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! )

[There's an all too familiar sound of a laser attempting to fire off--it shouldn't be so familiar to Sonic. It could be literally anyone. But Sonic makes the frankly stupid decision to turn around when he hears it, and all he can do is take a page out of a friend(?)/rival(???)'s book.]

Damn--

[and now this post is pg13. shock and horror! a sonic character has said a swear word!

At any rate, though, Sonic sees where this is about to get stupid and he's about to dart off himself--unfortunately, he absolutely hasn't been taking care of himself as well as he probably should, and it winds up creating an opportune moment for the rabbits when Sonic tries to spindash out of dodge, hoping his speed will get him away before the rabbits can do anything--unfortunately, eight on one isn't exactly fair, and Sonic winds up coughing hard when he goes for it and one of the bunnies jumps at him, causing him to stumble back...

And. Into that very same barrier that Metal is currently housed, and no amount of hitting the barrier is actually helping. The bunnies watch them both like hawks, and Sonic gives up when he winds up coughing hard again, groaning like he's done absolutely nothing wrong ever in his life.

Great. Now he's stuck with the guy who he hasn't wanted to talk to in weeks. Metal's got his own life to lead, why should Sonic care? It's not like Sonic actually wanted to be friends. It's not like Sonic cared that much.

...]

...How'd you end up getting cornered by a bunch of rabbits, anyway?

[Sonic doesn't even turn to face Metal, just kind of resting his hand on the unbudging barrier and catching his breath. Give him a moment.]

[what next, sonic gets a gun???

Anyway. Neo can absolutely see what's about to happen even without turning his head, aaaaaand yep, there we go. Sonic is now trapped in here with him, and the odds of them getting out without something monumentally stupid happening are approximately 0.0001%, give or take a few percentages of a decimal point. Blowing up the bubble is not possible without taking massive external damage and likely killing Sonic, but it is a very tempting idea that Neo allows himself to consider for a blissful moment.

And then Sonic opens his mouth. Because of course Sonic opens his mouth, why wouldn't he? Always having to be the one to get in the first and last word. Were he an organic being, Neo likely would have groaned. But as he's not, and he does not feel any emotions like "frustration" or "irritation", clearly he has no such desires.]

The same way you did, presumably.

[He has no idea what Sonic was doing out here that led to him being chased by bunnies, but it doesn't really matter anyway. Neo slams an elbow into the barrier, unsurprised at all when the force of it dents metal, but does absolutely nothing to the barrier.]

Before you get it in your head to come up with a witty retort, [because he can see it coming from a mile away!!] put that energy to use coming up with a way out of this situation.

[You know. Besides the obvious one.]

[What do you expect, Neo. Sonic's a witty 90s protagonist, of course he has to get the first and last word in, you absolute, metallic buffoon. Just. Give him a second to catch his breath here, groaning like he's at least five years younger than he actually is--]

Didn't know you were going down the rabbit h-- [and then neo rudely interrupts him! from his witty retort! how dare he???] --Hey! At least let me get a word in edge wise!

[sonic. you are so bad at this. oh my god.

At any rate, Sonic keeps trying to kick the barrier down to no avail, because...]

Look, your guess is as good as mine for how we get ourselves outta this pickle. I got nothin'. I didn't think these weird bunnies could do something like that?

I'm surprised you and all of your data don't have any ideas, either.

[It's said with a sour undertone, and Sonic's really not impressed with this situation. He's very pointedly refusing to even look at Metal, though.]

[Yes, the pun already occurred to him too, you didn't have to say it!! Ugh. Sonic is the worst. It'll be a wonderful day when he's finally gone for good.]

I was not aware this was an ability of theirs either.

[But Sonic does have a point. Between the two of them, there's only one intelligent being here, so it looks like Neo's going to have to do all the work. Ugh. Okay. There has to be some way out of this that doesn't involve the obvious.

