Thoughts under because this got long. Obviously spoilery
The original voyage trio being Zephyr, Moon, and Felicia would be pretty fun. Felicia is still the adventurer and Zephyr would still be a young man looking to find proof of his dream studies. Felicia finding notes from her mother about the mermaids tongue and sharing it with Zephyr and the two decide to go find it. Felicia for the adventure but Zephyr because he thinks it might help his research (understand beyond the veil sounds helpful). However maybe Selena Stonetopp hid the notes on it with riddles and they need Moon to translate them. She has fun doing so and wants to go along incase there's more plus it would be a good story.
They find it and Felicia wears it and Zephyr gets injured trying to get the mask off her when the mermaid starts wrecking the ship. Moon doesn't go overboard but she still spends a long time listening to the mermaid (as it argues with Felicia before she takes it off) and is filled with the obsession to understand. They get back to land with Moon leaving immediately to go back to her tourist/myth shop and Felicia trying to tend to Zephyr (I imagine it's his that's burned pretty bad only a few whirls present but he can't really use it afterwards).
Felicia still leaves and gives the inn to Zephyr. Moon at first wants to understood the mermaid through her own effort but eventually falls to the obsession and forces Zephyr into "searching" for the mask (he lies and says they tossed it but offers to help her look for it to try and prevent Moon from hunting down Felicia). He doesn't mind wasting his time in the sea seeing as he can still do his research but he does miss being around others and moon just unsettles him with her obsession.
Dirk joins the sub first as a well known actor who is researching Zephyr for rolls in movies and wants to go full method actor before putting himself out there. Moon doesn't like him there but Zephyr holds strong because he wants someone else on the sub with him.
Mortuga joins as hired help because running a sub is hard and he is a skilled jack of all trades. He's kind to everyone but does feel closest with Zephyr and works hard not wanting to lose his position.
Symmetry joins the sub after Zephyr and Moon find her near drowning in her escape from the joint venture of baroness theater and Wolfe troop. She was the groups "mystical siren" who would sing the "futures" of those who paid to see the show. She couldn't stand lying to those people and sought to leave but her swimming wasn't the strongest so she didn't get far. Thankfully Zephyr let her stay and she started helping him with his research and she often talked with Moon about the mystics of the universe.
Wirman and Sinthia arrive next. Wirman is seeking inspiration for his next book (the previous being based on Zephyr and Moons travels) and Sinthia played a young moon who in the movie is a sidekick of sorts to the movie Zephyr. Sinthia of course doesn't want to be an actor anymore but is stuck in her contract.
Tadpole arrives next to argue the control of the sub. Not because the trade Zephyr made for the sub was invalid but because she has control of the inn now and would rather travel the sea.
The last to arrive is Godrik who was hired by Zephyr to try and find Felicia to see if maybe after all these years she could help end Moons obsession. Of course all he brings is proof of her death but Zephyr feels somewhat relief because he no longer has to fear Moon tracker her down and harming her for the key. Moon learns of Felicias death and rightfully assumes Zephyr will go for the mask to destroy it.
Or at least that's how I'm seeing the lead up to the murder
I just have a lot of thoughts floating around of the doomed polycue and a swap au of sorts is perfect.
Felicia and Magnus still find the map to the mermaids tongue and take it to Godrik for translating. However instead of godrik asking to join its Felicia encouraging it. She sees godrik looking for adventure and fun and figures dragging the man will help. Godrik agrees and together they go.
Magnus does his best to keep godrik involved and not feeling in the way while Felicia focuses on the map and searching the waters for the glow of the bouy. When they find the glow together they pull it up though Magnus grows more and more unsettled.
The sea is quiet but he feels watched.
Godrik and Felicia end up being the one to open it and Magnus watches in growing unease as Felicia winds it up and puts it on. The voice that comes out unsettles both godrik and magnus but they can't think on that long before SHE's there. She reaches for Felicia and destroys the mast in the process.
Magnus rushes for the wheel and Godrik goes to remove the mermaid tongue. Magnus makes it to the wheel and forces the turn but Godrik is grabbed by the mermaid.
