#by followers i mean amy

[000marie198]

Frontiers really drove home the fact that Sonic's friends are his friends first and foremost, not followers or team of sidekicks. They are his family, his partners in crime, especially Tails. That with all of them together they're a formidable team but they are not just side characters in Sega verse who only support the hero's role. They are the heroes just as much. They'd hold strong when he couldn't, they are pillars he could fall back on just like he is someone they can fall back on. Equals. A family.

This game fixes everything the few past games did to their roles and characters and emphasizes these mobians are not cheer leaders, they are front liners, they are not simply support characters, they are their own person.

Knuckles isn't just a guardian, he's a friend, a brother, a protector, and the last of his kind and someone who deserves to live his life to the fullest instead of keeping watch day and night. He deserves to travel without a threat of world ending, he deserves to meet people, make friends, try grapes of different regions, take day offs, be the child he was robbed of being.

Amy is not just a fangirl chasing after someone she has a crush on. She is kind, compassionate and strong girl who believes in the good in the world and wants to help everyone, show the world the wonders and beauty in small things that go ignored. She has grown up so much.

And Tails, sweet little Tails has always been just as much of a hero as Sonic. He is not the sidekick, he was never the sidekick, that was what people thought him as and he used to see himself as. Sonic never saw him as the sidekick, Sonic sees him as an equal, as a brother, he always had. Tails is such a wonderful child, he could invent things that can help the planet at a massive scale, he can make whole tech companies, he can make new discoveries, advance science so much farther than one could anticipate, can command whole squadrons of jets, he is loved by people and tiny critters of the planet just as much, he is the hero and he deserves to be acknowledged as that.

Being stuck in a limbo gave them all the time to think about what they all want to pursue in life, on discovering their full potential, reaching far across the new frontiers, that they all have the potential for so much more. That they don't have to think of themselves as followers, they are equals. They are a team.

As for Sonic? This game shows that Sonic isn't just a hero who saves the world and helps people because he is nice or a good person. While those are true, saving the world or helping because he was nice wasn't why he was going day and night on no food and zero sleep and constantly at move and slowly getting more and more cyber corrupted, nearing the brink of death. He did it for his friends. Not just because he is a nice person or it's in his nature. If that were the case, he would've approached everything differently, he wouldn't be anxious to hurry on setting the others free but still calm and chill while talking to his friends, he wouldn't be constantly worrying about his brother, he wouldn't be reluctant to help the Kocos. He was listening to the mysterious voice he knew nothing about and proceeded doing everything it told him even though he doesn't trust a mysterious stranger that easily, even though what it told him was slowly destroying him, because that was the only way he knew of which could set his friends free. He didn't know any other way and did something that kept taking a lot out of him (like dude literally looked dead on his feet during the later half of the game, clutching his torso, walking slow, subtle panting) just to save his friends. He's a hero yes, he has endured many things and gone without sleep in the past yes, he helps people because that's just like him yes, but from how anxious and reluctant he seemed when it came to helping out Kocos, it was clear he was more worried about saving his friends than anything. Sonic in almost the entirety of the game had no drive to save the world or anything, he didn't even know whether the world was even in danger or not, he wasn't a hero in this game, he didn't have the role of a hero in this game.

He was a friend.

This was Sonic with his hero mask off. Tired, concerned, at wits and strength's end, enduring, probably knowing he might not survive that corruption but smiling because then his friends would be free and he'd be darned before any of them gets hurt. He was willing to die to set his friends free. In Unleashed, he told Chip, "Do I need a reason to help out a friend?" But even in Unleashed he was on the mission of saving the world. This time? This game added lore and emotions and character growth and themes of living and acceptance and peace and perseverance and hope, but at the core of it all, it was centered on family.

For Sonic, it was centered on protecting his family. For Tails, Knuckles and Amy, it was centered on growing to their full potential but still protecting their friend. For Sage, it was about protecting her family. And what's funny is that she wasn't even the villain or had any intention to harm in the first place, all her warnings were honest. She was attempting to get him to see reason and have him leave so he wouldn't get corrrupted and so the world doesn't get placed in danger.

As Sage said, "Both of us will do anything to protect those who are precious to us."

He'd do anything for his friends. And they are precious to him, more than anyone or anything else. More than the people, more than the inhabitants of Starfall Islands, more than chaos and Kocos, more than the ancients, more than the world. He helped save the world from The End but he wouldn't have been able to that in the first if it weren't for his friends. They not only set him free, they also gave him drive to continue. The first thing he says after being cured was, "I will not let you down." Sonic's friends are precious to him.

....

The emotions, the dialogue, the story, the characterization, the lore, the music... This game is the revival of this franchise. Even its title is perfect for the storyline as well as lore.

Also, my heart hurts from so many emotions.

#sonic #sonic the hedgehog #amy rose #knuckles the echidna #sage #sonic frontiers #sonic frontiers spoilers #sonic frontiers sage #the only gripe i might hold for this game is Tails decision to leave and live away from his brother #i mean. he can live up to his full potential & grow & all. even hold back from following after Sonic but they didn't have to separate #i mean. Sonic was still worried. that was his little brother. an orphan. an 8 to 10 year old child. #he didn't need to go off on his own to prove his worth to himself #that's all though. i can't handle two b3st friends who have an unbreakable bond separating. hurts every time #miles tails prower

[skoulsons]

man, I love the “you need to stop talking about this kid like she’s got some kind of life in front of her” to “ellie, are you okay?” to “oh, it’s we?” to “I’m just gonna get her killed, I know it. I have to leave her” to “it’s okay, baby girl. I got you” to “it wasn’t time that did it” to “I’m taking us home” pipeline

#I was talking to meg earlier but #nothing #and I genuinely mean NOTHING #will ever do to me what joel and ellie have #this trope is delicious and delivers every time #hopper and eleven #geralt and ciri #daisy and coulson #hunter and omega #silco and jinx #frank and amy #and whatever other father and daughter trope there is are all great #but something about Joel and Ellie. #being each others saving grace. #how they ground each other. #how they’d follow each other to the ends of the earth. #how they’re each others best friend. #there’s so much comfort in each other. #there’s so much. way too much love. more than they know what to do with. #how they became what they did. hating each other to be so ferociously in love with the other #PLATONICALLY!! I fear someone will accuse me some day so I have to clarify I’m not a freak #I just love their love #but there is something so incredibly different #but also so special and incredible and absolutely insane that no other father-daughter relationship has done #the last of us hbo #tlou spoilers #joel miller #ellie williams

[sonknuxadow]

you know i do wonder how many sonic characters actually have living parents. like knuckles is the last of his kind so obviously his parents arent around anymore. both guys who could be considered shadows dads are 100 percent confirmed dead. sonic is canonically an orphan im pretty sure. and on the other side of the coin cream is like the only character in the game cast who has a living parent we actually see onscreen. but what about everyone else i dont think theres a straight answer for any other character. other than rouge's mom being mentioned a couple times i Guess but we dont even know anything about her or if shes still alive just that she existed at some point. are these kids constantly putting themselves in danger because they dont have parents around to stop them or because their parents just dont care

