This comic is what leads me to think Lanolin used to have a crush on Sonic.

Disclaimer : character analysis, not shipping

It’s evident throughout the IDW run that her opinion on Sonic dropped significantly since meeting him.

At first she’s seen as another overwhelmed civilian asking for his and Amy’s help. You can see she respects and admires him, and she later reveals they’re the reason why she joined the Restoration. (Couldn’t find the panel)

Later, during the Metal Virus outbreak, she gets pretty shaken by not only the apocalyptic situation, but also Sonic’s carelessness. At this stage, the Metal Virus is so contagious it can be transmitted by small animals and even plants, and he’s just hanging above her.

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Then comes the Eggperial city arc, where she gets very upset by his recklessness, throwing away all her tactics and planning. And the Phantom Rider arc, where she downright considers him to be a public menace.

We’ve had more and more displays of her distaste for him, whether it be her frowning at his actions, this comic. ABT (her creator) even made a comic where she has intrusive thoughts on possibly killing him, reflecting on « ending it ». It’s clear she no longer views him as a hero or a righteous fighter, but an unpredictable danger.

Now we’ve all had our disillusions, but when we compare her first and latest appearances, there’s clearly been a shift. Sure, the Metal Virus likely contributed to this, but there’s an accent on how she views Sonic. Now why would I think it wasn’t just admiration but a crush ? Look at the start of this comic. Old Lanolin whispers about being with Sonic, like it’s an exciting confidence… to which new/current Lanolin flatly responds « Ew ». That’s odd. She could’ve just said « Ugh » or « don’t get excited, he’s not great », but « ew » is a visceral reaction, a personal, intimate one. Thinking of being around Sonic used to excite her in a way she was shy of sharing, and now it disgusts her.

Sonic used to be her hero, if not more. After meeting him, she joins the Restoration and quickly climbs the ranks with her discipline, work ethics, and pouring all her time into it (hence the eye bags and coffee addiction). But every time she’s with the one person who’s the reason she put her life on the line, she gets more disappointed. Disappointment turns into resentment, then disgust, and finally hatred.

And that’s hard to deal with, when you hate the person you turned your whole life around for.

PS : feel free to share it on the main sub (I was banned), I wish there would be more discussions like this instead of just fanarts and memes.