sranks | ROLLING AROUND AT THE SPEED OF SOUND

ROLLING AROUND AT THE SPEED OF SOUND

( catchall for some dumb hedgehogs
also seasons tdm link for reference! )

[Not this again. There has to be some way to avoid this exact same pointless argument, but if there is, Neo can't see it. They're stuck in here together until these damn bunnies get bored and leave them alone, so why not go right back to this? Why would it be anything else, anyway? After all, they're oil and water - they simply do not mix, and they're going to be a fire hazard if not handled properly.]

Because I'm not—

[And then for once Neo actually manages to shut his voice down there because suddenly he does not like the direction his own thoughts are going.

Because I'm not alive.

As though that matters? As though that one stupid, pointless word means anything? What does it matter if he isn't an organic being like the hedgehog and his weak little friends? Neo is better. He is the superior Sonic. He can repair and build himself into the fastest, most powerful version of Sonic that has ever existed. He can surpass this flesh-and-blood being.

...And yet.

And yet he hasn't. What good did all of that planning and preparation do, when the hedgehog was able to beat him into the dirt again? Who's to say that next time will go any different, when he doesn't even have a plan for next time? How is he to prove himself superior - that he is Sonic - if he can't even manage that?

He's been awfully quiet for far too long, lost in his thoughts that are once again pointlessly circling about things that do not matter here. Focus, Neo. One step at a time. Things will be easier - they will make more sense - once you're back home.]

You aren't allowed to die to something as pathetic as your own hubris.

[As if he can cast aside his thoughts entirely, Neo steps forward, invading the hedgehog's space and menacing down at him. His voice comes out hard, grating, almost like a snarl.]

I am the only one allowed to kill you.

[Sonic stares up at Metal with a fiery determination in his eyes, and it only hits now how tall he is. He doesn't quite dwarf Sonic in height, but there's a difference and it is stark. That doesn't stop Sonic's fiery green eyes from gazing right into Metal's red optics, and he doesn't care how close they are, because something flares to life in Sonic when Metal cuts himself off, and Sonic's never felt more furious in his life.

The rest of Metal's words can wait, when they come out, but Sonic's teeth grit hard as his fists ball up into his sides. It's as if the tension has finally snapped, and Sonic has no intention of holding back.

He's not sure he could even if he tried.]

And I'm the only one allowed to beat you! Are you even listening to yourself right now, you stupid rustbucket?! You keep trying to take on everything you can to prove your better than me, without even thinking about yourself! Gotta be better than Sonic this, only one allowed to kill you that, nothing matters because I can just fix myself--do you even hear all of that?! You haven't even given one thought about what you want outside of that, outside of what that stupid Egghead has programmed into you, because that's all you think you are! A program without a heart, even if we both know that isn't true!

You're trying to tell me that a good, dutiful little robot can continue to push himself to beat his rival, over and over again, and that's just programming? That the guy who kept shouting about not being afraid of anything anymore doesn't have a soul of his own, that the guy who wants nothing more than to show me what he's made of doesn't matter?! That you don't have your own wants, separate from everything Eggman programmed into you?! And you really think that there isn't anyone worth caring about in that cold metal heart of yours?! You're the biggest hypocrite I've ever met!

[It's an impulsive, quick move, but Sonic's hand moves faster than his thoughts and he grabs for the closest thing that passes as a collar in Neo Metal Sonic's outfit and grips tightly, anger practically radiating off of him.]

You are the stupidest hedgehog I've ever met in my life, friend, and you are alive whether you wanna acknowledge it or not!

[Sonic never boils with anger like this. He's always been the sort to roll with the punches, but it's as if something's finally snapped in him. Hearing Metal refuse to acknowledge himself and the fact that his life is just as precious as anyone else's--maybe it's just hitting something he doesn't like. He's never liked anyone thinking like that. It's such a sad way to live, and it reminds Sonic of how unfair this is, that this is unfair, it's all unfair, and--

Sonic just wants Neo to shut up for once in his life and use his stupid, massive brain to think for himself for once. To acknowledge that he's a being who deserves to be cared for. Who deserves a future, a life that's his.

All Sonic wants to do is shut Neo up, and...