#like what about tails. im guessing he didnt have any sort of family he was attached to if he left to be with sonic so quickly #but that doesnt really mean he didnt have parents at all. maybe he had parents and they just sucked i dont know #what about amy. what if she had parents this whole time we just never see them. #what about blaze. considering shes a princess id assume she was born into that role #but i dont know if her parents are ever actually mentioned #maybe theyre dead and there was no one else to take on their role and thats why blaze has so much responsibility at such a young age? #silver . he was born in a wet cardboard box all alone i cant really imagine him hvaing parents sorry #considering charmy is 6 and living with vector. an adult whos obviously not his biological dad. #i feel like something probably happened to charmys parents #espio i dont really question as much #becuase it feels very common in the sonic universe for teenagers to have more freedom than would be expected in real life #or maybe its not that common and the teenagers we're actually following are just living the most fucked up lives ever. i dotn know #but either way. espio where are your parents buddy. are they still alive. vector where are YOUR parents are they still alive #i dont know if i actually want canon explanations for all this though #because its kinda fun not knowing every detail about every characters life and being able to speculate and insert your headcanons n stuff #to be clear im talking about game canon #i know stuff like archie sonic and the sonic movies and the 90s cartoons will sometimes give characters new family members #or talk about their family situation even if the games dont say anything about that sort of thing

[quietwingsinthesky]

i do love canon amy & rory but god, does some part of me wish they really had gone with the idea of the doctor picking up a child as a companion (and then later, that child’s best friend with a huge crush on her.) with the rest of the season really not changing at all, except now it’s amelia pond with an angel in her head killing her and lost alone in the woods. it’s little rory who dies and is forgotten and becomes a toy soldier. if this is going to be a fairy tale, then let it be one. children have never been safe in fairy tales.

#it wouldn’t have to change any of the actual plot of the season. except MAYBE amy’s choice but even then i think amy’s choice would be the #one episode where they should be adults. if only for the half where they live in a village in that dream. #because that’s the kind of future that children would dream up. they live in a little cottage and nothing ever goes wrong and their best #friend visits them all the time even though they’ve grown up. #they aren’t actually adults there just children with an idea of what they should be as adults and acting accordingly #and it would still end the same way. #but idk its just. rory’s 2000 years waiting for amy inside the pandorica is already tragic. yes. #now imagine its a kid. a kid in a little roman soldier helmet who will never grow up. who will not leave his best friend. #he loves her and she’s more important than the whole universe and that sort of love is supposed to MEAN something in a fairy tale! #its supposed to melt the ice out of hearts and transform people from stone. #and what that love means here. is that he will have to wait 2000 years. a child and a box. #little rory and the amelia who followed the doctor’s letters to the pandorica. and she doesn’t recognize him again. #and amelia in the pandorica… 2000 years a child trapped in a small box waiting to be rescued. #s5 is already fucked for them but it could be worse. it could be so much worse. #and it would make the doctor choosing to take her place in the pandorica to save the universe later even better. #because who else but the doctor would put the fate of the universe on the shoulders of two children and realize much too late what a #monstrous thing he’d done. and still have to hope. have to hope. that amelia would remember him fondly enough to bring him back to reality. #the logistics of all of this would have been a pain lmao. child labor laws in acting and all that. #BUT. hypothetically. it would have slapped. #doctor who #amy pond #rory williams #<- also this entire time ive been referring to him in my head as rory pond so much that i fuckin. forgot his actual last name. #and then like if you want them to be adults in s6 or whatever you can just timeskip to them getting married and still have amelia remember #the doctor there. it would work. it would. #amelia pond au

[futuristichedge]

Fic so good u start imagining more fic for it

#rambles #man. SATBK fic (specifically 'what isnt yours') killing me atm #thinking abt the satbk cast interacting with main world counterparts and goddd #silver and galahad would be so. like what do you mean you got to be raised in a relatively healthy environment with a dad and stability #youre a knight and training to improve and here i am doing the same thing but with no guidance and the future on my shoulders #satbk save me. save me satbk #also nimue and amy would get along i think. tails and the blacksmith too (trading of special interest info) #percival and blaze both having that high level if dignity and duty but one coming from being a knight and the other being a princess. #gawain and knuckles might clash over small things but overall get along #shadow would not fucking stand lancelot. what do you mean all these rules of following a king dictate how i should act. i choose for myself #and lamorak and jet i have no fucking clue. mutual recognition for skill but also 'what is WRONG with you' maybe??? #too busy with school to write or draw comic... so i must daydream

[mobbothetrue]

Spotify prompt! Knuckles and tails, an 19 :)

Oh hoho! You managed to land FightSong by EVE (<- YouTube link), a song that by all rights shoulda been #2 (<- I refuse to pay Spotify money).

Hmm…. It’s been a while since I’ve done anything with Super Sonic Speed, but I always did intend to write follow-ups…

.•.•.•.

The city is unbelievably loud. They’re in what Sonic had called a shopping district, and it’s apparently very popular. Knuckles would kind of like to go home, a lot, actually, but Tails is flirting from one shop to another and he doesn’t have it in him to shut the kid down. Sonic is somewhere on the periphery of their little group— he and Tails had bonded, thick as thieves, and Knuckles— well, he tolerated the guy.

Tails gasps like he’s seeing the sun rise for the first time, excited enough that he’s lifting off the ground. Knuckles ambles over, grabs him by the ankle, and pulls him back down. He’s looking at some sort of… thing. Knuckles can’t make heads or tails of it, but it’s definitely saying something to Tails.

Hmm. He is, at least, familiar with the idea of shops. Chao liked to set them up, sometimes, selling fruit or handmade crafts for rings, but Knuckles has no idea if their idea of currency and everyone else’s aligns. Would the shopkeep accept a fruit? Most chao did. It isn’t like rings are a problem, so…

Knuckles turns, seeking out Sonic in the crowd. There he is— stiff as anything, glancing frantically back and forth between Knuckles and some other hedgehog, a pink one. One of his friends, maybe? They look irritated, maybe not. Knuckles steps away from Tails, invites himself into their conversation.

“and you just RAN OFF—“ the hedgehog is shouting. Sonic cracks his mouth open, a faint wheeze escaping.

“Hey,” Knuckles says.

“—do you have ANY IDEA how WORRIED I was—“

This looks like a battle Sonic is better off fighting on his own. Still, Knuckles needs his question answered. “Hey,” he repeats, slightly louder.

“—I mean, I knew you were alright because my cards said so, but—“

“Hey Knuckles,” Sonic manages to crack out, “this is Amy.”

Amy tilts her head at him, and then gives him a sharp, discerning once-over. “Are you one of his other friends?” She asks.

“Yeah, sure,” Knuckles says, and then “do rings work as currency down here?”

She blinks at him, as if this is a weird thing to ask. “Yes?” She says.

“Okay,” Knuckles says, nodding, “try not to scare him too bad.”

Any lingering confusion evaporates, and she whirls around to find Sonic trying to sneak away. “AGAIN!” she shouts, full of conviction, and Knuckles makes his way back to where he left Tails. He isn’t pressed up against the glass anymore, so Knuckles steps into the store. Yeah, there he is. Hovering— literally— over the same display.

Knuckles takes a moment to properly observe, rooting around for the terms Tails would use, in an attempt to ensure he gets the right thing. There’s a looping track, and a few other gadgets on the sides. A switch, one of them looks like, and some barricade, and a few blinking lights. On the track itself is a… sideways cylinder, set on wheels, connected to a few boxes, puffing out smoke— or steam, maybe. Tails is absorbed enough in watching it chug along that he doesn’t even realize Knuckles is standing right next to him. Knuckles’ll just have to make sure he comes up for air, occasionally.

He casts about the rest of the store, vaguely lost. There are a lot of displays, and a lot of colourful boxes. Knuckles picks up one, flips it over, and realizes swiftly he is out of his depth. He brings the box over to Tails, handing it to him. Tails holds onto it for a full few seconds, watching with bated breath as the cylinder switches tracks, before he looks down. His fur all along his spine puffs up, and he turns to look at Knuckles so fast he has to wonder if Sonic hasn’t started to rub off on him in more ways than one. That’s the right box, for sure.