Physical force is out of the question. They'll injure or damage themselves long before they'll make a dent in the forcefield. It is likely generated by magic, which is an unknown variable Neo cannot account for, as magic is so unbelievably unpredictable in this world. So waiting out the barrier is... possible, but not high on his list of options, because that gives Sonic entirely too many chances to open his mouth and say something else stupid. The only other option seems to be to play along, and that...

Isn't happening.]

If my assumption is correct, then these creatures are using magic to maintain the barrier. They cannot keep it up forever; it should be a simple matter of waiting it out.

[He doesn't sound pleased as he says it, because he isn't pleased. It's not a good option. But this isn't a problem that can be brute forced or reprogrammed, and Neo's not really great at much else. Who would have thought that the two fastest things in Ellipsa would be bested by magical bunnies??]

[...]

You have all of the data in this place at your disposal, and the only option we have is to wait!?

Ughhhhhhhhhhhh...

[Sonic proceeds to groan like a five year old, before planting his keister on the ground. May as well get comfortable. He's still not looking at Metal in the slightest, but he does lean back a bit and just kind of look at the bunnies. They clearly are doing this for a reason, and Sonic has absolutely no intention of going kissy face on a robot who he...

...Well, he's barely on speaking terms with the guy now, and it hits as the seconds go by that he could say something. Maybe he wants to say something. Hell, he'd take Metal spiking his stupid head into the barrier to be done with it, maybe the bunnies will actually let them go if they're a danger to themselves? Sonic doesn't know, but it's easier than acknowledging anything they talked about. Sonic doesn't even know if Metal would want to talk, or anything like that, and where does he even start?

For once in his life, Sonic stays quiet for a fair bit. Maybe the rabbits will get bored, but they seem to have all of the time in the world, and if there's one thing Sonic hates more than anything, it's waiting.

...]

So. How long have we been sitting here, exactly.

[...sonic you didn't even try--]

[Neo doesn't even dignify that with a response. Yes, that is the the option most likely to result in their freedom eventually. But of course his organic counterpart dislikes the idea; Sonic the hedgehog, sitting still? Impossible.

Speaking of impossibilities... Neo doesn't turn to look at Sonic, but he hardly needs to in order to perform a scan of the hedgehog. Vitals seem to be at acceptable levels, although it's obvious he's been pushing himself too hard... His injuries are mostly healed, though those ribs are likely still causing him issues. He can't do much more than that without a proper physical examination - and even then he'd be relying solely on his databanks for information, as it isn't as though he has proper medical knowledge - but that hardly matters because who cares how reckless Sonic is being.

Ugh. This place is doing things to his head. He really needs to get home.

The silence spans for minutes, with Neo remaining standing with his arms folded behind his back, staring up at the bunnies like maybe glaring at them will get them to relent. (It does not.)

It doesn't take long for a certain someone to get bored, though.]

Two hours, thirty-three minutes, and twenty-one seconds.

[...was that a fucking joke]

...You've gotta be kidding me. I'm not even sure if that's a joke, at this point. I didn't even think you were capable of one.

[...]

And you're sure that digging a hole through to the other side of the bunnies isn't an option? Because I'm about to start-- [cough] digging at this point...

[Sonic says that, but he's ill equipped to take care of the situation himself. His gloves aren't exactly winter gloves, and he somehow doubts that the barrier is only surface deep. Sonic idly digs up some snow, letting it fall back to the ground next to him, and he...

Sonic finally looks at Metal, pausing a bit. Checking the robot over a little bit. He has access to his apartment back now, so maybe he's...]

...You've been able to keep yourself repaired now that you're back at your apartment, yeah?

I was curious to see if you would take it seriously.

[...So yeah, it was a joke. Despite everything, he was made with Sonic's data - they are ultimately more similar than they are different, no matter how much Neo attempts to differ himself from the hedgehog.

