#sonic 3k

[7grandmel]

Rip of the Week: 01/07/2024

Barreltr​ü​ckung of Doom

Season 8 Featured on: The Joke​-​Explainer 7000​™​'s Highest Quality Rips: Sunrise

Ripped by Madinstance

Tentative rip name: KNUCKLES (Smaragdwächter)

I pondered long and hard about this post, of what rip to make it about - I'm sort of back in the groove of things after my break, and I'm happy to see people are enjoying the graudally-increasing trickle of variety posts already, but I also feel as if I'm still regaining my footing in how to pick these rips for the blog. Alas, amidst all the requests and the all-time classics, I do inevitably hold recency bias close to my heart - bias you've already seen with rips like Last Freight-train Night, and that rears its head once again with Barreltr​ü​ckung of Doom. Because no matter what happens to me or the blog, I am but merely a Sonic fan, an Undertale enjoyer, and an absolute CONNOISSEUR for Madinstance's work. The madlad's done it again.

Like, look - I've featured the guy so many times before, I've featured Undertale music on here so many times more than even that, blah blah, blah blah...can you sincerely blame me for picking this one? Madinstance has been featured on here plenty for their incredible arrangements like M-O-O-G City and Thwâmpröck Desert, and I've always sort of taken them as the kind of ripper who puts their heart and soul into rips of games and music that they genuinely just care tons about, most evident with their Minecraft tributes like Fell From a High Place (Reprise). But lately it feels as if that view may have been wrong - or Madinstance is just growing as a ripper to where they're becoming willing to take on any arranging project so long as it sounds cool. Honestly though, I can't blame them with a concept as sick as this - meshing together prototype Carnival music from a Genesis Sonic game with Undertale boss music is the kind of lunatic concept that I don't know how one comes up with but also wouldn't be able to help myself to pursue.

There have been a lot of times where I've worried that I've covered too *much* Undertale music for the blog...but the more I sit on it, the more I realize just how core Undertale's music is to both SiIva's viewers and its rippers. Undertale blew up just a short few months before the SiIvaGunner channel itself did, and its fans have thus grown in almost direct parallel with SiIvaGunner's own fans - and on top of that, Toby Fox is the exact kind of online meme freak that SiIvaGunner itself attracts the most. Is it any surprise that we've had banging Undertale arrangements on SiIva like Hoopache, SUNGORE, and indeed Madinstance's very own Fell From a High Place (Reprise), since the very beginning of the channel, from just about every one of the team's rippers? Undertale is endlessly beloved, and moreover - endlessly versatile for arrangements, its leitmotifs and melodies so well known as to becoming a series of online anthems all in their own rights.

Compared to the more popular tunes like Megalovania and Death By Glamour, it feels as if ASGORE doesn't get as much attention from remixers and rippers. And perhaps that was part of what made me fall head over heels in love with Barreltr​ü​ckung of Doom right from the moment go - it shows such a profound respect and understanding for not just the original ASGORE theme, but the iconic Bergentrückung prelude that introduces the battle, here weaving the two together damn seamlessly in the rip's intro. It's immensely impressive just how atmospheric and intense the rip still sounds despite, again, it's baseline track being the borderline juvenile carnival music used in Sonic 3's recently-unearthed prototype versions, a series of cheerful clapping samples introducing the track yet never overriding the emotional sincerity of the melody leading the rip. I feel like the emotion in large part also just comes from how fucking cool of a sound Sonic 3's music in general has, a lead synth that sounds unlike anything else on the genesis playing a sort of melodic back-and-fourth with a second synth lead that sounds just as distinct yet far more chipper and bright, almost reminding me of something from Rivals of Aether...? The back-and-fourth feel is an amazing touch either way, is the point!

Barreltr​ü​ckung of Doom's final touch, of course, comes toward the finale, the section in which the original ASGORE battle theme takes a step back from its intensity to reflect, a calm in the midst of the storm. Madinstance brilliantly uses this interlude to throw a complete curveball that still fits the arrangement perfectly: using samples and sounds from the *finalized* Carnival Night Zone theme, the one created by Michael Jackson's soundteam, and featuring that distinct glass shattering sample from Jam. I talk about escalation in rips a fair bit on here, but it wasn't as it the rip was in any need of it here anyway given how amazing the arrangement already was. It's just the sort of thing that pushes the rip from great to godlike, the kind of touch you'd mainly expect to see from a Sonic the Hedgehog superfan committed to their rip, akin to what MtH did with Youkoso Twinkle Park e. But again - perhaps, somehow, I've underestimated just how far Madinstance will go once they've landed on a concept they truly click with. Season 8 may well be the silly season in many ways, but it's all too clear that each one of the team's rippers are growing more powerful by the day.

[sonic7ischaos]

Hyper Sonic should absolutely return.

Look, I understand the concerns about power creep and transformation creep, no one want Sonic to just turn into "a new transformation is the only way to solve any and all narrative problems" Dragonball style. but Hyper Sonic EXISTS. It played the deciding role in the Angel Island prophecy and stopping the Doomsday Zone robot from getting away with the Master Emerald. The power has crept already. The question to ask now isn't whether it should exist or not, but how it should be USED. Personally, I think accessing Angel Island and the Hidden Palace shrine should, lore wise, be the only way to do it, so Sonic would have to collect the Chaos Emeralds, go to Angel Island, go to the Hidden Palace Zone, place the Emeralds on the shrine, do the special stage challenges (because those should come back in the 3D games too) to power up the Emeralds, and have them be transformed temporarily until they run out of "Super Emerald transformation juice", turn back to the normal Chaos Emeralds, and scatter again.

Both in terms of gameplay and lore, it allows everyone else to get their own unique super forms while ensuring Sonic has his own unique, special main character only transformation. Purely on a gameplay level, it also makes Sonic's playthrough last longer, especially if they handle it like 3 & Knuckles did, where you've got to re-collect the Emeralds after a Super Sonic playthrough, or after finding the Hidden Palace Shrine.

I genuinely think it should make a comeback, even for one game, or even just as a gameplay contrivance. It encourages multiple playthroughs and increases replay value with the barest minimum of effort and assets. Literally just some animations, colors, effects, and sounds for Hyper, the work that would go into making the Emerald shrine, maybe a "you can now play as Hyper Sonic" screen, and the special stages, if you even go as far as needing to include them.

It's too cool and serves the gameplay, character, and lore way too well to leave to the wayside out of concern for power creep that's already happened.

[ladypriere]

man, after playing like an hour of sonic superstars, i can safely say that i'll never complain about sonic 3k's physics ever again 😭

[peachybunana]

THEYRE HERE AND THEYRE REAL

[dragon-spaghetti]

Shhhhh,, even heroes need naps 💖

(Please click for better quality!!)

[housecow]

i love doing these weight gain shakes because every day i can tell im fatter than ive ever been before

[sonicchaoscontrol]

[Ch. 1, Page 31]

[FIRST] [PREVIOUS] [NEXT]

There's 'this ain't my first rodeo' and then there's whatever this is

(Image formatted for mobile or fullscreen - view in new tab if you experience fuzzy resolution!)

[smthingandiforgorthelyrics]

★ When the Night Listens — Sonic/Shadow One Shot Fic

AO3 LINK REDIRECTION

OR

Read here for the full fic!