His screaming finally gets Felicia out of whatever trance she's been in and she removes the mask.
Without the mask the mermaid decides to leave and godrik hits the water. Felicia follows after and Magnus watches with frayed nerves for the two to surface again. They do but he can't help but feel that it's not over.
Helping them back on the boat, Magnus finds Godrik with burns on his chest like fingerprints unconscious and clearly ill. He finds Felicia staring back at the water though, mermaids tongue held tightly in her hand. He carries godrik to the cabin, and tells felicia to keep an eye on him. She hesitates but a whimper from Godrik brings her focus back and she agrees. Magnus heads back out to steer the boat back to silkwirm but he worries.
He was right to. As soon as they drag the broken Dearest Selena back, Felicia is trying to convince him to go back to sea. She doesn't care that Godrik hasn't woken up in the four days it took to get back. She doesn't care that they barely were able to drag the ship back. She doesn't care, she just holds that mask tight with mania in her eyes.
So Magnus does the only thing he can think to...in the dead of night he takes the key from around her throat and runs off into the night leaving a recovering Godrik and crazed Felicia behind.
Bad end version of that doomed polycue thing I've been typing.
As always implied mermaid mask spoilers.
Once they see the other pieces of the tongue showing up on the submarine Felicia decides that staying on the water isn't an option. Magnus tries to remind her how things went back then when they tried to stay landbound but she just argues back that they stayed too close to water. He wants to argue, he wants to tell Godrik the truth, but she's determined and pushes through.
They find Godrik leaving Wirmans cabin and Felicia says they're done hunting the tongue. They're going to shore and staying ashore. Godrik looks confused and nervous but he's gotten better (they say he has he thinks he has he wants to have) so he agrees with his loves and packs.
They leave the submarine the next morning.
They travel inwards keeping far from water as best they can. Magnus holding Godrik tight whenever they have no choice as their poor navigator always goes vacant eyed and seems to lose track of where he is when they do. Felicia keeps trying to find a spot where they can settle, to lay down roots, but things are never right for it.
After a month of this however Magnus starts noticing how Godrik is taking longer to come back after they get near water. At the start it was simply a few minutes once they made it past before he had the light behind them return. But now? Now it takes hours and Magnus notes it's taking longer by the day.
Felicia tries to deny it. Tries to pretend it isn't as bad as Magnus is making it out to be. That Godrik is still ok that nothing is wrong. That they'll find a home to settle in and Godrik will recover and they can put it behind them at last.
She stops thinking that when two days since they passed a pond Godrik still is vacant eyed like a doll.
Magnus frustrated hurt but knowing the truth she refuses to acknowledge contacts Zephyr and requests he send the coral, the mask, and the gemstones from the sub. Felicia protests but doesn't stop him as he leads them to a river that goes to sea and rebuilds the Tongue. Godrik takes it from his shaking hands and puts it on.
The mermaid comes HER hands burning the land it touches outside of the water.
SHE speaks.
Godrik answers.
And Felicia and Magnus fall to their knees in sorrow and grief when Godrik steps into HER hold and they disappear.
For the end of those doomed polycue idea where godrik never goes overboard.
After Sinthia tries to trade the tongue's eyes back for the submarine suddenly it's like the other parts of the tongue come out of the woodworks.
Felicia barely manages to prevent godrik from seeing the leather mask when Symmetry finds it amongst her things from the theater. And Magnus goes grey at seeing Zephyr pull out the cauldron amongst his items brought on the ship but misplaced.
The two of them sneak off while Godrik is talking with Wirman and argue how they should respond. Felicia suggest finally chucking the tongues peices overboard and dragging Godrik as far inland as possible. Magnus suggest instead finally telling Godrik the truth. They circle back and forth on why the other's idea is terrible and wouldn't work and never notice how much time has passed until it's been hours and they haven't seen Godrik once.