He's not even sure when he decided to pull Neo closer. Impulse is Sonic's way of life, after all, but he pulls Neo closer, not even giving heed to the distance between them anymore, just wanting this to stop, for Neo to think, for Neo to shut UP, and his lips hit cold metal without even a second thought.]

Edited 2024-12-19 02:58 (UTC)

[Sonic does not get this riled. Ever. No one else can make him this angry, this fiery. Even Eggman couldn't manage it. This is something only Neo has managed, and even if that is such a small, pointless victory in the face of all of his defeats, he can take pride in this one thing.

Of course, he doesn't have long to bask in his victory before Sonic gets started and goes. As expected, the fastest thing alive goes from zero to a hundred in no time at all, and Neo's long since forgotten his momentary victory in the face of all of this.

Sonic's hand meets his shoulder and pulls him closer and Neo lets him, because it'll be that much easier to stab his organic counterpart once they're close. And then it will finally, finally be over and he won't ever have to hear about his own wants, or Sonic's nonsensical assertion that he's a hypocrite, or that he's alive. That any of this matters in any way, that he means something to Sonic more than just another enemy robot to smash to pieces—

And then it occurs to him that they're actually very close. Too close. Oh, Sonic's kissing him.

...Sonic is kissing him.

...Sonic the hedgehog is kissing him.

Saying that Neo's thought process screeches to a halt would inaccurate, as that is a purely organic term of phrase and not applicable here, as his thought process never truly stops, regardless of whatever unprecedented circumstances are happening around him (or to him). He is programmed to be able to adapt to any and all situations and to bounce back.

So he should be having a reaction to this that isn't being completely frozen in place.

His hands come up reflexively, clamping down tight on Sonic's upper arms - hard enough to leave temporary marks, not hard enough to risk those claws piercing skin - and...

And it occurs to him how warm Sonic is.

Well, of course he's warm. He is a living being and his heart is still pumping blood through his system because Neo hasn't killed him yet (for some reason). So it makes sense that he's warm. And yet there's something truly fascinating about having his cold, metal claws on a living, breathing being. Yes, he carried Sonic earlier, but he was hardly focused on his organic idiosyncrasies. Here and now, in the worst possible time to be distracted by something so completely inane and pointless, Neo hesitates.

This is... acceptable. He doesn't mind it. The warmth, the proximity, the vain thought that maybe he should have given this form a proper mouth—

Ohhhhh, no we are not going down that rabbit hole today, thank you very much. Neo's grip tightens on Sonic's arms but he... can't quite bring himself to push the hedgehog off of him. So the end result is... just kind of pathetic, if we're being honest here. Dear god. If you break the silence with a stupid joke, he will stab you.]

[It's...strange, how borderline pleasant this is.

Sonic really didn't think through this whole process at all--in truth, he really just wanted to find a way to shut Metal up that didn't involve the stupid robot yelling again and making Sonic even angrier--he never really angers, and he's usually the most unflappable thing to ever exist. Even when the world's been put in danger by Eggman time and time again, his friends, even those he cares about, he's never let his anger boil over like this. Maybe it was just the only way to try and passionately prove a point to Metal, that he's more than what Eggman made him to be. Sonic's more of a doer than a speaker, really, and actions always have spoken louder than words.

Maybe it says something about him that he hasn't taken himself off of Metal yet. Despite the brief pain from Metal's claws digging into him, and wondering if the robotic hedgehog would shove him off, Sonic persists in this stupid, stupid decision of his and there's a part of him that wonders what Amy sees in all of this. She'd probably be steaming mad if she saw this, given that she wants to be his one and only, but it's...

Cold, but warm at the same time. It's strange how Sonic can realize it in these moments, the sounds of Metal's mechanical nonsense, of things he can't understand. The sounds of how he functions, how he lives and breathes just like anyone else. It's strangely pleasant, and it keeps Sonic in the kiss for longer than he probably should. He's not really sure if he loves Metal, necessarily--deep down, all he did want was for Metal to shut up and actually be forced to acknowledge what he's saying, and the quiet is surprisingly pleasant. Not oppressive. For a hedgehog who can't abide by doing nothing, he's surprisingly content to stay like this for a bit. For as cold as Metal comes off, there's something strangely and pleasantly warm about this that Sonic doesn't think about for too long, and he's not sure he wants to.