“Really?” Tails asks, voice breathy with excitement, and Knuckles ruffles his fur instinctually.

“‘Course.”

Maybe the shopping district isn’t that bad.

#eggthew #prompt fill #askbox #uhhh so. I kind of barely followed fightsong at all I CAN EXPLAIN #went off the visuals instead of the lyrics. two people running around in city. ooh I could do knuckles protecting tails from Eggman in some #kind of egg city! ah hang on there’s the eggperial city arc in idw and I haven’t read that yet. so I’m not confident in portraying it. hmmm #I could do a Different egg city… man Knuckles and Tails. what a great pair. I really enjoyed writing them in super sonic speed. hey! I could #do super sonic speed’s Knuckles’s first time in a city! maybe he gets kind of freaked out? escape from the city haha #well tails would be familiar with cities. and sonic would be there ofc but I’ll shuffle him off to the side so he doesn’t hog the spotlight #I could do tails looking at a shop! yeah! and knuckles needs to ask how currency works but sonic is… busy? hmm. oh! a city!!!! amy lives in #a city!! she runs into sonic! which keeps him from coming back over with knuckles. I always did mean to write her reunion with sonic. #that’ll be nice to do. alright. perfect. it’s all working out. get to the final few lines. think ‘hey how did I end up with this anyway.’ #pulse of adrenaline as my brain goes OH YEAH FIGHTSONG. ach. #I’m happy w this though :) #knuckles: I Tolerate sonic. at best. #sonic: hey I am in a vaguely uncomfortable situation #knuckles *rolling up metaphorical sleeves*: do I need to kick ass #Amy making a mental note: sonic apparently befriending a space alien okay okay cool #they meet up for ice cream. knuckles is inflicted with curse of immediate brainfreeze. tails is So Excited about his new model train set #within a week he mods it to A) be strong enough to pull the Master Emerald and B) be armed.

[sonicprim3d]

I think I might need more crossover crack ships tbh...

#𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 [ General | OOC ] #(i mean amy's rizzed up marx's bendy that one time) #(which i will get back to eventually but atm marx is overtaken by fnaf brainrot on their multi which i can't even blame them for) #(and sonic's got his whole thing with winter's loona) #(as well as L's human women muses) #(but m o r e) #(more hazbin-helluva crack ships specifically since i follow a few of my ol' pals from that fandom on here) #(looking at hannah's multi specifically ngl-) #(okay but ofc only if others want it no forcing but. that is my opinion in case anyone has ever been wondering or considering asdlgherhg)

[camellcat]

I have absolutely no idea how to articulate that cat!eleven and cat!amy are just bluestar and firepaw to me

like the whole "come along, pond!" line just makes me think of rusty following bluestar back to thunderclan camp for the first time

#just the imagery. not even really like. I can't see them as either of those characters but they are sooo #little kittypet follows mysterious warrior into the woods #which really is just doctor who in a nutshell but I mean THIS and THEM specifically #like can you imagine cat!eleven crowing from the treetops to “come along pond!” as a kittypet!amy struggles to keep up #I want to draw this so bad even if it does not make any sense <3 #if ninerose is squirrelcrow and tenrose is talljake to me then I don't see why eleven and amy can't be bluestar and firepaw lol #none of those make sense but in my heart they fit! xD #eleventh doctor #amy pond #doctor who #doctor mew

[opens-up-4-nobody]

Anyone have les miserables art requests?

#idk how many les mis ppl follow me anymore lol. who has survived the tide of narut0? #i just rewatched the 2012 movie for the 1st time since 2017 when it originally got me hooked on les mis #and i mean. i like the musical 10000x more than the movie i just forgot how the music gives me chills #especially: to love another person is to see the face of god. #i just. i love the story so much. i love that bastard javert. and jvj the saint and cosette and eponine #i even love that noodle marius and yes of course i love all of les amis. tho i feel way more detached from the fandom aspects of it #oh. fantine and gavroche as well. it also reminds me how much i hate the way bbc les mis decided to do things. god i have so many les mis #feelings. so if uv got requests now is the time. bc my brain very nearly collapsed yesterday so im forced to chill a bit haha #les miserables #les mis #do i post this at 4.40am my time? sure fuck it. idk y im awake rn #listen. the reasons i like les mis and narut0 overlap more than u would think lmao

[raposarealm]

Today’s defense team~

That’s not a ranked fight, that’s a friend battle against what I’m pretty sure is one of Muffin’s alts. 

I lost that fight by the way, Ayaka hits for absolute jack shite.

#she's got all defense memos in fairness #i fought that riko again right after and pulled a t1 ria combo which tore through riko like a hot knife through a small child i mean butter #ria has tsumugi swords and naturally high attack so she hits damn hard even with no se #i didn't have room for seika ;_; #i should've run flame delta actually but i didn't want to leave them vulnerable to jus being slaughtered by aniyachi users #it's a joke team not a freebie win you gotta do some work >:( #oh by the way if you wanna fight them and you're not my mutual yell at me i'll follow you #magia record #endless mirrors #mirrors ranking #mariko ayaka #eri aimi #ami ria #ayano rika #ibuki leila #chiaki riko #shall mention the small child

[infizero]

crazy how heroes simultaneously has the worst amy characterization and also the best amy theme song... how did they manage that

#when i call follow me the best btw i mean in terms of fitting her character!! i fucking LOVEEEEEE my sweet passion dont get me wrong #that song makes me go insane. but i think follow me is a much better fit for amy herself. its more cute and wish-like #while my sweet passion is almost like seductive? idk but its sound feels more fitted for someone like ROUGE than amy. i love it to death #but i think follow me just fits amy's vibes better. it also is a fucking fantastic song and i love it so so much #serena.txt #and heroes ALSO has the best amy model. truly sad

[venusiancharisma]

Your Femme Fatale Persona Based On Moon Sign...

Just for fun, astro observations. Enjoy! This is based on the manifestation of... "they made me do it". So, while I dont agree this is the Femme Fatal "homeostasis" of each moon sign, I believe that, at one's darkest hour, these are the specific persona's each of us would take on...

Aries Moon - Lara Croft (Tomb Raider): Strong, independent, and fearless, the Aries Moon femme fatale is a daring adventurer who isn't afraid to take risks. Like Lara Croft, she's always ready for action and thrives on challenges. Additionally...

The Bride (Kill Bill): Driven, vengeful, and skilled in martial arts.

Aeon Flux (Aeon Flux): Athletic, daring, and rebellious.

Taurus Moon - Satine (Moulin Rouge!): Sensual, alluring, and grounded, the Taurus Moon femme fatale is a master of seduction. Like Satine, she knows how to use her beauty and charm to get what she wants while remaining emotionally steadfast. Additionally...

Sugar Kane Kowalczyk (Some Like It Hot): Sexy, charming, and pleasure-seeking.

Regina George (Mean Girls): Popular, manipulative, and materialistic.

Gemini Moon - Catwoman (Batman Returns): Clever, adaptable, and enigmatic, the Gemini Moon femme fatale is a master of disguise. Like Catwoman, she's quick-witted, elusive, and always keeps others guessing. Additionally...

Jordan Baker (The Great Gatsby): Clever, charming, and unpredictable.

Marion Crane (Psycho): Secretive, impulsive, and multifaceted.