The movement does get his head to turn, watching Sonic without comment. He's sure his doppelganger is already aware that digging through the snow and hardened ground will prove fruitless; Neo would be better-equipped to handle it, but his claws are for stabbing, not digging. With how cold the ground is, he'd damage himself long before he'd make enough progress to free them both.

His eyes flick up to focus on Sonic's face at that question. As always, he doesn't have an expression to read and his words are as stoic as ever as he responds, but...]

You hardly need to worry yourself over me.

[...Despite the fact that he is now sporting a dent in his arm from slamming it into the barrier ~~like an idiot~~ to test the barrier's structural integrity.]

You should spend that concern on yourself. Your ribs haven't fully healed and somehow I doubt you've been getting the proper rest to expedite the process.

[He doesn't need to say it. It doesn't matter how reckless Sonic's being. But... well, the words are out there, and there's nothing to be done about it now.]

[That first bit, surprisingly, gets something of a warm, startled chuckle out of Sonic--that was actually kind of impressive, but he stamps it down quick after he waves his hand at Metal's response dismissively.]

It's really not that big of a deal. The doctor--the one here [he solely clarifies because he is NOT giving eggman any sort of credit--] is pretty good at keeping a lookout. Healing magic's apparently pretty potent, too. I've got an appointment with him coming up to get the final touches done.

[Sonic omits a lot of the actual reality of the situation, but man--he hates being read so easily by Metal. Sonic's face is easily readable, and he seems frustrated with something for a moment--he's not entirely sure who it's at. It's not like Metal's wrong, at least; Sonic hasn't stayed still a day in his life unless his legs were broken and he was made to, and he makes damn sure that never happens. Doctor Weissman is probably going to have plenty more to say about how much he's been working, and it won't be nice.

Still, Sonic can't stop staring at that dent on his arm, and Sonic finds himself frowning at it. It's small in the scheme of things, but it's...]

Well, too bad. One of us isn't made to be able to heal with time, and it's the one of us who's gone and hit himself off of this stupid, stupid barrier.

[Perhaps he wasn't giving Sonic enough credit. At least the blue blur is aware that pushing himself pointlessly will only cause problems; despite his... everything, he undoubtedly does want to genuinely help this world, and he can't do that if he isn't in peak condition. So it's... good that he's seeing the doctor to keep an eye on his condition. Perhaps the healing magic will be potent to patch everything up; it isn't as though Neo would know. Magic is so frustratingly unpredictable, after all.

Sonic's gaze is on his arm, and Neo's follows it as the hedgehog continues speaking.]

I had to ensure that brute force was out of the question before you got that idea in your head.

[Better for Neo to hurt himself when he can be repaired than Sonic, who would spend the rest of the time they're stuck in here complaining. Yes, because that's the only possible reason for why he'd want to spare Sonic any suffering.]

Regardless, this is little more than a cosmetic imperfection, easily repaired. I do not like repeating myself; you do not need to worry about me.

[There's a hard edge to it and Neo's eyes flick back to his counterpart. They're getting dangerously close to running in the exact same circle again, and neither of them need that.]

Well that's just too bad, isn't it?

[Sonic's not entirely sure what's causing him to flare up at this. Maybe it's just the fact that he's being forced to confront Metal after he was content to just let the guy go on his own way. Sure, it sucked losing one of the few people he knew here, but it's not like Metal is his. He shouldn't be anyone's. He should be able to be himself.

Sonic pushes himself up off of the ground and stands, and starts to march right at Metal, Sonic's own voice gaining a similarly hard edge in the process.]

And why do you want to harp on me so much for not taking care of myself, huh? What do you actually care about what happens? The way I see it, I'll just be out of your hair and you can take your rightful place, right?

[...Huh. Isn't this familiar?]

Why is it okay for you to spend so much time making sure I'm alive and not for me to want to do the same?

[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?)]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

ROLLING AROUND AT THE SPEED OF SOUND

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2

...2/3 actually

3/3

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject