#this is like the third (?) sonic dream???

[todayisafridaynight]

so magical that yakuza 1 and shadow the hedgehog came out the same year........ 2005 the best year for sega honestly.....

[cowboylikemaybelle]

I had dream where I took an edible and was like “aw man… I gotta tell my brother about this.” except when I tried to call my brother it was just shadow the hedgehog and Adam Sandler. I kept trying to call him until eventually they took over my room and just stared aimlessly at me. I was SOOO fucking pissed 😭😭

[denaliwrites]

Don't Blink

Tenth Doctor x GN!Reader

Summary: Going home was meant to be a vacation from all the aliens and monsters.

Part 2: Don't Turn Your Back Part 3: Don't Look Away Part 4: Dreams See Us Through

Requests: Open!

Tag List: @nyxiethesimp

Warnings: Weeping Angels, babes.

You hadn't slept in days.

It started innocuous enough -- some nerves as you crawled into your bed, for once. You'd assumed it was because you were so used to the TARDIS that home didn't feel as much like home anymore. You thought that maybe, after a day or two, it'd get better.

It got worse.

Waking up the next morning, you were confronted with the feeling of being watched. No matter where you went -- your mum's, the shops, the cellar, even the restroom. Everywhere. All day. By the time you dropped into your bed that night, you were exhausted from being on high alert the whole day.

You didn't sleep well that night.

Nightmares plagued you -- they were nebulous, slipping just out of focus every time you thought you could make out even just a single detail. But despite that -- or maybe because of it -- you were terrified.

You awoke drenched in a cold sweat, covered in goosebumps and with a stomach churning with unease. You felt feverish, but when you took your temperature the thermometer flashed with a perfectly normal number.

Going about your day felt like a monumental task. While your limbs felt weighed down with lead, the rest of you felt light, jittery... panicky. Any attempts to focus for more than thirty seconds at a time failed miserably.

Maybe it was just your heightened state, but you could've sworn that everyone could see that you were starting to lose it.

That was the first night you didn't sleep.

The second night, you finally caught sight of the predator in the underbrush -- the thing that had been stalking you since you arrived back home. Only for a brief, blink-and-you-miss-it moment, but it was still long enough for you to know that it was the cause of your sleepless nights and worsening mental state.

You weren't sure how a perfectly ordinary angel statue could cause so much distress.

The third night, you noticed the statue had moved -- just a couple inches -- but it was enough for you to see the difference. Finally, you called the Doctor. Not five minutes later, you heard the TARDIS materialize outside.

You turned away for all of one second, but when you looked back, the angel had gone.

Well, "gone" was relative. It was out of line of sight, you could say that much for sure. But you knew it was still lurking nearby -- you could still feel it watching you.

The Doctor didn't bother announcing himself as he barged into your flat -- the TARDIS brakes were announcement enough. The sonic screwdriver was held aloft, its light moving in erratic circles in the darkened flat as the Doctor gradually made his way to you.

"Where is it?" he asked once he finally reached you. "Did you blink -- did it move!?"

You weren't sure how to answer. He had told you not to take your eyes off it, you recalled that now that he was here, yelling at you about it -- but you didn't even remember looking away just moments ago you were so exhausted.

In the back of your mind some little part of the normal you knew that the Doctor was just worried, but that little piece was dwindling with every moment you continued to lose sleep.

You'd moved right past delirium at this point -- and, hell, you weren't even sure how much of this was real. What if you were hallucinating? Angel statues that could only move if they weren't being looked at? That was a little crazy, even for the Doctor.

He turned to look at you when you remained silent, and when his eyes met yours they melted into pure, unadulterated concern and some dam inside you broke.

Sobs wracked your body and you collapsed. The only reason you didn't hit the ground was the Doctor surging forward, arms wrapping around you and holding you steady.

"Oh, dear," he cooed, holding you close. You buried your head into his chest, your cries still rocking through you, though the Doctor's arms kept you pretty snugly in place, and his clothes did an excellent job of muffling your blubbering.

You could feel one of his hands running comfortingly through your hair, while the other rubbed soothing circles into your back.

Miraculously, you calmed. For the first time in days, you felt like you could relax. Breathe. Hell, maybe even sleep.

It was with that thought that you felt yourself being effortlessly lifted. The Doctor carried you, bridal style, back to the TARDIS, through the doors and the console room and the halls, until he reached your bedroom and settled you carefully onto the bed.

"What about the angel?"

"You're completely safe in the TARDIS. I promise."

You knew that he knew that you had meant something different, but you were too tired to argue. Now that you were safe, sleep was coming to claim you rather quickly.

Once you fell asleep, you were haunted by nightmares again, but you were just so glad to be getting any sleep at all that you didn't care.

You found the Doctor in the console room the next morning, looking over something on one of the monitors. Without even so much as sparing you a glance, he dived right into it.

"That's no ordinary Weeping Angel."

"What do you mean?" you asked with a yawn and a bleary blink in his direction.

"See, normally a Weeping Angel wouldn't waste any time -- you blink, you're dead. Well. Teleported to another time so that they can feed off the energy that the displacement causes. But this... this is..."

"It's torturing me."

It wasn't a question -- how could it have been? You and the Doctor both could see what it was doing to you.

"Yes," he confirmed sadly.

"Reminds me of something," you said with a shrug.

"Oh?"

"Oh, do I get to be the brainiac for once?" you teased with a smirk, leaning back against the console beside him.

"I guess we'll find out," he teased back, mirroring your expression and bumping your shoulder lightly with his own.

You blushed, suddenly self-conscious, but you forged ahead anyway. "So, usually when a predator becomes a maneater it's because it's sick or injured and almost always starving, and humans are really easy prey compared to deer and antelope and stuff."

