#◜✰ ◞ ‣ 𝐕𝟏. — an adventure's no fun if it's too easy! ❜

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if i punch you will rings come out

     "Only one way to find out, right? Though you’ll have to get close enough first.” In other words: I’m the fastest thing alive, good luck.

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     “—— Totally counts.”

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     "We’ve all got our own choices to make — just don’t waste time. It’s the only way to live a life without regrets.”

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   “Phew, it’s gettin’ pretty chill now. Easy enough t’ keep myself warm by running, but the sun goes down early. Traveling that fast during nighttime ain’t so easy, heheh...”

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chaosresolve​:

          “That’s what I thought.” He smirks faintly, reaching forward with an index finger to poke Sonic’s forehead, pushing him back. “Trying to sound smart doesn’t suit you.”

     “Eh ——?” Oof, right in the ol’ noggin. Sonic winces and moves a step or two away, ears flat against his head. “Hey! And what if I was tryin’ to spare your feelings?” He quips, pointing at Shadow with an accusatory finger of his own.

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@badnikbreaker​​: "Sonic!"  The hedgehog's voice rings out, cheerful and excited and impossible to miss — she speeds to his side and skids to a stop, kicking up snow as she does.  Amy's typical sweet cheerfulness is through the roof; clearly, she's excited!!  About seeing him, and about the carefully - wrapped boxes between their mittened hands.  "I wanted to get this to you soon, juuust in case you ended up traveling someplace before Christmas was done!  So — here!"  They hold out the box, cheeks flushed with cold and affection both, smile huge, rocking on their heels.  

Inside is — well, there's quite a bit.  One box is trinkets and sweets, small : homemade cookies, of course.  Homemade chocolates, too.  A few photos, to add to an older gift.  But what has Amy so excited is something else — the other, larger box.

This one is trinkets; some of it's clothes, as if he ever wears them.  More of it is pieces of memories, though.  She's heard Sonic talk, animated and more chatty than he ever is otherwise, about his travels, geography, places he's been and wants to be.  A jacket from Green Hill, the characteristic checkerboard pattern.   A small stone, rough in the way only what once was lava can be, from West Side Island.  A postcard from Soleanna.  Pressed flowers, dried but kept safe, from Kronos Island.  A baseball she'd bought from Station Square with the city's silhouette on the front — and a special, Amy - sewn heart on the back.

A necklace, made from stones from Quartz Quadrent zone in Little Planet, carved and smoothed in a careful heart.  They'd exchanged feelings before names, after all; that moment will always live on in their heart.

And more.  It's...a bit much, they're aware, even by Amy's standards.  But it had seemed right!  Some of the places Sonic has been have been frightening or dangerous, but they're all a part of him and his story — and Amy loves every bit.  They know Sonic does, too.

"You don't have to open them now!  Actually, there's a lot — it might be better to wait until you're home.  But, well — Merry Christmas, Sonic!"  Their smile goes, somehow, sweeter.  "I love you!"

     Sonic can’t be surprised when she arrives unnannounced — her ability to find him, anywhere, is an anomaly he’s long since accepted. And it’s funny, that something he once found bothersome (it was�� difficult back then to appreciate the company of others) is now a source of amusement. Comfort.

    “Woah, slow down!” He’s smiling, ready to catch a box or two in the event of them falling. This is how she usually greets him; bubbly and eager, so there’s nothing particularly interesting about it… what is, however, are the presents being offered to him. ‘Shoot,’ he thinks. ‘Christmas.’ It’d snuck up on him, much like everything else since they’d left the island.

    And there’s a part of him (such a small part) that wishes the world could just… wait. Perhaps selfishly. Uncharacteristically. Sonic isn’t one for regrets, but his friends are here, making time, while he’s losing it, and — they smile at him, kind as always. He pushes the thought aside.

     Well… what’s done is done, and he should enjoy this moment instead of lingering on the ones he’s forgotten.

    “This is all for me?” He slides a thumb underneath the lid of the top box to peek inside, and is immediately greeted by the smell of sweetness. An Amy Rose speciality, no doubt; his nose twitches with delight. “Heh… leave it to you.” To make him feel loved.

