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emblazons · 1 year

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Thinking about how people who only (or primarily) understand Mike’s arc through a “hes queer and coming to accept it / struggling with heteronormativity/will get his happy ending when he gets with Will” lens are missing at least half of what defines his arc in the wider context / themes of the show.

Forewarning: long post (& also maybe an unpopular opinion)

Even as a queer person myself, I know that his arc isn’t solely about embracing his queerness (though it’s inherently interlinked). In Mike, you have a character who is being radically challenged by both external circumstances and his own decisions through a journey away from all kinds of forced conformity (social, familial, romantic & heteronormative) and into someone self actualized enough to live how they want…while also being strong enough to accept that they made mistakes along the way. Someone who is learning to be brave enough to say “this is who I am, what I enjoy, and what/who I love…and while it took me a lot of time to figure it out, now I can exist in the world embracing that even though it will take consistently resisting the tendency to accommodate people who think it’s unacceptable.”

Like. Even from a time before puberty (see: S3) Mike wants a life that stands apart from what’s expected of him in every area, not just in choosing a romantic relationship with another guy. He wants to continue to be a nerd and “child at heart” even though something else is repeatedly demanded of him by everyone from his parents to El in his romantic relationship. He wants to be a writer and someone who takes those nerdy interests into his adult life (cue aggressive gesturing toward the duffers themselves) and grates against all that’s been constructed for him even when he’s not (yet) brave enough to challenge it directly. Mike liking boys/loving Will is just “the final nail in the coffin” of his social and societal nonconformity—not the first (or the last) aspect of what makes him different from Hawkins or the life he was made to believe would suit him best.

Even the fact that Mike has a desire to be “normal” comes from an insecurity and fear that choosing what he truly wants will lead to him being outcasted and losing the people he cares for entirely—which is partially motivated by his queerness yes, but that also has a basis in his general interests and personality…which becomes especially obvious when you realize we are repeatedly shown that he is punished/has his wishes ignored in all areas he doesn’t conform, even long before we get into a plot where it’s clearer he likes boys.

We see it in how his parents have already started to demand he put boundaries on the time he spends playing his “childhood games” the very first scene of season one, how they demand social acceptable emotions from him when Will is missing, and how Karen & Ted want him to give up toys in S2 when he’s showing signs of depression (because they think the issue is him growing up, not that he’s struggling with loss or guilt for what happened to El).

We see it in how his own father comments about taking his CA trip away from him after calling Hellfire being a group for “dropouts” in S4 (implying that he is failing on an academic and social level that matters to wheelers—and that Nancy is good at).

We even see it in the way everyone from his bullies to his own girlfriend threaten and take things away from him when he doesn’t conform to social expectations...from Troy telling him to jump off the cliff to save Dustin in S1 (as punishment for the one time Mike stands up for himself in the gymnasium) to El jumping straight into breaking up with him and spying on him when he doesn’t do exactly what she wants him to in Season 3.

All of these moments are critical to understanding Mike as a person because they show us that, even without addressing his queerness, Mike’s desire to conform to socialized expectations involves but is not solely about him moving out of heteronormativity—it’s about him moving against everything that WASP, patriarchal, heteronormative and capitalistic and performative “wholesome American” values…and how he is learning to move past the fear of what will happen if he steps outside the lines in general, even though he already knows he hates those standards.

Mike’s “coming of age” arc is about finding the strength to choose the “path less traveled” in all areas of his life—even when it means (potentially) losing the support of the people he cares about. It’s about starting from a place of privilege and becoming okay with being outcasted from it in a way your insecurities never let you be before (which is inherently different than Will, who has always been shown to have some kind of support not just for his queerness but his artistic endeavors as well). Mike’s lack of support is why he starts from a place of deep insecurity, yes—but it’s also why him learning power of choosing to be himself, even if it means “losing” people when he’s honest about who (& what) he is will be universally powerful.

You don’t need to be queer to understand the power of what it means to know you will be okay even if people leave you. You don’t need to be queer to understand the power of stepping outside social expectations or your family’s way of raising you. You don’t even need to be queer to understand the weight of breaking up with someone you were only with to satisfy what you thought you should do, rather than be with who you want to.

The power of being strong enough to overcome your insecurities in order to “step out of line” and live and love as you want to is universal, and a stunningly brave choice no matter what or why you chose to do so. The fact that Will will be there waiting to love him in that honesty with himself is beautiful, yes—but it’s not the only lesson to be learned for Mike’s character.

Mike starting out with everything the world (or, at least America) tells would make you happy, realizing he is not happy with those things and rejecting them knowing it might have consequences is what makes his arc powerful, because he is learning (exactly like his sister Nancy) to be brave enough to accept those consequences (which for him are getting dumped, and feeling like he’s being left behind by some of his friends) to follow his own heart.

Even though The Duffers aren’t writing this into a tragic ending (aka: he’s not going to die or be left alone, because the duffers writing is inherently designed ro champion the outcast), these are the things that have (and will) make him relatable even to an audience that doesn’t know queerness. Erasing the fact that his lesson is the bravery it takes to follow your heart solely to talk about him liking guys (even Will) is to undermine his humanity, and the lessons to be learned from him by even the most general an audience.

TL:DR - the heteronormative aspect of Mike’s character is not the sole or even inherent issue within Mike, though heteronormativity is inherently built into his struggle.