Leaves and trees rustled under the strong force of wind passing by through every pathway in the forest, and just in front of it, left a blue blur of motion and a small flow of dust against the ground of now fallen leaves from the fast creature.

Sonic had chosen to run a bit through the outcasted forest near his little hut he called a home due to not being able to sleep.

Each stride sent a thrill coursing through him, the wind cutting against his quills like a familiar song. The crunch of leaves beneath his feet was a rhythm, syncing perfectly with his heartbeat. Running wasn’t just movement—it was freedom, a fleeting escape where the world blurred, and nothing else mattered.

Sonic’s mood began to lift, a small smile crept on his muzzle as his feet tapped faster against the ground, his speed growing by every physical contact made on the leafy dirt.

As the forest thinned, Sonic’s pace slowed. He could already picture the cliffside—the sprawling view of city lights glittering like fallen stars, the crisp night air carrying a quiet serenity. It was the perfect spot to let his thoughts untangle, even if only for a moment

Almost immediately, Sonic had found himself standing in the place he had exactly wanted to be. Though, what he imagined was only slightly different from the reality; a silhouette of a quilly hedgehog.

Shadow had been sitting on the edge of the cliff, his back completely turned to face the view forward, his field of vision the opposite of the blue blur.

Shadow’s silhouette cut a sharp figure against the night, his red-striped quills catching faint light from the city below. His posture was rigid, almost statuesque, yet there was an undeniable weight to it, as if the world rested heavily on his shoulders.

“Shadow? What.. What are you doin’ here, dude?” Sonic said with a grin and a small chuckle emitting from his mouth.

Shadow said nothing but turned his head over his shoulder, his eyes on being visible over his quills. Sonic’s smile almost immediately was wiped off from the glare Shadow had given him. But that was it. Shadow had turned around and continued his intent staring at the skyscrapers lining the night sky.

‘Yo... You good, Shads?’ Sonic asked, his usual bravado tempered by an edge of hesitation. His voice, normally light and teasing, softened, carrying a weight that mirrored the stillness of the night. That concern only grew more when Shadow hadn’t answered him. 

‘Chaos, is something really that terribly wrong?’, Sonic thought. He wanted to see Shadow’s face, maybe then he could see what was going on, read his face or whatever. But that definitely wasn’t what Shadow wanted. Just when Sonic was about to lift his red fabric covered foot up to walk closer, Shadow had interrupted him.

“Don’t.” Shadow warned sharply, his voice staying firm and quite intimidating.

Sonic obliged, his foot staying in the air just above the ground for a few seconds before setting it back down to its original stancing position. 

Then there was this moment of silence. The wind just hitting the multiple leaves consecutively created a somewhat calming chime, and a mix of the glistening lights of each glass window of the buildings below them just added a nice touch. It would’ve been enjoyed if it wasn’t for the somewhat tense moment between the two hedgehogs. 

“Can I come to you now? Did you… cool off?” Sonic asked as some form of retorted speech, but he still lined his words with some concern.

Shadow stayed silent, but his body shifted slightly to the left of the cliff, a space left empty to his right. Sonic smiled a little to himself before taking the cue. He had walked over to him with more confidence and stride when walking to the empty space next to the alien, crouching then sifting through each strand of grass in the small patch of area with his fingers before finally sitting down, a relaxed sigh escaped from his lungs, one the blue blur didn’t know he had held.

Sonic had his eyes laid on the action below the cliff; the city. A terrain of bustling lights and cars, the stars above them watching over the city, and the trees and skyscrapers lining the sky with a perfect point. “Breathtaking..” Sonic thought aloud.

“Mhm.” Shadow responded with only a hum, his eyes also focused on what the view had in store.

Sonic hadn’t directly looked at Shadow, but his peripheral vision viewed Shadow lifting his legs from the hanging position they were against the edge of the cliff and into some form of fetal position. His feet were basically propped flat against the grassy dirt with his knees high enough to reach his chin, and he held his legs closer with his arms, causing his upper body to be slightly tilted forwards. 

Both of them really didn’t say anything afterwards, just the sound of chiming leaves against the wind and the average sounds of a night lit city. This time, the sound of someone else’s breaths had accommodated these already existing sounds. It made everything else feel somewhat floating, but it was also grounding. It reminded the other that there was someone else with them this time. And it wasn’t just someone, to make it clear.

“Sonic..?” Shadow had uttered his first word after a while, calling Sonic but still keeping his eyes on the starry night.

“Yeah?” Sonic replied immediately, looking directly at Shadow with a curious glint in his eyes and a slightly upturned smile on his face.

“...How do you live?” Shadow asked vaguely.

“...” 

A silent exchange before Shadow continued, thinking he wasn’t clear enough.

“I mean… how do you mortals do it? Knowing that every moment could be your last, that one day you’ll fall asleep and never wake the next dawn. Doesn’t it weigh on you?” Shadow says, his expression blank and his voice as monotone as ever, being only just above a whisper.

“.. Hm..” Sonic thought for a quick second, his eyes still at Shadow’s direction, but trailing down to Shadow’s features. Going from his red striped quills to his weirdly black bitoned back spikes, then to his red tipped tail then to the ground.

“Well..” Sonic looked back up at Shadow’s eyes, starting his sentence.

“I live it exactly like how you said it.”

Sonic says, his eyes still on Shadow, making it feel like he’s the only thing he can look at this moment.

“Huh?” Shadow asks, an eyebrow raised framing his eyes, giving a funny look to his broody face. “What do you mean?”

Sonic chuckles and finally breaks eye contact with Shadow as he closes his eyes. But not too long after, his eyes face Shadow’s again. “I mean..”

Sonic thinks again for a moment, before opening his mouth again.

“I mean that I live life like every moment’s my last––because it might be.” Sonic stops to breathe before continuing. “Why waste time worrying about what’s behind or ahead when there’s so much happening right now? Life’s a race, Shadow, and you can’t win it if you’re stuck looking back." Sonic closes his sentence with a small smile, his view now at the night sky.

Shadow almost mesmerizingly stares at Sonic, his eyes just slightly widened from what had Sonic said. He definitely wasn’t expecting what Sonic had in store to be whatever the hell he said.

Shadow hadn’t really thought about ‘living life in the moment’-esqe philosophies. Due to his whole past, Shadow sort of wrapped himself around that, and just that. Not possibly living for the now. 

Besides, everything Shadow does or chooses is only because of how his past moved him, almost counting his steps to align with his moral code, given to him by his late sister.

As the silence stretched, Sonic leaned back on his palms, tilting his head toward the stars. 

“Just.. live, you know? Think about where you are now. Just live for yourself. You’d find yourself much happier, trust me.”

“...”

“You’d feel more free, you know?”

Sonic says, glancing at Shadow with a content smile.

Shadow stared ahead, his gaze fixed on the glittering cityscape below, but his mind was anything but steady. Sonic's words were simple, almost too simple, and yet they struck something within him. Live for the moment? How could someone with a past like his possibly let go so easily?

He thought of Maria—her laughter, her kindness, her hope. Every decision he made, every step he took, was in honor of her memory, bound by the weight of promises made long ago. Could he really cast that aside and live as Sonic did, untethered and free? ‘No… that kind of freedom isn’t for someone like me,’ he concluded, his fists clenching instinctively.