    Per their suggestion, the larger box would have to wait. He doesn’t want to risk anything being damaged by the snow (a convenient way to save himself some embarrassment). And holding such a display of affection in his hands, with nothing to give in return, he feels a touch of guilt alongside gratitude. Maybe there is something he can give them. Nothing like baked goods or pressed flowers, but….

    It’s quick. The blink of an eye to anyone that isn’t them, but Amy can feel it. A closeness, a warmth, right against the side of her muzzle. A kiss. It’s chaste and tender, the first time he’s ever had his lips on her cheek, and he follows with a soft voice: “Merry Christmas, Amy.”

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Did you have to train and practice to master your speed or did it happen naturally?

     “A skill that doesn’t require practice..?” Sonic hums. “Heh, that would be awesome! While it’s true that my speed is natural, efficiency is something I had to learn... but if you’re imagining a movie montage where the hero has to train, it was nothing like that.”

     “I just found a way to run and went with it! Over and over again, ‘cause I enjoyed the feeling. By doing that, every journey turned into an adventure — and if you’ve been on as many adventures as I have, you’d probably be good at running too!”

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@chaosresolve​

     “Hey, Shadow.”

     From his position atop the cargo bed, Sonic stands with arms crossed, very displeased. A cloud of dust begins to settle around the large truck, now tipped on it’s side after the inertia — a simple spindash being all it took to cut clean through the connector. The convoy grinds to a halt somewhere behind them, but he doesn’t pay it any mind. All he’s focused on is the other hedgehog who, in his mind, has some explaining to do…

     … though, in fairness, this isn’t exactly how he’d expected them to meet again. The Starfall Islands aren’t known for their ease of access; an archipelago far removed from any country, a mere drop in the ocean. Aside from Eggman, they’d been untouched for centuries before the arrival of his friends and him, and he wanted it to stay that way when they left.

     But something was calling to him. For weeks it’d been stirring, an unrelenting depth in his chest — out of his control. It was a pull; some kind of invisible string keeping him tethered to those islands, over great distance, sea and land both. As if all the energy in the world was there, and… he needed to be, too.

     Thankfully, piloting the Tornado was much like riding a bike in the sense he never really forgot how. A day’s trip and a highly tuned GPS found him coasting above the shoreline of Kronos Island, feeling that call inside him stir with vigour. And though Sonic had no expectations, unsure of what he’d find, the sight below completely blindsided him.

     Trucks. Cranes. Tents. Weapons. An excavation underway, one he immediately thought to contribute to Eggman… but a certain starred logo tells a different story.

     He landed the Tornado on a quieter part of the island and ran the second his feet met solid ground. It was a quick journey that made him progressively more furious — survey tools littered the land, from the smallest shovel to the largest drill. It was disrespectful. It was cruel. He’d expect nothing less from G.U.N.

     A sudden trail of orange in his periphery had been cause enough to change path. He knew that sound. And so he followed, catching up in no time and introducing himself in the loudest way possible. Sonic begins to tap his foot impatiently, looking down at Shadow with a look that embodies all his anger.

     “Long time no see. Am I too late for the parade?”

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badnikbreaker​:

There are so many things that had to go wrong for this to happen — so much suffering unaddressed, so many wounds unhealed.  Infinite had to break her once, then twice, battered mind and body both.  She had to stay broken, not sure how to be anything else.  Sonic had to be her friend, her partner — maybe she never deserved that.  She absolutely never deserved that.  Just filling in for someone who wasn’t there, but — they still cared, once she came back.  Amy, Sonic, Tails ——

And she had to hurt Tails.  (  the memory flashes / playing dead / a knife in his gut, blood on her gloves.  )  Her hurt translated / she’d just been so scared, in that moment, body numb and terrified both, reacting to life - threatening danger with that manic need to NEVER BE HELPLESS AGAIN.  And now she’s ——

Now she’s just tired, and terrified, and the cause of someone’s hurt.  Now she’s barely better than Infinite.