Cancer Moon - Norma Desmond (Sunset Boulevard): Emotionally intense, nostalgic, and manipulative, the Cancer Moon femme fatale is a complex character. Like Norma Desmond, she may cling to the past and use her vulnerability to control others. Additionally...

Annie Wilkes (Misery): Obsessive, nurturing, and unstable.

Alex Forrest (Fatal Attraction): Clingy, possessive, and emotionally demanding.

Leo Moon - Foxxy Cleopatra (Austin Powers in Goldmember): Confident, dramatic, and alluring, the Leo Moon femme fatale knows how to command attention. Like Foxxy Cleopatra, she's bold, charismatic, and always steals the spotlight. Additionally...

Marilyn Monroe (The Seven Year Itch): Charismatic, flirtatious, and attention-seeking.

Jessica Rabbit (Who Framed Roger Rabbit): Seductive, enigmatic, and theatrical.

Virgo Moon - Catherine Tramell (Basic Instinct): Intelligent, calculating, and mysterious, the Virgo Moon femme fatale is a master of manipulation. Like Catherine Tramell, she uses her intellect and attention to detail to outmaneuver others. Additionally...

Tracy Lord (The Philadelphia Story): Perfectionist, analytical, and critical.

Amy Dunne (Gone Girl): Cunning, organized, and vengeful.

Libra Moon - Gilda (Gilda): Charming, sophisticated, and flirtatious, the Libra Moon femme fatale is a social butterfly. Like Gilda, she knows how to use her charm and beauty to captivate and influence others. Additionally...

Madeleine Elster (Vertigo): Elegant, charming, and mysterious.

Daisy Buchanan (The Great Gatsby): Charming, indecisive, and idealistic.

Vesper Lynd (Casino Royale): Sophisticated, diplomatic, and elusive.

Scorpio Moon - Phyllis Dietrichson (Double Indemnity): Intense, secretive, and seductive, the Scorpio Moon femme fatale is a master of psychological manipulation. Like Phyllis Dietrichson, she uses her sexual allure and emotional depth to ensnare others. Additionally...

Cersei Lannister (Game of Thrones): Power-hungry, manipulative, and intense.

Brigid O'Shaughnessy (The Maltese Falcon): Mysterious, alluring, and deceitful.

Sagittarius Moon - Beatrix Kiddo (Kill Bill): Independent, adventurous, and philosophical, the Sagittarius Moon femme fatale is a free spirit. Like Beatrix Kiddo, she's a skilled warrior who follows her own moral code and seeks justice on her own terms. Additionally...

Nikita (La Femme Nikita): Rebellious, independent, and adventurous.

Lisbeth Salander (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo): Unconventional, daring, and justice-seeking.

Capricorn Moon - Miranda Priestly (The Devil Wears Prada): Ambitious, disciplined, and powerful, the Capricorn Moon femme fatale is a formidable presence. Like Miranda Priestly, she's a master of her craft and expects nothing less than perfection from herself and others. Additionally...

Evelyn Mulwray (Chinatown): Reserved, ambitious, and secretive.

Lady Macbeth (Macbeth): Ambitious, manipulative, and ruthless.

Aquarius Moon - Mia Wallace (Pulp Fiction): Unconventional, independent, and mysterious, the Aquarius Moon femme fatale is a true original. Like Mia Wallace, she marches to the beat of her own drum and isn't afraid to break the rules. Additionally...

Mathilda (Léon: The Professional): Unconventional, intelligent, and rebellious.

Clementine Kruczynski (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind): Eccentric, free-spirited, and unpredictable.

Pisces Moon - Nina Sayers (Black Swan): Imaginative, emotionally vulnerable, and self sacrificing. Like Nina, she uses her damseled distress and emotional depth to draw others into her web of desire and deceit. Additionally...

Melissa Robinson (The Last Seduction): Deceptive, adaptable, and seductive.

Laura Hunt (Laura): Elusive, enigmatic, dreamy, and idealization.

#astrology #zodiac #natal chart #sagittarius #astro notes #libra #capricorn #astro observations #virgo #synastry #femme fatale #femme #gemini #pisces #aquarius #taurus #aries #cancer moon #astrology observations #scorpio moon #astro community #scorpio

[vashtijoy]

have you seen the commentary from the p5r artbook going around? the shuake part of my dash is losing it a bit at the implication that their wishes were mutual!!! that seems to be what some people are getting from the commentary at least… amy insights?

Hi! I have been through the artbook. It's great, isn't it? :D

The image above is called "One Ending", and the creator caption (by illustrator Akane Kabayashi) reads:

When I think about how Akechi's wish was to play chess after school with the protagonist, I almost want to call him out with "You liked him after all, didn't you!"

Look at that. We're told about Akechi's wish, and what it included. We're as good as told outright that he likes Joker—and this isn't the only time, there's also this:

—There are a whole lot of things we can imagine, based on how the protagonist was depicted as someone special to Akechi. Those are more or less the exact emotions represented during Akechi's confidant. (Mumon Usuda, chief designer)

"someone special" here is 特別な存在 tokubetsuna sonzai—literally "a special presence". It means a special person, and more than that; it describes someone you find compelling, someone you can't look away from, someone who becomes one of your most important people, the centre of your world. It's another term that is often romantic, but isn't necessarily romantic.

(In the same way, I think Kabayashi's suki jan! is more tongue-in-cheek than it is a cast-iron confirmation that Akechi was canonly in love with Joker. The language there is teasing, it's ambiguous, it's baity; Kabayashi is joking. This is a rank 6—as they say, if you know, you know. But it is of course ultimately up to all of you.)

There's another mention of this image, down in the creator interview:

Out of all the Maruki ending illustrations, it was Akechi's that stuck with me the most. It made such an impression to see them opening up as friends, having a fun, peaceful time together like high school students should. (Mumon Usuda, chief designer)

What really strikes me in all of this is the emphasis the creators put on the fact that this is Akechi's illustration, Akechi's wish. Because I've thought for a while that we know Akechi has a wish. You can see him struggling with his refusals to Maruki in the first week of January. And you can hear his wish spoken—when Maruki repeats it back to him, during the boss fight, on 2/3:

Maruki {F1 81}君たちとなら、君も過ちのない道を歩めるかも知れないじゃないか！ {F1 81}-kun-tachi to nara, kimi mo ayamachi no nai michi o ayumeru kamoshirenai ja nai ka! If you're with {F1 81}―kun and his friends, you could begin to atone for what you've done! Think about it! With [Amamiya]-kun and his friends beside you, you could choose a path with no mistakes as well!

So this wish has several parts. First, there's that kimi mo, "you also"; it's tempting to read this as Maruki also wanting his new world to erase his past mistakes. Second, there's the first part, "if you're with [Amamiya]-kun and his friends". Where to even start here?

Being with Joker and the others is a prerequisite for the second half of Akechi's wish. It doesn't just coexist, it enables the rest of it. Just like his words in the engine room, "I wonder why we couldn't have met a few years earlier, [Ren]..."

Remember, Akechi's whole arc is about his rejection of trust and friendship, and his insistence on doing everything himself. This is precisely what Futaba calls him out on—"you trusted no one", or "you played life in single-player mode". This is what he unlearns at the climax of the engine room, when he realises he isn't prepared to let the others die—and follows through to save them.

Akechi is nothing without others, and he knows it. Without their support, which he believes he has no right to, he has no hope of living a better life, even were he to be given the chance—and he knows that, too. He has learned, and he has grown—and yet he knows the things he needs and wants so badly are forever inaccessible.