He was watching you with such rapt, adoring attention. You could barely stand it.

"But," you continued, "sometimes there are outliers. Predators that kill humans for unknown reasons, reasons that don't align with what we know about typical maneaters. The maneaters of Tsavo -- they were these two perfectly healthy, normal lions by all appearances, that killed anywhere from -- realistically speaking -- twenty-eight to thirty-two people, but reportedly they killed over a hundred. And no one really knows why they did it. There are theories, of course, but because they were healthy, and it happened over a century ago, there's no way to really confirm one way or another why they killed all those people."

You paused, thinking.

"Well, no way for the average person."

The Doctor beamed at you. "Oh, you are clever, aren't you?"

"I try."

"So you think maybe this Angel is an outlier?"

"Yeah, it's possible."

"No indicators of illness or injury, no signs of weakness or starvation. Just..."

"Sadistic tendencies?"

"But why?" he asked no one in particular, leaning back to stare at the monitor again.

"And..." you started thoughtfully. The Doctor turned to look at you again. "Why me?"

"Why you?" he repeated cluelessly.

"I wasn't here when it arrived, and it couldn't have known I was gonna be coming back anytime soon. It's possible it's been waiting for days, weeks for me to come back -- and it could've been waiting even longer if I hadn't decided I needed a break. That's a lot of waiting for a random person you don't know is coming back."

Realization dawned on the Doctor's face. "It's targeted."

"But why?"

"Why indeed?" he asked in that tone that was meant to sound casual but only served to let you know that he was deeply worried. "Let's find out, shall we?"

[e-vay]

The Shadora Horde - 2023!

Here are all the ShadowXAurora kids I've made (so far hahaha!). As I always mention, I'm always open to Shadora fankids that you guys make. I can never have too many Shadora babies. I made changes to the original 5 so they're now closer in age and I also balanced out their powers more. Some of them were a little OP originally but I think I've fixed it. I have super detailed descriptions of each character below the cut!

PIPER

Birthday: 11/12 (1st Born)

Role: Leader

Powers: Combustion, Weapon Summoning

Weaknesses: Disorder

Dream Voice Actor: Brittany Snow

Theme Song: “Smile” - Wolf Alice

Piper is the first born in the first litter of Aurora and Shadow and is the natural leader of the group. She is generally sweet and respectful but is very proud of her pedigree so can be a little judgemental at times. She is a perfectionist to a fault and will become easily aggravated if things don’t go her way. Though she can be cocky, she is overall a caring and loving person and is quick to help those in need. Piper has naturally wild bangs and a large patch of fluffy fur on her chest. These traits drive her crazy! She always has her bangs pinned down to the side and her chest fur covered up. In her teen years she takes up motorcycle riding and it helps loosen her up and embrace her more wild side. 

Piper is capable of harnessing the power of the Chaos Emeralds to perform Chaos Blast and Chaos Control. Without the need for Chaos Emeralds, Piper has combustion powers. Piper can incinerate objects with a snap of her fingers. She has excellent mastery and precision of this skill. She was given the task to train Cinder to control his combustion powers, but the two tend to get frustrated with each other since control comes so naturally to Piper and it’s incredibly foreign to Cinder.

Piper is naturally drawn to Amy’s hammer wielding abilities and grows up admiring it. Though she isn’t allowed to use the Piko Piko Hammer, Amy trains her in good hammer-form with the use of props. IF Mammy Amy ever decides to retire, she will bequeath her hammer to Piper. The hammer’s design will change based on Piper’s personality.

-

ZANE

Birthday: 11/12 (2nd Born)

Powers: Super Speed

Weaknesses: Arachnophobia 

Dream Voice Actor: Robert Buckley

Theme Song: “We Are Young” - 3OH!3

Zane is the second born in the first litter of Aurora and Shadow. Zane is a daredevil and an extreme extrovert. He is most like his Pawpaw Sonic with his quick wit and high energy. He does not like emotional confrontations and will go out of his way to avoid uncomfortable situations. Even though he’s mostly easygoing, he butts heads with his dad a lot. 

Zane is a huge flirt and frequently develops intense crushes on people, but due to his short attention span, he’ll move on quickly (think Romeo with Rosaline). Zane is very fond of children and enjoys being the center of attention. Even though Piper is the leader of the group, the younger siblings tend to follow whatever Zane is doing. Lucky for Piper, he mostly listens to what she says.

Zane is capable of harnessing the power of the Chaos Emeralds to perform Chaos Control. Without the need for Chaos Emeralds, Zane has super speed. He wears special shoes that can transform based on his needs, but he prefers the motocross boot style when he’s not running.

For hobbies, Zane likes to do extreme stunts and attend/throw parties. He has dreams of being a DJ with his brother Nova. 

-

NOVA

Birthday: 11/12 (3rd Born)

Powers: Plasma (Ionikinetic Combat)

Weaknesses: Laziness

Dream Voice Actor: Josh Keaton

Theme Song: “Weirdo” - K.Flay

Nova is the third born in the first litter of Aurora and Shadow. He is very peaceful in nature and would rather find roundabout ways to solve problems than coming to blows (though he attributes this to knowing he would cream his opponent due to this strong bloodline). He’s a bit of an oddball but he embraces his quirkiness instead of being concerned about how others think of him. He often comes off as aloof and is rather lazy.

Nova is capable of harnessing the power of the Chaos Emeralds to perform Chaos Control. Without the need for Chaos Emeralds, Nova has plasma/Ionikenetic powers. He can shoot radioactive plasma at his enemies which can burn or dissolve material on impact. Nova does not like using his powers because they are so destructive. 