And yet, there was a quiet envy that crept in, uninvited. Watching Sonic so effortlessly embrace life stirred something Shadow couldn’t quite name—admiration, perhaps, or longing. For all his power, he had never felt truly free, never felt the lightness Sonic carried so easily. He hated the thought that he might want it, even as he knew it was something he could never have.

Shadow finally turns and looks at Sonic with an unreadable expression, his lips parted slowly, showing his teeth before quickly shutting his mouth closed. He looked into Sonic’s eyes and for the briefest of moments, Shadow didn’t see Sonic at all. Instead, he saw blonde hair framed by a blue headband, blue eyes filled with kindness that felt like a warm embrace. Maria’s smile flickered in his mind like an old photograph before vanishing, leaving only the reality of Sonic's gaze. It left him hollow and aching

Before Shadow could react, his head snapped to the side as if trying to escape the weight of Sonic’s words. He propped his chin on his folded arms, his body curling tighter around itself. His wide eyes betrayed a fleeting vulnerability before he forced them shut, as if the act could block out the echoes of memories stirred within him. Instead, his gaze dropped to his arm, fixating on each black strand of fur with an intensity that spoke of a mind desperate for distraction. The slight tremor in his breath, almost imperceptible, gave away what he refused to let show.

The silence stretched between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable—not entirely. The wind brushed through the hedgehogs' quills, carrying with it the faint rustle of the forest and the distant hum of city life below. Sonic leaned back on his hands, letting his legs dangle over the cliffside, his relaxed demeanor a stark contrast to the tension in Shadow’s frame.

“You know,” Sonic began, breaking the quiet but keeping his voice low, as if speaking too loudly might shatter the moment. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you just… sit like this before. Kinda nice, seeing you not scowling for once.” His tone was light, teasing, but there was a warmth behind it—a genuine appreciation for this rare glimpse of a quieter Shadow.

Shadow huffed, the barest hint of amusement flickering across his features. “You assume too much, hedgehog. I don’t spend every waking moment brooding.”

Sonic grinned, his emerald eyes glinting as he tilted his head toward Shadow. “Could’ve fooled me.”

Shadow turned his gaze away, but not before Sonic caught the faintest quirk of his lips. The wind picked up, and Sonic shivered slightly, wrapping his arms around his torso. Without a word, Shadow shifted, his body angled just enough to block the breeze from hitting Sonic directly.

Sonic blinked, momentarily surprised, then gave a soft chuckle. “Didn’t know you cared, Shads.”

“I don’t,” Shadow said quickly, but his tone lacked its usual edge, and he didn’t move away.

Sonic leaned forward again, his grin softening into something gentler. “Thanks, though.”

Shadow didn’t respond, but his posture relaxed ever so slightly, his arms resting more loosely around his knees. For a moment, their gazes met, green and red holding steady in the quiet night. The city lights below seemed to blur, the stars above flickering just a little brighter.

“Y’know,” Sonic said, breaking the eye contact but keeping his tone casual, “if you ever wanna talk about… stuff, I’m here. Not saying you need to or anything, just… putting it out there.”

Shadow didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked back at the city, his expression unreadable. “I’ll think about it,” he said finally, his voice quieter, almost thoughtful.

Sonic nodded, satisfied. He leaned back again, letting the night air fill the space between them. And while no words were spoken after that, something unspoken settled in—a tentative understanding, a shared solitude that felt less lonely than before.

Sonic breathed in a little shallow, thinking that the slightest disturbance in his and Shadow’s silence could break the moment.

The weight under Sonic’s palms shifted slightly as his head moved towards Shadow’s direction. “You know, Shads, for someone who’s supposed to be all about ultimate power and independence, you sure seem like you carry a lot around.”

Shadow glanced at him from the corner of his eye but said nothing.

Sonic pressed on, his tone casual but his words more pointed. “I get it, though. Being the tough guy, keeping everything bottled up because, hey, no one else gets it, right?” He let out a soft chuckle, though there was a note of sincerity in it. “But, news flash, Shads—you’re not as alone as you think.”

Shadow’s brows furrowed slightly, but he didn’t interrupt.

Sonic shifted to sit cross-legged, turning his full attention to the alienated hedgehog. “I’m not saying you’ve gotta spill your guts or anything. But you don’t always have to handle everything solo. You’ve got me. And I’m pretty awesome at listening, if I do say so myself.” He grinned and winked, his usual cocky charm brightening the otherwise heavy conversation.

Shadow finally looked at him, his crimson eyes steady but conflicted. “And why, exactly, would you care?”

Sonic tilted his head, his expression softening just a touch. “Because…” Sonic thought for a moment, collecting his words. 

“Cus’ I think there’s more to you than all that..  All that ‘ultimate lifeform’ talk, you know?” Shadow’s ears perk up a tinge at Sonic’s statement, his action showing he wants to hear more without showing overt interest. He only slightly squints to understand what the blue blur has left to say.

Sonic inhales before continuing. “You’re not as scary or untouchable as you want everyone to think.” He smirked, leaning slightly closer. “And, honestly, you’re not half as annoying as I thought you were at first.”

Shadow blinked, taken aback by the unexpected sincerity. He opened his mouth to reply, but Sonic stood abruptly, brushing grass off his legs.

“Anyway,” Sonic said, stretching his arms above his head. “Just… think about it, okay? I’m not going anywhere, so whenever you feel like talking—or yelling, or whatever—I’ll be around.” He flashed a wide grin, the wind catching his quills as he prepared to leave.

For a moment, Shadow considered stopping him, saying something—anything—but the words caught in his throat. He only managed a small nod, barely noticeable in the dim light.

Sonic noticed, though, and his grin softened into something warmer, something almost reassuring. “Catch ya later, Shads,” he said, giving a quick salute before dashing off in a blur of blue and gold.

Shadow sat there, staring at the space where Sonic had been moments before. The quiet returned, the wind carrying the faint rustle of leaves and the distant hum of the city below.

He let out a slow breath, his gaze drifting back to the skyline. Sonic’s words lingered, echoing in his mind like the fading afterimage of his trail. “You’re not as alone as you think.”

Shadow closed his eyes, leaning his chin on his knees. He hated how those words stirred something unfamiliar in him—something warm, but also achingly distant, like a star that seemed close yet was light-years away.

And as the night deepened, Shadow remained, a quiet figure against the starlit backdrop, left to grapple with thoughts that were harder to outrun than even Sonic’s speed.

[sonicfangamebot]

'Drop Dash in Sonic 3K' (2018) by @MainMemory_ (Hack) Adds the 'Sonic Mania' ability to this original game. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_2L8xe2gcc2ElFn2huhSgudRNOEQL5LF?usp=sharing

[egg2k16]

I really wanna read Sonic 2020 fic, but hilariously enough, okay so a friend of mine, I'm subscribed to them on ao3, n they just wrote 2 fics!!!! for Sonic 2020, n I was thinking about reading them, but then it hit me so so very viscerally that it'd be in English, that the fics my friend wrote would be in English, and it grossed me out so bad 💀

dude I'm gonna have to. find. Sonic 2020 fic in Spanish only, apparently!!!

[98chao]

i realized i havent drawn them in a while

[sonic7ischaos]

So annoying when Sonic fans say "There is no definitive Sonic because everyone has a different jumping on point", like Sonic 1 had in series competition when it came out.