They can’t look at him — or his hand — and they wince at the title, sobs still wracking their tiny body.  Partner, partner.  It felt like their word, once, didn’t it?  Now it feels sick.  Their hand raises, trembling, and reaches for his — then stalls in the air between them and falls back to the floor.  Their head shakes.  It’s not okay.

They hurt Tails.  The thought echoes in their head like their headache, pounding, repeating.

They put Sonic and Amy though so much worry, they’re sure — and Knuckles, if he knows, has to be furious.  Everyone suffering on their behalf, because of their stupid pain, their stupid history.

(  flee, screaming, and i’ll let you live.  their life is a long story of that repeating, over and over.  flee.  flee.  flee.  )

<  can’t go back,  > she signs, not looking up at him.  <  hurt tails.  >  She fingerspells his name; it feels wrong, to pretend at the closeness the nickname implied.  <  he’s scared of me.  can’t hurt him worse.  >

     Sonic watches her hand stop, seized by trepidation, and wants to grab it — nearly does, before it’s already returned to the floor. Ava is scared. She is so scared, experiencing deep fear (like it’s the only constant companion she knows), and he doesn’t blame her. After everything they’ve been through…

     He slowly kneels down to their level, keeping adequate space between; for respect’s sake, but also to show that he isn’t above them. They’re equals. Always have been, and a mistake doesn’t change that, no matter how bad. He knows it was a mistake, but he doesn’t have the words, because it’s not something eloquent. It’s an understanding that neither of them asked for.

     Infinite took so much. From her. From everyone. Even he still flinches, sometimes, when shadows move the wrong way. Everything is different now, and there’s no going back to the way things were.

     But… maybe that’s okay. Necessity aside, they have one another, and he wants (needs) her to see that. He wants her to see tomorrow.

     Smile a touch softer, his head shakes at her signing. “You won’t.” He says, confidently. “But if you can’t believe in yourself, then… believe in me. ‘Cause I believe in you.” And he does, again and again.

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Eggman is probably up to no good after Frontiers... will you keep an eye on him Sonic?

     "Isn’t he always?” Someone sounds annoyed. Guess you caught him in the middle of a nap or something — don’t worry, he’ll get over it.

     “I don’t care.”

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Whisper waves Sonic over, and places a gift in his hand. It’s a new set of guitar strings, for that guitar she always sees hanging out in Tails’ workshop- and a small bag of picks.

     And what excellent timing — her blue friend was just about to run off! It’s difficult to say where; no one ever really knows when it comes to Sonic, but thankfully, he’d caught sight of the wolf in his periphery before leaving.

     “Hey, Whisper!” He jogs over with a big smile, one that says ‘I’m happy to see you’. “What’s up?” Just as expected, she wastes no time getting to the point (a style he can appreciate). The gift is small, sat perfectly in his palm, and a near bashful sense of surprise keeps him from immediately opening it.

     When he finally does, that smile is much wider. “... How’d you know I play?” He asks. With everything that’s happened, even he’d forgotten about his guitar lately. Finding time was hard.

     But there was no time like the present. Sonic holds up a finger — ‘one second’ — before disappearing. Only a few moments pass before he’s returned, guitar in hands! With the strap secured around his shoulder, he grins and proudly shows off one of the picks Whisper gifted him.

                 “Any requests?”

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     “I have a huge amount of trouble fitting my hand inside of a pringle can. I can get my hand like four inches into the can, but then I have to tilt the can into my mouth — but like, by that point, a bunch of crumbs have accumulated at the bottom of the can so they all go spilling onto my face,”

     “What I'm trying to say is the diameter of pringle cans is way too small.”

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galaxofmuses​:

“Heh. The last time I punched Sonic, The Chaos Emeralds spilled out.” 

. . . . . . . . . . . .

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     “Heeeeey guys — long time no see!”

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     . . . It’s a certain hedgehog’s birthday today!

     Though if you need him, it’ll have to wait — he’s decided to run off this year, getting in some well deserved R&R before his next adventure. It’s difficult to tell where exactly he’s gone (per usual), but no worries; the wind will carry him back in due time. 

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     “Someone — not naming any names — needs t’ work on their aim.” Yes, his fur is singed in multiple places from a laser gun. No, don’t ask him about it.