Nova is very close with his brother Zane and will go along with his schemes, even if his heart’s not entirely in it. He is artistic and tends to live a very messy, disheveled lifestyle. He loves to collect things and can be considered a packrat. 

-

ASTER

Birthday: 4/8 (4th born)

Powers: Telekinesis, Telepathy

Weaknesses: Codependency 

Dream Voice Actor: SungWon Cho [x]

Theme Song: “Despair and Traffic” - SOFT PLAY

Aster is the first born in the second litter of Aurora and Shadow. Though he seems rough on the surface, he’s actually the most academically intelligent of all his siblings. He is loud and passive aggressive but can appreciate the beauty in peace and quiet when he chooses. He is very theatrical and enjoys making a huge spectacle out of his battles, including saying poetic catchphrases and even coining the term “Prepare for the Blitz-Aster Disaster!” He is secretly a romantic at heart.

Aster is rarely seen without his sister Blitz. He is the brain to her brawn. Though he’s the more level-headed twin, Blitz’s dominant personality tends to direct their fighting strategies. He does not know how to be independent, which can be used against him.

Aster is capable of harnessing the power of the Chaos Emeralds to perform Chaos Control. Without the need for Chaos Emeralds, Aster shows early signs of telekinetic and telepathic abilities. He hasn’t mastered many techniques yet, but with some proper training it’s possible he could become a force to be reckoned with. If only Blitz would shut up for 5 minutes so he could concentrate!

Aster enjoys challenging mind games, like chess. 

-

BLITZ

Birthday: 4/8 (5th born)

Powers: Energy Blasts (“Chaos Spear”)

Weaknesses: Codependency, Impulsivity

Dream Voice Actor: Jessica DiCicco [x] [x] OR Chloë Grace Moretz [x]

Theme Song: “God Complex (Mojo)” - poutyface

Blitz is the second born in the second litter of Aurora and Shadow. Blitz is brash and forward but can be a little spacey. She has a short attention span and is easily bored. She considers fighting as a form of playing. She is very proud of herself and her heritage and isn’t afraid to namedrop to get her way. 

Blitz is rarely seen without her brother Aster. She is the brawn to his brain. Blitz’s dominant personality tends to direct their fighting strategies despite her brother’s concerns. She is very theatrical and enjoys making a huge spectacle out of her battles, including saying poetic catchphrases and even coining the term “Prepare for the Blitz-Aster Disaster!” She is very codependent and hates doing anything without Aster.

Blitz is capable of harnessing the power of the Chaos Emeralds to perform Chaos Control. Without the need for Chaos Emeralds, Blitz has the natural ability to perform Chaos Spear which can dagger her enemies with energy.

Blitz loves fashion and is a huge trendsetter. She would love to be a fashion designer if world domination doesn’t work out (She’s just kidding – relax already!)

-

Cinder

Birthday: 2/18 (6th born)

Powers: Combustion, Stellar Tantrum

Weaknesses: Migraines, Short Temper

Dream Voice Actor: Michael Daingerfield [x] [x]

Theme Song: “Tantrum” - Ashnikko

Cinder is the first born in the third litter of Aurora and Shadow. He has a very short temper and is incredibly impatient. He is the most like his father in that he is not very talkative and would rather be left alone than socialize with others. His outbursts of rage can often be used to his enemies’ advantage by being misdirected to his siblings and teammates. He is also terrified of himself, which makes him constantly on edge. 

Cinder is NOT capable of using Chaos Emeralds and instead has to rely on his natural abilities. Cinder has combustion powers, but unlike his sister Piper, his powers are based solely on his emotions so he has a very hard time commanding the direction and radius of his blasts. Piper was tasked with training Cinder to better manage his combustion powers, but the two tend to get frustrated with each other since control comes so naturally to Piper and it’s incredibly foreign to Cinder. When Cinder goes into a blinding rage, his fur and eyes change color and sparks of energy will fire off randomly around him. When in this form, he can perform a move called “Stellar Tantrum.” This move is highly destructive and will incinerate any and all objects nearby. He has absolutely no control over this power once it’s unleashed.

As a child, Cinder was more outgoing but still prone to crying outbursts. However, during one particular fight with his sister Diamond, he accidentally unleashed a Stellar Tantrum and severely burned her. Luckily Boon was able to use his healing powers to reverse it, but Cinder has never forgiven himself and has never been the same ever since. Cinder requested a special Inhibitor necklace be made to help dampen his powers, but it’s not very effective. It works more as a placebo than anything else. He keeps everyone at a distance whenever possible and thinks there’s something evil in him, despite his parents’ reassurances. 

Cinder doesn’t like to discuss his hobbies, but he actually loves baking and reading books.

-

DIAMOND

Birthday: 2/18 (7th Born)

Role: Tank

Powers: Brute Strength

Weaknesses: Poor eyesight, Light sensitivity

Dream Voice Actor: Kimberly Brooks [x] [x] [x]

Theme Song: “Cleopatra” - Nova Twins

Diamond is the second born in the third litter of Aurora and Shadow. She has a sweet disposition and is very polite, even to her opponents. However, she can be a smart ass at times and is quick to make jokes. She is highly dedicated to physical training but outside of the gym she’s very easy-going. Diamond was born with Oculocutaneous albinism. Due to her albinism and nystagmus, she is sensitive to light and has very poor eyesight. As a baby and toddler, Diamond mostly clung to Aurora whenever outdoors as she could bend the light around Diamond and protect her from UV rays. As Diamond got older and grew more independent, Tails’ Workshop crafted a special brooch that acts as a light shield when activated. Diamond never leaves home without it.

Diamond is NOT capable of using Chaos Emeralds and instead has to rely on her natural abilities. She has incredible strength and is physically the strongest of all her relatives. 