There are deep dives on how his arc is also about a war against toxic patriarchy, toxic masculinity, emphasis on capitalistic and academic accomplishments over artistic ones, and even conformist relationships (whether they’re queer or not) that should be explored for his character—and I for one like him too much not to move out of just “this boy is queer because xyz” and into “let’s talk about Mike in terms of the wider scope of his cultural context and upbringing.” 🤷🏽‍♀️😂

#imma go watch the Oscars now but #i know people mean NO HARM in focusing on the heteronormative part of his arc because on tumblr esp that is inherently relatable but #it’s not the only thing that makes his character interesting!#and it’s not the only thing he’s struggling with in his ‘coming of age!’#understanding white masculinity in America on a wider scale is SUPER helpful to understanding Mike #and in that sense Reddit is actually pretty good at catching his drift—THEY JUST DONT REALIZE THE DUFFERS ARE U N D E R M I N I N G it #erasing Mike’s queerness is to do him a disservice. I absolutely believe this.#but to deny every other part of him that isn’t just expected to be straight is to oversimplify him aggressively #you need BOTH to understand him #which is why you need both El and Will to make sense of his struggle lmao #(I still 100% believe he’s gay not bi)#(but him dating a girl was necessary to make sense of understanding that aspect of socialized expectations).#ANYWAY. Sorry for the rant lmao #mike wheeler core #mike wheeler #my st commentary #byler #< target audience #stranger things

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ntj2pj · 1 month

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#madness combat #madcom oc #my oc #atp soldat #the soldat in the dark (tm) actually cares about his bro #a lot #but he just can't get sad when he warned him about this shit nonstop #no id #The bitten guy just acts too friendly because his program made him too altruistuc and kind #Which sometimes helps since he is one who recruits workers #Well #Probably it's more benefitial most of the time #But he gets in shit like “oh i just wanted to help civilian get out from dangerous location and they stabbed me :(((”#And he ain't bullied for it by anyone but his bro. He is too... Kinda. Uh. Hard to bully guy who is most safest option to talk with auditor #And not die lol. It also doesn't help that he is guy who knows all of the AAHW by names and will kick you hard for bullying anyone #So bullying him is a privilege of some atp soldats #not an option :D #Other soldat here is just walking anger issues and he got no friends other than his bro. Constantly lashes at anyone. The Bitten™ included #So they're got that dynamic of angry antisocial cynical guy and pessimist & optimistic kind dude (well #(well he got a lot of mental issues too #But doesn't show it and never let it hurt others.)#And he is much older than the pessimist :'D #Pessimist guy is very young actually. But just experienced shit nonstop from birthday and lost very much everyone he cared about #And the second one... just atp soldat with no past. never known any other thing than work in AAHW and orders. Easy to manipulate #He also gets “You're not a real person” a lot for it. And constanly offended by it. But it's a problem of all yellow bloods here #Especially him #since he litterally didn't had a life outside from aahw. Also don't think he wouldn't kick his friends hard for orders.#Kill even. He is a dog for orders first #Kind guy with good morals is only second

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curiosityschild · 1 year

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Amphibiuary Days 11 + 15: Painted and 3D

A holdable friend

#amphibiuary2023 #hoo boy I put this one off for so long because I started it and was like #ehhhh this is not as fun as I was expecting lol #still had fun! just not my favorite thing to do #which is a good thing!#because I bought this at work a few years (!) ago and I keep having to stop myself from buying more ceramaic figures #every time we get more in because they are SO CUTE but I DON'T NEED THEM #and I think actually painting this one has cured me of that desire lol #this is a flattering angle and doesn't show his flaws lol #I put some of that snow texture paint on the back intending it to look like toad skin but it looks more like he is diseased #also! he lights up! but! when you turn the light on you can see all the poorly done brush strokes D: so the light will stay off :)#oh shoot I just remembered I meant to do a gloss top coat oh well I'll get to that later have a matte frogge

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sysig · 1 month

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Getting up to trouble is his speciality (Patreon)

#Doodles #SCII #Helix #ZEX #The Captain #Mixed set! :D Lots of singular doodles - one-offs or ones that apply to a few different scenes #The kiss is random tho <3 I still haven't gotten to ZEX showing off his uniform to Zelnick! I want them to!!#Him seeing his Captain in his uniform was so lovely tho <3 I love Big Love and that was so <3 Hehe #Smooch ♥#ZEX does not eat enough ;; He eats like a bird and it's highly distressing #I actually wrote in my notes that I was surprised he wasn't hurting In The Same entry as when he was experiencing hunger pangs haha #It doesn't help that he tends to talk through meals rather than eat - he's so much more interested in making connections with humans!#As far as metaphors go - killing himself for the sake of trying to bridge that gap - I mean it's apt but ZEX please #I think it was while he was talking to Wally at one point that he framed the War in a very flippant light-hearted way which was funny to me #I don't think that's the descriptor most people would use haha #Swearing <3 <3 VUX terminology <3 <3 #I want a VUX glossary of terms so badly hehe I've been slowly compiling a few here and there :3 Direct translation! The dream ♫#Him getting stressed enough to swear is very endearing haha ♪ What do you mean I'm endeared by everything he does don't be silly #The next one of me deeply enjoying when he's creepy is not proof of anything! Just because I Happen to also like that!!#I do really love when he's creepy tho agh <3 <3 The mental image of him as The Hunter - casually cornering and capturing his prey <3 #In that instance he was interrupted pretty quickly but the setup was there!! And it was extremely good!!!#I love how huffy he gets as well haha ''All these humans interrupting my seduction attempts >O( ...Wait O|'' lol #And finally an exchange on the board between him and Scarecrow haha so many fun faces around!!#I love him being completely baffled by a non-mechanical construct it just short-circuits his brain haha ♥#He's so intelligent but there exists things unknowable!#The image of him tapping his pen is so Incredibly cute ah <3 Where did he learn such a thing! Does it translate from his VUX form to this ♪#Anything everything ♥ Learned or known! It's wonderful