We've actually had the definitive Sonic from the beginning, liking Unleashed or Prime or whatever more doesn't make them the more authentic to Sonic's core artistic vision than Sonic 1 and the things that iterated directly on it. You make those things without Sonic 1 coming first and you'd NEVER come up with stuff like loops and rolling and the specific crossover between rubber hose animation and shounen battle/adventure anime stylistic sensibilities.

Everything that came after is either a remix of Sonic 1, or it isn't, and the ones that AREN'T are fundamentally less Sonic than the ones that are.

I've talked about this before, but the reason every Mario game or Mario side thing, like the movie, always feels like Mario is because it's all built on the foundation established in Super Mario Bros. Actually, it's why MOST Nintendo properties always feel like they belong to the same series, everything that they are, all the ideas they execute are built on the foundation established in their first game, with all iteration being additive to that foundation. This applies to EVERYTHING, game mechanics, musical composition, sound design, art direction, EVERYTHING. Super Mario Bros.' core gameplay is built around the way he runs and the specific inertial mechanics of that run, and the way he jumps, and the specific mechanics of his jump arcs, the way he interacts with game objects like blocks and shells. Those core run and jump mechanics can be found in every single mainline Mario game, and even a lot of the spinoffs use those 2 run and jump mechanics as a jumping on point for their own.

Take Zelda, which is built on free exploration, sword swinging, and item use to find secrets and open doors. From Zelda 1 to Breath of the Wild (haven't played Tears of the Kingdom yet), this has been at the core of what Zelda IS and so aesthetically it's only tied down in a few ways. Zelda can essentially take place in an entirely new world each and every time because its core elements are so consistent it doesn't even matter when it goes from a classic, grand, epic quest in a medieval fantasy kingdom to the cartoony, cel-shaded ocean world of Wind Waker to the Peter Jacksonian semi-grounded fantasy realism of Twilight Princess. It's always Zelda. And yes, until BoTW (or arguably Link Between Worlds, but that's another topic), that meant that there was a serious problem of stagnation, of repeating the same gameplay loop in every game (a problem Pokemon struggles with even harder, though Legends Arceus is more evidence to my point, since Pokemon is more about catching party members and the fantasy of building a team of favorites in the wild), but they MADE Breath of the Wild and by building it directly on the foundation of Zelda 1, it still felt like Zelda at its core.

I think it's a failing of language to some extent. People hear someone saying "it's LESS SONIC" and think they're saying it's worse, or bad. But Mario RPG is less Mario than Super Mario World, and it's not because it's classified as a spinoff. It's the reverse actually, it's classified as a spinoff BECAUSE it's so different, so much less of what Mario is on a gameplay level that it can't be anything BUT a spinoff. It still manages to feel like Mario in its own ways, the aesthetics, music, and mechanical references, that it doesn't catch any flack for being so fundamentally different (nor should it), but that's the thing, it's still not the definitive take on Mario, because one has already been established.

Sonic's problem is that it takes things that should've made spinoffs and keeps them in the same category of things as the main series, so now Sonic isn't about rolling and abusing the physics of inertia to platform, but now it's about boosting reaction challenges. It's not a series of semi-connected stories with an impatient delinquent with a heart of gold as its lead, but disconnected episodic stories with a self aware cartoon character as the lead. Even Frontiers, which is the first 3D game in the series I've loved since Heroes (because Mania exists) inherits some of these problems. As good as Sonic feels to control now, he's still not based on building inertia using running and rolling on slopes, which, good or not, is LESS Sonic. He still has the problem of missing his impatient, abrasive anime delinquency and disrespect for authority. The core art direction is still very disconnected from his origins, which feels less like the sort of intentional disconnect of Mario's aesthetics in New Donk City, and more like a consequence of carelessness about it. Frontiers didn't make the islands and cyberspace look like that to fulfill a creative vision that was consistent with Sonic, they did it because that sort of realism is cheaper and easier for modern 3D artists to make, because the industry prioritized it in developing the techniques and workflows for that sort of realism.

And yes. All this means that a lot of the Sonic stuff the fanbase has become invested in, Prime, the movies, even a lot of the games, from Unleashed to Frontiers I'd argue, and Heroes to 06 to a lesser extent, is LESS Sonic than the stuff that came before. It has less to do with the ideas that defined Sonic to begin with, and doesn't justify those deviations by making them explicitly not jumping off points for the main series. People jumping into the games expecting movie Sonic or Prime Sonic are not getting what they came for, because those things are so disconnected from Sonic's core ideas, and the people going from one era of the games to the next are disappointed for the EXACT SAME REASON.

And all this is coming from someone with more hope for Sonic than I've had since the leadup to Sonic 06, before THAT hammer came down and crushed everything in its wake. Sonic is course correcting, and it's closer than it's been in decades to that original vision. But it's not there

[superscourge]

AND 300 AWAY FROM 10K ON TWITTER HELP !!! HELP WHERE AM I

bro when i did i almost have 3k followers on here....................

[lenin-it-to-win-it]

dumping these here bc i have done nothing but simp over the luzhin defense for like a solid 2 weeks now

[ghostlyvoidbones]

Sonadow Lovebug AU - Pt. 3

a/n: Right so I have no excuses. It started- it started... look this chapter was supposed to be simple with just a teensy bit of action. I don't know what happened. I got flustered. Just take it. Take it and don't look at me-

summary: Sonic is made aware of Shadow's... situation. He's just as confused. Then he is flustered. Shadow is completely lost in the sauce.

contains: Shadow's drug induced delusions, dubious consensual light touching, uncomfortable situation, one sided affections, unwilling affection (given and received).

wc: 3K

Rouge’s phone call to Sonic had been short and… telling.

She’d asked Sonic if he and Shadow were dating and the answer she got was a resounding no. She even made sure to ask four times just to make sure. She’d only stopped when Sonic cut her off to check if she was feeling alright or if she was in danger. 

It was safe to say that whatever happened yesterday, it was definitely doing something strange to Shadow. Which made the situation all the more urgent.

Clad in her usual outfit, Rouge made her way back to the living room, careful to keep a calm exterior. She would not be bringing up the phone call with Sonic. After all, based on Shadow’s previous reaction to her poking at the subject, it seemed like a smart idea not to mention it.

Shadow was exactly where she’d left him earlier, a deep set frown on his face as he looked down at his phone screen.

“Everything alright?”

“I can’t find any pictures on here either.”

“Right. You can worry about that later, right now we have work to do.” She sidestepped to be next to him, hand perched on her hip. “Do you remember where you were yesterday when you had that dizzy spell?”

He did look up for that one “Yes. I was with Sonic.”

Rouge had to physically fight the urge to face palm. Now that she had a vague idea of what was going on, she couldn’t believe she didn’t notice how weird Shadow had been acting since earlier. Instead she let out a soft sigh, rolling her shoulders and redirecting the conversation back on topic.

Hopefully this wouldn't be a common trend throughout the day.

“No, as in the location. Do you know the coordinates?”

Shadow drooped minutely at the subject change. “I do.”

“Wonderful, let’s start there.”

Shadow nodded and tucked his phone away, pulling out his favored chaos emerald in its place. Rouge braced herself for the swooping feeling in her gut and prickling buzz of teleportation as Shadow called out ‘chaos control.’ The fuzz in her vision lasted for half a second and she blinked it away, expecting to see trees or a grassy hill.