As a child, she and her brother Cinder got into a fight where he accidentally unleashed a Stellar Tantrum and severely burned her. Luckily Boon was able to use his healing powers to reverse it. She has completely forgiven Cinder and has never held it against him, but he continues to be distant with her to this day.

She enjoys training in the Shadora Home Gym to better perfect her fighting skills and she is almost always found sporting earbuds so she can listen to her favorite punk rock and metal bands.

-

Boon

Birthday: 2/18 (8th Born)

Role: Support

Powers: Healing, Mood-Boosting

Weaknesses: People-pleasing

Dream Voice Actor: Ben Schwartz [x] ← Please watch this whole interview, it will leave you grinning ear-to-ear the whole way through

Theme Song: “Smile” - Dami Im

Boon is the third born in the third litter of Aurora and Shadow. Boon is the embodiment of a ray of sunshine and has 10000% charisma. He genuinely loves everyone he meets and enjoys putting smiles on people’s faces. Boon is very silly and has a very childish sense of humor. He also has a lot of energy and has a habit of rambling without realizing it.

Boon is NOT capable of using Chaos Emeralds and instead has to rely on his natural abilities. He has incredible healing abilities and can heal the wounded, but it takes a lot of energy from him so can only do so much at a time. He cannot revive the dead. Boon also has a “mood-boosting” ability, where he can positively affect the emotions of others. This can only be done by making direct contact with someone and the effect only lasts temporarily. Boon’s powers positively affected Aurora’s pregnancy, making her third litter the easiest and stress free of all her pregnancies (Thank you, Boon!)

Boon wears special rocket boots so he can quickly fly to anyone in battle who needs assistance. His boots have a button on the heel to activate them, and he likes to click his heels together to turn them on. Though he never complains about his duties, Aurora often worries about Boon’s need to please others and reminds him that he can’t help others if he doesn’t help himself. Aurora and Boon are the most alike of all her children as both are prone to singing outbursts, goofy jokes and harmless pranks to make people laugh.

—

All Shadora kids are mortal and did not inherit Shadow’s immortality. However, they do heal faster than the average Mobian.

—

Want to get more of a feel for the Shadora kids? I've made a Spotify playlist dedicate to their theme songs, songs that make me think of them, or general music they would listen to. You can listen to it here, but be warned it contains explicit songs.

—

A NOTE ABOUT SHADOW’S “AGE”

Shadow is immortal so therefore he doesn’t age. However it’s been long debated in my Shadora stories whether or not he will give up his immortality to live a normal life with his family. I have him in these drawings as still being immortal, especially because I like the angst and challenges that comes with (ex: how are your rebellious teenagers supposed to respect you when they are seemingly “older” than you?) but I haven’t actually decided when he will decide to be mortal. 

BUT if you ever draw me fanart or write me fanfics and you want to have become mortal at an earlier point in his life I’m totally cool with that! I’m flexible.

[blu-ish]

🌦️Song of the storm (Sonadow fic)

...

It seemed like it was never ending. The rain poured like a faucet throughout the forest, bending leaves and branches down with a powerful force. Completely soaking the soil below. It was almost as if the world itself wept. Shadow couldn’t help but stare in awe, almost completely forgetting the figure that sat beside him. 

“It’s coming down pretty hard huh.” Sonic said, leaning a bit forward to look out at the darkened sky from their makeshift shelter in a small cave. Small wasn’t even the correct term, there was barely enough room for the both of them. However, Shadow could appreciate the hedgehog’s attempt at digging some of the dirt out to create some extra space.

He could see Sonic reaching out his muddy gloves to wash with the streaming water on the cave's lip. The ebony hedgehog hummed in agreement, “Yes, it is.”

“Interrupted our race too!” The blue hedgehog pouted, which was sorta amusing Shadow supposed. 

“It’s no biggie though, the plants needed a drink.” Shadow grimaced as Sonic shook his hands to which he could only fathom was to dry them, not so much himself though. He grumbled, shooting a glare at the hedgehog who only chuckled nervously in response.

All became silent yet again in the hedgehog's burrow, all except the song of the storm.

Another hour passed, and a second, and then a third, soon both hedgehogs seemed to grow sick of their shelter turned prison. 

Shadow hugged his knees, there was no possible connection out here to get in touch with Rouge or Omega. Even Sonic had tried to contact Tails, Amy, and even Knuckles at one point– which surprised the hybrid because he wasn’t even aware the echidna could get a signal on his floating island.  

Shadow didn’t necessarily get cold, but each time a drop of water happened to make its way inside and landed on him, he would shiver at the sensation. He started to wonder why Maria ever told him she had once dreamed of standing in the middle of one of these like they did in her novels.

He was really debating if maybe he should just convince Sonic to make a run for it and find their way back home. But he realized Sonic’s brother’s workshop would most likely be miles from where they both decided to get lost too. He mentally kicked himself for not thinking about any of this before, why is it whenever that hedgehog drags him into anything he loses himself?

Shadow’s ears suddenly perked up, a noise, almost a murmur at first came from Sonic’s direction. He turned slowly to face him as he realized Sonic was singing. He couldn’t name what song it could possibly be, Shadow knew very little of the modern day artists. But he never took Sonic for one who could possibly carry a tune. 

“What song is that?” He found himself asking, he cleared his throat awkwardly. “If I may ask.”

Sonic blinked, he took a moment to just stare at the other hedgehog, almost like he had no clue what he was talking about. Which just caused Shadow to get even more embarrassed and frustrated that he said anything at all. That was until a lightbulb seemed to go off in Sonic’s head, he “oohed” and smiled. 

“That? It’s a lullaby, I used to sing it all the time to Tails whenever we were traveling and I would spend hours trying to get him to sleep.” He smiled fondly, eyes drifting in thought. “He doesn’t do too well in thunderstorms.” Shadow could faintly catch the blue hedgehog’s frown.