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reanimatedgh0ul · 3 days

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listen ik lance would NOT be the type of guy™ to watch a disney movie but ik for a fact that if someone showed him treasure planet (2002) he would relate to jim hawkins sm that he would basically turn into this lol

#ok now that i think abt it that person would be ilana if i'm being honest #i think lance would point out the fact that it's a kids movie and that they're not kids so why did she pick that out 🤨#which ilana's like well i picked it bc based on what i read abt it it sounded like the things we have back home (galaluna)#and lance is just like ok fine w/e 🙄#i feel like octus would sit down and watch it w her #ik ilana and octus would know how to make their own popcorn too #i def think the 3 of them have movie nights sometimes #octus would be like where's lance isn't it movie night she's like yeah well he said the movie #i picked was for 'little kids' so he passed on it w/e it's his loss #then i imagine lance comes down at some point to get like idk a glass of water or smth from the kitchen #then lance is just like so how's movie you guys are watching (but def says it in like a sarcastic type of way)#and ilana like oh man it's just getting good so turns out jim (he's the main character) came into possession of a device that's actually #a secret map to planet that's believed to filled w treasure and now him and his other guy (his name is dr delbert)#are going on an expedition to find it :D #lance is like wait rlly :0 (internally thinking wait this movie actually sounds kinda cool what)#lance sits down on the couch and ilana's like wait min i thought you said you didn't wanna watch this movie #and lance is like what no i'm just sitting down for couple mins #i'm totally gonna leave here in a bit ok (ilana's just like sure *doubt it*) and yeah ofc lance doesn't actually leave #watches the rest of the movie w them he just didn't wanna admit it #on that note i also totally think they'd check out atlantis: the lost empire (2001) afterwards #sym bionic titan #robi hcs #robi rambles

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kathrynmjaneway · 4 months

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i came out to my parents last night 😄

#and it went FINE #AH #like its all good and chill #i knew my mum suspected and i was counting on that and that she might have talked to my dad about it before which i dont if she actually did #but i think so #and like ive been dropping things like going to pride with all my queer friends etc #and my mum was like 'yeah i suspected' last night #and this morning she checked in on me again to see if im all good #and she was like 'you do know that ive known for years right'#and i was like 'yeah 🥹🥹'#and last night i was also like that i dont wanna like shout it out to my grandparents and extended family (yet)#and my D A D said yeah that's yoir decision! you decide when to tell people!#and my mum this morning then also was like i have one piece of advice #dont tell your (one) grandma #you can just wait her out #bc my aunt had 'a lesbian phase' aka lived with a woman for a few years #which i ALSO JUST FOUND OUT VERY RECENTLY THAT WASNT JUST TWO FRIENDS LIVING TOGETHER PLATONICALLY #and apparently my grandma had a few choice words to say about that #which yeah i probably like will not tell her bc why should i???#and i Knew that #anyway #MERRY CHRISTMAS I DIDNT RUIN CHRISTMAS ITS ALL GOOD IM HAPPY IM RELIEVED I CRIED BC THATS WHAT I DO #personal #shdhsjskdhfhdhshsjdhdjak #needed to share :')

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airbenderedacted · 9 months

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So who’s your favorite character in Wander Over Yonder? And what’s your fav ship(s)?

Oh, I love playing this guessing game!! ♡ ～('▽^人) ✨

Favorite character? Well...

[🎨📺]

As for ships, I wouldn't exactlyy say I ship anything in this show tbch, but I'd say I'm especially fond of Sylava, in a strictly fanon kinda way.

#Wander Over Yonder #Lord Dominator #woy is funny bc the core four are all so shippable but nothing rlly does it for me. i think nearly all possible pairs there have some charm #when considering *all five* of the mains not a whole lot changes bc dominator's a lesbian and sylvia is the only other main who isn't a dud #(i'm not a pr.o.shi.pper so bigoted type stuff grosses me out when it comes to shipping. we don't go there eugyhgfghhs)#tbcch i'm of the firm belief that lord dominator shouldnt be shipped with anyone in a srs sense. like as far as staying true to canon goes #she's made it extremely clear that she's not into that kinda stuff *and* that she's wAy too horrible for any kinda relationships anyway #but when it comes to lighthearted silly fanon stuff (or any degree of au stuff where *GASP* D isn't a demon & they Work) sylava makea me :)#(in whatever way ppl wanna imagine them. i'm partial to ''yes homo no romo'' qpr type goodness w/ them but i love seeing Everyone's takes!!#partially bc it's nice to see people actually. care. about what dom is and is not about (sexuality-wise). which is THE BARE MINIMUM but wel #a lot of people Do Not do that! sadly sexism and homophobia exist and it seeps into a lotta things in a lotta small ways and *sobs*#SO YEAH IT'S NICE TO SEE. NOT THAT. it's nice to see as a light shining through the darkness that is the internet & 2010s show fandoms sks #ah & partially bc sylava is like. literally the only ship ever kinda-sorta-teased in the show in a way that wasn't just played for jokes #which i think gives us neat things to work with when it comes to the whole ''what if'' kinda stuff- so!!! yea i just think it's neat :]#in both an ''in another life...'' not-so-hypothetical chemistry kinda way AND in an 'im a real stickler for Canon Goodness' kinda way too #haha #as for other ships i'm especially partial to... mmmmm.. 🤔#deathglare in the context of hater learning to cherish & appreciate peepers and treat him RIGHT makes me happy. i like that :)#and skeleton dance is always fun!!!! a real delight both on and off the screen hehah #most everything else makes me go ''oh cool. yea that's cute.'' 👍#ships involving minor characters are pretty take it or leave it. i dont think there's any i have any strong feelings about #except ig that it was pretty sweet when people were shipping lord hater & ripov. tbh i like how many ships people came up with w/ her #that was really swag. she was a fun character!!

