i saw a hc of sonic ages where sonic is a young adult and metal sonic is ageless yet is physically 17 year old meaning metal sonic is always stuck at 17 year old thus paired with roboticizated metal sonic, the angst of how metal sonic is forever stuck at a young age while he gets to see his other self able to thrive and grow
Having your life essentially end but not exactly, while you're still there is a horrifying thing. I really like this hc! As a machine, Metal no longer ages, mentally, physically, nothing. He's timeless, if he's maintained. He stays the exact same, if he's not upgraded. And even then it's just so he could keep up with a version of himself that took everything and more from him.
He's unable to mature, though some would say Sonic is quite mature for his age (gestures to Frontiers). Unable to deal with his emotions in a healthy way because he has no means of expressing himself through the restraints of programming and code.
Unable to enjoy the joys of life the older him can. I doubt Sonic would ever get married to anyone, guy's a free bird, but he would totally attend weddings of his friends and probably drink, dude's an adult come on. While Metal can do nothing but stare longingly at what he could have had if he just hadn't messed up when he had...