They panic and search the whole sub, upsetting everyone they come across (especially since they hear how godrik found the peices and gathered them) before finally finding him in the engine room where's he's hidden his old hot air balloon. He's laying in the basket clutching his cane staring at the mask as if it has the answers to the universe.
The basket is too small to fit them all so Magnus carefully and slowly lifts Godrik out of the basket. They crowd him. They hold him. They apologize.
He keeps staring at the mask hands bone white on the cane.
He whispers that he wanted to put it on. That he would have but he didn't know where Felicia was and needed her necklace. That upon remembering he needed her necklace the manic desire for the mask felt sickening and he came here to hide.
That he feels horrible for wanting to leave when they love him, when he loves them in return, but he feels this calling and it can't be ignored.
This is more than just feelings this is a compulsion and they can't just stop it. They need to face it head on.
They raise the sub.
They take the small dingy out just the three of them. Far enough away that they can see the sub but it should be safe from the HER.
Felicia turns the key. Magnus puts the mask on Godrik. They both hold him tight as he calls out in that disturbing voice.
SHE comes, staring down at them eyes bright and filled with the unknown.
SHE speaks.
Godrik answers.
SHE reaches and they tighten their hold.
Godrik speaks once more his hands loose but still holding them back.
SHE leaves.
Sinking below the waves with a mournful song, leaving them alone on the water. Godrik's hands shake as he removes the mermaid's tongue and sets it in his lap.
His eyes look clearer than they have in years.
Later they will return to the sub and plot a course for land. Later they will cuddle in their crowded bed whispering about where they should go next now that they aren't sea bound. Later they will leave the sub for the last time excited and happy to travel as they wanted to.
But for now...now they hold each other in that dingy and watch the sunrise.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
HUUUUUGE MERMAID MASK SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!
Holy hell I cannot believe I actually finished this on schedule.
Anyway GO MY DOOMED POLYCULELINGS! FEED!
You can read the whole thing below the cut or follow the Ao3 link above!
It had been barely a week since the Dearest Selena departed from Silkwirmâs port, and Godrik was, admittedly, not having as great of a time as he hoped.Â
When he asked to come along on the voyage, heâd foolishly imagined himself as some fearless intrepid adventurer, ready to seize the day and feel the rush of discovery. In practice, however, it was hard to feel anything but pathetic when around his companions, far more suited to a life of windswept heroics than he.Â
Heâd quickly holed himself up in Feliciaâs cabin at the center of the ship, tinkering with various scopes and compasses anytime anyone entered to make himself look busy. The last thing he needed was Felicia or Magnus thinking he was sulking and losing whatever little respect they still held for him. Not that he actually wasâŚyâknowâŚsulking. He was merelyâŚstaying out of their way.Â
No matter how many days he spent hiding away in the cabin, though, he could never bring himself to fully shut the door. He always left it open a sliver, just enough to allow Feliciaâs and Magnusâs voices to filter through. The clank and clamour of his shop had evidently imprinted itself upon him, because the silence the closed door created wasâŚto make a long story short, unbearable. So, open it stayed.
With little to actually do inside the tiny cabin, he often killed time by listening in on their conversations. His father surely would have admonished him for eavesdropping, but, frankly, Godrik didnât much care. So he listened to them pour over the map, charting courses and changing directions as experienced seafarers do. He listened to Feliciaâs teasing laced with affection and to her loud unburdened laughter. He listened to Magnusâs muttered worries over stormy weather and to the old discordant melody he liked to hum.Â
He listened to it all. Simply out of boredom, obviously.Â
The crack in the door did more than just let noise in, of course, a fact that Godrik was swiftly reminded of as an unexpected smell began to waft into the room. He paused, tweezers frozen over the compass he was in the middle of putting back together. Was that...smoke?
He sat there for a moment, confused, before the implications caught up to him and he shot up from the desk, work completely forgotten. He stumbled over his own feet in his haste, barely catching himself on the desk. Cursing under his breath, he pulled himself up and shoved the door open.Â
A small fire burned steadily at the center of the foredeck, sending plumes of smoke into the starry night sky. He yelped in alarm as a familiar voice called out to him.
