#sonic on the other hand does not believe he is dead

[thealpacaavenger]

About Sonic IDW #56 (Post electric shock syndrome)

(Info found at https://www.verywellhealth.com and https://electrocuted.com)

Dang. That’s the best I can sum up this group of panels. I decided to look into the effects of electric shocks to the body. I swear, the authors did their absolute best to ensure that the amount of pain Sonic would go through would be as insane as possible.

Let’s start with this set of panels.

You can probably assume that the amount of volts Surge is sending into that water is excessive. Now, when someone’s skin is wet, not only does this make the shock more painful, it also makes it more deadly.

Next, are these panels. You can see here that Surge has her hands around either Sonic’s neck, or his shoulders. Either way, both areas are quite close to the heart. Shocks to the heart are another way to make electrical shocks more deadly. Another thing that makes an electrical shock more lethal is prolonged exposure. Which Sonic gets a fair share of. In the comic’s time, I’d say this lasted about 20-40 seconds, which may not seem long, but that is a very long time to be exposed to such a heavy voltage.

For obvious reasons, this causes Sonic to scream in pain, as you can see in both when Sonic first falls into the water and in the action panels (In the first, I believe it’s Sonic’s fist, though I struggle to tell. In the second, it’s clearly Sonic’s eye, meant to display fear or pain. And most importantly in the third panel, you can see Sonic’s mouth open screaming in pain).

When Surge passes out, Sonic is left in shock (no pun intended). Though, I have reason to believe he may have been dead in that panel.

Now, let’s talk about all the things Sonic would’ve gone through after that event. -Severe burns, both inside and outside his body. -An inconsistent or dangerous heartbeat -Numbness and tingling sensation throughout the body -Possible seizures -Weakness -Chronic pain

The weakness is one thing that is shown. Sonic needs help from Tails in order to get up. I also feel as though the patched hatching throughout Sonic’s body could also be interpreted as external burns.

Now, not only are there immediate physical reactions to getting electrocuted, there are also mental effects. These mental effects are labeled as post-electric shock syndrome. The symptoms are quite similar in nature to depression and PTSD.

-behavioral changes -Increased difficulty with memory and attention -irritability -anger -insomnia -aggressive behavior -difficulty enjoying hobbies -difficulty engaging with other people and work

In this next panel, I obviously don’t think that the only reason Sonic is angry is because of PESS, but I do think it may have made it a little harder to contain that anger, and maybe magnified it.

Sonic went through hell this time around. I suppose he always does.

[ficsinhistory]

Gun and Stones

So, I was thinking about Stone these days and some small thoughts came to mind, especially thanks to @shitposting-for-the-soul

Many people think that Stone will become the big villain of Sonic 4 and while I want this man to go through the very valid crash out that he needs to have… I don't believe that this will translate into villainy.

Not against Earth and the team of heroes at least.

Stone is evil. But he also has standards. Are they only relevant to him? Yes, but he does. We've already seen that he's not xenophobic, not caring about Shadow's world domination because he considered him an ally and treated him as such, regardless of the hedgehog being an alien. He took control of a café in Green Hills through shady means, but only because he followed Ivo's manifesto and it didn't even cross his mind to dominate the world without the Doctor.

And that's the thing, Stone wanted to dominate the world with Robotnik. To be his right hand man.

And with Eggman presumed dead, I don't believe any plan to enslave humanity would even cross his mind.

You ask me: Stone has already started a posthumous plan for Ivo once, why not start over?

And I answer: Because of the way Ivo died.

Robotnik sacrificed himself to save the Earth, since he couldn't save it. Not only that, he made that very clear in his final message. And I doubt Stone would want to attack humanity after the most important person in his life sacrificed everything to keep it.

Taking over the Earth would not only be empty without Ivo, it would tarnish the Doctor's ultimate sacrifice. And Stone would never act against Eggman's wishes.

But Stone is also grieving, and that pain and sadness needs to go somewhere.

And I believe it will be directed in two ways, although both end up on the same target: GUN.

The first is that Stone's anger and sadness is directed at GUN from the beginning.

He was once part of this organization and Stone knows how insidious it is. It was because of them that Gerald went crazy and built the Eclipse Cannon. It was because of them that Ivo was discarded without further ado. All this chaos happened because of them.

And Stone wouldn't let that go unpunished.

Maybe he plans to act against GUN alone or when Sonic and the others inevitably face them - especially since Rockwell will probably be the new leader - they need Stone's help, who will be more than happy to help.

Add to that the possibility that Stone will become Shadow's new guardian and this man's anger will triple.

The second is more complicated: Stone will try to get revenge on Sonic and company… because he thinks they were responsible for Ivo's death.

Yes, yes, we know that Tails and Knuckles saved Eggman from his despicable grandfather… but not Stone. Sonic already tried to kill Ivo once and was disappointed when he realized he hadn't succeeded. He has no reason to think that this wasn't what happened again.

Stone would blame them…and that's where GUN would come in.

With Rockwell in charge, the Wachowskis are already on thin ice. With Metal Sonic and Amy Rose showing up? Nah, they're going to be on a witch hunt for all the aliens. And they took advantage of Stone's grief by claiming that it was Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles who killed Robotnik in an attempt to bring him over to their side. Is that a blatant lie? Absolutely, but it's not like GUN plays fair and has any morals anyway lol.

Of course, this would only work if Shadow isn't under his care.

But assuming he isn't, that's quite likely. As is the truth coming out.

My best guess is that Amy would bring Stone to his senses with a speech like she did with Shadow in SA2, perhaps using her temporal powers to show him what really happened (Amy and Stone would get along well in general in my opinion since both characters have caring and unconditional love as a big part of who they are).

We also have the possibility of the team or even Shadow himself telling what really happened.

And Stone would be livid with GUN using him. Again. And tainting Ivo's memory and wishes.

Anyway, I can't wait to see Stone back and terrorizing GUN! Thanks for reading!

[sparklingdemon]

more thoughts about monochrome.exe and the character dynamics bc i have brain worms-

tails: believes that sonic is still inside nix somewhere deep down, and tries to do anything he can to bring him back out. tails would never hurt nix on purpose, but he ends up leading them into dangerous situations…

but even after any accidents nix might get into, tails is never concerned about their safety, because he knows that sonic will always come back from anything, no matter what!

knuckles: after years of torture, knuckles has finally given up the master emerald as his object of worship, realizing that it is powerless compared to exe. knuckles reveres nix as a wrathful god, expecting to be wrathfully smitten for acting out of turn. is convinced that this "new side" of exe is just a test of his devotion. any time nix is visibly annoyed by knuckles, he immediately grovels and begs for nix to punish him by killing him again. nix DOES want knuckles and the others dead, but feels extremely weird and uncomfortable about killing them with their bare hands now…

eggman: while eggman does believe nix's claims that they aren't exe anymore, he can also very clearly tell that this isn't sonic, either. nix has the same sharp wit as sonic, and the same god complex as exe… but none of the power or confidence to back it up. sonic never got motion sickness from running too fast. sonic was never afraid to jump across pits of spikes. sonic never ran away from a fight with eggman. this WASN'T sonic anymore. eggman is outraged. he should have been the one to best his rival, not have that victory be ripped away from him by supernatural forces beyond his control. sonic the hedgehog was murdered, and his dead body is being inhabited by this cowardly little nobody who killed him. nix tries to bargain with eggman, saying he can conquer the world for all they care, they'll LET him do it, but the only thing eggman has on his mind now is getting some long-awaited revenge.

[applestorms]

i was gonna write a more extensive post about this, but. fuck that i have too many points to write proper sentences rn, here's a bullet point list of my review of sonic 3. spoilers, obviously. tl;dr: i'm a hater

maria is fridged to hell and back, she is such a nothing character i have secondhand embarrassment for the writers every time she shows up. maria exists only to smile in flashbacks and lie in the flowers and go, "noooooooooooooooo, shadow :(( you can totally be whatever you want, dude," and then die on the floor. we don't even get to see her getting shot. fucking rip off.

to clarify-- maria absolutely does NOT have to be a fucking dead wife trope incarnate, imo. she can very easily be used that way, yes, but i think doing so also misses the core of her character and what she means for shadow. part of the appeal of the conversations that maria & shadow have on the arc in SA2 comes from the fact that they are characters coming from a very similar position, both being incredibly alienated from the rest of the world/humanity, daydreaming about it more than they are able to interact with it directly. like, come ON, they literally live on a fucking space station, the symbolism does not get that much more obvious?? it is the fact that maria CHOOSES to love humanity anyways, despite being unable to interact with it/live within it, that makes her words meaningful. jesus fucking christ.

anyways, speaking of. shadow has NO arc in this movie (literally and figuratively. did you seriously put the spaceship in Ohio) and it drives me up the wall. perhaps i'm just out of the loop on the Current Shit, but it feels like Nobody knows how to write that guy nowadays :((

not that i could fucking tell anyways in this particular movie from how little he shows up or SPEAKS. LET HIM SPEAAAAAK. i swear to GOD, he interacts w/ the main cast like three (3) fucking times in this entire movie and two of those interactions are fights. if you want those cute, quirky, somewhat cringe sonic/shadow interactions, you're better off watching the trailer plus whatever clips of the final fight inevitably end up on youtube, since that's basically their only real conversations in the entire movie.