And so he doesn't. It is what it is. This can still be something so damn simple, deep down, because no matter what the other hedgehog thinks--Sonic considers him a friend. A rival. A dear one at that, and Sonic isn't just going to let him throw his life away in pursuit of his desire to become him.

Maybe one day, Neo could even become something of his own. And what a grand dream what would be, wouldn't it?]

[Eventually, he does have to stop. He is still a being who needs air, and the outside is pretty cold, especially without the barrier keeping some of the cold off of them now. But they're in their own little world for a brief moment, and Sonic is already trying to think of some sort of witty one liner to seal this deal with. Neo's likely going to stab him, but it's gonna be so funny, and maybe it'll be worth it to see just how Neo's face looks after all of this.]

[...Unfortunately, there's. One little problem with all of this.

One, is that it's damn cold outside. Usually not a problem for Sonic, because of his fur, and he doubts that Neo has any problems with it either. Usually his speed is enough to keep him toasty even in the coldest environments, so it's usually not too much of a problem.

Two, is that Neo is...well, metal. Anyone with eyes can see that. He's metal, he's cold, and sticking something wet and pliable like say, one's very organic lips to metal is usually not a good idea. Sonic's heard horror stories of human kids getting their tongues frozen onto poles before, because of stupid dares, but he's never paid them any mind. After all, how could that happen to him?

Three, is...well. Just one plus two, really. Because. Uh.

Sonic's lips are very much stuck to Neo's metal mouth area, and Neo can likely hear the slightly muffled 'oh no' as Sonic's grip tightens on Neo's shoulders, trying to get himself off to no avail.

He uh. May have fucked up. Help???]

[Ohhhhh he really doesn't like that he doesn't hate this. Not that Neo Metal Sonic is capable of hating things, because that is a very organic emotion that he does not feel. Yep. Totally. Which is why he feels absolutely nothing about this current situation and is not sending all of his processing power to the lines of code that make up his brain.

1. Sonic the hedgehog is kissing him.
2. Sonic the hedgehog has not stopped kissing him.
3. Neo Metal Sonic has not killed Sonic for 1 or 2.
4. The barrier around them is down and the bunnies have dispersed, thus leaving them free to go.

Right. So the rest of this? Irrelevant, pointless, and not worth thinking about. His own hesitation, the feeling of Sonic's lips on him, the hearbeat he can feel emanating from the hedgehog beneath his dangerous claws, none of that matters. The moment they return home, all of this will be nothing more than a horrendous nightmare.

Figuratively speaking, of course, as Neo Metal Sonic does not sleep and thus cannot have nightmares.

So the only thing to do now is take his leave and go back to pretending that Sonic doesn't exist while he buries himself in research on how the hell to get home. Because thinking about this any further is pointless. He has no feelings about any of this, and it doesn't matter what his counterpart's are because Neo's going to kill him the moment they get home. So absolutely none of this matters.

...

Ex...cept it seems like there is one problem neither of them foresaw, um.]

You—

[soniccccccccccccc]

You are the stupidest organic being I have ever had the displeasure of meeting.

[It would be a lie to say that breaks the tension, because it is certainly still there, but that gets Neo's claws to loosen from the near-death grip on Sonic's arms. Hopefully that won't leave bruises... Well, even if it does, it's not like it's his fault. This is entirely Sonic's doing.]

Hold still. I'm turning up my internal temperature.

[Sure enough, Sonic will be able to feel the whirring of Neo's inner mechanisms and the heat that slowly pours through him as a result. He hasn't actively turned on his boosters, it's simply redirecting his processing power to his core, which will in turn spread heat throughout his body, thus unsticking the incredibly stupid hedgehog from his face.

...And if he sounds like he's trying very hard not to be amused, that's just your imagination.]

[His heart's been surprisingly chilled out since he actually kissed Neo--sure, it was spiking when he was angry, and it's...spiking now, mostly from the actual realization hitting him that he's stuck and if anything, he just doesn't want to overstay his welcome in Neo's personal space if Neo doesn't want that??? He's not sure if Neo wants this at all or if he's managed to make the robot finally short circuit or something, but...

Neo manages to speak up independently of the current situation, and Sonic manages the most muffled hey, that's not fair! at the end of that, and the frustration gets his ears to actually shift downward in frustration, his eyes narrowing and he's totally not a little bit pink from the fact that his totally calculated plan has flunked like this.