âGood evening, Mr. Gripp! I was just about to fetch you!â Felicia Stonetop stood alongside the roaring flames, grinning pleasantly. The flames reflected off her flaxen hair, illuminating her and her smile in a violent wash of red and orange. It made for a positively terrifying image.
Without missing a beat, as if it were an afterthought, Felicia procured a small leather canteen from the pocket of her dress, uncorked it, and sprinkled a touch of water over the fire. The flames hissed in protest, but slowly died down to a more manageable height. With the fire now mostly tamed, Godrik could see a metal tripod with a hook situated above it, as well as a layer of sand spread below the burning logs. âMagnus, bring the pot back over, would you?â
From the shadows of his periphery, Magnus Mortuga emerged. Godrik flinched at his sudden appearance. Magnus merely nodded in acknowledgement as he carefully hauled the pot back onto its hook by the handle. Whatever questions Godrik still had were promptly silenced as he caught a whiff of the potâs contents, whatever it was, it smelled absolutely divine.
âYou need to keep a closer eye on the fire next time.â Magnus chided, brushing ash off his hands. âYou could have set the boat on fire.âÂ
Felicia rolled her eyes and playfully waved him off, her attention never leaving Godrik. âThe fire got a tad too high,â She explained, âNearly burnt my stew!âÂ
Godrik blinked. â...StewâŚ?â
âOh yes! The folks at the inn love it.â She pulled a well worn ladle from her other pocket and began stirring the concoction. She shot a sly glance at Magnus, âSo does a certain someone who likes sneaking seconds when he thinks Iâm not looking.âÂ
Magnus coughed, his stare burning into the wooden floor. Felicia cackled.
âYouâve never been around to try it before, though, havenât you Mr. Gripp?â Felica asked as she tugged two bar stools over by the fire. Godrik expected the second one to be for Magnus, but was more than a little shocked when Felicia pushed the stool towards him instead.
âCâmon! The night is beautiful. Sit down and eat with us will you?â
Godrik stood frozen by the cabin doorway, watching in wide eyed disbelief as Felicia ladled the stew into a bowl and held it aloft in offering, Magnus watching quietly.Â
For the past few days, the three of them had been surviving off of primarily salt cured meats and preserves. To which, Godrik would usually take his portion and squirrel it away in the cabin or below deck to eat it. But the idea of a genuine, warm meal wasâŚ
His eyes darted back and forth between Felicia, Magnus, and the bowl, stunned silent. His shoulders tensed as something bitter, afraid, and painfully familiar bloomed deep within his chest as they waited expectantly. He wanted nothing more than to flee back into the cabin, go back to fixing that compass, go somewhere he wouldnât be intruding on these peopleâs lives, people far braver, far stronger, and far more worthy of whateverâŚthis was than him.
A polite rejection sat on the tip of his tongue, but before he could voice it, his panicked eyes caught Magnusâs. Magnus lightly nodded towards the bowl, his gaze unexpectedly soft. âItâs good, my friend, I think youâd like it.â
Like the coward he was, Godrik folded. â...Okay.â He breathed. Felicia beamed as he took the bowl and sat down, no doubt politely ignoring his shaking hands. Magnus not so subtly hid his own content smile behind a sip of broth.Â
Felicia and Magnus seemed content to talk amongst themselves as they ate for a bit while GodrikâŚaclimated. Aside from the rare dinner with his father, Godrik had never before been so anxious during a meal in his life. He hardly dared to move, afraid thisâŚwhatever this was was some sort of horrific fluke. He swirled the meat and vegetables around, hesitant, but as he watched Felicia and Magnus eat their shares, Godrik eventually built up the confidence to take a bite of his.
Miraculously, It tasted even better than it smelled. It was quite salty, likely from Felicia being made to cook with the salted meat they had aboard, but it was rich and comforting in a way Godrik had only heard about but never actually tasted. The heat of it warmed him from the inside out, knocking loose much of the unease that had tangled itself around his heart. If he wasnât currently sitting before the top two people he felt the least deserving to be in the presence of, he might have cried.