“I see.” Shadow said a little more plainly then he’d hoped. So he added, “You're worried.”

Sonic simply shrugged, “What can I say, I’m his brother. That’s all I’ll ever do.” He laughed, and Shadow found himself softly doing so as well. 

As time went on, the hedgehogs found themselves telling each other stories to pass the time. Sonic would make Shadow swear on his “coffee beans” every time not to tell Tails all the embarrassing stories he’s told him about when he was a fox pup. Shadow found it rather odd, he wouldn’t tell, but if it gave the strange hedgehog reassurance he would go along with it.

Soon the stories shifted to Sonic's childhood. Shadow never realized how long Sonic was alone when he was younger, about his life on Christmas Island. How he described the world, how even then he was willing to risk his life for all who inhabit it. The hybrid was reminded how he spent his own early days, on the Ark, but he had Maria. Just like how Sonic has Tails. 

Without really realizing it, Shadow had started telling Sonic more about his past. The experiments, the pain. About how much pressure he felt on his shoulders trying his damn hardest to be a cure for her. That’s all he ever wanted to be.

He’s not sure how it became so easy to talk about these things, he supposed it took time. Especially with someone like Sonic the Hedgehog. But he concluded that’s exactly the reason why, because while he and Sonic were complete opposites at times… they were an exact mirror image of the other. A mere reflection of who they are inside, two hedgehogs willing to risk it all to protect the world and all they love, for who they love.

They were only interrupted by the occasional sharp clap of thunder that would echo through the woods. Causing them to jump only a few times, and then laugh once more.

Soon, Shadow didn’t even notice until he glanced down that he and Sonic were basically leaning on each other. He suspected the blue hedgehog was cold, and surprisingly, he didn’t mind. He knew how Sonic felt about personal space, that was something they had in common after all. 

“How are you doing, with all this water?” As much as Shadow relished the silence, he was genuinely curious. Sonic let out a delayed “hm?”, he realized he might have caught the hero dozing off. 

“You think I can’t survive a bit of rain Shads?” Sonic scoffed with a toothy grin. “How dare you.”

Shadow’s quills stood up ever so slightly, clearly annoyed. “That’s not what I was insinuating at all.” He moved his arm away from Sonic, a very clear cold filling the void. They both noticed it, and stopped. They didn’t dare bring attention to it.

Sonic instead for whatever reason, shifted, standing as close as he could to “standing up” as he could get in the burrow. He glanced over at Shadow who was looking at him with what he guessed was an amusing expression since the blue hedgehog stifled a laugh.

“Want me to show you instead?” Sonic asked, reaching a hand out to Shadow. Right when he thought he was just starting to understand this hedgehog that confused him so, he goes and does something he would never expect. Especially from someone he knows has an innate fear of water. 

“What do you think you're doing, Sonic?” 

“You don’t have to,” Sonic said almost unnaturally softly. “But, I want you to trust me.”

Shadow sat there for a moment, trying to juggle his options as quickly as his mind allowed him. But as soon as Sonic started to put his hand down Shadow swiftly reached and took it. An action that felt a little too familiar.

“Fine,” he muttered. “I will.”

Sonic grinned, and at that same time Shadow could feel a strange twist in his chest. Perhaps he has been in here too long.

The rain was surprisingly not as wild as before as they exited their shelter, with rays of sunlight peeking through the whitening clouds above. The raindrops caught onto both their quills, beading down one by one. It was almost refreshing, but still cold, very cold.

Except for the warmth that came from Sonic’s hand. He felt that weird twist again as soon as he let go. 

“See?” Sonic uttered, breaking Shadow out of his plaguing thoughts. “Nothing to it, a little water never hurt me!”

Unbeknownst to Sonic however, Shadow could see how often his ears flicked as the water touched them, or how his fingers flexed with anticipation. As soon as Sonic’s quills started standing up, Shadow confirmed that Sonic was, in fact, not enjoying this. Which gave the hybrid an idea. 

“I see, how about a challenge then.” Shadow stated, grabbing the blue hedgehogs attention rather quickly. He grinned.

“A race, in the rain.” He then pointed back toward the direction of which he hoped would be one of the Mobian villages they were previously at before their first race. 

“First one back wins.” 

Sonic smiled, “Oh, you're on Shads!”

As they got into position, Sonic dug his shoes into the mud, trying to get as much of a grip as he could. Shadow had already felt at a slight disadvantage since his air shoes relied on heat from his chaos energy to activate; he was sure they’d work just fine, but he was hardly thinking about the mud. The rain that sprinkled his skin, kept his mind from wandering for too long.

From the moment they took off to the moments they stole glances at one another. The rain was there. 

They twisted and winded their way in between the trees, over boulders, and across the grassy hills. And again their race had turned into a game. A game of chase, just like before.

Sonic would lose Shadow, but then Shadow would find him. Shadow would hide behind something, then purposely bump into Sonic. They’re usual competitiveness was still there, but soon something else was too.

They would circle each other occasionally, with little to no real known reason between them. It was almost like a dance, one Shadow didn’t see himself losing. 

Their combined speed broke through the rain, sending raindrops flying in every direction with each sonic boom. The sound in perfect sync with the distant thunder. Each breath filled with damp air. The earth under his skates, and someone to enjoy it with right next to him.

With the village in view, he could feel Sonic beside him speed up, and so did he. He blinked raindrops out of his eyes, using a bit more energy to pass Sonic ever so slightly. 

Until it hit him.

He saw Sonic zoom away, seemingly not realizing Shadow stopped until he was a bit farther away. The blue hedgehog came rushing back, worried.