What she got instead was a face full of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Sonic blinked at the newcomers from where he sat on the couch of his own living room, a spoon held up halfway to his open mouth. Rouge knew her expression mirrored the hero’s, and even more infuriatingly, she knew that the hedgehog beside her wasn’t phased in the slightest.

They needed to get this issue with Shadow’s head taken care of. Like now.

“Uh… hey guys.” Sonic gave them a small wave, confusion evident in his lopsided smile. “Nice of you to drop in?”

“Hmmm, yes.” The strained smile Rouge returned came off as more of a pained grimace. “One second.”

With that, she twisted around, snatching Shadow by the shoulder and yanking him along with her. Scooting forward a bit further away, she pulled him down into a huddle.

“Shadow, I know for a fact you never went to Sonic’s house yesterday. Which begs the question; why are we at Sonic’s house right now?!” She hissed out, piercing her friend with a searing glare.

Not that it bothered Shadow in any way. The hedgehog in question was blatantly trying to twist his head back around to look at Sonic.

“I told you I was with Sonic. I was reminded of it so I must have unintentionally imagined being where he is now instead of where we’d been yesterday.” Rouge gaped at him. “That works well enough. Sonic can come with us.”

It was then that Rouge realized this wasn’t going to work out. With Shadow being like this, there was no way he was going to be able to get anything done. So, throwing caution to the wind, she straightened back up and turned to face the blue blur.

“Sonic, I need your help.” 

At the serious tone of her voice, lacking her usual teasing lilt, Sonic placed his bowl down on the coffee table in front of him and stood up. “Sure, what do you need?”

“Shadow said that he had a dizzy spell when he was with you yesterday and I think something… weird happened to him. Can you tell me where you both were when that happened?”

Recognition fluttered across his features. “Oh! Yeah, after we finished our race, right?” He addressed Shadow at that part who nodded dumbly, gaze transfixed by every single motion Sonic made. “I think we were on top of that one hill by the loop-de-loop. The one with the daffodils.”

“Okay, I know where that is. Thank you.” Rouge began making her way over to one of the windows, fiddling with the latch and pulling it open.

“No problem, but uh… what’s going on with Shadow, exactly?”

“He’s delusional. We were supposed to go together but now we’re here instead. Whatever happened yesterday messed with his head and he can’t think straight.” She paused for a second, coughing through a small chuckle. “Since he clearly can’t do any investigating himself, do you think you can keep an eye on him until I come back?”

“Uh, sure? What kind of delusional are we talking about here?”

She only gave him a pitying look. “Oh, right. Call Tails, we might need his Science know-how to figure out what’s going on with Shadow.” Then she was out the window without another word.

Deciding to just go with it, Sonic turned back to Shadow, trying to figure out where the issue was. He was slow to realize that Shadow hadn’t taken his eyes off him since the two G.U.N. agents got there.

“Everything alright there, Shadow? Rouge looked pretty stressed out.”

“I told her I was perfectly functional.” Shadow lightly shook his head, casting a brief frown at the window Rouge left from. “She’s being dramatic because I failed to inform her about every little thing that goes on in my private life.”

“That doesn’t really sound like Rouge.” Sonic tapped his chin in thought. “What kind of thing was it?”

He asked because he was curious, despite knowing full well that Shadow’s response would be along the lines of ‘none of your business hedgehog.’ Only to be pleasantly surprised at the genuine answer he received.

“She accused me of lying about our relationship.” Shadow huffed out a displeased sound. 

“What did you say to her about it that she got so suspicious of you?” Sonic raised a brow, a smirk playing on his muzzle.

Shadow sighed. “I let it slip that we’re romantically involved.”

The silence that followed was deafening.

“I’m sorry,” Sonic began, after a while of trying to get his jaw unstuck, “we’re what?”

“In a romantic relationship.” The statement was delivered in Shadows' usual deadpan tone. A part of Sonic felt like he heard a joke, and admittedly a very strange one. But the serious look on the other’s face made it clear that it was anything but.

“Shadow… we’re not… dating.” Sonic said, slow and careful. Unless he’d missed something extremely important, he was pretty sure that was the truth.

Shadow’s eyes narrowed on him, nose scrunching up and gloved hands balling into fists at his sides. “Yes we are, Sonic. At the very least, I thought you would know that.”

“I thought I would know that too.” Sonic mumbled under his breath, “Which is why I’m so confused right now.”

Rouge had mentioned that Shadow was delusional, but this? It felt a bit too much, even for him.

Sonic knew Shadow was a good guy at heart. After all, he saved people almost as much as Sonic did, even though he wasn’t the type to talk about it. But the thing was, Sonic also knew that Shadow greeted him with a fist to the face over a friendly wave one too many times for their relationship to be anything even remotely close to something so emotionally intimate as dating.

Going over all their past interactions in his head, he couldn’t pinpoint a single time where they’d talked about being together. Even Sonic’s attempts at being friends never ended well. And this definitely wasn’t the sort of thing Shadow would ever joke about, so Sonic quickly understood why Rouge was so thrown off. Her earlier phone call made a lot more sense too, now what he thought about it.

And if this was someone messing with Shadow’s head, why make him think he was dating Sonic? Why make him think he was dating anyone in general?

Sonic eased up. Shadow wasn’t in his right mind, but that was ok. He said he’d help and he meant it. And despite how heavily in denial Shadow was about it, Sonic still saw them as friends and wouldn't leave him stranded in a situation like this.

“Hey, uh… I’m gonna go get Tails real quick. I can see Rouge was right, something’s obviously going on, so I think he’d be a big help. I’ll just run out, grab him, and come right back, okay?” Sonic pinned an easy smile on his face while jutting a thumb over his shoulder at the front door.

Shadow took an immediate step forward toward Sonic, red eyes fixed on the blue hedgehog with sharp clarity. “I’ll go with you.”

Sonic unconsciously took a step back. “You really don’t have to do that. You know me, I’ll be back in a flash! You won’t even notice I’m gone.”

Shadow followed, one step closer. “I can keep up, if that’s what you’re worried about. I don’t see why I need to wait here for you.”

 “Seriously Shads-” Shadow’s ear flicked at the nickname, Sonic now holding his hands up in a somewhat placating gesture. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

Another step forward. “You’re avoiding me.”

A step back. “No, I’m not!”

So close, a hand reached out and fingertips nearly grazed blue fur. “You’re acting weird.”

“I’m not acting weird, you’re the one acting-” The back of Sonic’s knees hit the corner of the coffee table and it almost made him buckle to the floor. Instead, his feet tripped over themselves and he stumbled.

In one, fluid movement, Shadow’s gloved hands glided along the fur of Sonic’s arms, stopping beneath his elbows to help him correct his balance. The hold was firm and Sonic felt it when they slid up to gently squeeze his forearms. 

“If you’re going to avoid me, at least be careful not to hurt yourself when you do it.”

Sonic’s fur stood on end and he pushed out of Shadow’s grip. He rounded the coffee table to stand on the opposite side, keeping the low piece of furniture between the two of them.

“Y’know what? I think I’ll just call him.”

Spinning around with his back to Shadow, Sonic pulled out his phone and frantically dialed Tails’ number. He refused to turn and look at the other hedgehog and tried to brush off the feeling of eyes burning holes into his back from behind him.

Breathing out a sigh of relief when the call went through, he spoke quickly to the voice on the other end.

