Ess

Ess is the Sonic from the Encaged AU and was captured by Infinite prior to the events of Sonic Forces. Ess was summoned to the House while he was still imprisoned, causing him to originally bear the shackle around his torso.

Ess is essentially Modern Sonic, but faced with the traumas he faced within The Cage, he is slightly more withdrawn but determined to get back to the way he once was.

Appearance
Like most of the Sonics in the house, Ess is an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog that bears a peach muzzle, arms, and belly. His gloves and red buckled shoes finish off the signature Sonic the Hedgehog look. When he first joins the house, he bears a metallic shackle around his waist, mangled quills/fur, and paler skin.

As time went on in the house, the shackle was ripped off and now leaves a permanent scar around his torso.

Ess wears Chip's bracelet around his neck as a memoir of his closest friend.

Personality
Ess is a Sonic at heart. This can be seen by his steadfast and rash decisions. However, his time in The Cell deteriorated his mental state, causing him to doubt certain scenarios and leaves him desperate to solve his problems.

Standard Abilities
Ess has the abilities of Modern Sonic.

In theory.

He is rusty, and has seemingly lost the ability to perform the Boost, he still retains most of his speed; but his stamina is inhibited by his lack of movement for months.

Fusion
He has the capability to fuse with Trial to form Soter. Why can he fuse? No one knows.

Transformations
Ess can supposedly access all of the forms Modern Sonic can, but he has only used two forms throughout the events of the House.

Illusional Form
There was a point in which Chip the Cockroach appeared in glitch form on Ess' shoulder, causing him to believe he was in The Cage. It is unknown if this counts as a 'transformation', but it was notable enough to list as a possible one. It is believed that the Chip that influenced this form was only an illusion from Infinite.

Werehog Form
After an incident in the Depths, Ess has Dark Gaia's essence stuck within his body, causing him to turn into a werehog ever once in a while. Without Light Gaia's influence, it causes Ess to become savage, talking in the third person and overall becoming unreasonable. To curve those needs, Ess keeps a "replica" of Light Gaia's necklace around him at all times.

Dark Form
During a disagreement on whether Trial should be mad about the house's new arrival, Gadget, Ess was consumed by Trial's negative Chaos energy and turned into a Dark Super Sonic. In a sense, Dark Super Sonic is everything Super Sonic except positive, leaving Ess in a chaotic state to the point of ripping off Chip's necklace that he bore around his neck.

Trial
Ess and Trial are in a romantic relationship. They spend most of their time together and despite some rocky patches, are very close and trusting of each other. One of Ess' flaws would be spending too much time with Trial, choosing him over making any new friends, which he has tried to work on since.

Chip the Cockroach
Ess met Chip when he was still imprisoned by Infinite. The cockroach was Ess' only source of socialization and comfort for the months he spent in the cell. After teleporting to the house, Chip tagged along after some time and still keeps Ess company to this day.

Chip (Light Gaia)
Ess has an emotional tie with Light Gaia, being a huge inspiration for the hedgehog. He keeps what is believed to be a replica of Chip's necklace over his own neck.

Infinite
Ess is deathly afraid of Infinite due to the events of his universe. Every time the jackal's name is mentioned around him, a wave of uneasiness or rage consumes Ess. When the time comes, Ess is ready to fight to the death against Infinite to redeem himself.

Shikurai
Shikurai once teased and mocked Ess for his past, even to the point of calling him "Freedom" while still bearing his shackle, but has since become very close to him, almost to the status of brothers. Shikurai has been called a 'mom friend' in regards to Ess, as he often worries and stresses over him.

Venice
Ess' relationship with Venice is a rocky road. The two started as close friends, often spending time together. Venice was even the one to free Ess from his shackle. As time went on, Venice grew envious of Ess with his ability to bond with others. After a fight in a forest, Ess started to think less of Venice, but was determined to get back along with him. After a heartfelt apology in Tiara's Room, the two are on good terms once more

Tiara
To put it bluntly, Ess uses Tiara as a nurse. Tiara hates it whenever Ess hurts himself for no reason.

Ivo
Ess looks up to Ivo as a fatherly figure and finds immense comfort being near him. This may be due to Ess' Eggman in his universe being a savior from his torture.

Trivia

 * His first nickname was 'Encaged'. This is a direct reference to the AU's namesake.
 * Shikurai's personal nickname 'Freedom' was originally intended as an insult.
 * Ess is very gay.
 * A fair few characters in the story have a specific source they will reference from frequently, Ess is often associated with Steven Universe, particularly Lapis Lazuli as the two of them share a lot of the same beats in their arc, with Ess representing Lapis and Infinite representing Jasper.
 * He learned to sign the phrase "Suck my dick." from Terios and Madonna while in the Citadel. He once signed this in front of Needlemouse.