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hadesknockedupintheunderworld · 5 months

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Sonine Prime ... Part 6

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

Last time we started Episode 6 of Season 1 of Sonic Prime and went over a bit of the New Yolk portion at the beginning. This time we'll be tackling the rest of the New Yolk portion at the beginning and moving onto the Grim.

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<< Part 5 | Part 7 >>

(Essay/thoughts/analysis under the cut)

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Let us start out with some little things.

As we covered last part, Nine pretty much came to New Yolk to fetch Sonic, only fighting long enough to give Sonic an opening to escape. During this short fight sequence, Sonic starts spin dashing into eggforcers higher and higher until he eventually lands in the cockpit of Nine's ship.

When Nine notices Sonic climbing up to him, this is the face he makes:

Then, as Sonic arrives in the cockpit, he keeps the expression. In fact, even though he moves to close the cockpit cover (where his expression changes to a more focused one), he smiles again whenever he's not focused. And funnily enough, there's also the way Nine smiles when Sonic enters the cockpit and says his name.

"Nine! Ha ha holy man just in time!"

He leans back before Sonic shakes his seat like he's preening under the attention.

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As will become a pattern soon (not always Nine's conscious fault, but...), Sonic begins to tell Nine how they need backup in New Yolk and mentioning how bad the fight is (i.e talking about his current goal/concerns) before marveling at the place between the shatterspaces.

"We could really use some backup. Woah, woah, where we goin'!"

...

"We got a fight on our hands back there and– oh what did you just do?"

This of course switches the point of topic from the fight in New Yolk (Sonic's focus) to Nine’s ship, the portal/space in between, and where they're headed (Nine’s focus).

It's worth mentioning that while Sonic is talking about the fight (the bit I just quoted) through to Nine telling Sonic he opened a portal, Nine has this smug expression on his face (very proud of himself).

"I opened a portal."

(If any of you go back to watch this scene, it's worth mentioning he also smiles while he speaks his line here, and he ALSO smiles when he speaks his next line about how he calls the worlds "shatterspaces". Like I said, he's proud of himself here, and he likes the attention from Sonic.)

In any case, as Sonic changes the subject back to his point of focus, Nine's smile falls into a frown (I'd put the image here but I did say I'd try to be a good boy, which means trying to get fairly far into this part before hitting the tumblr image limit🥲)

"Really glad to see you, but we have to go back! The rebels need my help."

Nine, of course, quickly changes topic, thus changing Sonic's focus.

"Not until you tell me where you've been!"

It's a fair question to ask, especially after that ending of Episode 3. Sonic disappeared so suddenly, leaving Nine alone (man that ending man that ending), and Nine hasn't seen him until now. However, whether on purpose or not, this distraction from Sonic's goal (helping the rebels in New Yolk) allows Nine to segue back into his talk about his discoveries and the shatterverse (which falls in line with his current goal).

"Then you showed up in your spaceship and pulled me into this portal thingy!" *Deep breath in*

"That confirms what I've discovered."

Then, as Nine starts his next like ("From the moment you vanished") he begins to smile again.

"From the moment you vanished, I suspected there was more to the shard than I'd realized."

Nine presses a button on the console which reveals the red shard. Still smiling (proud of himself, but also showing off), he brushes off Sonic's comment about how he stole the shard by talking about how he hacked into the Chaos Council's power core schematics and created his shatterdrive, allowing the two of them to travel the shatterverse at their discretion.

However, as before, Sonic begins to change the subject back to the fight in New Yolk (props to him for trying to remember and come back to his topic even as Nine continues to distract him, honestly 😂). This, of course, causes Nine to frown once more.

"Shatter-what? Uh, this is cool and everything, but we really gotta get back to New Yolk!"

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Let's take a jump to Sonic's pov here.

I think there's no question that Sonic is excited to see Nine (what, with all the smiles, shaking his chair, him saying he's glad to see him), but he's focused on a goal at the moment. He'd just resolved to help the rebels and ensure that they have a future. He's fighting for their last bits of hope, and he's also fighting to clear both his and Nine's names as traitors. This fight is so important because to Sonic its akin to the rebels' last stand.

If they lose, the palm, the rebellion, all hope for bringing back what once was, is lost.

That's a lot of heavy weight to carry.

And not to mention, when Nine appeared in New Yolk to fight, from Sonic's pov this was proof Nine isn't a traitor. To Sonic, Nine wasn't coming for him, he was coming to make things right and to fight alongside them for a better tomorrow.

So Nine leaving New Yolk with him, that goes against the idea Sonic had in his head of this situation. Even though he and Nine haven't talked about it, Sonic has an idea of Nine's intentions and their shared goal in his head, and he doesn’t want to believe it's incorrect. So, rather than assume bad faith (which in this case would be taking Nine's talk and actions to mean that Nine doesn't care about New Yolk as much as his personal wants), Sonic is tackling this from the perspective that Nine is getting distracted from their goal.

Look at the language. It's not "I've got to get back".

It's we.