“Shadow?” He could feel his eyes darting around him, he slowly got closer to Shadow. “Are you okay, why did you stop?”

Shadow chuckled, staring up into the sky with a smile. “This is what she meant, by being in the rain.”

Sonic paused, he raised a curious brow, but smiled fondly anyway.

The two hedgehogs squinted as the sun finally made it completely through the clouds, the rain reduced to occasional sprinkles as the warmth reached them.

Shadow felt Sonic nudge him a bit, raising his arm over his shoulder. The hybrid rolled his eyes and leaned into it. Just this once.

They watched the clouds for a bit before Sonic spoke up, “You do realize I won right?”

“Oh? Did you?” Shadow peered up a bit, he felt Sonic stutter before clearing his throat. 

“Uh, yeah! You're the one who decided to have a moment in the rain while I crossed into town.” He smiled. “So what do I win?”

Shadow shrugged, “I wasn’t planning to lose, so I didn’t think that far.” he said flatly.

Sonic fake scoffed, “Oh, how you hurt me so~” Yeah, he was still as annoying as ever.

He eased Sonic away from him as he pointed a finger to the blue hedgehog's chest. “You decide what you win then.” 

Sonic had paused for a moment, back to staring at the other, and for a second Shadow could almost sense some sort of inner turmoil. Before he could ask Sonic shouted.

“Don Fachio’s chili dogs! I’m starving!” Sonic finally said, quite enthusiastically too, before adding slyly, “Your treat.”

“Fine.” Shadow could do that. But not before shooting Sonic an unheated glare. “But, you owe me one for getting us caught in that storm.”

“It’s a date then.” The blue hedgehog replied teasingly. Shadow couldn’t believe for the life of him that only a few hours ago he was letting his heart leak a bit and telling Sonic things he’s never told anyone. It was becoming a troublesome habit. But he supposed Sonic did the same, he knows a lot remained unsaid, and he’s not sure when they’d ever reveal themselves. But he did know one thing.

He wouldn’t mind being caught in the rain with him again.

[kaylatoonz]

Before anyone ask

I love Sonamy

I like Shadamy

I don’t like Sonadow

And I think Sonshadamy is neat (don’t ask how that works if I don’t like Sonadow, I don’t completely understand it myself😭).

I know that we will most likely get more Sonamy, Shadamy, (if Amy is in the third movie), and …. Sonadow, but what about Sonshadamy? I really hope we get some movie Sonshadamy fan content (but I’m also ok with just some movie Sonamy or Shadamy content).

Context:

I love the idea of both Sonic and Amy helping heal Shadow from his trauma. Sonic could help bring out a bit of his childish side with their rivalry. While Amy reminds Shadow of his true promise to Maria, through her kindness and compassion. And maybe both can go super to save the shadow from falling (not likely, but I can dream 🥲).

[fleetways]

Sonic the Hedgehog Emoji Ask Game!

Send emoji(s) in the askbox c:

🎮 First Game?

❣️ Favorite Game?

💖 Favorite Character?

💙 Favorite IDW character?

🧡 Favorite Archie character?

💛 Favorite Sonic the Comic Character?

📺 Favorite TV show?

🏝️ Favorite stage/level?

💥 Favorite Boss Fight?

🎸 Favorite Stage Theme?

🎤 Favorite Vocal Track?

�� Favorite overall soundtrack?

🦊 Favorite spinoff game?

🏎️ Favorite racing game?

👾 Favorite handheld title?

🙈 Least favorite Sonic game?

💡 Spinoff you’d like to see?

🍡 Classic, Adventure, or Boost Gameplay?

✨ Dream Sonic Game?

💫 Dream Sonic Show/Story?

📚 Pitch for a third storybook game?

🕹️ Favorite Non-Sonic SEGA Franchise?

🦔 Favorite version of Sonic? (the character)

💎 Favorite Super form or Transformation?

👯 Favorite team?

🤖 Favorite robot?

🦹 Favorite antagonist/villain?

📈 Overrated character?

📉 Underrated character?

🍈 Favorite Chao?

👽 Favorite Wisp?

🧍Favorite Human Character?

😈 Favorite rivalry?

😘 Favorite ship?

☺️ Favorite friendship/platonic relationship?

🎙️ Favorite Sonic Voice Actor?

🧸 Favorite plush/piece of merch?

🎨 Favorite Sonic Artist?

✍️ Favorite fanfiction?

🌈 Have any Sonic OCs?

📆 How long have you been into Sonic?

🤩 Favorite Sonic-related memory?

🤔 Hydro-city or Hydrossity?

😳 Hottest Sonic Take?

🫡 Coldest Sonic Take?

[katlyntheartist]

Any guesses/predictions/hopes for Sonic Movie 3?

More orchestral music from the Sonic games and less pop songs (don't want this to be a Mario movie situation)

Reference to the Knuckles series and how it ties into the third movie. Also Wade helping out and fighting beside Knuckles.

Shadow living with Rachel and Jojo revealed in a post credit scene (probably won't happen but I can dream)

Speaking of Jojo, her having an actual character arc or relevance to the movie instead of a small cameo like in the second movie. Her bonding with Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles or her helping them on their adventure and running into Shadow and bonding with him (please Paramount, do more with my girl!!)

Tom and Maddie getting to fight along side their kids instead of standing awkwardly in the background like in the first two movies.

Randall redeeming himself and making up for the whole catfish-wedding fiasco. Maybe he gets tasked with taking care of Shadow at the end, idk. He's an ok character who could use some work.

Amy or Rouge showing up like Tails at the end of the second movie.

More references to Sonic games and cartoons. Have other game character referenced.

Wachowski family bonding moments, like in the form or a montage or a few scenes that last twenty minutes each.