âItâs not exactly the same as the one I make at home.â Felicia thought aloud, âIt's kind of difficult to store all the ingredients on a boat with no cold storage, but itâs still pretty good Iâd say!â Magnus nodded along, looking the most relaxed Godrik had seen him the entire voyage. OrâŚperhaps it would have been a more common sight, if heâd only been out on deck the past week to witness itâŚ
âWhat say you, Mr. Gripp? Penny for your thoughts?â
âNo penny required-â He began before he could stop himself. âThis is the best meal Iâve had in months, Miss Stonetop.â He finished, almost reverently.Â
Feliciaâs eyes widened in surprise before she broke out into a fit of laughter. âThank you, Mr. Gripp! But please, Felicia will do just fine.â
â...I seeâŚâ Godrik said in a hushed tone, afraid to say much more in fear of revealing just how horrifyingly giddy he was. â...Felicia it is then.â
More polycue thoughts so implied mermaid mask spoilers
After the second time where they catch godrik out of it near the dock (that first time he was on it watching the waves but that second time...that second time magnus just barely grabbed godrik before he stepped off) they decide hiding on land isn't an option anymore.....but neither is keeping the tongue in its complete form. So they commission a vessel and plan to dismantle the tongue.
The builder offers to combine the wreckage of the dearest selene and some sort of unfinished submarine but it should serve their purposes so felicia doesn't hesitate to pay him in the gemstone eyes from the tongue (and if her and magnus hope the man has them broken to be sold for jewelry thats a secret they need not say). They lock the crystal coral back in the cauldron and hide it amongst the inns storage while Godrik is excitedly watching the vessel get built (they don't speak about how clear his eyes have gotten since being told they will start looking for the tongue once it's done). The leather mask itself is harder to dispose of but in the end they give it to the local theater to potentially use or if not hide amongst the dozens of other costumes (its the last stop Felicia makes before meeting Godrik and Magnus at the dock for their departure but it needed to be done last so fewer questions could be asked).
They can't get rid of the necklace. Godrik has seen it around her neck and it's a family heirloom. So as they sink under the waves that first time it sits center on her chest (she hates how godrik looks at it as if it's a sign as if it's an omen).
For years they "search" the waves the three of them getting closer and closer with Godrik while still losing himself occasionally getting better (they ignore the guilt they feel for lying it's for him it's to help him they love him it's for the best). And as the time passes their vessel gains others to ride amongst it.
But when one Sinthia seafoam arrives on the boat one day intact gemstones in her grasp wanting to buy the submarine back their carefully structure lie threatens to break as one by one suddenly the other pieces make themselves known aboard.
I think my main focus for sorta fixits ideas is just magnus and felicia trying to help godrik get over his obsession with HER while also feeling guilty about still having the tongue.
Like here godrik is still hearing HER voice in his dreams in the background of his waking life too. Him switching back and forth between begging for the tongue because he doesn't want to be alone and SHE will keep him company to just pure silence staring in the distance but following one of them around the hotel like a shadow.
They're trying to help they're willing to help but the tongue hangs over them. They want to destroy it. They want to get rid of it.
But what if it doesn't work? What if they toss it into the sea and they find it again? What if the mermaid comes anyway?
It scares the two of them. They keep to the inn. Keep to land as if hoping that if not on the water the mermaid can't find them.
But godrik starts wondering to the docks eyes vacant as if ready to jump in.
What if after godrik fell off the boat felicia rips off the mask and screams for mortuga that godrik fell off. In pain in agony mortuga searching the waves for their third voyage member.
They see nothing. Just the waves just the sea just HER sinking deeper into the sea but no Godrik.
He's gone.
He's gone and they brought him along. They brought him and he's lost and it's their fault. He just wanted adventure. He just wanted a chance to explore. So nervous so unsure the man hiding away worried that he's in the way that they hate him and they lost him.