And you can see it in the sad half smiling expression Sonic has when he says that this is cool, but they need to get back to New Yolk (and you'll see it again later. Most notably, in the final episode of Season 2). It's like he's softly pleading, bidding Nine to remember what's at stake and what their goals are (even if it was Sonic who assumed they shared this goal).

Let's cut to Nine’s pov for a moment.

Nine is incredibly happy to see Sonic again (what with all the obvious and secret smiles abound), so much so that he doesn’t ask anything regarding Sonic's disappearance until Sonic mentions the rebels in New Yolk. Ever since Sonic's disappearance, Nine has been working on his pet project (creating the shatterdrive, finding a new place to call home, and experimenting with the power of the prism shards).

Nine wants to create a new world, believing that the one he came from is beyond saving. This is why The Grim being a blank slate is so important. The honor of him wanting to bring Sonic along (to create their new world, their new home together) is that he believes that Sonic is worth saving, someone who should exist in a "better" world. Sonic, the only being he currently believes to be kind and selfless, to have the capacity to care for others, and the being he's (Nine's) currently attached to, is someone he finds worthy to create a new world with him.

Like Sonic, Nine has this idea of him and his goals in his head that he doesn’t want to be challenged. He arrived in New Yolk only planning to fetch Sonic and to bring him to the Grim. Since he's planning this "new world" and has been focusing on bringing Sonic along, to him this goal takes precedence over everything else.

Because yeah, Sonic risked his life to save him, but the rest of New Yolk is beyond saving. Creating a good, better world, takes precedence over saving people in a worse world who don't deserve it. So surely Sonic will understand this, right? And Sonic also wants his home, so surely he'd fight just as desperately to create a home with Nine since his old one is gone, right?

To Nine, as a good person (and because he only really likes it when Sonic is kind and selfless to him specifically), this is just a matter of logic. Just like Sonic does with him, he assumes Sonic will go along with him and agree. So, when Sonic keeps mentioning New Yolk and the battle, it frustrates him. Not only is Sonic putting his attention on what Nine doesn't think matters (or deserves the attention), he's pushing against Nine's idea of him as a kind and selfless guy who ultimately is only this way to Nine and upholds his (Nine's) goals over others. So, he keeps dragging Sonic's attention back, forcing him to focus on him, explaining his goal.

Sonic is trying to make Nine come around, to get him to focus on the others fighting, to "remind" him of "their" goal of protecting the innocents in New Yolk and their future. Nine is trying to make Sonic come around, to get Sonic to focus on him, to convince Sonic that creating a better world, a new home, is a better goal. Neither of them think they should have to convince or remind, so it frustrates and confuses them each time they're forced to change topic.

We will come back to their povs later.

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So, after Sonic mentions how they really have to get back to New Yolk, Nine attempts to redirect Sonic's attention once more.

"I have to show you what I found..."

Nine is still smiling as they land in the Grim, doubly so as he explains their "bright new future" (as he puts it).

"Another world..."

"Welcome to our bright new future!"

Getting into Sonic's personal space before jumping out of his ship? Check.

Our, man🥲

Sonic's "we really gotta get back" versus Nine's "our bright new future" is gonna kill me

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As we're approaching the image limit, I shall be employing the usage of embedding a video (mostly because I really want to get to talk about this part in this post). I will be referencing both Sonic and Nine's body language as well as quoting it.

So, after Sonic arrives and the two marvel over shard energy, Nine talks about the Grim.

"Be on the look out for whacked out versions of you, me, or anyone else you might know."

"That's the best part of all. There's no one here! It's a clean slate... The perfect place to start over and get the world right."

There are so many smiles in this portion on Nine's part, from him just explaining the goal he seeks to share with Sonic alone, that I would probably hit the image limit a hundred times trying to point them all out.

Nine is just...so earnest here, and the smiles he keeps on sending Sonic alone are heart melting.

"With the proper fortifications, and enough shard energy, it could be home!"

And Sonic's little gasp here, the sad look, tells you so much about what he's thinking.

He has never seen Nine this happy or excited. He's never seen him smile so much.

But...

"The one you lost, the one I never had. I could make that hope a reality."

Man and the sealing the deal here with the shoulder touch??

"For both of us."

You can tell how much these words hit, how Sonic knows that this matters to Nine.

Because he looks so guilty by the time he speaks.

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Let's jump back to Sonic's point of view for a moment.

When Nine starts talking about home, I believe Sonic recognizes that this isn't just some fun side project of Nine's that's a distraction from the goal. This is because Nine gets personal with it.

"With the proper fortifications, and enough shard energy, it could be home!"

I think this is the line that first alerts Sonic to just how bleak things are for Nine. This is a line that tells Sonic that Nine doesn't have a home. So this project is important to Nine, because it's about home.

And Sonic understands the desperate want to be home right now, to get home. He's wanted to go back home since Episode 1.

"The one you lost"

His expression changes just slightly at this line.

He recognizes now that Nine's goal here is to create home, for himself and for Sonic. And while that's going to make Sonic feel a bit conflicted inside no matter what (because he doesn't believe his old home is fully lost and knows he wants that more than creating a new place with Nine), it's a sweet one. Nine is empathizing with him.

But, this is also Sonic M. Hedgehog. Despite all his efforts to get back/find "home" up to this point, he always puts it on the backburner if the lives of others are at stake. Maybe that's his big goal, and maybe during this story he pushes people to achieve this goal faster, but he cares about people (In fact, part of his arc is him coming to care about the residents of the shatterverse as their own people who deserve to live as much as he and his original friends do).

