wish for.

Nine isolated himself as much as possible, tried to contend with just being alone and protected so he couldn't be hurt again. Dread locked away his love of pirating and his want for his beloved treasure, not wanting to drive himself to doom and lose everything again in the hopeless pursuit of it.

Both created a life of safety for themselves and reacted based upon the pain they'd experienced and struggles they went through. For Nine, truly all he needed was to create "home" for himself, but the trouble is that he never would, because he believed this to be impossible, and because he doesn't really know what "home" is. For Dread, truly all he needed was to move on from the shard, focus on his love of pirating and make his crew feel cared for, but the trouble is that he never would, because to him there is only one choice that can be made. To Dread, there is only getting his beloved treasure at all cost (which would likewise return his reputation and status), or there is keeping the days fun and peaceful, suppressing his desire to keep himself and his crew safe.

But then Sonic arrived, and he each made them believe. Sonic made Dread believe that he could succeed and get his treasure without losing anything. With the shard, Dread reasoned he could have the treasure he'd so desired and have his ideal life again. Unbeknownst to Sonic, who assumed he'd be able to just leave with the shard and take that step to restore his home, Dread's dream is tied to that shard, and he's willing to hold onto it no matter the cost now (exactly what he'd feared before). Sonic made Nine believe that he could finally make a home for himself. With one shard and an entire shatterverse, Nine reasoned that he could finally escape New Yoke and create a new home away from everyone else. Unbeknownst to Sonic, who's assumed that Nine has the same goal as him, and will eventually hand over the shards so they can restore his own home.

Dread stood aside. He gave into the stubbornness of Sonic and his crew (especially now that they'd banded together), allowing them to choose to sail straight towards the light that brought him ruin without him having to reap the consequences (since he didn't make the choice).

With the shard in hand, Nine found a new, empty shatterspace for himself. He intended to move forward on his path, and create his home, isolated from everyone else. He intended to leave the other shatterspaces to their fates, let the people there deal with their own problems that they caused.

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Let's go back to the scene where the ship was beginning to sink, taking Sonic and the crew with it, and Dread responds by fleeing alone. Let's think back to episode 6, where Sonic and the resistance were fighting the Chaos Council for their right to exist, and Nine takes Sonic away.

At this point, Dread left, not willing to be doomed for a goal he did not pursue (or rather, to die because his crew decided not to listen to him, decided to follow Sonic towards the shard instead). Here is the first main difference between himself and Nine.

While Nine had also decided to leave the resistance and council to fighting, feeling as if none of it was his responsibility or fault (since he owed nothing to the city), he very explicitly chose to take Sonic with him. Both he and Dread had found out the way they believed they would be able to live a peaceful life (with Dread spending his days on the seas partying, and with Nine spending his days alone in an empty world), but when they each left others to their fates (deciding to leave and pursue their immediate goals), Dread chose to leave it all behind, while Nine chose to bring Sonic with him (even though Sonic had involved himself in the resistance's plight too).

Think about the crew being left to sink with the Angel's Voyage as Sonic went to bring back Dread. Think about the resistance fighting a losing battle with Sonic gone in the Grim.

"I need you. Your crew needs you! You're Knuckles the Dread, captain of the Angel's Voyage!"

...

"We can do it together! And I can get home!"

"Look, Nine, it's incredible but it's...it's not going anywhere. And those rebels really need our help. Come with me. Help me finish the fight."

...

"I hope I see you in New Yoke."

And then, as Sonic lost hope that Dread would return, believed he had fully given up, Dread swooped in to retake his captain status and fix the sinking ship. However, Dread didn't come back for the crew just to save them. He came back because he reasoned that he could use Sonic's speed to get his treasure this time.

And then, as Sonic fought in New Yoke with the resistance, as it seemed like they had lost, Nine swooped in with his craft and freed Sonic and the others. Sonic proclaims that he knew Nine would come back, glad that he chose to help these people with him. However, Nine didn't come back just to save the resistance or to fight the Chaos Council. He came back for Sonic. He came so he could give Sonic another chance to choose him—to choose to come back with him so they can fulfill Nine's dream of "home" together.

And now, Dread needs Sonic to acheive his goal (what, with the map leading to The Devil's Lighthouse gone, and because only Sonic can guide the ship past the rocks), but Nine explicitly does not need Sonic to achieve his. Whereas Dread decides he needs Sonic to get the blue shard, Nine simply wants Sonic to be with him when they create "home".

Random other interesting thing, the first time Sonic really mentions Nine when he arrives back in New Yoke after seeing the Grim, he says that he knew he would come back. This contrasts how we see Sonic (onscreen) talk about how Dread has given up and left, before he later tells Dread that he knew Dread wouldn't leave his crew. Interesting that we can see proof that Sonic didn't fully believe that Dread would come back, but there's nothing to prove that he didn't actually believe that Nine would come back, isn't it?