And then he shoots upwards gasping and panting eyes wide and unseeing clutching at the broken wheel like its all that's keeping him alive.
Despite the pain and agony and burning in his side mortuga helps felicia lift godrik onto the deck. They surround him hands reaching touching asking if he's ok if he's alright and all he can do is ask what if Felicia heard what the mermaid said.
If she understood HER.
Felicia shakes her head, and godrik cries out in gutted anguish and rushes for the mask still on the deck and mortuga has to tackle him.
Felicia watches as they fight more of a struggle of limbs both crying in pain as their burns are touched and they both pass out. She drags them both to the captains cabin and somehow manages to get them to shore. Mortuga falls ill but gordik just sleeps.
She feels guilty. She feels trapped. She feels the need to run...but she cant. She drug them both on this adventure and now they need help she can't leave she can't.
Mortuga wakes up still hurting but aware.
But Godrik? Godrik wakes up almost frantic with the need to get the mask again. Begging felicia to give it to him.
Sort of fixit-idea for the doomed polycue under cut
Can you imagine a world where Godrik instead of lying to Mortuga promises to help him find Felicia in return for mortuga helping him locate the mask? Mortuga desperate to find her and so sure that godrik will get over it agrees.
Them finding her, actually finding her, and mortuga being so overjoyed. Felicia happy to see them both again is overjoyed as well. And godrik half out of it ecstatic asks if now mortuga will help him find the mask.
That mortuga promised, he promised and godrik did it he found Felicia he found her so can't they help him find the mask so he can find HER? He just needs them to tell him where they dropped it. Surely he can calculate where it might have moved if he knows the starting point please just tell him.
And now you have both mortuga and Felicia realizing just how obsessed and unwell godrik has become from seeing HER.
Au where Stone ends up in a full body cast instead of Robotnik after the 2nd movie (and Ivo takes care of him). Stone keeps thinking that he'll be abandoned because he is now useless but Ivo reassures him he's not~
Stone waking up just as the mech is exploding. Him seeing robotnik say his goodbye to a golden? Sonic and falling backwards. Stone determined to be useful (he has to be useful otherwise why would the doctor keep him, he's already failed too much since the doctor came back he has to prove he's worth keeping) jumps after the doctor to tackle him midair and manages to change their trajectory enough that when they hit the ground (him on bottom of course he has to protect the doctor) it's at an angle. He hits hard, doctor cradled in his hold as best stone can, and feels...what feels like everything snap before it all fades out in terrible agony.
He drifts off hoping he succeeded at least in preventing the doctor from serious injury and pleased to have served him for at least this long.
Stone briefly waking up to bright lights and frantic words, mumbled and jumbled too much to understand, and hands shaking and nervous while red eyes glow and watch on only to fall asleep once more.
Stone waking up again to find himself in darkness trapped in what feels like a plastor cast unable to move unable to talk eyes hurting to move and seeing his doctor watching him from a bedside chair before administering pain relief and sending Stone back under.
Those first few weeks just repeating that scene until his jaw can move a bit and he apologizes to wasting the doctor's time as best he can with an uncooperatrive tongue.
Robotnik looking so mad so enraged for a split second before just giving him another dose even as he tries to say he doesn't deserve it.
Stone drifting off before seeing robotnik chuck his chair at the wall enraged that his agent thinks he'd leave him after everything he did.
Hello people from the fandom, I was thinking about expectations vs reality of Sonic 3, you hear a lot of theories and things like that, if there is anyone willing to interact with this post, I would like to know what theories you believed about what was going to happen with Stone and Robotnik, or other things in the film
ola pessoas da fandom, eu tava pensando sobre expectativas vs realidade de sonic 3, ouve muitas teorias e essas coisas, se tiver alguem afim de interagir com esse post, eu gostaria de saber quai teorias voceis acreditavam sobre oque ia acontecer com stone e robotnik, ou outras coisas no filme
I thought they have Stone looking into project shadow more. Like I know the mention of the project in the after credit scene was to be like oh we have shadow next move but I thought with Stone overhearing about it he'd look into it.