[datcloudboi]

List of Video Games Turning 10 Years Old in 2024

Alien: Isolation

Assassin's Creed: Rogue (the one where you play as an Assassin turned Templar.)

Assassin's Creed: Unity (the one set during the French Revolution.)

Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky

Azure Striker Gunvolt

The Banner Saga

Bayonetta 2

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea (the DLC where you go back to Rapture)

A Bird Story (a sort of spin-off of "To the Moon")

BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! (is this a sequel to 1 or a prequel to 1? I forgor)

Bravely Default (in North America)

Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (the one with K*vin Sp*cey)

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (to date, the last new Castlevania game to release)

Child of Light

The Crew (going offline at the end of March)

D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die (a wonderfully strange game from the guy that made Deadly Premonition)

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (in North America)

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (in North America)

Dark Souls II

Deception IV: Blood Ties

Demon Gaze

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls

Disney Infinity 2.0

Divinity: Original Sin (from the team that would go on to make Baldur's Gate 3)

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Dragon Age: Inquisition (the winner of GOTY at the very first TGAs)

Drakengard 3

Earth Defense Force 2025 (EDF! EDF! EDF!)

The Evil Within (from the creative director of Resident Evil)

Fable Anniversary

Fairy Fencer F

Far Cry 4

Freedom Planet

Guilty Gear Xrd Sign

Hyrule Warriors

Inazuma Eleven (in North America. And digital only.)

Infamous: Second Son (as well as its expansion, First Light)

Kirby: Triple Deluxe

The Last of Us Remastered (just one year after the original version came out...)

The Legend of Korra (the game from PlatinumGames that you can't buy anymore)

Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham

Lego The Hobbit

The Lego Movie Videogame

Lethal League (from the team that would go on to make Bomb Rush Cyberfunk)

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (the third and final chapter of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy)

Lisa: The Painful (yes, really)

LittleBigPlanet 3

Lords of the Fallen (not to be confused with Lords of the Fallen, which came out in 2023)

Mario Golf: World Tour

Mario Kart 8 (the original version)

Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes (the prologue to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, which came out 18 months later)

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Might & Magic X: Legacy

Murdered: Soul Suspect (it's like Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, but not as good)

Natural Doctrine

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty! (a from the ground up remake of the first Oddworld game from 1997)

Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 (yes, it got a sequel. I don't know how or why.)

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth

Pokemon Omega Ruby & Pokemon Alpha Sapphire

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy (the last time that Professor Layton himself was the protagonist. At least, until the New World of Steam comes out)

Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Pushmo World

Risen 3: Titan Lords

Sacred 3

Samurai Warriors 4

Shadowrun: Dragonfall

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (the 3rd one)

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments

Shovel Knight (yes, really)

Skylanders: Trap Team (the 4th one)

Sniper Elite III

Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric

Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal

South Park: The Stick of Truth

Steins;Gate (in North America)

Strider (the one from Double Helix)

Sunset Overdrive

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS (or Smash 4 for short)

Tales of Xillia 2

Tales of Hearts R

The Talos Principle

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call

Thief (the reboot)

This War of Mine

Toukiden: The Age of Demons

Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (this game merged the storyline of the War for/Fall of Cybertron games with the storyline of the Michael Bay movies. I’m not joking)

Transistor

Valiant Hearts: The Great War

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

The Walking Dead: Season Two

Wasteland 2

Watch Dogs

The Witch and the Hundred Knight

The Wolf Among Us (sequel this year!)

Wolfenstein: The New Order

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z

Yoshi's New Island

[flightyalrighty]

happened to have a dream relating to infested chapter 2, so the chapter started, not with any other characters we've seen so far, but Silver and Blaze in the future, Blaze convinces Silver that they need to go to the past since something bad is happening, and then it's revealed that Blaze has a brain buggy but she hasn't gotten aggressive yet, so her bug is just dormant for now but might have been trying to get Silver infested too. So they go back in time, witness that stuff is really starting up (lotsa people trying to maul each other) and then they find Sonic who nearly turns Silver into a fine paste and the chapter ends with Silver finding Shadow who looks way more like a black arms now (like with a third eye and a long tail, that stuff) and he tries to warn Silver. I don't remember anything else and I might have forgotten some details, not sure if Blaze's bug activated or not, dream stuff. Basically: Silvers horrible no good very bad day and Blaze was a sleeper agent that never woke up (to my knowledge) but probably was trying to convince him to jump in the bug pit.

another one for the Dreaming Up An Entire Fanfic pile. Very cool and awesome, thank you for sharing! :]

Funny prank to play on Silver, Blaze!

[welcome-to-green-hills]

When the trailer first came out I was surprisingly calm. 24 hours later I got one of the biggest hype attacks I‘ve ever experienced. Shaking, screaming, crying, etc.

I think when the trailer first came out I didn‘t even really register the trailer as real. It was to much like a dream for me. But now I come to the realisation that we are at the third movie for Sonic. That people are hyped for it. That it looks amazing. A part of me still thinks this is a dream or a simulation.

I don‘t really know how to feel. I am so happy. I am not sure if I will survive the movie. My voice will probably be gone after the screening.

Sorry for unloading like this. I just needed to get this of my chest. I am so hyped.

Awww! I’m so happy to see that y’all are enjoying the “high” from the trailer! It’s perfectly okay to feel a bit stunned at first—I think that many of us were in awe from how badass and fun it was yesterday.