And his wish is about all the Phantom Thieves, not just Joker. There are many tiny references to this end—not least the original Japanese rank 10 line for his confidant, where he sacrifices himself for all of you. Joker is his compelling presence, his someone special, but he's formed small bonds with the others too, God help him.

and then there's the crime thing

The localisation frames Akechi's wish in terms of atonement, but that's not what's on offer. You cannot, after all, atone for things you never did. We see Akechi's wish put into practice, in the Maruki ending, where he appears with his friends beside him, wholly innocent and with unstained hands. And we see it in the first week of January, after he has finally met Maruki and spoken to him:

Akechi: Ah, that reminds me—there was one more thing I wanted to tell you. Akechi: About the reality Maruki's put us in... Akechi: It seems that Okumura and Wakaba are both considered alive by all accounts. [Ren: They're not dead anymore? / What do you mean?] Akechi: They aren't mere illusions, or cognitive beings—they truly are alive and existing in this world. Akechi: In fact, their deaths seem to have never taken place at all in this reality. [Ren: What happened to Shido?] Akechi: Shido was the only one arrested on the crime of attempting to overthrow the government... Akechi: It seems the Phantom Thieves were causing a stir in this society as well, but there's no record of your arrest now. Akechi: Basically, in this reality, you and I haven't committed any crimes.

While Akechi still remembers his crimes, they never took place. They have been undone, and only his lingering memory—and Joker's, at this point—speaks to them. He objects to this on countless levels, he summons all the strength he has to refuse it, but don't make the mistake of thinking that means he doesn't want it. This is Akechi's wish in action.

People are often very certain that Akechi's resolve in the third semester is like iron—that he rejects Maruki's offers right away, is never tempted, never wavers. But that can't be true. We know he's afraid to die. We know about the bad end where you don't complete the Palace, where Akechi says nothing and stares at the floor, seemingly blaming himself internally while all the others blame themselves aloud, for being unable to say no to Maruki's temptations. We know how he responds to this assertion of Maruki's—Maruki, who has perfectly summed up what we know all the other PTs wanted, and who (even if Word of God hadn't just confirmed Akechi's wish) we have, honestly, no reason to doubt.

Because Akechi never refutes this wish that Maruki describes. He never says he doesn't want it. He just rejects it—like all the others, who so desperately want what Maruki could give them. Futaba's mother, Haru's father. Akechi's life, and his innocence. And the people who might have been his friends, if he could dare, one day, to ask.

Akechi is tested just like the others, and the price he pays for his defiance is perhaps the highest of all.

and finally

[The Maruki ending illustrations are] of Maruki's world, where everyone's wishes are granted and they seem happy. The scene shows their actualised wishes, which were never granted in the real world. (Mumon Usuda, chief designer)

We shouldn't forget the price Akechi pays for his impossible wish. Sure, the vision of himself being altered like Sumire clearly haunts him, and I'm sure it made the choice easier—but I don't think it made it that easy. Instead of taking the dream Maruki offered him, Akechi chose to face up to what he'd done, and who he'd become; at the very end, in the third semester and in the engine room, he always makes the right choice.

And that choice was taken away from him. Agency over his life and death, his own acts, and who he would even be—Joker and Maruki take it all away from him and make him a puppet, just like Shido.

Maruki's ending isn't pretty.

revision history

Click here for the latest version.

v1.0 (2024/03/29)—first published.

#asks #persona 5 #p5 meta #things i translate #japanese language #word of god #shuake #goro akechi #takuto maruki

[d4rkpluto]

𝔞𝔰𝔠𝔢𝔫𝔡𝔞𝔫𝔱 𝔰𝔦𝔤𝔫𝔰 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔦𝔯 𝔟𝔢𝔞𝔲𝔱𝔶

♇ my discord chat chose this to be my 9,600 or 9,700 followers post? either way thank you so much for being with me for this path, i appreciate everyone :)

ʙᴜʏ ᴘᴀɪᴅ ᴄʜᴀʀᴛ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢꜱ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀɪᴄᴇꜱ ɢᴏ ᴜᴘ can get a paid venus/beauty/relationship reading from me!

follow for more content!

ᴀʀɪᴇꜱ ᴀꜱᴄᴇɴᴅᴀɴᴛ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛʏ

RIHANNA, NIKKI REED, BILLIE EILISH AND KENDALL JENNER.

♇ aries ascendant beauty involves them having long heads, or a diamond head-shape, but they usually have a really nice side-profile. they're usually people who have slanted eyes, or sanpaku eyes, [there could be another proper word for it?], though i noticed that they have a large space of whites under their eyes, specifically rihanna, billie and kendall.

♇ their lower face is sharp, and smaller/thinner than their upper-face. they're women who can suit dark hair, and they naturally have dark and sharp eyebrows. most of the times, their eyebrows are straight. they have a thin nose bridge, and a long mid-face, full and distinct cheekbones along with full lips and an apparent cupids bow.

♇ they have a clear redness on their faces, specifically cheeks, like a natural blush. a pointy chin and foreheads that could be considered as large, or in a "nicer" term, a broad forehead.

ᴛᴀᴜʀᴜꜱ ᴀꜱᴄᴇɴᴅᴀɴᴛ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛʏ

MILEY CYRUS, PHOEBE TONKIN, GIGI HADID AND MEGAN THEE STALLION.

♇ taurus ascendants have small heads and very strong cheek-bones, if it doesnt show naturally, it shows a lot when they smile. they tend to have full lips, but the lower lip is usually bigger than the upper lip. the tip of their nose is usually bulbous, i believe taurus rules the nose, if i am correct, especially because it rules the cow! <3

♇ they usually have very arched eyebrows, known as the venusian arch. compared to the aries ascendant, taurus ascendants usually have a wider nose bridge, and a short mid-face.

♇ their eyes could be considered as mesmerising and intense as their stare is usually very strong. their cheek bones are low, it gives them an apple shaped face. while doing my research, i noticed that most of them have wide lips and square heads, but it suits them really well.

ɢᴇᴍɪɴɪ ᴀꜱᴄᴇɴᴅᴀɴᴛ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛʏ

LADY GAGA, AMY WINEHOUSE, MADISON BEER AND KRISTEN STEWART.

♇ gemini ascendants usually have a pale undertone, and their lips are usually naturally thin and very straight [also wide] with their upper lip being sharp, it could be deemed that they have a strong cupid's bow as well. the tip of their nose are usually distinct, whether it be big, bulbous, something about it would just stick out.

♇ they look good while wearing winged-eyeliner, and gemini ascendant people are usually individuals who have a long mid-face, and i've noticed that their face tends to stick out and can be very long but circular. one thing i noticed about gemini ascendants, specifically those who have strong mercurial placements, [specifically gemini] they tend to have a long edge at the side of their lips, it reminds me of joker lips since how wide it can be.

♇ their lips are usually very pink and they have slender necks. their eyes are usually colourful or could be considered as very pale. their beauty involves them having square foreheads/or a squared upper head. and if their heads arent oval, they tend to be very structured.

ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀ ᴀꜱᴄᴇɴᴅᴀɴᴛ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛʏ

♇ cancer ascendant beauty involves them having big and beautiful smiles, the tail of their eyebrows tend to be long, while the front of their eyebrows are short. as expected, they have the crescent moon face touch, so sometimes their face could be unsymmetrical, specifically the lower jaw, [unsymmetrical does not mean not beautiful].

♇ their nose tip usually are wide, and their eyes are bright, usually looks like its glistening. their upper lip tend to be smaller than their lower lip, and they have full cheekbones and meaty chins. most of the cancer ascendants i have met have clear skins or it could have a lot of freckles or moles.