the ending falls incredibly flat because of this. in the last movie, we at least had some decent character interactions between sonic & knux which made their fight and eventual team up at the end that much more satisfying. there was something to dig your teeth into, a back-and-forth that was entertaining (by sonic movie standards) but also established who they were, not only why they didn't like each other but how they could eventually bond. you had reason to care about knux, and reason to root for them to fight together!!

instead, here we got a whole lotta nothing. sonic and shadow fight, and it's cool, and it does all the Sick References and wowie yay clapping my hands live & learn blue/red lights cool. epic. yet i'm still left sitting here like WHO IS THIS BITCH??? WHO IS HE?????

fundamentally, the problem with this movie is that it Does Not Know what it's primary storyline is, or even who the main character is, and it falls flat on its fucking face because of it. there is no focus. sonic maybe barely kind of squeezes out an arc about teamwork and believing in your friends (a repetition of the last movie, i would argue, but whatever). eggman gets a much more hefty plotline about coming to terms with family, which i would be able to appreciate a whole lot more if it didn't feel like the only meaningful story arc in the entire fucking movie. robotnik bullshittery should be the B plot guys, come the fuck on. and shadow, of fucking course, gets NOTHING. he stands around looking grumpy and cool (and very cute, the animators did alright, i'll give them that), and emotes jack fucking shit. i know he's not a certified yapper like some people, but come the fuck on, he can still like. say words. right. RIGHT

is this review even comprehensible even more? i don't care, this is driving me insane. are you guys seeing this shit. are you.

this isn't even just me being a shipper and going wahh wahh no sonadow moments. you put those bitches on the poster why are they not talkinggg. even just an argument would be Great. it was like the one thing sonic prime figured out, why is it so empty here.

this also leads to the fundamental issue where i have NO fucking idea why either of them are so chill with each other by the ending. not only do i not know why shadow is so chill with sonic, considering he was just dead set on ending the fucking world to get revenge and one conversation is not enuf to convince me that he would get over it (even the lowkey suicidal tendencies fall somewhat flat for me since AGAIN. NOTHING), but i ALSO don't know why SONIC gives a shit about shadow!! or why he's so happy go lucky about all this!!! dawg he just killed the closest thing you have to a father. as much as i hate the humans in this series, even i have to sit for a minute and go uhh what? there is absolutely NOTHING to make their team up at the end of this emotionally meaningful other than the bland, surface level reaction of Yay Shadow And Sonic On Screen :) like the movie itself simply does not build up their rivalry in a meaningful enough way to make it feel worth it. one conversation can do a lot, but only if you have the build up to MAKE it mean a lot. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaugh

the ending being almost exactly the same as the beginning thus doesn't surprise me in the slightest cuz like. what else do you do. sonic Does Not have any reason to care about that bitch and neither does anyone else. his actual enemy eggman is presumably dead, so. who cares. a couple good fights then nice knowin' ya man o7 thanks for sacrificing yourself to save the world or whatever

the scene where shadow stalks the individual team members through the remains of their old military base/Ohio Arc stand in or whatever is cool, yes. one single hand clap for that. i like them making him ominous as fuck. but i just-- i need everybody to shut the fuck up for like two seconds so sonic and shadow can talk directly and have a proper fucking conversation before the literal end of the movie, like please just argue or SOMETHING. DO. SOMETHING. MEANING. LIKE A CHARACTER THING. WHO R U

also the eggman/stone shit drives me up the wall. another set of bitch ass writers too scared to make their characters canonically queer, so they bury their gays instead. idfc that they're inevitably going to revive him again, it's still stupid as shit. stone also does nothing in this movie so his internal "conflict" is dumb anyways aaaaskjdflksdjfl smacking my head on the keyboard

there comes a point in this movie where it really does feel like Everything is just about eggman and gerald. tails and knux stop being meaningful characters with personalities outside of quips by approximately the chao garden. sonic's weird human parents aren't even given a meaningful storyline outside of the one time that shadow punches him when they try to set up some miscommunication bullshit or whatever at the end. sonic and shadow fight but even that gets interrupted by... whatever the hell they were doing??? again, all of this would be way less aggravating if those scenes were able to fulfill their actual purpose: side bullshit funnie stuff to break up the serious scenes of the main plotline. unfortunately, this movie thinks a flashback to the traveling wilburys is sufficient to make its main character a complex, nuanced person. face in hands

seriously. why is that scene of eggman & gerald telling stone & shads to get back in the crab a microcosm of this entire film. orz

also also, before someone bitches at me for not paying close enough attention to [x] specific detail or whatever-- anything that you can easily miss on a first watch through should Not be integral to the plot of a movie. istg, i write scripts, i know how this shit works. if your audience can't figure out the emotional arc of a character after one watch, you have fundamentally failed your job as a writer. a flashback is not sufficient character writing, jfc.

and really, that's what it all comes down to, isn't it? the writing. it's always the Fucking writing with these movies. the animation here is, for the most part, fantastic, the voice acting is decent at worst, even the awkwardness of a half-human cast is somewhat smoothed over. yet the writing for these movies never fucking improves-- the jokes are still cringe at best, the references are blunt and unnatural, and the characters. have. no. arc.

perhaps it was somewhat inevitable that we end up at this point. this movie series has already been building up an entire universe of Other Bullshit, and it is here that we feel a lot of that crashing back down. the shelf could only stand up for so long.

i suppose in conclusion, my main takeaway from this movie is that it is an adaptation that fails. it does not understand who its characters are or what they want, it does not know why people connected to the characters it attempts to introduce on an emotional level, and it does not know how to make its own confusing lore work with all of the new details.

[silly-little-asks]

Summaries

After talking with some friends I've decided to write a little summary for each of my silly little aus for your viewing pleasure. That way you all can get a little taste of what each of them is about (and as always my asks are always open if anyone gets curious).

Miraculous Horizons (Pokémon Horizons x Miraculous Ladybug): Eight years ago, the current guardian Friede lost six of the Miraculous during a fight with a rouge hero. Now that villain is back and wielding the Butterfly Miraculous and seeking to steal all others out of revenge. As such, Friede must seek new wielders of the Ladybug and Black Cat to stop him and find the missing Miraculous before he does.

Ponify Your Horizons (Pokémon Horizons x My Little Pony): Liko, a simple unicorn blank flank, receives a mysterious pendant from her grandmother which turns out to be the Element of Magic, an artifact once believed to be simple a myth. Now she travels alongside a group of adventures seeking out the remaining Elements of Harmony, hoping to find their holders before the mysterious Explorers do.

A Horizons Mystery Dungeon AU: Liko is a shiny Growlithe living an everyday life when she is suddenly kidnapped from her school and saved by a group of explorers called the Rising Volt Tacklers. With them she learns of the Terastal plague that is terrorizing the region and she vows to help them put a stop to it. A mysterious dream visitor told her she was the key to stopping all of this, this plague and those vicious henchmen of the Zygarde.

A Horizons vampire / monster AU: Lucca is a newly turned vampire travelling with a coven of fellow vampires and one shapeshifter (these are the RVT). When the coven stops in a small little town she ends up falling head over heels for the local inn keeper Alex, her soulmate. Now she must protect him and his magical pendant from an opposing coven dead set on him while also trying to win his heart.

A Horizons FNAF AU: Liko's grandmother went missing investigating a run down old pizza parlor that shut down 20 years ago. After her father gets injured looking for her, Liko decides to go look for her herself, bumping into haunted blog writer Dot and night watchman Roy. They must fight for their lives as the doors lock behind them and they find themselves under the claws of the monsters that lurk within. Monsters who are determined to make sure their new friends never leave.

A Horizons animal AU: An anthology of little stories centered around the RVT and Explorers all being dogs living in a junk yard together (except Liko who is a cat).

A Horizons Royalty AU: Lady Liko is a noble girl and is friends with the young prince of the kingdom, Amethio. On her 14th birthday she learns that they are to be. She is fine with this. But when it is revealed to everyone that the prince has an older brother, one who is destined to be married first per the law, Liko finds herself engaged to the gruff, unknown Prince Sidian instead.

The Horizons Future AU: An anthology of stories following the journeys of the RVT after the events of the show in the hypothetical scenario that involves them taking in Amethio, Sidian, and Coral, helping the latter two adjust to living a normal life after the dissolvement of the Explorers.

The Half-Brothers AU: The plot of Horizons but Amethio and Sidian are half brothers and all the consequences that come with that.

A Horizons Sonic AU: Liko lives a peaceful life in a small village with her father until Spinel's robots burn the place down searching for the Emerald that Lucca handed down to the girl. Liko escapes the blaze with the Emerald but her father is captured by Spinel. Now she travels around the land searching for the remaining Emeralds to possibly find out what is so important about this thing that ruined her life. With the help of her new friends, she'll bring her father home, no matter the cost,

[skaruresonic]

https://www.tumblr.com/skaruresonic/758528409170313216/yes-woolie-you-can-win-any-argument-if-you-just

I want to point this it. The person defending the comic unknowingly completely eradicated any ground their argument could have stood on.