...

Thankfully, it doesn't take too long, and while Sonic doesn't completely back off after he's got his lips freed--for a time that feels entirely too long, but Sonic at least does seem to ease a bit as he feels Neo warm up a bit. It's...actually somehow even nicer, and man.

He kinda wishes he could kiss Neo again when he's warm. Maybe not to shut him up this time, but just because he wants to. What's a kiss between two rivals, anyway?

But he does give Neo a little bit of space after that, his arms a little sore but going to the back of his head with an ease that's like he doesn't need to overthink at all. Because he doesn't. What Neo sees is what he gets, after all; he's not the only one who's amused, and it was kind of nice, actually. He didn't realize Neo could get so warm.]

Thanks, Neo. Really got me out of a sticky situation there.

[...and of course sonic can't keep his mouth shut, i don't know what you expected--]

[...Heh.

Neo cannot smile as he does not have a mouth (and even if he did, he's a robot, so he wouldn't be smiling) but something about this is... tolerable. He doesn't mind being this close if it means that he gets the upper hand on Sonic, for once. A small, meaningless victory, but a victory nonetheless.

Sonic remains in his space for a little longer than is strictly necessary after he's freed, and for some inexplicable reason, Neo almost considers keeping him there. There's no reason for such a thing unless he plans on stabbing Sonic - but again, that has been proven to be pointless here. So keeping him close is a ridiculous, baffling thought and one that Neo forces himself to discard.

And then Sonic opens his mouth and Neo fights the urge to stare up at the sky. Why did he ever even entertain the idea of anything else? This is just the way Sonic is. Of course he's going to make a terrible pun and be a pain. So he reaches out and flicks his counterpart's forehead with a metal finger.]

I've heard entirely too many puns. Do not waste my time with any more.

[...He doesn't sound nearly as annoyed by it as he probably should, though.

It's only a matter of time until he starts over-thinking all of this again; after all, there's far too much that happened today that he needs to consider, but for right now...

For now, this is acceptable. Maybe that's all it has to be.]

[Sonic winces the tiniest bit at the flick--it does hurt a little bit, but he finds himself laughing nonetheless. It's warm and bright; a hell of a contrast from the last laugh he shared with Neo.]

Alright. Just for you, I won't.

[Sonic's words are warm. He wants an excuse to stay here and be with Neo, honestly--maybe they can finally talk, finally actually try and understand each other, but...

Sonic knows Neo's probably going to need some time to himself, especially after how stressful today's likely been. If anything, Sonic's just happy the guy hasn't stormed off, and it's nice. It's nice to have his rival back.

It's with a cheeky boop to Neo's nose that he starts to walk past the other hedgehog as he waves goodbye, but unlike the last time he saw him, he looks back to him briefly with a bit of a grin.]

Take some time for yourself today, yeah? If you wanna talk again, I live at the apartment complex near that park we met at; I'm on the fifth floor, second room down. Can't miss it if you tried.

See you later, Neo.

[Sonic warm smile persists, but he'll leave Neo to it for the moment while he...goes and thinks about everything that's happened today and how it all fits into this situation they've found themselves in.]

[Neo swats at Sonic's hand, much like a cat who has been overstimulated and no longer wants to be pet, but it's intentionally too slow so Sonic can draw his hand away in time to avoid the claws. Not that Neo would ever admit that, of course. It's merely that Sonic is faster than this form.]

I suppose I'll find room for that in my databanks. [thanks neo] Until then.

[And for the first time since he arrived here, that's... simply that. There aren't another thirty layers to comb through in order to fully understand it - it's merely an invitation to meet again, should he want it. There's no reason to take Sonic up on it, so he likely won't (especially after he's had time to process today's events because hoo boy) but the offer is there and things seem to have settled, somehow. As though an understanding was reached.

It's acceptable. Maybe it would even be acceptable to run into his doppelganger again at some point.

But there's no sense in lingering here now that the bunnies have dispersed and Sonic has taken his leave. So Neo shakes his head as if to clear it for just a little longer, and turns to leave as well. He has much to process, and though he isn't eager to do it, he isn't one to run from a challenge.

Until next time.

(Will there be a next time?)]

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ROLLING AROUND AT THE SPEED OF SOUND

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