♇ cancer ascendants usually have strong but soft features, it stands out, especially when they turn to the side. and i noticed they usually have long noses.

ʟᴇᴏ ᴀꜱᴄᴇɴᴅᴀɴᴛ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛʏ

MARILYN MONROE, VANESSA HUDGENS, BLAKE LIVELY AND JESSICA ALBA.

♇ very mesmerising beauty here, leo ascendants do well when they have bright coloured hair, specifically golden/blonde, they also have a bronze/golden undertone. their beauty also involves them having a heart shaped mouth and a long nose bridge.

♇ they're normally short women and have a square or rectangular face, and their chins are usually flat or wide, or both. most leo ascendants have feline eyes and full eyelashes. their beauty contains them having prominent smile lines and nice shoulders.

♇ as they have good posture, leo ascendant beauty includes them having a square fore-head and rosy cheeks. they normally have straight or nice teeth, usually because of virgo being in their second house.

ᴠɪʀɢᴏ ᴀꜱᴄᴇɴᴅᴀɴᴛ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛʏ

LADAN FARAH, BELLA HADID, MILLIE BOBBY BROWN AND BROOKE SHIELDS.

♇ they sure do love their side profiles! virgo ascendant beauty includes them having pointy chins, sometimes it goes forwards, they have a prominent nose, could sometimes be seen as a "beak nose" as it's usually thin, very structured or bony. their upper face is square and their lips are usually wide.

♇ virgo ascendant beauty involves hem having a thin/narrow face, either doe eyes or feline eyes, either way, their eyes are usually big. they have arched eyebrows and usually a clean look, a structured jaw and sometimes a micro chin.

♇ noted that virgo ascendants usually have a dimple somewhere on their face, specifically their cheek or on their chin. and their figures are very thin most of the time, or they can appear as frail.

ʟɪʙʀᴀ ᴀꜱᴄᴇɴᴅᴀɴᴛ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛʏ

BEYONCE, ANNA NICOLE SMITH, DOJA CAT, ZOE KRAVITZ.

♇ i noticed a lot of them have a light undertone, much libra ascendant beauty involves them having an oval face, [but as libra ascendant is a light essence, their other placements can over take, like anna nicole smith's sagittarius sun making her face more chiselled]. they have a lot of beauty moles and have a glow to them, it could be that hera touch.

♇ a thin nose bridge, very pink lips, and lips that could be considered as pouty. usually like to wear light/earthy coloured clothes, and have short foreheads, or foreheads that are medium sized. like to go for the light coloured hair styles.

♇ as they have a short lower face, their bodies can come off as very relaxed, with them having strong stares, they sometimes appear like they have superior looks. they usually wear much accessories.

ꜱᴄᴏʀᴘɪᴏ ᴀꜱᴄᴇɴᴅᴀɴᴛ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛʏ

LANA DEL REY, LILY ROSE, EVA LONGORIA AND JANET JACKSON.

♇ scorpio ascendant beauty is them having dark attractive brows, strong cheek bones and a smaller upper lip. they have owl faces, they sometimes bring their faces forward like one, especially with them having slender necks, them looking like an owl intensifies.

♇ their jaw, chiefly the side of their jaws could be long, and their beauty includes eyes that twinkles, chins that are flat, and a low mid face, it makes them look like baby dolls.

♇ could be into having really dark or light hair, but the light hair are usually with scorpio moons. their beauty involves them having curly/wavy hair, and a full face that is still structured. or you can say chiselled. they could have similar thin noses to virgo risings, but it is not as bony looking.

ꜱᴀɢɪᴛᴛᴀʀɪᴜꜱ ᴀꜱᴄᴇɴᴅᴀɴᴛ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛʏ

KIM KARDASHIAN, PARIS HILTON, ADRIANA LIMA AND JESSICA ALEXANDER.

♇ their big sultry eyes is apart of their allure, their eyes come off as darty, and sometimes they can be the hardest ascendant to tell, appearance wise. they're people who do well with nude colours, and when it comes to their lips, their lower lip appears to be larger than their upper lip.

♇ with high cheekbones, they sometimes tend to pucker their lips a lot, which is funny because it gives the horse face structure, [im a sagittarius ascendant]. their beauty is their long noses with a buttoned tip, their nose bridges could be thin but as the nose goes lower, it can be very wide in comparison to the nose bridge.

♇ they usually have straight eyebrows, long but square faces, and heavy eye make up compliments them well. sagittarius ascendants beauty involves them having big gummy smiles and having this elf/fairy essence.

ᴄᴀᴘʀɪᴄᴏʀɴ ᴀꜱᴄᴇɴᴅᴀɴᴛ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛʏ

KYLIE JENNER, AISHWARYA RAI, ARIANA GRANDE AND MEGAN FOX.

♇ capricorn ascendant beauty has them mostly having short and square faces, doe eyes and eyes that are a light shade, with it being paired with having strong noses, they come off as daring and sultry. their eyebrows are usually arched, almost horn-like. most capricorn ascendants have very light pink coloured lips.

♇ they tend to have a small but pointy chin, somewhat like their sister sign, cancer. capricorn ascendant beauty involves them having most of their features in the middle, and they can sometimes appear like they're fragile, example, ariana grande. with the other capricorn ascendant people i've done research on, they usually tend to do surgery.

♇ their beauty involves them having almond shaped eyes and full eye-lashes, like dolls. they remind me of blythe dolls. most of them have this cold beauty, a type of essence that makes them appear like they're hard to reach, muted colours look good on them as well. and i've noticed they have dimples.

ᴀQᴜᴀʀɪᴜꜱ ᴀꜱᴄᴇɴᴅᴀɴᴛ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛʏ

GABRIETTE, ZENDAYA, AURDREY HEPBURN AND AALIYAH.

♇ tim burton kind of beauty, have a specific hairstyle, and like the sign they share the same planet with, capricorn, aquarius ascendants have square heads. compared to other aquarius placements, aquarius ascendants are least likely going to have alien shaped heads in my opinion. on the other hand, their beauty involves them having a ghostly or classic type of beauty.

♇ they have pretty hands, could be the aries in the third house, and are likely interest in thin brows, or could be into styling them. overall, the eyebrows are distinct. they tend to have a big sized nose, and when it comes to their eye shapes, they are usually slender and kind of downturned, or it looks sleepy. red lipstick looks good on them.

♇ tend to have a dimple in their chin, and have sad eyes, the tip of their noses are sometimes downturned. and they have low cheekbones which adds onto their ghostly/ghastly look.

ᴘɪꜱᴄᴇꜱ ᴀꜱᴄᴇɴᴅᴀɴᴛ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛʏ

BARBARA PALVIN, ROSÉ, JENNA ORTEGA AND SABRINA CARPENTER.

♇ they look like both baby cows but fishes at the same time, specifically the female fish from fishtales, their cheeks are usually full and puffy, and their beauty involves them having very blue eyes, if not blue, it appears as very watery. when i was looking at pictures of them, most of them had their mouths open...it's a cute fish thing.

♇ they have diamond heads and sharp chins, their beauty involves them having short eyebrows, and tend to have a surprised but focused look. they look good in many colours, but specifically pink.

♇ pisces ascendants tend to have chiselled faces, and big eyes and small figures, if not by the help by other planets. women who are pisces ascendants tend to be midgets, but its a cute look on them.