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Now, let us shift our sights back to Nine. During the second aside of S1 E8 where we see Nine with the Chaos Council, Nine discusses Sonic with the council.

I'd like to note that as of right now, Nine should have two goals: keeping the shards and his technology out of the council's hands and making an escape plan. As I said earlier, Nine clearly believed that two shards were more than enough for molding The Grim to his dreams. He only cares about being alive and being allowed to exist in his new home, so of course the Chaos Council gathering shards and endeavoring to take over encroaches on this. It makes sense that he'd endeavor to gather all the shards from this point forward, if not so he can keep the Chaos Council or anyone else from intruding in his new shatterspace or having the power to turn him into a victim again.

"Tch. Eliminating the hedgehog is a bad idea."

"Arguing for the life of your friend? What a shock."

"He left me at your mercy when I needed him most. Hardly what you'd call 'friendly' behavior. But you'd be fools to get rid of him before the shatterdrive technology is perfected."

Sure, Nine's not really wrong. He's making a decent point as to why the Council should keep Sonic alive. Perfecting the shatterdrive technology and learning more about the shards can only aid in the Council's conquest.

But Mr. Dr. Eggman has a point here. Even if Nine is bitter at Sonic for being left at the Council's mercy, there is nothing in it for Nine if he goes out of his way (essentially beyond the scope of his position) to help the council in their goals. Making them keep Sonic alive so they can use them to perfect the shatterdrive technology does nothing to keep the Council from getting more shards, it does nothing to keep the Council from taking the Grim, it does nothing to keep the Council from having power over him, and it does nothing to get him closer to escaping. After all, when we get to season 2, Nine will make Sonic give up his plan of saving him (Nine) in favor of working the council from the inside, confident that he'll be able to aid Sonic and escape with the shards from there. He doesn't even seem to necessarily need Sonic to help him escape.

So, why would Nine argue for Sonic's life in the same breath he tries to make clear how bitter he is at Sonic for leaving him to be captured? The answer is clear to me. This is because even if Nine is bitter and angry, he still cares about Sonic. Even if he doesn't need Sonic, he wants him alive. He's still holding onto that dream of building a new home with Sonic.

"Tch. It is perfected. We traveled to another shatterspace."

"You sent your robots to another shatterspace. Big difference.

And right after this, something shifts. There's a notable change in the expression Nine has on his face during most of the interaction so far (image 1) when he begins talking about Sonic again (image 2).

"You've only barely accomplished what he's done without any technology. He's a living shatter battery."

...

"Til we know why he gives off this power, we need him alive."

And it should be worth mentioning here that after Nine praises Sonic to put the council down, he quite literally raises himself up to Dr. Deep's level and speaks seriously to emphasize how vital Sonic theoretically is to the council's mission.

He puts on an act, he risks getting shocked for insubordination, he tries to convince the council that Sonic is vital to their mission, all to keep Sonic alive.

But if the viewer doubts that Nine is trying to save Sonic because he cares, or believes he must have ulterior motives for wishing to keep Sonic alive, the creators added in body language and face shots of Nine to show us how he feels about the Council using Sonic.

"The rat's right. Too many questions for us to start playing exterminator. At least, not until we wring every ounce of shatterjuice out of that blue varmint."

Oh yeah. I'd say "unhappy" with the idea is an understatement.

The way he droops down, like he feels terrible that he even gave them the idea. The way he grits his teeth and averts his eyes, like he's frustrated. The way he takes hold of his expression, stares forward, and glares.

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And with that, season 1 of Sonic Prime finally comes to a close, as does Part 7 of Sonine Prime😂

While there are doubtless scenes from episode 8 I'll be referring to in later parts, there's nothing more of immediate importance to talk about. And even though I haven't yet hit the photo limit, I'm going to give this part a clean cut to end the first season.

This part accidentally became a lot of Dread character study, buuuuuuut hey I felt like I was able to point out some parallels I'd really wanted to talk about, so it’s a win for me! And this won't be the end of the Dread parallels either.

Thank you all for reading! I'll see you all in part 8, where we'll finally begin tackling season 2🥰

#sonic prime #sonine prime #sonic the hedgehog #nine sonic prime #miles nine prower #nine the fox #sonine #essay time #knuckles the dread #sondread #Tagging that one just because of its prevalence in this part #Haha this turned out to be a long one on accident‚ but I'm not complaining #Honestly I originally thought I would have this series finished up to S2 before S3 dropped #and then I tried to tell myself that I'd be at least done with S1 before S3 dropped #anddddd that didn't happen because I'm busy and the writer's block #But I do want to give a shout out to the anon I got this morning who asked me about something in S3 (you know who you are) and everyone els #who's been reading this series and waiting for more #It's really because of your support and your interest in my Sonine/Nine/Sonic Prime thoughts that gets me excited and gets me to sit down #and continue my series🥺💖

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