"Criminals don't deserve to be free if they're gonna hurt people"

Then why does IDW Sonic keep letting his villains run off scott free when he himself acknowledges that they're gonna continue being evil and hurting innocents?

The single real and true answer is that this comic has abysmal writing. But stans don't want to accept that. They'd rather make up increasingly baffling conspiracy theories.

Exactly. It gets even worse when you realize Sonic presents himself as an arbiter of freedom: he wants people to do what they want, as long as it's the "right choice."

He is the one who decides what is right. He may not explicitly come right out and say so, but that is what he says through his words and his actions. And rather than accept the notion that some people will choose something other than what he wants, he'll punish you by chewing you out or beating you up, despite any mitigating circumstances, such as Surge's abuse at Starline's hands or Metal Sonic and Eggman TELLING HIM THE KILLER ROBOT HAS NO FREE WILL.

The only thing more dangerous than an authoritarian is an authoritarian who's a fucking idiot.

That may or may not be the comic's intention, but that's what ends up being the takeaway when we're given these lengthy lectures about the supposed sanctity of freedom, only for Sonic to betray his own principles.

He doesn't give a shit about anyone's pain. That much is clear.

He leverages Shadow's trauma against him to win an argument.

He ignores how Espio is grieving the loss of his friends to obnoxiously argue "oh so we should murder everyone, huh, Espio? is that what you're saying? we should never give anyone a chance?"

He makes fun of Belle at several points and even looks annoyed when she's angsting about her situation in one instance.

He claims he'd be willing to give "even [Eggman and Starline]" a second chance, only to eulogize Starline with "big oof."

He ignores Surge's pain just to say he'll kick her ass, then eulogizes her with a line so cold you'd think it came out of Eggman's mouth.

He shuts down Tails' misgivings about Metal's release not once but twice.

He drops the "Surge is dead" bomb on Kit without any real tact or follow-through to make sure the traumatized child is okay.

He tells Kit that Surge is "hurting herself."

Yet he throws a fucking pity party for himself in issue 23 about how Eggman "makes him pay" for daring to believe in the "good in people" every day.

Cry me a river. Kick rocks. Get bent.

IDW!Sonic lacks the emotional intelligence to distinguish when someone in pain is lashing out vs. a bona fide unrepentant asshole killing people for fun.

To him, both are the same errant children in need of a paddling. Just as he'd lack the pragmatism to seal the Erazor Djinn in the lamp because muh freedom, he'd lack the empathy to comfort Shahra afterward.

[literaryxbones]

Analyzing Songs by The Cure

Analyzing The Cure's Music

In light of The Cure's new album release, "Songs Of A Lost World", I'll be analyzing some of their classic hits to decipher their meaning. Lyrics, woven together with the band's earlier macabre atmosphere, will be taken into consideration. Before delving into the conversation, it must be acknowledged that interpretation is subjective. The beauty of music is experienced on an individual level. People may walk away with different conclusions to the same song. That being said, we are not the artists, producers, or writers. We can't know for sure what Robert Smith's original intent was. Since we don't know him personally, his musical secrets may very well flit over our heads.

A Forest - Seventeen Seconds

The instrumentals introducing us to the song are iconic. They seem to imbue every goth with nostalgia, familiarity, and joy. I consider this track to be a standout number among their discography.

"A Forest's" lyrics are simple. Hunted, watched; a character slinks into the woods following what he thinks is a girl's voice. Haunting instrumentals evoke a sense of being tracked. Smith's vocals carry a hollow bleakness. His voice turns raw as he reveals the man's delusion.

While the lyrical content avoids overt complexity, it's the atmosphere and sonic progression that binds me to the song. Memorable chords, incredible vocals, and a unique, dark soundscape immortalize it in my memory.

This entry happens to remind me of The Corpse Bride (2005.) Victor escapes to the woods after lighting his mother-in-law's dress on fire. Rehearsing for the wedding, he slips his ring onto a dead, hand-shaped tree branch. Emily, the corpse bride, emerges from the soil and begins to pursue him. In disbelief, Victor is quick to dismiss this event as a bad dream.

In terms of an actual confirmed meaning, Robert Smith has given "conflicting information" according to Genius. "It's just about a forest," he says.

Lullaby - Disintegration

Now, this song tends to be controversial within the goth community. The subject of this track is heavily debated.

TW: Mentions S*xual Assault/P*dophilia/Gr**ming

In a recent poll in the Goth Community Chat, 15.2% of people think the song is about sexual assault, while another 15.2% consider it to be just a spooky track. Another popular result suggests that the "spider-man" is an allegory for depression. (12.1%)

Before proceeding further into any conclusions, it is paramount to acknowledge that sexual assault, grooming, and r*** are common issues that plague alternative communities. The goth subculture is no exception. Some of the scenes' most prominent artists have been outed for predatory behavior.

Alternative people are often fetishized by the media and men. Because of our fashion styles, macabre appreciation, and social status, people wrongfully assume that most goths are into BDSM or other similar fetishes, are societal outcasts; and thus are easier to abuse. A person having dark interests does not mean they will tolerate or accept toxic behavior and fantasies.

I myself have been the target of sexual harassment just on the basis of being alt. That does not even begin to include the objectification I've been subject to in general.

With that being mentioned, we must remember to hold aggressors accountable. Especially if they are musicians or in a position of power. People like Morrissey should not be idolized because their actions dwarf the impact his music would've had.

I'll probably make a separate post discussing this in the future, but for now I'll share my personal thoughts on Lullaby.

On a darker note, I believe "Lullaby" is about pedophilia. The title itself references calming songs that a baby listens to before falling asleep. Lullabies provide a sense of security, especially if sung by a caregiver.

The aforementioned "spider-man" creeps up to the bed while the victim shivers. He wraps his arms around his prey. An image of his tongue is burned into the subject's brain while his face is licked and devoured.

What he says seems to corroborate my theory. "Be still, be quiet now, my precious boy, don't struggle like that or I'll only love you more."

It's clear there's a power balance between the two. How the "boy" is referred to suggests he is younger. Controlled by the man's whims, the survivor endures this horrifying experience. In the morning, he awakes in the "shivering cold." Alluding to this detached loneliness, the song concludes by saying that the "spider man is always hungry."

Smith says the song was inspired by a story his uncle used to tell him. The spidery monster ate children in their bed. A line from Mary Howitt's poem "The Spider And The Fly" is used in the outro.

“Will you walk into my parlour?” said the Spider to the Fly, ‘Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy; The way into my parlour is up a winding stair, And I have many curious things to show you when you are there.” “Oh no, no,” said the Fly, “to ask me is in vain; For who goes up your winding stair can ne’er come down again.”

Such evidence defines my analysis. These sources are the reason why I think that these songs have these particular meanings. This blog post ended up being way longer than I ever expected, so I'm turning it into a two parter.

Sources

1. JupiterCure. “A Forest- The Cure (Lyrics).” Youtube, The Cure, 18 April 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPLgL_hGQ1M. Accessed 09 January 2025.

2. SadChild, and Keith Pixton. “The Cure – A Forest Lyrics.” Genius, Genius Lyrics, 2014, https://genius.com/The-cure-a-forest-lyrics. Accessed 9 January 2025.

3. giaco74. “the cure - lullaby with lyrics.” Youtube, The Cure, 26 October 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXNLdBxR_1g. Accessed 09 January 2025.

4. 46 Contributers. “The Cure – Lullaby Lyrics.” Genius, Genius Lyrics, https://genius.com/The-cure-lullaby-lyrics. Accessed 9 January 2025.

Credit

Red Lace F2U Bat Border - @battampria

Black Roses w/ Cross Border - @fawndollie

Written By - @literaryxbones

SORDID

[lightninghikaru]

I have a very specific image in my head that I can’t shake Lol! I can imagine on the rare days where Sonic and Shadow get into fights, Sonic is feeling very down and upset. He seeks comfort in his friends but Omega just offers to elimate Shadow for him to make him feel better. Sonic has to explain that violence can’t be the answer for everything. Omega still believes destroying Shadow would fix Sonic’s problem.

*Before Days of Reckoning

After their fight, Sonic had hid in his room. Only coming out to eat when either member dragged him out. Today, Omega decided to drag Sonic to the previous test lab turned sparing room at GUN. Hoping letting out some steam would help Sonic get out of his funk about his argument with Shadow.

They watched Sonic's signature smile slowly return further and further as they continued to exchange blows. Never serious enough to do real damage but just shy of making them think it would.

Then he laughed.

Omega immediately stopped, hearing Sonic have fun and let loose was exactly what he needed. To free himself from an enclosed room where he sat there spiraling about what went wrong or if he made a mistake.

"You okay there bud?" Sonic asked after taking a sip of water when the robot called for a break.