ʙᴜʏ ᴘᴀɪᴅ ᴄʜᴀʀᴛ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢꜱ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀɪᴄᴇꜱ ɢᴏ ᴜᴘ can get a paid venus/beauty/relationship reading from me!

#aries ascendant #rihanna #nikki reed #billie eilish #kendall jenner #taurus ascendant #miley cyrus #phoebe tonkin #gigi hadid #megan thee stallion #gemini ascendant #lady gaga #amy winehouse #madison beer #kristen stewart #cancer ascendant #angelina jolie #meghan markle #sharon tate #tyra banks #leo ascendant #marilyn monroe #vanessa hudgens #blake lively #jessica alba #virgo ascendant #ladan farah #bella hadid #millie bobby brown #brooke shields

[harunayuuka2060]

Neige: MC! *sniffles* You got hurt!

MC: I am alright, Neige... Though what are you doing here?

Vil: He insisted on coming with me when he heard about the news.

MC: ...

MC: *glances at Rook*

Rook: *smiles at them*

MC: ...

MC: *turns their attention back to Vil and Neige* Thank you both for your concern, but it was only a minor injury.

Vil: Your bandage on your arm says otherwise. *looking stern now*

MC: It's fine now since it's been treated.

Neige: MC, you should always be careful!

MC: I will. Thanks for reminding me, Neige.

Vil: ...

Vil: I checked the CCTV. You fought with the burglar.

MC: ...

MC: Yes.

Vil: Why didn't you wake me up?

MC: I didn't want to disturb your rest. Besides, I handled it just fine.

Vil: ...

Vil: You still got yourself injured. If it was Rook, he would—

MC: Yes. He's much capable to serve you. He was your vice housewarden when you were still studying in Night Raven College, right?

Vil: ...Yes.

MC: And I guess he has always been exceptional.

MC: He's the best for you, Vil. I'm sure he wouldn't mind working for you.

Vil: ...

MC's co-worker: Is your friend alright? I saw him walked out and dragged Neige LeBlanche with him.

MC: They had a schedule to follow.

Their co-worker: Ya veo. But Vil Schoenheit looked like he was fuming mad.

MC: ...

MC: That sounds like an exaggeration.

Their co-worker: Oh, yeah. Of course. What I mean is his aura, okay? It's burning.

MC: *shakes their head* Let's just get back to work.

Their co-worker: Oh wait! Rook. Rook just quit. I didn't know why, but he said that his job here is done.

MC: ...

MC: Vil must've hired him.

Their co-worker: That fast? Quite a privilege, no?

MC: *chuckles* *proceeds to continue with their task*

Rook: Roi du Poison, there must be a reason why Ami masqué refused your offer.

Vil: They've found out that we are affiliated to each other, Rook.

Rook: Oh! How could that be possible? I was certain I didn't raise any suspicion!

Vil: That doesn't matter now. My plan didn't work.

Rook: You shouldn't lose hope, Roi du Poison. I know deep inside that Ami masqué cherishes you. Maybe they just need more time to realize that.

Vil: ...

Vil: Rook, were you not listening to me when I told you about our story?

Rook: Non. I had listened intently. And my point still stands.

Vil: ...

Customer A: You lack energy today, MC. Did something happen?

MC: Huh? What do you mean?

Customer B: It feels like you're sulking about something. Or we could be wrong.

MC: ...

MC: You two seem to have been drinking a lot.

The customers: We're sober!

MC: It doesn't look like it to me.

The customers: Manager! Your concierge is judging us!

The manager: *chuckles and waves her hand dismissively*

The bartender: I think MC is sulking because Vil Schoenheit isn't here today.

The customers: Oh!

MC: No. That's not the reason at all. *carries the drunk woman*

The drunk woman: We're going home?

MC: Yes, miss. Is there someone waiting for you to be home?

The drunk woman: No...

MC: I see. We'll get going.

The bartender: Don't sulk! *as MC walks out of the nightclub with the customer*

The drunk woman: Looks like they're teasing you...

MC: Please don't mind them.

Vil: *staring at MC's phone number*

Vil: *decides to call them; not really hoping that MC would answer*

MC: Vil?

Vil: MC—

'MC~ You smell good~'

Vil: ...

MC: Please excuse me.

MC: Miss, you're inhaling the fabric conditioner.

'But this has never smelled so good before~'

Vil: Looks like you are in the middle of something.

MC: Ah, yes. Sorry. I will call you back. *hangs up*

Vil: ...

Vil: *smiles in irritation*

#twisted wonderland #twst mc #twst vil #twst neige #twst rook #twst vil and mc series 1

[thankskenpenders]

Amy's fortune cards

The Sonic fandom has long been the kind of fandom that takes minor details very seriously, for better or worse. On the one hand, this means fans will really dig for the diamonds in the rough, latching onto fun character interactions, animations, bits of background worldbuilding, and more in pieces of Sonic media that many would write off as "the bad ones." But it also feels like every week another needlessly hostile debate over Sonic minutia erupts on Twitter, whether it's over individual lines of dialogue, fanart that makes Tails' shoes blue, or the ideal length and volume for Sonic's quills.

So it was probably inevitable that a fandom-wide debate would erupt upon seeing Amy's new gameplay style in the DLC for Sonic Frontiers, which takes the once-obscure fact that she enjoys reading tarot and shines a spotlight on it like never before.

I mean:

The thing is, while I basically always try to tune out Sonic fandom bickering... for once, I kind of sympathize with the detractors? Don't get me wrong, I like Amy's tarot stuff, and people on all sides of the discussion are being overly nasty about their opinions, as usual. (Sonic Twitter remains my personal hell.) But when I set aside the hyperbole and zoom out, I do think I understand why some fans are put off by the sudden shift in focus for the character, even if I think it's cool.

It's complicated. Let me attempt to present the cases for and against Amy's fortune cards

For years, I was always one of those fans who thought it could be fun if they played with Amy's tarot reading, or even leaned into some kind of magic with her. Part of that is my own biases showing, but there's just something that makes sense there, especially when you look at Sonic, Tails, and Amy as a trio. (I would argue that's the real "Team Sonic" these days, especially in the comics where Knuckles is more likely to be stuck on Angel Island or otherwise doing his own thing.)

You could argue that Tails is all about logic, relying on science and technology and deductive reasoning to solve problems. But Amy is all about emotion. She wears her heart on her sleeve, is extremely empathetic, and is very prone to magical thinking - both figuratively and sometimes literally. Her origin story has always been that her tarot cards told her it was her destiny to meet Sonic on Little Planet. She's claimed to be able to "sense" peoples' presences - particularly Sonic's. She's the type to believe that The Power of Love is a literal magical force. So, on some level, it makes sense to mirror Tails's science by having Sonic's other best friend believe in magic. And then Sonic is somewhere in the middle, primarily following his own gut instincts but taking advice from both of them as needed. This isn't totally accurate to how their dynamics actually function in canon stories, but I think it's a mode that could work for them.

Going off of that, it's fun to lean all the way into Amy being a magical girl, or even a witch, using her fortune telling as a foundation. Take, for example, this version of Amy from Diana Skelly's old Sonic cast redesigns from before she freelanced for Archie and IDW. This is one of MANY such redesigns for Amy.

Fast forward to the 2020s, and Amy's tarot cards are, in fact, finally getting brought up again in canon. Which is fun! I like seeing that. I like all of the individual stories involving Amy's fortune cards. This is a fun character trait for Amy, a fun nod to old lore, AND a fun storytelling device, all in one. It's really cool that the Sonic universe has its own thematically appropriate arcana, and that the cards are getting made as physical merch. And sure enough, the official card backs and borders were designed by none other than Diana Skelly, in yet another cool example of an ascendant fan leaving their mark on the series.