“Heyyyyy bud! I’m at my place right now and I’m gonna need you over here pronto. Yeah. No, Shadow’s here too, uh- Rouge thinks Shadow’s been… Look, somethings up with him and we’re really hoping you might have something that can help work out what’s going on.” He caught the low scoff from behind him and pressed on. “So if you could come by as soon as you can that would be- yeah, yeah that sounds great! Thanks Tails, knew I could count on you. See you in a bit.”

When the call ended, Sonic finally dared to look back over at Shadow. He’d managed to also circle round the table and get closer to where the hero stood, but he wasn’t so close that he was in danger of invading Sonic’s personal bubble.

“Honestly, you’re being ridiculous.” His features settled on something neutral, arms crossed as he held Sonic’s gaze, but there was a twinge of irritation there. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, but we should be able to work this out with having others interfering.”

“I’m being ridiculous?” Sonic eyed him warily, paying close attention to Shadow’s body language. “Shadow, why do you think we’re dating?”

The dark hedgehog was painfully unamused but seemed willing to entertain Sonic’s sudden denial of their relationship.

“I don’t know, perhaps the numerous dates? The special occasions we’ve celebrated together? Or maybe even the multitude of private moments we’ve shared? That all sounds pretty self explanatory to me.” There’s a bite to his words, brought out further by the way Shadow practically bared his teeth while he spoke.

Yup, Sonic can confidently say that he can’t remember doing any of those things. Whatever it was that made Shadow believe they were together was definitely doing its work. Especially if he’d not only just re-contextualized old memories but also, from what it sounded like, created brand new ones that never actually occurred.

Right now, all he could do was hope that Rouge managed to find a lead. And with Tails help, they should be able to start working on a solution to get Shadow back to normal. Not that having a Shadow that likes him isn’t nice, but the sudden affection and responsibility of a relationship was something Sonic really wasn’t prepared to handle.

Besides, all of these thoughts and memories are happening against Shadow’s will. He was pretty much manipulated by some external force into believing he was close and intimate with someone he wouldn’t be with outside of its influence. Deep down, Shadow could probably still recognize that and feel horrified at it. He wasn’t someone who liked being vulnerable with others and this was violating that part of him.

Sonic’s jaw tightened, sympathy swirling in emerald green eyes as he thought about what this situation meant for Shadow. Letting out a sigh, he closed the gap between them to place a comforting hand on Shadow’s shoulder.

“Listen. I don’t really know what’s doing this to you buddy, but I promise we’ll figure this out.” Sonic gave him a reassuring smile, thinking it would help ease his friend at least the tiniest bit. 

Although, he couldn’t tell if it was working with the other’s frown still firmly in place.

“I’m not your buddy.” Shadow gritted out lowly, almost spitting out the word ‘buddy’ like it personally offended him. His hand reached up to rest over where Sonic’s still sat on his shoulder. “And your nonsense is starting to get on my nerves.”

With a swift, smooth tug, Shadow pulled Sonic closer. Sonic’s breath caught as he fell forward, their chests bumping and faces so close he could smell the strong scent of lavender drifting from the ebony of Shadow’s fur.

“If you weren’t so cute, I’d do something about it.” 

Shadow's voice, with its rough and deep timbre, rumbled in Sonic’s ear and made it swivel away from the invasive sound. Even if hadn’t heard it, he felt the vibrations from his chest. Then the hand that wasn’t holding Sonic’s captive in the air came to rest on his waist, curling into the blue fur just below Sonic’s rib cage.

A violent shiver rippled through him and his face burned. The resulting flush turned the peach of his muzzle a whole shade darker.

“Woah-ho-ho okayyy. H-hey, let’s maybe calm down a bit there.” Sonic couldn’t help the way his voice pitched up nervously. He tried to carefully pull out of Shadow’s grip only to feel it tighten.

“I am calm.” Shadow certainly sounded like it, which really wasn’t helping. “Now tell me why you’re avoiding me.”

Sonic’s senses were full of lavender, gunpowder, and a faint undercurrent of coffee. He could feel the warm brush of breath against his cheek and his head spun so fast it rivaled the dizziness he experienced after going a few rounds through the loop-de-loop.

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“I’m not!”

“Sonic-”

“Fine.”

Sonic ripped himself out of Shadow’s grip, leaving the darker hedgehog’s hands hovering in the air where they once held onto him. The deep breath Sonic took was that of a drowning person getting their first gulp of air after escaping a powerful ocean current.

“Fine, ok. Yes, yeah, I am. But it’s because you’re-” His hands floundered around. “I’m uncomfortable. And I’m not… the biggest fan of the situation we’re in right now. There, happy?”

“Not really. I don’t feel particularly good when you’re upset.” Shadow’s brows furrowed, arms finally dropping back down to his sides. “What ‘situation’ are you talking about? You’re still not telling me what’s going on.”

And if Sonic were to consider things from Shadow’s perspective, that was a fair argument to make. Which made this all the more difficult. Especially when ‘we were never dating’ doesn’t seem to be cutting it as a reason on its own.

“This, Shadow, you- I’m not used to you being so… affectionate? Clingy?” Shadow huffed out a breath, rolling his eyes.

“I am not clingy.” Sonic pointed to where Shadow had subtly started trying to reach for him once again. “That doesn’t count. I’m trying to keep you from running away from me.”

Sonic threw his arms up in the air. “I’m literally not going anywhere! I can’t leave because I’m waiting for Tails to get here! So I can tell him what’s going on! Because I don’t even know what’s going on!”

Shadow’s advances stopped. A flicker of concern passed over his face as he watched Sonic grow more and more frazzled with each sentence that came out of his mouth. A look that was unusual on the usually carefree hero.

“I think you should sit down. You’re getting worked up and I’m concerned you’re going to pass out.” Shadow’s tone was light and it helped bring the blue hedgehog back from the near panic he’d started spiraling into.

Sonic took a deep breath and gave a slow nod of his head. “Y’know what? Yeah, I think I’ll do that.”

Rubbing the ridge of his muzzle to try dispelling the oncoming headache blooming behind his eyes, Sonic headed over to the couch. He swiveled on his foot and let himself fall back onto the cushions, to immediately find something was out of place. Staring up at the ceiling, he took note of how he was supposed to be more far back than this.

“Shadow.”

“Yes, Sonic?”

“What are you doing?”

“Sitting with you. Obviously.”

“Right. I meant, why am I on your lap?”

“Because it’s more comfortable this way.”

Sonic didn’t even jump when he felt those familiar arms snaking across his stomach and locking him in place. His back was pressed to the soft white fluff of Shadow’s chest fur and the scent of lavender returned to tease at his nose.

“There’s so much room on this couch Shads. You can literally sit anywhere and still be next to me without having us be on top of each other like this.”

“But you wouldn’t be in my arms then, would you.” Shadow commented loosely, tucking his face into the safe spot between Sonic’s shoulder and his quills.

Sonic smothered his own face into his gloves, curling as far forward and away as his current position would allow. 

“This is not how I wanted to spend my Saturday.”

*

When Tails finally arrived not too long after, needless to say the sight that greeted him was a shock. The fox would never forget the pitiful little ‘help’ Sonic directed his way as he was being cuddled on the couch by a very content looking Shadow.