Sonic is holding onto the hope that gathering the Paradox Prism shards is the key to returning/finding his home. And those shards aren't going to somehow disappear (and Sonic is holding onto the hope that there will always be a way). So, even if he steps aside and helps overthrow the council, or fixes some friendships, or saves worlds from being attacked, his goal will always be waiting when he's done. Sonic has no intention to knowingly achieve his goal at the cost of others' lives.

So perhaps Sonic recognizes that finding "home" is also important to Nine, and maybe he does find everything Nine's working on cool and awesome, but there are people out there in danger.

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

I believe that this is Sonic sympathizing with Nine. He does think that what Nine's doing is incredible, and he wants him to know that. In fact, I'm sure part of what makes his expression so sad is that he does want to enoy this moment for what it is with Nine, but the battle in New Yolk is urgent.

Sonic understands what Nine wants, and it's nice that Nine wants him (Sonic) to have a home again too, but it’s just as he says. The Grim isn't going anywhere. The mission to get Sonic's home back and Nine's mission to create a home, these will still be possible after people's lives are no longer at stake. To Sonic, they can have both. It's simple logic. They can save other people, they can fight for the bright future of all those poor people in New Yolk and then also fight for their own bright futures. And so, Sonic goes about explaining with that sad sort of smile again, like he's trying to "remind" Nine of the importance of the immediate goal Sonic thinks they both naturally share. He's, again, taking Nine's actions in good faith, taking it as if Nine needs a reminder that people's lives are important. And if he does that, surely Nine will come with him and fight alongside him for New Yolk's future, right?

Surely, a good and reasonable person would do that, right?

And it's not just that, that Sonic has this idea in his head of Nine having the same idea of the "right thing to do" as him and the same goals that he wants to keep seeing. The usage of "we", "our", "together" for Sonic.

*Sigh* "I hope I see you back in New Yolk."

No matter what, Sonic intends on going back to fight, but the emphasis is on the togetherness. Sonic wants to go back with him, he wants to fight with him, he does want to be with him.

He hopes Nine will do the "right thing". He also wants Nine to go with him, and I wager that extends beyond the battle for New Yolk.

Because if it was just about doing the right thing, then Sonic would have put more emphasis on how it’s something Nine should want. Instead, he approaches this like he's reminding Nine that this—doing the right thing—is important, while emphasizing that he wants to be with him.

Whether you believe he only wants Nine at his side because he's trying to fill the hole Tails' absense has left or not (although for the record, I think by this point Sonic recognizes that Nine is his own person and does want him by his side in the way Tails is, without realizing that he kinda is/intending to fill the hole by his side that Tails left), my point is that Sonic wants Nine by his side when he fights to protect, wants Nine by his side when he's traveling, and he wants Nine by his side when he's trying to achieve his own goal of bringing back his home. This point will come back in season 2 with more evidence behind it, but even this far back, before Sonic's considered Nine a "best friend", he wants Nine there by his side in the coming times.

So Sonic can't understand why Nine would place his goal over fighting in the battle (fighting for hope and for their own honor), but he also hopes that Nine reconsiders. He hopes that his convincing, his wish made clear to have Nine with him, is enough to make Nine choose him and his (Sonic's) immediate goal.

ㅤ

Now let's jump to Nine's point of view again.

After Nine finishes his piece about creating a new home for him and Sonic, he gives Sonic a moment to speak, awaiting his answer. Partway through Sonic's explanation about how The Grim isn't going anywhere and the rebels need them, Nine withdraws his hand from Sonic's shoulder. He backs away, eyes wide, with his hand still out (this is before his expression changes in reaction to Sonic's words).

It's like he...can't believe what Sonic is saying. It's as if after all of that—the whole demonstration, the heart to heart—Sonic...doesn't want this. It's as if he'd expected Sonic to get over his confliction and choose him, choose to work towards this "bright new future". Even if Sonic hadn't meant it that way, it's...a rejection.

"That city never brought me anything but misery. I owe it nothing."

What Sonic couldn’t have known is that Nine had given him a choice, an unspoken ultimatum of sorts (at least, that's how I see it).

"Them? Worlds and people that are beyond saving? Or me? A bright future and a perfect world to call home?"

To Nine, Sonic had chosen others wants and needs over his own (the wants and needs of those Nine doesn't care about). This not only goes directly against the idea he had of Sonic in his head and those unspoken expectations (to care about Nine but ultimately focus on Nine's their goals over other people), but it surprises him, because he thought he and this demonstration would have been enough to show Sonic what's "really important".

Not to mention, it's possible he thought (or hoped) Sonic understood by now what New Yolk means to him. That was the city that hurt him, full of people who'd never go out of their way to help him or protect him. How could Sonic say that the city needs him (Nine) when the city has never done anything for him, when no one was there to help when he needed it?

"I'll help you get back."

But I also think Nine is...used to disappointment in his life, which is why he takes the percieved rejection surprisingly well. He'd held onto this goal in Sonic's absense so hard (for a hedgehog he barely knew), thinking constantly about how Sonic will love what he's doing.

But it's clear to him (in his pov) that Sonic doesn’t feel the same, doesn’t care about it as much. He swallows his disappointment, his frustration, and he gives Sonic another chance to choose him.

He opens the portal without looking at him, tells Sonic that he (Nine) "has work to do".

Sonic counters his "I hope you choose to stay with me" with his own "I hope you join me in New Yolk", and he leaves. And all we see of Nine before it cuts to Sonic hurtling through the space in between is his shift in facial expressions, his frustration and anger deepening visually.