"REORGANIZING PRIORITY HIT LIST." Omega said,

"Oh yeah? Who's in the top three?" Sonic asked, "No, no wait! Let me guess!" First's gotta be Egghead. Second, hmm... Metal? Yeah sometimes I feel like you hate the guy more than I do." Sonic pondered as he tried to figure out the third. Pacing around his metallic companion.

"I don't know many other people you'd be mad at... Maybe Knuckles? But that would be more if he did anything to hurt Rouge...But he’s also against Eggman…"

"PRIORITY THREE... SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG."

"What?" Sonic turned to them, jumping back startled at hearing Shadow's name. “Whoa, wait! Why Shadow?”

“YOUR CURRENT CONDITION WAS CAUSED BY SHADOW. ROUGE AND I HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO SOLVE YOUR ISSUE. BEST SOLUTION: ELIMINATE SHADOW.” Sonic’s ears lower at that. So his teammates were worrying about him while he was fighting through his heartbreak, not sure how to convey it into words.  

“Sure I’m mad at the guy but that doesn’t mean I want him dead.” Sonic said, placing his hands on his hips. “This is the part where Rouge would lecture you about violence not always being the answer.” 

“THAT DOES NOT CHANGE THAT KILLING HIM WOULD BE A PERMANENT SOLUTION TO YOUR PAIN.” Omega said. 

Sonic softly smiles at his friend. They just wanted to protect him the best way they knew how, with destruction. But he knew he had to handle Shadow his own way. “I appreciate the offer bud. But I gotta take point on this.” 

“PRIORITY RESET. HOWEVER, IF YOU EVER CHANGE YOUR MIND…” 

“I know you’ll have my back.” Sonic said with a smile. “C’mon! Let’s go for round 2!”

...

My hand slipped...

[johnny2071]

Why Team Dark Doesn't Work (As Established)

Thanks to a few rude individuals, I now have to include this disclaimer: I HAVE played both Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Heroes. This is just my opinion, so don't attack me for it.

I think that Team Dark is team that was simply thrown together for the sake of gameplay convenience. While I don't see anything wrong with bringing Shadow back from what many were expected to believe was his heroic sacrifice at the end of SA2, it's everything else that comes after that.

At the point of Shadow's re-introduction, he clearly has amnesia. But then we're introduced to Omega (meant to be a Gamma 2.0, since that character is canonically dead, as well as the Knuckles/power-type for Team Dark), who comes in guns a-blazing, and an epic scuffle ensues. Next, we have Rouge break up the fight, piece together their situations and motives from her mouth and not theirs. At this point, Rouge is clearly interested solely in stealing Eggman's treasure hoard (that he apparently has). So with two character conveniently nearby, Rouge proposes that they team up and work together.

In short, Team Dark was form solely on a whim, of someone else's material ambitions. There are so many problems I see with this, so I'll explain each of them.

Rouge. Since her introduction in SA2, Rouge has been portrayed as a vain jewel thief who is a stark contrast to both Knuckles' noble sense of duty (regardless of what little we know about how he came to this role, and how much he's held to it) and the value of the Master Emerald itself. Later on in the game, Rouge nearly falls to her death, but is humbled a bit when Knuckles saves her. Rouge still maintains her arrogance and snark, but has enough decency to hand over the rest of the emerald shards out of gratitude. After the entire drama regarding Gerald Robotnik's post-mortem motives and Shadow's sacrifice, Knuckles ask Rouge if she plans on stealing more gems once they return to Earth, to which Rouge vaguely replies that she has something else on mind. But with gem-obsession aside, Rouge has another side to her character, where she's also a freelance spy who will take on any job if payed upfront, and we eventually learn that she's been hired by the president to investigate Project Shadow. So in short, even though she's still somewhat of a mystery, what she does make known is that she's quite the lively and extravagant jewel thief who just happens to take her spy work professionally from time to time. She's also not big on bonding with and warning up to other characters and their personal woes. So why on Earth should any of us believe that Rouge is the type of character who gives a crap about teamwork and people getting along with each other, while also invested in Shadow in particular socializing with others (Sonic and Amy's respective birthdays). And that's not even getting into her character in both Sonic 2006, the Archie comic reboot, and other entries in the franchise since.

Shadow. In Heroes, Shadow has zero memory of his past and any of the events that unfolded in SA2, but his personality is as antagonistic as it was in that very game. By the time of his reintroduction, he just awoken from a chamber-like device and was greeting by Omega launching an open fire barrage on him. Since Maria's death, Shadow never had any reason or obligated to befriend anyone, especially those who attack him first, but has even more to deal with taking his amnesia into account. Why would this already angst hedgehog work with a robot that just attacked him and a take-charge bat girl telling him to play nice. In a better written scenario, Shadow would just fend off Omega, and after getting enough distance from the robot, Rouge would then show up and greet Shadow. Shadow naturally wouldn't want to be bothered, but Rouge would tempt him to meet her at specific location for more information on his past: the one thing that would be of concern to him. But in Team Dark's actual formation, it just feels like Shadow is an easy person to bait and that all his angst/distrust is small potatoes to what Rouge wants from both of them.

Omega. Back in Sonic Adventure, we filled the entire campaign of E-102 Gamma, from the moment he went online, to his interaction with Amy, to his sacrificial explosion. Then we cut to Sonic Heroes, which tries to bring back several characters as part of an all-star adventure game. However, unlike Shadow, Gamma couldn't just be brought back due to the nature of his existence (exploded robot parts and one small bird happily living its life). So SEGA created a new robot who was meant to be a spiritual replacement. SEGA also made Heroes very teamwork-focused and wanted each team of three characters to lazily play the same way as Team Sonic, so they needed this robot to fill the same power character role as Knuckles. Cue Omega, folks. Yeah, we know next to nothing about Omega as a character, since unlike Gamma, he never had any individual focus or character growth. He's simply a robot who likes to destroy things and is angry at Eggman for keeping him locked up, something that no other Eggman robot has felt (if anything at all, and don't even get me started with Metal Sonic). And also unlike Gamma, he feels like a one-note parody who boasts about all his targets being inferior consumer models, and even has cringe one-liners that would never come out of Gamma or the other five E-Series robots. There's Duke Nuke'Em and then there's Duke Nuke'Em the Robot. In creating replacement character that was meant to last for several decades, SEGA forgot what made Gamma (or any robot character since) special in the first place. Omega just feels like team formation filler who's simply there, and a distant reminder that Gamma once existed (and that's without getting into Chaos Gamma from Sonic Battle, who's even more questionable).

The Team. Since the name of the game is Sonic Heroes, each team is formed and established from the get-go or on the fly without regard for any of the team members' other roles and responsibilities, or if they have any close connections (if at all). Team Dark is pretty much no exception to this. Again, this entire team is formed mainly to fulfill HER worldly desires. We never get to see Shadow seek Rouge out on his own ends and steadily form an alliance with her. We also never see Rouge's savvy of the intel underworld/proper bargaining skills, and we never see Omega take on other E-Series robots solo, get way in over his programming with the later bosses, get a beat down that humbles his elitist character, and see Shadow and Rouge properly invite him as their third member, with Shadow now acknowledging him as a kindred spirit. Heck we never see Sonic encounter and clash with him as stand-alone enemy, just as a hangers-on without any nevermind as to how/why is Shadow back, and what Team Dark's business is. The sad thing is, this was a missed opportunity. The whole plot could focused on Shadow's return, Omega, the rest of the E-Series robots, the formation of Team Dark, and THEN the big reveal of Metal Sonic's return, instead of the "🎵 We're on our way to the wishing star 🎵" romp we ultimately got. Also, these guys (especially Shadow) have absolutely no business or obligation working for G.U.N. (especially Abraham Tower, since that name is now canon).

Despite Team Dark's shoddy execution, the team has since become quite iconic and I would never breakup or undo any of that. In terms of Sonic trios for three-person events and plots, these three absolutely belong. I just wish things would have been handled better, instead of this team feeling ironic and used for "light humor" under Flynn's pen, where they're OOC or have "UC" (unfitting character).

But yeah, this has been my write up on my thoughts on Team Dark as whole.

