Do you have any personal thoughts/headcanons on tumble x Espio? I’d love to hear how you portray the relationship :)
Well, since I haven't read all the chapters yet, some of my thoughts may be incomplete, but why not share them? It's been a year since I first thought about Espio and Tumble as a ship, and I haven't really delved into it since then, but now I have a reason to reread IDW comic, and here are a few stuff that I have in mind:
Tumble, it seemed to me, is easily influenced by others, much more so than Rough, though they both seek some kind of approval for their actions. I thought the idea of Espio setting Tumble on the right path was really sweet. I love arcs where bully are rehabilitated, and I think Tumble deserved one, because, seriously, he and his brother are just two bullies with nowhere to put their energy, and they waste it on violence. Having someone like Espio in Tumble's life, patiently showing him how to use his powers for good, would have been a really interesting development for Tumble's character. I can't get the scene where Espio reminds the brothers of their promise to Cream to "be good" out of my head. That's probably when the idea "yes, they should be together" took hold. My favorite trope, from enemies to friends to lovers, is at its finest.
The big idiot/calm (small) guy dynamic is my weakness. If those characters stand next to each other for even a second, I'm all in. Add to that the size difference and the fact that they can both kick each other's ass (Espio mostly, which adds another point to their fun dynamic).
What this relationships can give Espio is, well, another problem to deal with and a fool to keep an eye on. Plus, it would be an interesting experience for him to be faced with a "bad guy gets redemption" situation. There was a really cool scene in the Virus arc where Espio reminded Sonic that he shouldn't have left Eggman in the village and that he should have brought him to justice without hesitation. And if you let Espio experience a similar situation, he would understand that a "second chance" can actually be successful for someone who's ready to change, and there's no need to be dogmatic. And along the way, he becomes attached to this ball of fur.
The initiative for the relationship would definitely come from Tumble, 'cause he's more daring in expressing his emotions than Espio and could blurt out something impulsively. Tho it would take them a long time, because Tumble seems like that guy who doesn't believe he's gay until the purple guy knocks him out. In my eyes, Espio wouldn't know what to do after the confession, because it's one thing to rehabilitate a bad guy, and quite another to want to kiss him. It's quite a slow burn.
As I already said, Tumble really likes it when his achievements are appreciated. Espio, modestly and reservedly, will praise him for little things, and Tumble will wag his tail contentedly, because he's a big bundle of joy and need love.
Since Tumble is very insecure about his tail, of course, Espio's prehensile tail annoys him. Just a fact.
and Tumble still rhymes badly yeah...
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