I suppose what I'm saying is that Nine is trying to be good and reasonable here. He's trying to give Sonic a choice, because it's not going to be the same if Sonic doesn't want this too. He's not in the business of forcing Sonic to join him just because he wants him to. But at the same time, Nine's setting these choices up like ultimatums in his head. In fact, later when he shows up in New Yolk, he'll try to make it more clear to Sonic that he won't get another chance if he doesn't choose him (Nine). He almost expects Sonic to choose him. And when Sonic doesn’t choose him in his unspoken ultimatum, and when Nine ultimately gives him more and more chances to, it's hard not to see it as Nine seeking to get Sonic to prove that he cares about him.

Does this make sense?

In any case, if there's anything I want to get across as The Grim section of this episode comes to a close, it's this. This entire scene is one large miscommunication. Nine and Sonic both are wrapped up in their own goals, assume the other will just go along with what they want or are on the same page as them, and are both operating as if they are right and are giving the other the chance to make "good" choices. They're different people with different povs and context and goals. This scene hurts so much because ultimately they both want good things and they BOTH want to be together, but this never quite comes across, because neither takes the other's words as intended. And yet, that's what makes this scene feel...real to me, as a real conversation that could occur. A conversation like this, where both clearly care about each other, but it seems like each thing they say is wrong, like it doesn't come across right, is something that can happen irl.

And it sucks! It sucks because this scene ending the way it does is unavoidable, both because neither have yet progressed and learned lessons on assuming others agree with them, and because miscommunications like this just happen even when people try their hardest to be clear.

ㅤ

Also, bit of a side note I wanted to mention but didn't have a moment to fit it in, I actually hadn't quite shipped Sonine after finishing this episode, much less season 1. At the time, I was still really new to Sonic fandom and hadn't consumed much of the media. I'm sure I've said this all in another post before, but this scene gave me second hand embarrassment when I first watched it. I didn’t know how I was meant to feel, nor how I was meant to interpret being beamed with the concept that Nine wanted to create a new world with Sonic and be at home with him, and only him. I didn't dare let myself think that it was intended to come off as romantic, but to myself it never felt very..."brotherly" of them (as was the idea I got from the bit of fandom I was aware of at the time). In the end, all I could think was: "I'm not sure if it was intended to be romantic. Probably not, but Nine definitely has strong feelings of some sort. Honestly, this is such a big scene I wouldn't be surprised if it sparked a bunch of fan content." In the end I got curious enough to find out that, no. Sonine does not have a lot of fancontent😂. But this scene was the first to alert me of the possibility, even if I wouldn't ship it until watching S2, and I think it says a lot that someone who had no Sonic ship bias at the time (except for a passing enjoyment of S0nadow) had a hard time figuring out how to feel about this scene.

Okay, okay. I'll be a bit more normal now. Let us move on and follow Sonic back to New Yolk.

As things are starting to look bad in the fight with the rebels (+ Sonic) versus the Chaos Council (Rebel has collapsed on the ground, Renegade is cornered at the mercy of Deep's sword, and Sonic is squeezed in the fist of Mr. Dr.'s mech, Nine arrives.

The fact that Nine chooses to come back here despite what happened earlier is something that will come back.

Nine intervenes and ends up freeing Renegade, Rebel, and Sonic. After this, Sonic finds himself running beside Nine's ship, smiling.

"Nine...you came!"

And yet...Nine isn’t as happy about this as Sonic is. While Sonic is overjoyed that Nine gave in and chose to join him in this fight, Nine is still frustrated, angry.

"When this is over, I'm going home and never looking back. Whether I go it alone is entirely up to you."

This is the line I referenced earlier during the scene in the Grim. Sure, Nine gave in to Sonic's wishes and ended up helping, but he's not here so he can claim his place by Sonic's side and be a obedient little fox who only wants what he (Sonic) wants.

This is Nine giving Sonic another chance, and with clearer wording regarding the consequences of not choosing him. What Nine is saying here is that he's planning on going back to The Grim after helping, and that after this battle Sonic will have his last chance to choose him. He's saying "I'm helping you, but after this I'm going home and I'm staying there. Are you going to go with me?"

Sonic, meanwhile, doesn't seem to take in exactly what Nine says. Whether it's because he doesn't take it seriously, isn't paying attention, doesn't have time to let the words sink in, or whatever, nothing about Nine's serious statement causes Sonic's smile to fall.

"I knew you'd come back, buddy!"

Although, despite the fact Sonic doesn’t seem to take in Nine's words, I would be remiss if I didn't emphasize how happy Sonic is that Nine came back🥺

ㅤ

Anddddd with about seven minutes left in Episode 6, it's time to cut this part short. We've hit the tumblr media limit on images and videos, as usual😂.

Next time we'll be finishing up Epsiode 6 and, with any luck, we'll be on track to finishing Season 1 of Sonic Prime. Thanks for reading and I'll see you all in the next one!

#sonine #sonine prime #sonic the hegehog #sonic prime #nine sonic prime #nine the fox #miles nine prower #essay time #Kind of a side note but I didn't actually realize until I tackled this part and rewatched the episode that Nine and Sonic...also have #different ideas on what is a 'good' thing to do? Like obviously they have different morals‚ but like #It's just...the concept that Sonic believes a 'good' person (which he believes and hopes Nine is) is someone like him‚ who would logically #place the lives of the innocent and their future over other things #while Nine believes that creating a new *better #world is worth more than trying to help/fix a world of people he believes are beyond saving. And and...and I have to stop or I'm going to d #a character study over Nine and his morality‚ and his judgements for others vs himself #i just be ramblin #Thanks for reading!😊💖#(also if you saw me accidentally post this hours ago...no you didn't)

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safyresky · 2 months

Text

Been thinking about CS!TSCS for a month at this point. Please enjoy these lil' doodles about it!