[cartoonedin]

sapphire dorm + video games hcs. probably ooc but idc <3

sophia touches grass too much to be considered a gamer girl but after rory introduces her to first-person shooters? you're dead. you're gone. you're her dad you're reporting her but she'll never be dead or gone because pro teams all over the country are trying to recruit her. which country. who knows. she only plays at her friends' houses on saturdays because she doesn't want her brother to snitch on her swearing but sometimes she uses her 'oops i fell off a cliff again and need to call for help' projection and gets banned from those houses too. she and her horse-poop-covered hands hate mobile games. her parents are the reason new candy crush levels are still being added but she has neither the patience nor the long-term planning skills for level one. did the genocide route on undertale in record time because she thought it was how the game was meant to be played. into red dead redemption for the horses and the bearded cowboys who learn about fatherhood via gunfights.

ava is a handheld console girlie. if pokemon nurse were an actual profession she'd be employee of the month thirteen times a year. her animal crossing island has a better economy than every continent combined. that being said the day her brothers introduced her to warioware was the day the world was introduced to true bloodshed. has broken at least one controller because of sheer emotional attachment to a cute character. treats pikmin like a survival horror game and dead space like a sci-fi romcom. got the pacifist ending in undertale and does not understand why other rpgs don't have the mercy option. unless rory's in the game at which point she brings out the laser guns or whatever to get back at him for making her reveal her middle name. you know he's let that slip to more than one call of duty lobby ok let a girl live.

layla's favourite game is google chrome. she's boring and i love her for that. she speedruns minesweeper and solitaire to get her mind off particularly devastating biographies. she's friends with everyone's parents on candy crush and scrabble. she could be a gm on chess.com but she overthinks her moves to the point of losing on time despite playing as white. she's almost been hacked so many times because she can't resist correcting bad moves on word formation advertisements and gets led to online casino #infinity or something. she has a lifelong streak on every new york times game except vertex because you cannot tell me wildstar's constant use of her magic didn't destroy her eyesight even further.

isabel puts the bro in smash bros. rotates between king k. rool, sonic, and greninja because she has a brand and it must be tangential to adhd medication. in the same vein as sophia i think she touches grass too much to be considered a gamer girl but she makes rory keep up with madden and fifa news just to figure out if she's been added to the latest installment. she has a skateboard on her dorm wall but never uses it so i'm thinking she played through the og trilogy of tony hawk's games as a kid and echoed every voice line to the point of perfect memorisation. take the word dude away from her and she's mute. also i think she discovered happy wheels on her mom's computer and ruined several important business presentations that way.

valentina is a slightly grown ipad kid. i'm sorry but you can't tell me she didn't steal her style from dress to impress. also she rates everyone one star on those games not because she's a corrupt voter but because she has a sixth sense for when a bitch is hiding bacon hair beneath a hundred layers of sparkles. up there with isabel in terms of lacking screen time video game wise because i truly believe her family would spend their money on better (read: elite-r) past times but she 1000% plays the sims. one world is for planning fashion moments and carrying on the digital furi bloodline. one world is for drowning people by deleting their pool ladders and saying "not now sweetie mommy's cyberbullying the mayor" to her baby who's on fire.

rory's room looks like a gamestop. idc about his canon phone case he is SILLY. he will play anyone in smash as long as it looks funny next to the other character but he has a soft spot for kirby, yoshi, zero suit samus (isabel side eyes him very hard for this at first but it's still a very gay choice i promise) and wii fit trainer. his personality is held together by goat simulator, untitled goose game, and donut county. also duct tape and blue raspberry gum. he trolls a little (a lot) on first person shooters and mmorpgs mostly so he can pretend with an ounce of plausible deniability that he's just having a fun unserious time when sophia and/or ava beat his ass at both even though they're on the same team.

[phantom-fleetways]

I was wondering if you have any kiturge thoughts/headcanons to share?

Sorry I just like to see ppl talking about them and I was curious what you think

Sure sure! I love gushing about these two!!

Personally, I think Surge and Kit are a Queer Platonic Pair. This is due to my personal idea that Surge has no frame of reference for Romantic Love, and Kit is just brimming with it.

I also believe the two are T4T. Mostly because I just read Surge as trans-masc and Kit as being nonbinary.

I don't think they're wholly healthy per say, but I do think they are perfect for one another. They are both possessive. While I think Surge might be willing to let Kit and her go their separate ways, I know Kit won't. Despite this, they are genuinely better together than apart. As odd as it might be.

Now this is just a more personally niche headcanon of mine, but I think both have weird ways of expressing their affection to one another. Surge does so by allowing things that others won't get away with.

If Kit decided in the middle of the night to crawl into Surge's bed and snuggle her, nothing would be said. Surge would simply just let the fennec make a blanket burrow next to her and go right back to sleep in a few minutes. Maybe even permit him to actually lay on her like a proper couple would. If Sonic was insane enough to attempt this, he would be covered in 3rd degree burns. Along with a good couple bite marks for extra measure.

Kit on the other hand, shows and has always show his affection for Surge through acts of service. Example:

If Surge wants something, Kit will do everything in their power to get it. Surge wants Sonic dead and no distractions? Kit will pull crowd control until she achieves her goals. Surge is crying and needs comfort? Kit will drop literally everything to rush over and attend to her needs.

Kit is naturally selfless towards Surge, but don't mistake it for altruism. Kitsunami isn't actually altruistic, he's plenty selfish. They're merely obessed with being Surge's person.

Anyways, I just think they're neat at the end of the day. And while they're not perfect people, and a bit toxic, they were simply made for each other. Literally.

[dream-thief-forever-amen]

Pit Babe Episode 13 Commentary

The last episode! Here we go!

Surprise, bitch, I’m resurrected!!!

PB is so forgiving. Took him two point five seconds to forgive Charlie (who did not really apologize. again) for this very dumb fake death scam. He’s clearly not a Capricorn. I’d be like “you may be alive… but you’re dead to me, fool.”

These boys rifling through unlocked cabinets and storage boxes as if a crime lord is gonna keep their incriminating evidence lying around the office… I swear they are adorable idiots. Look for the safe or a locked file cabinet!

Winner does not have the henchman vibe but there is something a bit chaotic and dangerous about him. He’s the type to accidentally shoot someone, you know what I mean?

Henchman Kenta saves the day with a usb!!! Honestly snaps to the writer cause I would NEVER have believed Charlie or PB could hack a computer or gather intricate shady business related evidence.

Give me strength! Mr Pete is stunning in his black turtle neck…

North & Sonic letting the netizens descend on Mr Tony is actually a genius idea! Ruin his reputation as a generous benefactor. People love a scandal - that will go viral in seconds!

Child murder too! TONY, you madman. Beheading with a freakin’ sword! Brutal. Upload upload upload!

I love it when a character interrupts an important event to publicly spill the tea. Jeff’s is here to air your dirty laundry, daddy-o!

Tony is a really fun villain. He reminds of Hans Gruber from Die Hard. Kinda pissy and put out when his plan starts going sour, but still too classy (and well armed) to visibly panic.

Sonic slapping the gun away in annoyance like he’s shooing a fly away! Snort.

Aw North and Sonic are clinging to each other so protectively! I love these two so much, sassy little sweethearts

Korean Kim is such a dom! Look at him pulling up like the pack leader!

Everyone watch out, PB has a gun!

Way, ya dummy, that giant rock sculpture was better protection than your fleshy hot body! Is he dead?! Is Mr Pete a widow now?!

Where did all the other armed guards go??? Guess they peaced out. Rats always know when the ship is sinking.

Tony looks kinda sexy when he’s gone crazy.

Kenta! If anyone deserved to murder Tony it’s our pitiful henchman. You’re a free agent now, Kenta…

Awwww Way! I loved you too, you sneaky depressive hottie… RIP.

Save me, Pete is even stunning when he’s at a funeral! Honestly everyone looks stellar in all black. Where is this gravesite? The backyard?

I need Pete to be the main character of season two. I am properly obsessed with him.

Charlie’s dad looks like the type who would abandon you, never pay child support or send a birthday gift, and then show up once you’re of drinking age and try to be your friend. Now that the hard work of raising you has been properly avoided, I am here to be your parent!

Tony looks great in a vanilla suit. They should have dressed him like that more.

PB is such a forgiving guy. Who is gonna protect him from nefarious influences and dumbasses now that Way is not around to screen everyone for him?

They need to do better with the sex scene music. It sounds like someone is solving a crime in a 70s mystery not boning their hot boyfriend. Hopefully Alan & Jeff will not be given such a poor soundtrack season two.

Better music for PB & Charlie at least. And Look! PB is taking hold of his man passionately!!!! Yay! Now this is a vast improvement.

This cheesy pre-race love confession on the race track is too much. Boys you are literally at work. Though the idea of a ton of professional race car drivers kissing and holding hands right before making their laps around the track is soooo fun to contemplate. If only I lived in a gay parallel world.

Well, we have come to the end!

I enjoyed myself. It definitely did not trigger my obsessive compulsive behavior like KinnPorsche or Love in the Air or Fangs of Fortune did. But I’m glad I finally checked it out cause it was a lot more fun than I’d thought it would be.

And I’m definitely excited about the next season.

Friends to lovers with Sonic and North? Awwwww!

And my sub henchman with dom Korean Kim? Yessssss please.

More PB and Charlie? Whatever. It’s not like I’m gonna get tired of seeing PB anytime soon, he’s so handsome.

And I’m rather partial to mother hen Alan.

But of course my focus will remain laser pointed on PETE - the real star of the show for me, as his character and aesthetic just do me in.

More super power shenanigans in season 2 please! And more mad science! I don’t care if we abandon the racing all together, but I suppose it’s inevitable.

May 2nd will be here before you know it…

[trappedinchemicalplantzone]

Could you pretty please spare us some information and lil facts about your Sonic OC?? 🥺 just a little morsel for us pleasee? 🥣🥺

SOMEONES ASKING ABOUT MY SONIC OC??? I LOVE TALKING ABOUT MY SONIC OC

now I don't know which one you mean, but since I got this right after mentioning Carmine, I gonna assume it's about her, and plus I get to talk about Scarlet as well.