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[gingerteafairy]

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐛. (𝐤𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫)

You were walking down the hallway beside Kyle Spencer, your classmate, both of you so focused on your difficult homework that you completely missed the college bus.

tags: fluff, friends to lovers, kissing, drabble, angst, anxiety, depression, mentions of sex, frat!kyle, predeath!kyle.Words: +3k

You were walking down the hallway beside Kyle Spencer, your classmate, both of you so focused on your difficult homework that you completely missed the public college bus. You had met Kyle back in school, but it had been a few years since you’d seen him. He was your first love. You thought you had moved on, but being around him again made your heart ache, as if you had never really forgotten about him.

Trying to get closer to him or start a conversation felt a little awkward. It always seemed forced, and you didn’t want to make it weird. But Kyle had this way of making you feel at ease, like you didn’t have to worry about anything. He was so good at it.

Luckily, another bus pulled up. You’d never been on this route before, but Kyle said he knew it well. He sat next to you, giving you that sweet smile that made your heart do funny little flips.

“Are you sure you’ll be safe out there by yourself?” he asked, looking at you with concern.

“I’m used to walking alone at night,” you replied, trying to sound casual and shrugging.

He nodded, lips pressed into a straight line, looking worried.

“It’s dangerous for a girl to be out there alone,” he insisted, tilting his head.

“I know, but I do it all the time. Don’t worry about me,” you said, watching him glance out the window as the bus started moving.

The city was quiet, with only a few people going about their business. Honestly, though, the thought of being alone at this hour made your stomach twist. Your neighborhood wasn’t exactly the safest at night anymore, and the thought of being out there all alone, with who-knows-what lurking in the shadows, made your hands tremble with anxiety. You peered out of the window, suddenly realizing that Kyle’s stop had passed. You waited for him to get up, but he stayed seated, still looking out the window.

“Corndog Pop,” he laughed, pointing at a food truck. “Who told them that was a good name?”

“Kyle… isn’t that your stop?” you raised an eyebrow, confused.

He looked up at you, giving you a shy smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I couldn’t leave you alone, you know.”

His soft, honeyed voice made your heart melt like ice cream. You shyly met his gaze, noticing a faint blush on his cheeks, probably from his cute smile.

“Thank you, Kyle.”

You couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear, feeling a little giddy as you locked eyes with him for the first time in what felt like forever. The bus seemed to be taking its sweet time, weaving through the city with no sign of your neighborhood in sight. But you didn’t mind. As long as you were with Kyle, everything else just felt... right.

“Do you remember that day that you tried to look if I saw porn on my PC and you just found a whole pack of Sonic whole lore and fanarts?” He remembers, belly laughing at the memory of how flustered you were discovering it. 

“Of course I do,” you said, smiling as you remembered that day. “That was the moment I realized you were the sweetest person I could ever imagine.” You gently massaged your stomach, still laughing at the memory of how embarrassed you had been back then.

“Hey, don't say that! I'm cool, okay?” Kyle chuckled, mimicking your gesture and laughing even harder. It was so contagious, you both ended up giggling for a while.

“You’re cool and sweet, Kyle,” you corrected yourself, smiling at him with a warmth that felt like sunshine. God, just being around him made you so happy. You felt like you could smile forever, and your cheeks would be sore from all the laughter and joy he brought into your life.

“Hey, kids. You’ve gotta get off, that’s the last stop,” the bus driver said, his voice flat and bored, cutting through your lovely conversation.

“But there are still a few stops—” Kyle started, but the driver interrupted him.

“I don’t care, that’s the last one,” the bus driver grumbled.

You squeezed Kyle’s hand, reassuring him, and the two of you got off the bus together, watching it drive away with a cloud of smoke trailing behind it. The quiet of the streets felt a little lonely after the bus disappeared. Kyle kicked a small rock, his expression turning a little serious as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

“It’s okay, Kyle,” you said softly, reaching out to comfort him, gently rubbing his back.

“You’re right. He’s just... ugh, never mind,” he muttered, frustration lingering in his voice, but it softened when he looked at you again. “Come on, I’ll walk you home.”

“What? Really? But it’s so far from here, and it’s late... I don’t want to keep you out so late,” you said, worried.

“Don’t worry about it,” Kyle said with a grin, adjusting his backpack. “Come on, lead the way.”

And so, you both started walking together, just like you used to when you were kids. No, this was better. You were so much closer now, and he was sharing all his funny stories—embarrassing secrets, too, while ruffling his hair as he heard your laugh. He told you all about his classmates, the silly guys at his fraternity, and his big dreams. You listened closely, hanging on every word, wishing this moment would never end. Even though it was freezing cold outside, you felt like you were wrapped in the warmth of summer just by being with him. How could you not be in love with someone so kind, so funny, and so beautiful inside and out?

“Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve talked to someone like this,” he said, looking down at you with a soft chuckle.

“Yeah, me too,” you smiled, gazing up into his tender dark eyes. “But, wait, how? You’re so popular now.You were so shy and now you’re in a team.”

“You think so?” He lit his face, “Uhm… it’s not something I say normally to anyone.”

“Then... why are you telling me?” you asked, a little confused, closing your eyes for a moment as you thought about it. It felt strange, but in a good way. He wasn’t even that close to you, but it still felt like... maybe you were closer than you thought. He chuckled at your question, then looked up at the stars, like he was thinking about how to answer.

“I feel comfortable around you,” he admitted, sounding a little unsure, like he was testing the waters to see how you’d react.

He takes a deep breath and glances at you. “So, uh... there’s something I’ve never really talked about, but I guess I should. It’s... kind of embarrassing.”

“Embarrassing?” You glance at him, curious

“Well, when I was younger, I had some... serious social anxiety. Like, I was terrified of talking to people. I used to avoid speaking in class and I’d get so nervous around anyone I didn’t know. I even went to a speech therapist for a while because it was that bad.”

You stop walking for a moment, surprised. “No way. You? But you’re so... confident now! I mean, I never would've guessed.”

“Yeah, it sounds weird, right? The therapist helped, though. But, honestly, even now, I still get those moments when I freeze up or get all tongue-tied.” He chuckles softly and scratches the back of his neck

Your face softens as you think for a moment, then nods in understanding. “Wow, that’s kind of crazy... because, um, I have social anxiety too. I’ve had it for ages, and I'm not getting really better.”

“Wait, really? You do too?” His eyes widened, clearly surprised.

“Yeah... like, all the time. Especially when I’m in big groups or have to talk to people I don’t know well. I freeze up, or my brain goes blank.” You shrug slightly, smiling a little sheepishly. 

He looks at you thoughtfully for a moment, a little smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “I honestly didn’t expect that... but it makes sense. Now that you mention it, I always feel so... comfortable talking to you. Like, I don’t feel that nervous, even when I’m saying stupid stuff.”

You grin at him, feeling your heart flutter a little. ”it’s just... easier. Even when we’re just talking about random things. I don’t feel all nervous or like I’m going to say something dumb.”

He lets out a little laugh, looking relieved.

“Yeah, exactly. It’s like, we’re not judging each other. It just feels... right. I don’t even know how to explain it.”

“Two anxious kids coming along.”You chuckle, looking up at the stars.

“Yeah, we got our club..”He smiles warmly at you, his voice soft and sincere.

As you approached your house, you felt a wave of sadness. You didn’t want this moment to end.

“Thank you... again,” you said, looking down at the ground to hide the sadness in your eyes. Kyle noticed, though. Without saying a word, he pulled you into a big hug, and you hugged him back just as tightly.