BUT... when you step back and look at the big picture, I get why some fans find this shift in focus jarring. At the moment, it's starting to feel like every new story about Amy involves her fortune cards to some degree.

The most recent mainline comic arc to feature Amy as the lead character, 2021's Trial by Fire arc, prominently features a sequence where she reads fortunes while camping with the girls. The Origins version of Sonic CD now bookends the game with scenes of Amy and her tarot cards. Sonic randomly mentioned it in a scene in Frontiers. And now, just this week, we got the (very cute, gorgeously illustrated) Amy's 30th Anniversary comic with a story revolving around Amy's tarot cards, followed the very next day by the Frontiers DLC in which she gets a brand new tarot-based moveset. Even her base melee attack now has her throwing tarot cards instead of swinging her hammer. Again, I like all of these individual things, but after years of it almost never coming up at all, it's VERY noticeable that Amy's tarot cards are suddenly everywhere.

To be fair, I'm looking at this from the perspective of a superfan who's actively following ALL Sonic media. Casual fans - especially kids - aren't necessarily going to be reading the comics every month, buying the thousandth rerelease of the Genesis games, or playing the ultra-hard new alternate ending DLC for a game that came out last year. Each of these stories is going to be someone's introduction to the idea that Amy can read tarot, and that's probably part of the idea behind this unified push.

But to play devil's advocate, for my fellow superfans, I understand why it feels like a very minor footnote of Amy's character is suddenly becoming the entire focus of her personality. While Amy has always been said to enjoy fortune telling, that wasn't really a character trait in and of itself, but rather an example of her being a typical girl who hopes she'll be able to find true love one day. It's less that Amy can literally predict the future and more like her using a cootie catcher or going "he loves me, he loves me not" while picking the petals off of a flower. So I get not vibing with this stuff, or feeling like it's being pushed very hard out of nowhere.

What I don't agree with are comparisons like "it's like if they made Knuckles' moveset revolve around him liking grapes." Like, I get it. Ian Flynn loves shoehorning in his little winking references for us nerds, and mentions of Amy's tarot cards were previously on the same level as other random bullet points from old Japanese manuals. But a multifaceted hobby like fortune telling that opens up so many narrative and aesthetic possibilities is obviously very different from having a favorite food. It's ALWAYS been a part of her story, not just a random fact, and there's no reason why the fortune telling can't be elevated to something more.

And, hell, even if it wasn't an established character trait, there's nothing inherently wrong with injecting new ideas into a character. One of the best Amy stories in recent years, the Free Comic Book Day special "Amy's New Hobby" written by Gale Galligan, came up with the idea that Amy's secretly been drawing little comics about her and her friends. Is this based on Lore? No. But it's cute, and helps tell the story of a younger Amy who's still coming out of her shell as both a hero and a friend.

Certain fans are also looking at Amy's Frontiers moveset and using it as evidence that once again the Vile American Contributors like Ian are CORRUPTING Sonic Team's perfect vision of Sonic with their misinterpretations. And like. Come on. Ian does not control the gameplay. He's a freelance writer. The tarot stuff is clearly something that Sonic Team likes if they made it the basis of Amy's new moveset - and, you know, if they keep approving comics and animations about Amy's fortune telling. None of this gets made without their blessing, and lord knows how much they can micromanage shit and shoot down ideas over the most minor of details.

Like, yeah, Amy's fortune telling was probably conceived less as a sign that she Knows Magic and more as a pretty mundane hobby for a lovesick young Japanese girl to have. But you're gonna sit there and tell me that using Amy's tarot cards for more than that could only be the result of a cultural misunderstanding? That nobody in Japan uses tarot card theming and aesthetics (or the general idea of magical cards) for the cool factor? Stardust Crusaders? Persona? The Astrologian class in FFXIV? Cardcaptor Sakura?? Hello??? Do you think Capcom put Gambit in Marvel vs. Capcom ironically because they thought using magic to throw cards at people was stupid? There's tons of precedent for this! It's nothing like Knuckles throwing grapes at people, be for real.

Giving Amy a very magical girl-esque moveset also just makes a lot of sense. For decades her hammer attacks have literally made sparkly heart shapes appear around her. Leaning into both that and her tarot cards in her new moveset makes a lot of sense to me.

But, admittedly... I do think it's very odd that her hammer is treated as a secondary element here, rather than having her primarily use her hammer and adding the cards for extra flair. If hitting the attack button made her swing her hammer instead of throwing cards, I'm not sure we'd even be having this discussion right now.

But the tarot-cycle and Amy riding her hammer like a witch's broom are fucking SICK and I will not concede on this point

The thing is, this whole fortune card discourse is but a small piece of a bigger problem. Amy's been a character who needed some work for ages, but there's basically nothing you can do with her without pissing SOMEONE off.

Years of stories where Amy's crush was her primary motivator and Sonic went "Ew, cooties!" have lead many casual fans to believe that being Sonic's obsessive fangirl is Amy's entire personality. At best people might call her Sonic's Minnie Mouse. This isn't just a matter of Amy having haters within the fandom - venture outside of that bubble and you'll realize that this is how MOST video game playing people seem to see her to this day. I don't feel like this is a fair assessment of the character, but this idea didn't come from nowhere. No matter how much good deeply entrenched Sonic fans may see in their old dynamic where Amy perpetually chases Sonic, this is a very real problem that Sonic Team has to contend with for their leading girl. Of course all those games where the way-past-cool protagonist thought Amy was annoyingly clingy and tried to get away from her made people think less of her.

If new stories were to go back to emphasizing Amy's crush on Sonic a little more, they'd probably be taken as confirmation that Amy's just the girl with a crush on Sonic and that this is her entire personality. Conversely, when the crush is played down, you piss off the hardcore SonAmy fans who don't seem to understand that they're Charlie Brown and Sega is Lucy holding the football. You can't win.

And so here we are. In the absence of what was once her defining trait, now reduced to an occasional blush or wink in Sonic's direction, new stories are trying to mine Amy's past for additional material to work with. Having been a thing fans wanted to see for years, right now we're getting a lot of tarot, but we're also getting reminders of her compassionate nature and her desire to go out of her way to help the little guy. This is an ongoing process. I continue to hope that her bubbly, exuberant demeanor can shine more in future stories. Now, I also hope that the tarot stuff gets balanced out a little better with other traits of hers. But I don't want it to go away. I think it's fun.

This course correcting is far from exclusive to Amy. Knuckles is getting stories that remind us that he's a competent fighter, an experienced treasure hunter, and even a self-taught archaeologist after years of him being perceived as either the dumb one or just the guy who stands in front of the Master Emerald all day. And Tails has been getting some stories reminding folks that he's a capable hero in his own right and not just Sonic's timid kid sidekick.

But no supporting character will ever compete with the sheer number of new ideas Sega has tried with Sonic himself. Like Amy, his Frontiers moveset has also given him half a dozen new superpowers that he never had before, from the Cyloop to air-slicing projectile attacks to his own take on Shadow Clone Jutsu and beyond. He's also been a hoverboarder, a swordsman, a time traveler, an Olympic athlete, a racecar driver, cursed with a Flame of Judgment, imbued with alien power, a fucking Werehog with stretchy powers, and on and on and on.

If Sonic can do all that, Amy can try out using a tarot-cycle.

Anyway TL;DR the REAL problem with Amy's current characterization... is where the FUCK is Amy's bestie, Honey the Cat???????

#tkp post