So, Scarlet was found when she was a cub, she was found out in the woods by a forest spirit named Faunus, he takes the form of a big ghost-like deer (the earth kind not the mobian kind, but he can take the form of one of those as well) Faunus takes Scarlet in and raises her as his own alongside another young one he's raising, a wolf pup named Borealis who's just a few years older than Scarlet. Scarlet doesn't know who her biological family is nor does she really care to seek out that information, her family is Faunus, Borealis, and her friends!

Faunus teaches Scarlet how to fight, the tiger becoming very proficient with a spear, and sees how dedicated she is to protecting wildlife and others so he blesses her with power of the wind. (Borealis also got his power of lightning from Faunus) Scarlet then starts to naturally fall into the role of Guardian of Nature alongside her brother, Borealis, but while Scarlet sticks closer to home and the woods she was raised in due to it being close to where Eggman is most active, Borealis travels farther to help people around the world recover from events that affected the world (ex. the events of unleashed, you can't tell me there wasn't major clean up that needed to be done after the world split in pieces)

Meanwhile for Carmine, being the anti scarlet from the anti mobius, her story is similar yet so different. Carmine was also found by a forest spirit, the anti Faunus known as Inuus, after being abandoned in the woods. She was raised alongside a wolf, also named Borealis, he doesn't end up going by a different name like many of those from Moebius. These three aren't exactly a family like the prime version of themselves, instead Inuus is raising these two children he found and creating them into the perfect weapons and servants for his bidding. While Inuus' relationship with his children is very different than his Mobius counterpart, anti borealis and carmine still very close but in a more codependent way. They are the only two who know what eachother have gone through, they are the only person the other is close with, they are all eachother have. Until a certain green hedgehog unknowingly rips them away from eachother forever, creating a chain of events he could have never anticipated.

that's some basic background on the two, now for some facts !!

-Scarlet is a quiet yet stern person, due to her quiet nature it makes people believe she will be easy to pressure into doing things or to intimate her, but she always stands her ground and stares them dead in the eye as she refuses to yield. Very rarely does she let her fear control her and cause her to flee from a fight (Infinite during events of Sonic Forces being one of those few.)

-Scarlet has relative ease when it comes to getting along with people, a lot of it comes from her smiling and nodding along to what their saying and providing small feedback. She lets people feel heard and they like that about her, along with how understanding she is towards people who have made mistakes. She really is a kind person and hates to refuse providing help.

-Carmine on the other hand has extreme difficulty getting along with others, thinking only about herself and her father and brother. She could care less about the rest of the world, as long as those two are safe and happy, which is why she willingly goes along with Inuus' desire to rid the world of its tainted lifeforms and machinery.

-While Scarlet has the title of Guardian of Nature, Carmine has her own title, Nemesis of the Machine. A title that turns quite ironic considering some of her actions later in the story..

-Carmine also has a different weapon than Scarlet, preferring a pair of gauntlets that have sharp blades attached to cause pain more up close. (think Vega's claws from Street Fighter)

-Scarlets eyes originally used to be brown! When she was given the gift of the wind by Faunus, they turned blue with hints of purple! If she were to lose her powers or if she were to have one of those power collars from no zone slapped on her, they would turn back to brown.

-Without the wind letting her fly and help her achieve speeds that let her keep up with sonic, her best feat is her strength! She is a tiger after all, she's really strong, but people kinda forget that it's not due to her powers and it's just default Scarlet.

-Scarlet is a bit bigger and taller than the average member of the sonic cast, she doesn't really tower over anyone but it's clear she's definitely a few inches taller than almost all of the hedgehogs. (you will always see me draw scarlet taller than scourge, if she is somehow shorter than that's not my art/j) and yes she's chubby and very fluffy and soft, she's like the best person to hug and cuddle (lowkey jealous of scourge ngl but also he deserves one thing nice I GUESS)

-Scarlet also works best as a support type character! Her favorite kind is making people like Sonic go even faster thanks to the wind giving him even more of a boost !!

-Carmine on the other way is a bit malnourished so she's much smaller than Scarlet is, she's shorter and thinner than most of the hedgehog cast, it's clear this girl was underfed and still is, but she can still pack quite a punch.

-Carmine and Scourge never actually meet until she starts seeking revenge for what happened to Anti Borealis, which is after Scourge meets Scarlet and has been living with her on Mobius for a little over a year at this point.

-speaking of meeting, scourge and scarlet actually originally met while scourge was still just evil or anti sonic! one of the times he dimension hopped to Mobius to pretend to be sonic and cause problems, they bumped into each other. Scarlet, not knowing about the anti dimension yet, thought it was just sonic who suddenly got a weird fashion sense but thought nothing else of it and proceeded to forget that event as time went on. But Scourge remembers it, he didn't at first when he saw her again, but he couldn't forget that bright red hair that reminded him of fire when it moved in the breeze.

I have so much more, especially about Scourge and Scarlet's relationship and how she encourages him to become a better person and more of his own person instead of continuing to be just a worse and evil version of Sonic, letting him see that he can be more than that. So yeah !!

and finally, as a last bonus. I've mentioned before how Scourge and Scarlet are my "I love you in every universe" ship, the only universe where they don't work out is as Sonic and Carmine. Which is so fuckin ironic to me and so tragic. I so badly want something to be between Sonic and Carmine to directly mirror Scourge and Scarlet, but unlike them, Sonic and Carmine will always remain a mystery and an uncertainty, because the moment something definitive happens between them that's the moment they become doomed. Because they are the one universe where they are never meant to be.

[d3cay-0f-r0s3s]

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Here's The prologue of the corner bakery which you can find here!!!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/62567329/chapters/160145548

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Obsession was a term that Amy Rose had associated with VERY well...

Of course just like everyone else she'd deny it and act like she didn't know what her friends was talking about; "Your being ridiculous..Sonic is one of my friends how could you accuse me of being obsessed with him!"

She'd yell as Silver and Knuckles exchanged glances - "If anything YOUR the ones who's obsessed with him you guys are constantly talking about him and making plans with him.. when will I get to spend time with him!" Amy whined as she pouted.

"Whatever I didn't want to hangout anyways besides I'm too busy" Amy said before shyly admitting; "W..Well if he isn't busy I'd love to hangout out with him" Her tail began wagging in excitement.

The thought of hanging out with HER Sonic sent her through euphoria (In a good way) she didn't want to embarrass herself like she did last time they hungout but she could care less Sonic was just as clumsy as she was..

They were PERFECT for each other..Silver was the first to break the silence - "Sonic's out of town remember? For his ' big break ' at G.U.N" He slowly raised his hand as Amy snapped her head looking at Silver who shrank back slightly.

"WHAT? He is?! Why didn't anyone tell me?!" Amy's reply was filled with genuine hurt. The thought of everyone knowing that Sonic was gone EXCEPT her made it seem like he didn't WANT to tell her.

"D.. Don't worry Ames I'm sure I'm sure he just got busy and forgot to call?" Silver interjected trying to deflate the already escalating situation.

"Busy? No he's NEVER busy he probably found someone better than me.. What if he doesn't want to be with me anymore?!" The hedge-cat had began pacing around the room quickly.

"You two were never dating tho-"

Silver quickly smacked Knuckles on the back of their head as Knuckles glared at Silver who motioned for him to be silent.

"Your overthinking and overreacting Sonic would never replace you" Silver walked up to her and sat her down on the couch sitting beside her as well. "I would" Knuckles mumbled but only Silver who heard it shot Knuckles another harsh glare.

"You know how Sonic is.. He loves to run off without telling anyone it's just his nature it doesn't mean he doesn't love you.." Silver smiled meekly, as much as he hated lying and feeding into Amy's delusions he couldn't help it. He thought he was being a good friend by "helping"

And to Amy? That's all she needed to hear. Amy stared at Silver, her rose gold eyes wide and glistening with unshed tears. She wanted so badly to believe his words, to cling to the idea that Sonic still cared for her. A shaky smile formed on her lips as she nodded slowly.

"You.. you really think so Silver? You don't think he's replaced me?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, hope and desperation warring within her tone.

She would honestly drop dead at the sight of Sonic with someone else other than her. But she could tell Silver was lying. "No.. He doesn't love me.." Amy's voice began quivering as the tears spilled down her cheeks.

"He hates me I know he does..." She clung onto Silver and started sobbing. She so desperately craved the attention from the blue blur knowing she would never achieve what she wanted and that hurt more than anything. "Uh- Don't cry Amy! I'm sure there's some kind of reasonable explanation..!" Silver tried to reason with Amy now panicking himself since he's never really dealt with Amy crying. He was used to comforting Blaze comforting other girls made him insecure and nervous.

"What Silvers trying to say is that Sonic does care about you, he's busy with work and he'll call when he gets ready he isn't on your schedule and he isn't obligated to be on one" Knuckles commented as Amy sobbed harder.

Silver snapped his head quickly looking at the echidna - "Knuckles mind shutting up before I shove my fist so far up your ass it removes the edginess out of you" The hedgehog threatened as he turned to Amy.