[ID in ALT and typed dialogue under cut :D]

Numero 1

Jacquie: Up the CHIMNEY?!

Carol: RIGHT UP IT! MID DISCUSSION!

Jacquie: GIRL, DUMP HIS ASS!!!!

Numero 2

Santa: How did you even GET that vest, huh?!?!

Jacqueline: I MURDERED my PREDECESSOR.

Santa: you what

Numero 3

Jack: Good day at work today, little flurry?

Jacqueline: Mmmmmm yep! Told Santa I killed you for the vest and the title >:)

Jack, turning around sharply and full of pride: HA! NICE!

---

These were the doods I meant to post last last Thursday after this scrimbly Jacqueline, lol. When I tell you that Crystal Springs TSCS has been IN MY HEAD, I AM NOT JOKING!

The reason I didn't post these sooner is bc I really wanted to draw the last one and hadn't gotten around to it as of yet, and I also wanted to colour these PROPER scrimblies because holy SHIT I LOVE COLOURING 🤩🤩🤩🤩

More fun facts about CS in TSCS:

Carol and Jacqueline have regular vent sessions. Mostly Carol; Jacqueline's just there for the TEA (and emotional support)

Her catchphrase could very much be "CAROL. DUMP HIS ASS" in this cs au

"Don't you mean tscs au?" NO. TSCS IS AN AU IN ITSELF AND I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL

She frustrates Santa to no end bc A) She's Jack Frost and he has previous biases, and B) she goes OUT OF HER WAY to bother him.

When I say Jacqueline dislikes tscs!Scott, I am not joking. It is not hyperbole. She can't STAND him. And she tells him that to his FACE. MULTIPLE TIMES. And adds insult to injury bc she's buds with Carol and Buddy and Sandy, lol, and all the new gen elves are like, chill with her

(I have a silly hc that Betty is a Bernelle kid and Jacquie's her godmother, lollllll)

She and I both dislike people who need change and refuse to work on themselves/believe they're FINE and it SHOWS.

After she made the claim about murdering Jack, Santa was TERRIFIED on top of his usual distaste for Jack's successor lmao

She was quite delighted at how Santa took that tale. Elaborated a bit. I imagine it went something like this:

"...you what?" Her murderous look intensified. Santa could easily picture the darkness gathering around her the way it did in cartoons when the evil character was. Well. Being evil. "You heard me!" She sounded way too delighted, Santa noted. "I killed my predecessor! You know, the guy before me? Yeah. Stabbed him right dead. Pulled the vest out of the melted pile of slush that was once Jack Frost the first and put it right on." "...Jesus Christ."

Anyway, after that, she goes home and Jack pops in for 4 o'clock coffee and the final image ensues, lol. This interaction follows that:

"And he believed you?" Jack asked, pulling out the chair next to her and plunking down, stretching out his legs and crossing them at the ankles. "Damn near shat himself about it, too," Jacqueline confirmed, looking sly over the top of her mug. Jack laughed. "Oh that's, that's marvellous." "Mm! It was! THEN I elaborated. Told him I took the vest like a war trophy, you know? Didn't even wash it or anything. Shame I said SLUSH instead of BLOOD because I bet he would've like. DIED on the spot picturing me putting on a blood soaked vest, ehehe. I swear Jack, I could see his soul leave his body. Definitely top 5 best days at work. Maybe top 3, even."

Jack is deffs enjoying retirement in this au! Going full vacation mode, spending most days in various hot spots on various beaches with various drinks, usually popping by the family home for 4 o'clock coffee and cocoa--and a break from the sun since he burns and Winter worries

YES he IS still wearing his suit pants. I thought that'd be funny and just about died picturing him in khakis

With every Jack I draw his hair grows more powerful, AS IT SHOULD BE!!

I DID draw a chair behind Jacqueline but her poofy hair ate it~

I think she is A) older in this au than she regularly is and B) is already married to Dite. I'm still on the fence about both those things, but she feels older in this au--probably because the entire cast is older lmao

Late night post is late bc I finished colouring this and wanted to share it asap, DAMN THE TIME!!!!

#the santa clauses #the santa clause #the santa clause 3 #cs au #tscs!cs #cs!tscs #I am still unsure which way to tag this collection BUT WE'LL GET THERE #as i fear the only way to stop thinking about these scenarios is to. GASP. write em #i WILL be morning AND afternoon reblogging these bad boys! sorry NOT sorry!#they brought me joy and this is MY SWAMP!#dani speaks #dani doodles #crystal springs #i'm gonna post this so i know it goes up okay #then update the alts with the image ids :D #OH AND ALSO. APOLOGIES FOR PHOTO QUALITY.#as previously stated. I DONT HAVE A GOOD PLACE WITH NATURAL LIGHTING IN MY LIL 30S HOUSE #AHHHH #ALSO also I am actually a BIG FAN of the mrs c look they gave carol in the series #i loved the big bun and the cowl is my FAVE THING #she should wear it ALL THE TIME over EVERYTHING #THIS INCLUDES THE SHANIA TWAIN BAND TEE AND JEANS LOOK #A N D THE I AM TRYING TO BE GOTH LIKE MY DAUGHTER LOOK #man. thinking of how the series kinda butchered her character has me sad :(

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