“Be safe, okay?” he said softly, pulling away from the hug with a gentle smile.

Kyle started walking toward his home, but something was gnawing at you. You had to tell him. You couldn’t let this moment slip away like the last time, when you never told him how you felt before leaving for another school. You knew if you didn’t say something now, you’d regret it for the rest of your life.

“Kyle,” you called out, your voice trembling a little. He stopped and turned back toward you.

“Yeah?”

“Do you remember... before I left town, I wanted to tell you something?”

He grinned, but his eyes were full of curiosity. “Oh, I remember. I was so curious I couldn’t even sleep that night!” he joked, but you didn’t laugh. He must have noticed, because his smile faded just a little as he took a step toward you. “What did you want to say?”

You took a deep breath, your heart pounding in your chest. “I love you,” you blurted out, the words tumbling out before you could stop them.

You braced yourself, waiting for him to laugh or make a joke—anything to brush you off—but instead, Kyle stepped closer, cupped your face in his hands, and gently kissed your lips. It was soft and sweet, like everything about him. He kissed your forehead, and then rested his forehead against yours, his eyes closing.

“I love you,” he whispered, kissing you again, this time even more tenderly. “I’ve loved you all this time.”

His eyes were a little teary as he looked at you, and your hands reached up to touch his face. His skin was so warm, and his tears felt almost unreal against your skin, like they didn’t belong to this world.

“I’ve loved you since the first time you called my name, Kyle,” you confessed, your voice thick with emotion. Tears started to spill down your cheeks, and he gently kissed your eyes, trying to stop them from falling. He couldn’t stand to see you cry.

“I could say it all day, darling,” he said, repeating your name with so much love as he kissed you again, his lips brushing against yours, sweet and full of affection. “Most beautiful name in the world.”

“Indeed, son,” you suddenly heard your father’s voice, and you stumbled, startled. Kyle caught you in his arms before you could fall. “Aren’t you running late, lady?” your dad asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Sorry. I missed the bus.” You whined, watching your father rolling his eyes and step aside, calling you by the hand. 

“It was my fault, sir,” Kyle quickly said, his voice full of sincerity. “We were doing homework, and your daughter is amazing—smart and helpful. If you need to blame someone, blame me. I don’t mind.” He held your hand tightly, as if to reassure your father that he meant it.

“I know, son,” your father said, giving him a sharp look. “Kyle, from the baseball team, right?” He paused, his eyes lighting up with sudden recognition. “Wait, you’re that Kyle! The one who hit that home run in the final game last year?”

Kyle blinked, surprised by your father’s enthusiasm. “Yeah, that’s me,” he answered, his cheeks flushing a little. He wasn’t used to the attention, especially from someone like your dad.

Your father’s face broke into a proud smile. “I remember watching that game! You were amazing, son. I’ve been following your games for months now, and let me tell you, you’ve got real talent! That hit was one of the best I’ve ever seen. You’ve got a strong arm, too—definitely one to watch in the future. I’ve always admired how you kept cool under pressure.”

Kyle was taken aback but smiled, grateful for the compliment. "Thanks, sir. I love the game. I’ve been playing since I was a kid."

“Kid? You were practically a pro by the time you were in high school!" Your father laughed, shaking his head fondly. "I swear, the whole neighborhood was talking about that play for weeks.”

Kyle chuckled nervously, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Well, sir, I do try my best."

“I know you do. And I know you’re the type who’ll take care of things, especially when it comes to my daughter,” your father said with a serious look, though his tone softened. “But now, she needs her sleep. Okay?”

You couldn’t resist. Before your father could finish, you leapt into Kyle’s arms, laughing as he caught you effortlessly. He held you close, both of you giggling in the quiet of the night.

“Alright, sir. G’night,” Kyle said, his voice soft and full of affection. He kissed your forehead tenderly, still grinning at you as you pulled away and headed toward the house.

“Hey, big boy,” your father whispered with a knowing smile.

“Yes, sir?” Kyle asked, turning back toward him.

“Take care of her, okay? That girl sure likes to put her life in danger walking alone at night,” your father joked, his tone light but full of warmth. “And hey, you better keep up with your game, alright? I’ll be watching.”

“I’ll do it, sir,” Kyle said, shaking your father’s hand firmly. “And I’ll keep working on my game too.”

As Kyle made his way back home, his heart was still racing with the conversation. The excitement of your dad’s praise mixed with the warmth of holding you in his arms. That night felt like a dream—perfect in every way.

Once home, he quickly changed into his sleep clothes, still smiling to himself. He lay down in bed, scrolling through a series of ridiculous texts from his frat friends, but his thoughts kept drifting back to you—the way you looked, the way you laughed, and the way he felt when he was with you.

Jake: Yo, big man! How’d the homework session go w the girl? Kyle: It was fine, man just homework and stuff. Jake: Homework and stuff? Bruh that sounds like a code for a bang to me. u took her out, right? Kyle: Dude, it was not a date. We just missed the bus, so I walked her home end of the story. Josh.: Okay now drop the picssss Mike: Hold up... u telling me u 2 were alone together and DIDNT make out? not a single kiss? Kyle: We didn’t go anywhere. We were just talking and stuff. Like, normal people do. Tom: Normal? u were alone with a GIRL and didn’t even kissed? Bruh, u def went on a date. I'’M CALLING IT Jake: Yeah, bro. I can already see it: “Kyle Spencer, the master of subtlety.” Kyle: You guys are RIDICULOUS. It was not a date. I promise. We just... talked about school, baseball, stuff yk Josh: gave her the "soft eyes," huh? Kyle: Soft eyes?! What does that even mean?????? Tom: Oh, come on. Yk what it means. It’s when u look at her all gentle, like ur thinking about her future babies or smth. Mike: k, but, like, when’s the second date, bro? Kyle: SECOND DATE?! There was never a first date, u guys are insaneeeee Tom: 100%. I can see it now: “Kyle and the Girl Who Missed the Bus”—coming soon to theaters. Kyle: U guys r the worst Tom: Don’t worry, bro, we’re all rooting for u. AND if u don’t end up together, at least we can call it a “Missed Connection” on Craigslist or something. Josh: Yeah, “guy helps girl off bus, sparks fly, she definitely wants his number.” Kyle: I’m logging off. This is getting out of hand -_- Jake: We’ll keep the popcorn warm for the premiere. U WELCOME. Kyle: I’m out. See u morons tomorrow.

He chuckled. Well, they weren't wrong, he was with a girl. The prettiest girl in the world was now sending him texts before sleep, he could ignore all this bullshit of his friend and stop the world, just to talk to you again. 

You: thank u for bringing me home <3 Kyle: don't mention it it was an honor thk u for the chat You: glad i missed the bus :p Kyle: lol I could say the same, princess glad ur dad didn't kill me You: he likes u tho u play his favorite sport blackmail, kyle Kyle: hey don't say that it's a good coincidence You: a perfect one Kyle: hey u should call him to see me and my team tomorrow night u coming? You: Can I wear your jerseys? Kyle: babe, I'd lose the game if I see it You: y Kyle: too pretty for my concentration;) You: lol don't think i have this power  Kyle: u do have a lot of power over me sleep well so u can see me, hmm? You: okayyy sleep tight, Kyle  I love u <3 Kyle: sweet dreams, my darling i luv u