"It's alright Amy...Why don't we give Sonic a call..? I'm sure he's available?" Silver suggested as he pulled up his holograph showing a display of screens and he began searching for Sonic's number.

"No.. It's okay... Knuckles is right.. He's his own Hedgehog with his own life and I have no room to mess around with it" Amy sniffled and wiped her eyes.

The statement took Silver aback as he blinked, "You sure Amy? Don't listen to that knucklehead he doesn't know what he's talking about" Silver's voice was soft and gentle unlike Knuckles who was flat out and brutally honest. Something Amy couldn't handle.

She was too sensitive for Knuckles sometimes.

Amy nodded, sniffling softly as she tried to compose herself. "Y-yeah, I'm sure. I don't want to bother Sonic if he's busy..." She wiped her tears and took a deep, shuddering breath.

Even as she said this, a part of her desperately wanted to call Sonic right then and there, to demand to know why he hadn't told her he'd be leaving. She ached to hear his voice, to have him reassure her that nothing had changed between them.

But she couldn't bring herself to do it. She couldn't bear the thought of Sonic getting annoyed with her, or worse, pitying her. She knew he found her clinginess and desperation for his attention off-putting at times.

So she sat there, fidgeting with her hands in her lap as Silver tried to comfort her. "Thank you, Silver. For trying to make me feel better," she whispered, managing a watery smile.

Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, each one more anxious and insecure than the last. She couldn't focus on anything Silver was saying, too consumed by her own worries and fears.

She was so desperate to see or at least hear Sonic's voice it was starting to drive her crazy. Both mentally and physically. She obviously needed help but she refused to get it. She feared it would change her perspective on Sonic.. (Technically they weren't dating but hey a girl can be delusional whenever she wants)

Silver remained silent - slightly guilty of the outcome, "Oh Amy... Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help?" He questioned once more as Amy shook her head.

"I've gotten you into enough trouble already... Besides I'm pretty sure Blaze is expecting you? And I'm sure Rouge is as well" Amy looked at both Silver then Knuckles who like previously exchanged glances.

This was Amy's way of saying ' get out so I can have a breakdown ' that or she just wanted alone time to process her thoughts.

"O..Oh! Right! Blaze and I have a date later tonight" Silver suddenly perked up at the mention of his girlfriend, "Oh? You do? To where?" Knuckles questioned as the topic finally switched.

As Silver began conversing with Knuckles about his plans for tonight Amy began zoning out..

Her thoughts began trailing onto Sonic..

His beautiful green eyes that sparkled in the golden sun..His quills that he could never keep tidy and to top it all off his sassy personality oh it was just WONDERFUL.. He was-

"Amy!"

Amy blinked and suddenly she was back in the living room. "Yes?" She answered her brain switched to autopilot as she stared at Silver and Knuckles who was now by the door; "Were heading out give us a call if something goes wrong alright?" Silver said warmly as Amy stood up and followed.

"Don't call me." Knuckles hummed dryly, "Anyways be safe and goodnight" Silver waved as Amy stood there unsmiling she waved almost robotically before closing the door and leaning against it sliding onto the floor grabbing ahold of her baby pink hair Amy felt more tears burning in her eyes.

"He loves me...I know he does.."

════════════════════════════════════ ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　 ︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹

[klowncoreperson]

Masterpost

Hey yall!! This is officially gonna (likely) be my new pinned and the masterpost for something I call “5 Minutes to Midnight”, a multiversal crossover thing centered around the NES Godzilla Creepypasta!!

What’s it about?

The events of NGC still occur, but with a twist. At the moment where Zachary defeats Red, it wasn’t enough…when Zachary disposes of the cartridge believing Red is dead, it doesn’t go to Carl right away…instead it appears in the home of a man named Winnie Bosko. Thinking of the cartridge to be harmless and decides he should give it to his childhood friend Augustine for his birthday, he plays tests it…and it goes wrong.

Characters! (These are main/major ones for now, supporting cast will be made soon. Images are also down below in order of the list):

Name: Winnie Bosko

Age: 18, 19 (Post-NES when his birthday came around)

Summary: Originally secluded and introverted in childhood, he’s usually seen as very energetic to other people today. Upon discovering the NES alongside the anomalous Godzilla: Monster of Monsters cartridge, his life is turned to the worst due to what’s within. He serves as the protagonist.

Name: Augustine Orlov

Age: 19 (His birthday had passed during the events)

Summary: Winnie’s childhood best friend. He was like his present self when he was younger, but nowadays you usually see him distant. Throughout the events he consistently tries to contact Winnie to no avail. After no answer for about a week, Augustine goes to find him. All he finds is a distressed best friend.

Name: Daisuke

Age: 19-20 (personal headcanon)

Summary: Originally an intern on the Tulpar, this takes place if he ended up surviving the crash. He bumps into Winnie who ends up befriending him. He visits very frequently, even spending the night on a few occasions to talk with him. He never goes into detail about what happened to Daisuke, but he doesn’t mind (most of the time), he considers Winnie as a little brother figure.

Name: Sebastian Solace

Summary: He ends up escaping Urbanshade way before the story’s events happen, and meets Winnie during his navigation through Trance (after someone had broke the tv and accidentally made the game come to life). He takes care of Winnie even after the events.

Name: Sonic [Where Was My Hero]

Age: 25

Summary: From a universe where Tails never met him, Sonic feels guilt for having to kill him. When he meets Winnie during the events, he becomes protective of him and does whatever he can to keep him safe. He is considered as the deuteragonist.

Name: Marieanne “Manon” Vacher

Age: Late 20’s-30’s

Summary: The ex-girlfriend of Rody, she meets Winnie one day and ends up befriending him alongside Sonic. She’s unaware of what happened, but knows some of it.

Name: Oswald

Age: 10

Summary: One of the youngest of the group that is friends with Winnie. He had previously dealt with a killer rabbit that had taken his dad. After meeting Winnie, he begins to view him as a big brother.

Name: Post-Mortem Sonic

Summary: His world was destroyed, leaving nothing left except for him and his enemy…but then he escaped the confines of the game, landing in the real world. He meets Winnie shortly after his escape, becoming his best friend.

Name: Ruby

Age: 12

Summary: The second youngest and one of the recent Winnie has met. She opened her Christmas present early, having a toy Tattletail. But it came with consequences. She meets Winnie after accidentally leaving the front door open. She is usually almost always seen with him, seeing him as a big brother.

Name: RED

Summary: Also known as “Red” or “The Hellbeast”, he serves as the main villain. After failing to kill Zachary, the game falls into Winnie’s hands. Red takes this opportunity to try and cause more havoc, constantly chasing down the poor guy and attempting to indirectly murder him multiple times through the Not-Monsters. In the final battle, he murdered one of Winnie’s friends in front of him and attempted to murder him by paralyzing his heart. He was unsuccessful and was defeated…but it didn’t mean the end. Despite his defeat, Winnie is inflicted with nightmares and hallucinations…

[theuntoldoriginsoftheportmafia]

Part Ⅴ Escape - Chapter 1.5

☽ The Hitman's Dream ☾

2,215 Words

Dazai Osamu has never run faster in his life. 

As soon as the car he commandeered pulls into the dead end he starts full out sprinting. The large warehouse is easy to spot. It looks just like any other, save for the blue and red glows coming from inside. Flawless and Strait is the Gate locked in battle.

Slowing himself to a silent stop, Dazai creeps along the edge, picking the simple padlock on the side door. In seconds, he's in. The men stand, face to face, guns drawn.

Oda dodges and in three seconds Gide fires. Oda does the same, and just like him, Gide dodges. Matching each other's movements. Pushing and pulling like magnets.

'At this rate it's a battle of stamina. It can't go on forever, eventually they'll begin to tire, one of them will be too slow and then . . .'

Dazai doesn't want to think about that, and doesn't want to imagine his dear friend lying bloody on the ground. So he doesn't think. He acts. He fires his gun. The bullet finds its mark in Gide's back causing blood to spurt like fireworks from his mouth, spill over his lips, down his chin, and onto the concrete floor.

There's an old phrase by an American author, Ralph Waldo Emerson. "When you strike at a king, you must kill him." Marksmanship has never been Dazai's strong suit, and having only one eye in use doesn't help. Gide isn't dead yet.

In his final act, Gide raises his arm weakly, but it's just enough. Both men pull their guns at the same time. They pull the trigger, the sound echoing through the empty space. A sonic boom. Gide falls to the ground . . . so does Oda.

The red puddle grows, resembling a fallen rose, the shreds of a torn kimono, as it creeps across the ground. 

Dazai's eyes widen, round like the wound in Oda's chest. He runs to him, falling on his knees. "Odasaku!"

"I'm here Dazai. Thank you for coming to save me." he says, voice weak.

"Of course. Let's go back." Dazai grabs his older friend's hand, seeming to ignore the bleeding wound. He's in denial, refuses to think that he won't make it. He has too. If he doesn't, nothing will be the same again. "Yosano will heal you. I'll get you to Yosano. She'll heal you. You'll be good as new."