Kinda thought Stone would be looking or have found shadow to use against Sonic under the manipulation of this fuck hurt the last robotnik you know the family of the people you loved most?
Definitely thought Gerald would have died by then to add further fuel to shadows desire for revenge.
school uniform codes extending to what colours youâre allowed to dye your hair, and what piercings you can have and stuff is so crazy. you HAVE to go to school and youâre not even allowed to have pink hair or pierce your nose about it????
âoh itâs to prepare you for the workplaceâ okay. i donât think any workplace should be dictating what you can and canât do with your body either and i think itâs strange to decide to teach children that their body is not their own
Just some persephone and hades coded stobotnik shit under the cut
Stone being a young agent and full of life smiling such a pretty smile always smelling like flowers only imperfection the dirt he has stuck under his painted nails.
One of his first missions is in Greece and it goes to shit immediately. The other agents, older more experienced, present watch as this green barely graduated agent looks so at home among the carnage he's causing and yet still smiling so softly.
One agent to break the tension calling him persephone and Stone laughing and asking if that means he should be wary of pomegranates.
The name sticking throughout the years (the dirt long gone from his nails but followed by how easily he disappears in the foliage as if the trees themselves are hiding him, the scent of flowers faded but his victims can taste it as they draw their final breathes and he stands over them, that smile still so pretty and soft but uncanny in the dark).
Laughing every time a green agent gets dared to give him something pomegranate related and never accepting.
Walters seeing this unflappable agent and thinking maybe this is the kind of agent robotnik needs. Walters sending in the transfer orders and not thinking about it further.
The whispers of sorrow and worry that follow him as he packs his stuff and heads to the lab smile still place never failling.
The lab being dark and lonely and sad and the man inside just the same but better at hiding it (not really not to stone) and Stone deciding this place while dead and lifeless is still a garden of sorts and he's always been good in a garden.
Robotnik opening up to Stone, because while it's different Stone and him are the same in a way and robotnik has been desperate for someone to see the world like him even if he doesn't say it, and giving Stone a gift as thanks.
It's nail polish but more than that it's pomegranate red and Stone accepts it and spends his lunch break painting his nails in the new shade.
Years pass and gun tries to bring Stone back into the fold but he always returns to robotnik before long as if drawn as if trapped nails always that same shade.
And then the doctor vanishes and they try to erase him try to pretend he never was there. And Stone smiles and laughs and the lab deploys poison gas killing the scientists sent to steal his work with Stone watching breathing fine. The lab is empty and Stone is gone when they finally clear the fumes.
The doctor returns smelling of fungus yet no worse for wear and Stone is relieved. He stays by the other's side as he seeks the master emerald and stays even when it all goes wrong and the damned hedgehog throws them both to the ground. He stays by the other's side surrounded eating pomegranates as the doctor recovers and stays until he's thrown away left behind and forced to watch his love join the stars.
They don't talk about robotnik he's not real was never real but they mention Stone's name even less. Because mentioning his name gets his attention. He'll find you if you speak it and you don't want him finding you. Only Persephone is mentioned in the faintest of whispers as they watch the world fall to flowers and robots.
Whispering of the myth of the dread queen who was known before his love. Who was feared before his love stole him away. Who will be feared long after his love has been forgotten again.
And the world fills with the scent of pomegranates as it burns.
Villain Stone who wants revenge. Who so badly wants to make those furry brats pay for ruinging his life from the second they met. Who wants to bring his doctor's dream to life because it's all he has left of the man he loves.
But I also want stone to be terrified.
I want this man who had worked with robotnik for years who knows how smart and dangerous his love was to feel legitimate fear of these aliens because despite how "cute" or "innocent" they look they still didn't blink when sending a man do his death either by stranding on a world unknown to be habitable or by drowning in a toxic river.
I want Stone to consider himself so inadequate compared to the doctor and fearing that should he confront these things directly he will die without any chance.
I want Stone to take this fight from the back. Metal sonics to attack up front and distract while he's over here in the background planting bombs poisoning wells whatever.