"Da . . . zai, I . . . can't."

"Yes, you can."

At this moment Dazai has never been more grateful for Nakahara Chuuya. If not for his endless competitions with his chibi in everything from martial arts to just plain running, if it wasn't for the drive to be the better one, the stronger one, then he'd never have been able to lift Oda.

He takes back what he said before. The way here was barely running. Nothing compared to now. He runs until his chest hurts and he's out of breath, and even with his feet aching and his head pounding. 

'The poor civilians will have gone by now and taken their car with them. Mori could have a car here in minutes, but I don't trust him. No car or bus will take me. I need Chuuya. I need . . . my phone! I left it! I can't believe I . . .'

Where the thin alleys turn back into full road, a car waits. A shining, dark green jeep with painted orange flames and no top, engine still on. A boy with hair like the flames on his car sits in the driver's seat.

"Get in!"

Dazai doesn't need to be told twice. He hops in and lets his partner use his ability to lift Oda into the back.

"How did you . . .?"

Chuuya gives a tense eyeroll, "You really think you're the only smart one around here, don't you."

Dazai says nothing, indicating that he's not amused.

"I forced the location out of your pal- Don't give me that look, I didn't hurt him! He wants you back safely as much as I do. He agreed as long as I promised not to go until you left the warehouse."

"He put a tracker on me!" Dazai realises with an uncomfortable start and begins patting himself down.

A memory comes to him of Ranpo's last shove, right before he fell. He slipped something in Dazai's pocket. Dazai digs around with his bloodied hands until he pulls out an oddly symmetrical sweet.

As annoying as it is to have Ranpo pull one over on him, he has bigger things to worry about now than his friend's unorthodox protectiveness.

'Does Mori have access to this? I can't ask Chuuya, I can't show him my doubt, not yet.'

"Yeah." is all Chuuya says, shrugging and shaking his head in mock amazement as if to say 'You really thought I'd just let you go? You didn't think I'd come for you? Don't be an idiot.'

A groan comes from the back seat, Dazai turns his head so fast it hurts.

"D-dazai?" Oda coughs.

"I'm right here. You're safe. Gide's gone. You're safe."

"You can slow down now, I won't make it, and driving this fast isn't safe." Oda furrows his brow, raising himself as if to try and see the speedometer. Even near death his protective instincts don't include himself.

Dazai turns to his partner "Chibi, floor it."

"What do you think I'm doing?" the red head mutters, knowing better than to start a fight when someone's dying in the back of his car.

'The warehouse was all the way across town, and we're still a few miles from HQ. There's only so many cut throughs I can take before I'll have to enter the business and tourist areas. I'll have to slow down then. Better bank as much time as I can.' Chuuya thinks, frowning when the speedometer reads only 160 kph, willing the pedal to sink down further.

"Dazai! Please slow down! You'll both get hurt." Oda pleads

"No. We're close."

'We're not.'

"We'll take you straight to Yosano. She'll fix you. Yosano's going to fix you. Fix you right up, just like new."

Everyone in the car can hear Dazai beginning to unravel as the life drains out of Oda through the hole in his chest and the car seems not to be getting any closer to it's destination.

"Listen, the bullet's close to my heart, I think. It's still in there, I can feel it. No matter how good a doctor she is, I don't know if there is any fixing this. I want . . . I need you to be ready for that."

"No. I'm not ready! Chuuya, use gravity, take the bullet out!"

"I can't, not from here. If I just yank it out, it might hit something else. Even if it didn't, it's holding the wound closed, it needs to stay in or he'll bleed out. You know that. Calm down, you're not thinking straight."

Small drops of water form in Dazai's right eye and behind his bandages, wetting them as they get bigger.

"He's right . . . I want you to know that I want better things for you."

"Stop!"

"I-"

"Shut up! Save your breath."

"Dazai, let him speak." 

Dazai glares at his partner, who keeps his eyes fixed on the road ahead. Oda grabs the boy's hand, looking sadly at his own blood that stains it. It's only this that keeps both men grounded.

When Oda speaks only a whisper comes out, scarcely audible over the wind's roar. "Dazai, listen to me, please. I know it makes no difference to you, but please become a good human being. Save the weak, protect the orphaned. I suppose you don't care for either justice or evil . . . but striving to be a better person is a wonderful thing."

Oda stares into the distance, Dazai follows his gaze. It's golden hour, when the sun casts a bronze glow onto everything in reach. In the evening light the five towers of the Mori Corporation glitter like the ocean. 

'How can something so evil look so angelic?'

Lost in thought, Dazai doesn't see Oda's eyes close. 

When he does turn again the man is limp, but smiling.

"Odasaku! No!"

Chuuya's voice shatters the moment, "Dazai, we're here!"

He nods, numbly.

-

They run to the lift, Dazai pressing the buttons over and over in panic, Chuuya floating Oda behind him. When they get there the door is open. Ranpo and Yosano are waiting.

The Angel of Death works quickly, removing the bullet, her dark rainbow of butterflies surrounding the unconscious Oda, healing him from the inside out.

When the butterflies disappear, Dazai starts to shake Oda, calling out to him.

Nervous, he looks to Yosano, "Why isn't he answering?"

"He's fine, just unconscious. There's nothing more to do but wait."

'Even I'll admit that it was close. If its had been two centimetres left. If they'd got caught in traffic . . . He's not going to wait is he? He's going to make himself sick pacing around here. But he'll only do the same thing in his office if I kick him out . . . best to just let him stay I guess.'

'I always wish he'd look less dead, but I think this is worse.' Chuuya looks at his distraught boyfriend. He's never seen emotion like this on him. It makes him reach out, despite Dazai's aversion to touch.

Dazai turns at the contact, but doesn't flich. An improvement.

"Hey, Osa, you stay with him. I'll fill the mission paperwork."

That big brown eye looks up at Chuuya with utmost gratitude. 

'Chibi hates paperwork.' but more important in his mind 'Chibi is going to face Mori for me.'

With a sympathetic smile Chuuya drops his hat onto Dazai's head and walks out. The two masked executives follow him.

"All the cabinets are electronically locked. Don't try anything. He'll be fine in a few hours." Yosano's voice calls as the three leave.

Dazai doesn't answer, instead observing Oda.

'He thought he'd died. He thought he'd died and he looked so happy. He's not happy now.'

"Are you happy, Odasaku?"

Only the whir of the air con and beep of the vital monitors answer him.

"How can I make you happy, my friend?"

In the silence that follows, Oda's words come back to him, as if the man is truly awake and beside him.

~ 

Two people sit with a stool between them.

"Read any good books lately, Dazai" Oda asked, trying to fill the silence in the unusually empty bar.

"Yes. A Shameful Life by Oba Yozo is a delight to read. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know . . ."

"Don't you?" Dazai had asked with those eyes that stare into a person's soul.

The gaze forced the 22-year-old to answer, "I've always wanted to be an author . . . it's the reason I don't kill anymore."

Dazai laughed, a single bark, more out of rare surprise then humour. "Oh? Do you think it'll keep you out of trouble? You've committed plenty of other crimes that the police could have you for."

Oda shook his head, pausing for a sip of his drink. "No, it's not that. I know I've done many wrongs, but long ago, I met a man who told me who told me that one who kills, one who causes death, has no right to write about life."

"Hmm." Dazai tapped his chin in thought, "Well, it sounds as rational as anything else elders say. I don't see a problem with it. Let's drink. Bartender! Another round, put it on my tab."

~

More recent words flood his brain before Dazai can fully process what he's just remembered.

"I know it makes no difference to you, but please become a good human being. Save the weak, protect the orphaned. I suppose you don't care for either justice or evil . . . but striving to be a better person is a wonderful thing."

'Doing good he says . . . is that what would make him happy? Then why hasn't he left?'

"Why are you still here. After all this time? Why didn't you leave?"

Oda's hand twitches, grabbing onto Dazai's.

"Odasaku! You're awake."

Oda snores softly. Dazai deflates.

'That's my answer, isn't it. He stayed because he had nowhere else to go. He stayed because of me. I'm the one that did this to him. I have to help him.'

"I'm going to help you Odasaku. I'm going to get you out of here. I just need some time to prepare, please trust me."

As day turns to night Dazai holds Oda's hand.

When Dazai feels sleep nagging at him he bows his head, ready to let it come, instead he's met with a hat in his lap. Chuuya's hat. It smells like his conditioner, a warm scent. To Dazai, it smells like home.

'Nakahara Chuuya. What am I to do about him? He'd never come with me and I could never hurt him by leaving him.' In the cold dark silence the thoughts that consume Dazai's restless soul are much louder, impossible to ignore 'But would it hurt him? Does he truly love me or is this just a fling for him? He deserves much better, someone as lively as him, someone who can keep from insulting him at every turn. I mean, he's probably going to leave me anyway. I could never stomach the heartbreak, so I should leave while I still can.'

"I'm such a coward, Oda, would you mind if I came with you. Would you mind it if we could run away from all this together?"

Soon, sleep overtakes him. He'll have back cramps later, but for now it's okay.