I just want a villain Stone who after all this bullshit trauma with these aliens is too terrified to face them directly but still wants them to suffer.
And I want him taking the subtle background method to work.
After all team Sonic works best when the target is upfront and direct against them, like how both robotniks fought them.
But to do it from shadows? To have a big bright shiny distraction of metal Sonic invasion all the while things are falling apart from seemingly nothing? That would be hard to fight.
Just just the seen of the whole team weak injured pinned from an attack they never saw coming because they thought they already won and then there's a video of Stone (hands shaking even as he clasps them in front smirk showing teeth like a threat eyes desperately trying not to dart around stay focused on the camera their not near him they can't find him he'll ran once their dead just in case) wishing them a good death and that he hopes they scream.
if parks and rec was still being made theyâd do a bit where ron swanson has to wear a pronouns name tag and itâd just be â???/???â And itâd cut to a talking head of him going
âIâve been a fool all this time. Itâs bad enough the government knows my name, but now they want to know my gender? So Iâm not letting them know my preferred pronouns. As far as Iâm concerned, no one in this building should refer to me at all.â
Ron walks into the main area of the office like âEveryone, announcement! I notice that you have been referring to me with he/him pronouns for YEARS. As I do not think the government has any business knowing my personal information, this behavior may incline them to make conclusions that they have no business even thinking about. Therefore, I request that you switch it up from now on. Keep em guessing. That is all.â
He tries to turn around and walk back into his office, but Leslie starts crying and saying Supportive Things about how proud she is to see him exploring his gender and immediately switches to they/them; she instructs Ben and Ann to do the same. Donna and Chris go for she/her, for different reasons.
Tom assures Ron that he will use only the slickest, coolest, dopest designer pronouns; he sweeps in the next day and announces that he's put together a powerpoint of the most stylish and fashionable neopronouns to come out of Milan this season. The powerpoint includes the scarf, cologne and sunglasses that pair best with each option. Jerry is the only one to attend this presentation, which leaves him even more Big Confused about the whole thing than he already was. In Jerry's efforts to clumsily be an ally, he keeps accidentally "misgendering" Ron four different times in four different ways in every interaction and apologizing elaborately for every single mistake, thereby inadvertently doing the best job out of any of them at fulfilling the brief.
Andy does not know what a pronoun is, but in the spirit of himbo helpfulness, he's made a list of Words that he knows Ron likes, such as "sandwich", "woodworking", and "bacon". (Ron snatches it, tears it up, throws it in the trash, and sets the trash basket on fire, and firmly instructs Andy to never again mention anything that Ron likes while inside a government building.)
April, of course, keeps using he/him until Ron calls her into his office to re-explain the strategy of Operation: Muddy The Waters, whereupon she blinks owlishly at him and says, "I mean, isn't that just what they'd expect you to do if you were trying to hide something from the government? If you exclude one pronoun, then they know that's the one you care about. You have to double-bluff them." Ron squints at her for a long moment and says flatly, "Hm. Go back to your desk." The camera stays on Ron watching her through his window as his voiceover says, "April is a valuable employee. I look forward to one day when she leaves this hellhole and uses her strategic genius and insider knowledge to tear down the government."
I hope that should Stone be in movie 4 (and I really hope they wouldn't toss him) that he is taking up robotniks mantle like he did in the prequil comic. That he, in his grief, is going to bring the doctor's perfect world to life in his honor even if he has to drag the rest of the world kicking and screaming and dying to do it.
I want a stone who mourns but remembers perfectly clear what robotnik would want done in his behalf and doesn't stray a step further.
I want a stone who while bitter at the tricolor freaks for leaving him behind to die in the cannon and accepts that it was robotniks choice and that he saved the world for Stone.
Therefore Stone will take what he has been given and he will crush those little brats with a maniacal laugh as homage to his love.
Because we've seen grief causing one to do things the dead wouldnt want, we've seen it causing one to hide themselves away, but what about grief where your dedicated to the persons memory and you follow their legacy?