But man… that was definitely worth the wait!❤️✨

[ahn-k]

[Image description:

First image: A mp100 digital comic. In the first panel there’s Ritsu, he says 'Suzuki, give me a brush' while he extends his hand, Shou’s in the background. There’s no answer. In the next panel Ritsu looks slightly to his left, where Shou should be (he’s now out of sight), and then he asks 'Suzuki?'. Still no answer. In the third panel we can only see Shou’s back. He suddenly turns around in the fourth panel to face Ritsu. We see Shou’s body, but his brush and his head have been swapped, now Shou's body has a brush for a head and the brush in his hands is Shou’s head, he says 'Sorry, Ritsu, did you say something?' with a bright smile. The next panel is Ritsu with a terrified expression. In the last panel Ritsu is on his bed, looking worried and thinking: 'a dream'.

Second image: Another mp100 digital comic. In the first panel we see Chibi versions of Shou and Ritsu, he has two cartoon popsicles in his hands and asks Shou: 'blueberry or orange flavor?'. Shou answers 'keep the orange one, you know I don’t like citrus'. Shou opens the popsicle wrapper to see it’s a Sonic the hedgehog cartoon popsicle, he says 'cool, I got Sonic!' and asks Ritsu what he got. Ritsu’s popsicle looks like Shou, and Shou makes a remark about it. Ritsu proceeds to bite the popsicle, to Shou’s despair. In the last panel, Shou wakes up and thinks 'a dream...'./ End ID]

[thankskenpenders]

Any dream casting choices for Shadow in the third movie? What about other characters?

In general I assume that after casting Idris Elba as Knuckles, Shadow also has to be a big name actor. The popular pick of Keanu would be fun. I've seen a few people suggest Aaron Paul, though, and I'm like... I can see it. He could do it. It's his destiny after canonically playing as Shadow in Sonic '06's multiplayer on screen in Breaking Bad

Upon trying to look up what other ideas people have I found a MovieWeb listicle in which one of their picks is Jeremy Strong (Kendall from Succession) and this idea has completely floored me. I'm just imagining Shadow saying Kendall lines now and my brain is shutting down

[madelynhimegami]

To my knowledge, you like Puyo Puyo! But what do you enjoy most about it?

Honestly, it might be easier to explain my intoduction to the series. Ideally we'll get there in the end either way. You ever seen one of those "What I Played/What I Expected/What I Got" memes? My story is pretty much like one of those.

I don't remember when I started learning bits and pieces about it, or when Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine went from being itself to a Puyo game in a trenchcoat in my mind. But by mid 2017 I knew the aforementioned (I called the CPZ boss in Sonic Mania a Puyo boss on twitter when I played it), recognized Carbuncle, recognized Draco Centauros (thanks to a friend who is still a big fan of her), and had heard that there was some sort of story to it, but didn't know a lot of details.

Then in September of 2017, a friend of mine mentioned that he had been playing Puyo Puyo Tetris lately as his go-to "pick up and play" sort of game. I looked it up in the eshop, saw it was cheap, and thought a pick-up-and-play game was what I needed and bought it. Not that I knew shit about playing Puyo well, but I at least had some basic competency at Tetris to balance things out.

And hey, at least the story mode would be a good way to learn! So I dove in to the story and started playing.

I was expecting the story to be inconseqential to my enjoyment of the game. Something either generic or corny, with characters that ranged from "tolerable" to "painful anime cliche."

The thing that knocked me on my ass almost immediately was that the writing was actually funny, made better with the English cast's fantastic delivery.

Those are all from just the story's first chapter! The first one is from the prologue! The other two are from the third scene (couting dialogue before and after a round of gameplay together as one scene)! And it kept going!

For the record, even though I was picky with what to include, and stitching lines from the same scenes together, I still had almost fifty (50) funny moments I wanted to drop out of context, in a game with a rough total of two hours of story material collected to write this post. And then I had to narrow it down further just so I wouldn't hit the image limit too quickly.

Was it a little corny and awkward at points? Sure. Several voice actors had to grow into their roles. Plus, the impression I always had from the script-- an impression that's only gotten stronger the more I learn about this series and then come back to this game-- is that someone on the development team was not expecting this to be all that successful overseas. And not for no reason, since Puyo Puyo's tried to get its foot in the door in the west several times by this point. But the end result of this lack of faith was a localization team that tried very hard to make this game stand on its own merits with as little understanding of the games that had come before as possible. Which, honestly I think they did a pretty dang good job of! Especially since it didn't shy away from the hard-hitting stuff when it came. Which I'm going to intentionally leave even further out of context so as to not give away all of it.

There was also this line here, which was what first clued me in that the writing's quality wasn't an accident, that the writer is actually thinking all this stuff through:

Fun fact, the only people you will see in your dreams are people you have seen while you're awake. The parts of the brain responsible for dreams can't make up new faces, or throw together composites of preeviously-known ones. Hence, this question, which does in fact get answered in the next scene, in a way that made me go, "Ohhh, that's really smart, actually!"

But yeah. That was just this one game. It took me a few more years before I tried other games that had been translated, fan or otherwise, but the more I've played and the more I learn about these characters and their worlds, the more engrossed I get. It's a hyperfixation now. It seems like there's always something new I'm learning about it, but it's not overwhelming, it just feels like I'm knowing a good friend better and better. The modern artstyle is deceptively simple and very endearing, and so many of the characters are interesting and fun. And the current writer is just so galaxy-brained, I'm not even kidding.

The characters in the Puyo Puyo series are all morons. They're all crazy. But at the end of the day, they care about each other, no matter how little they want to admit it. And they all have their own theming to the magic they use. It's a lot of fun. From your standard-fair RPG spells, to cosmic forces, to math terms,

I can't recommend this series enough, no matter what your skill level with puzzle games is! There's something in it for everyone.

Unless you're looking for genuinely evil characters, I guess. Like, there are characters that are intimidating or sinister or threatening, but almost none of them are actually evil. Fraid the closest to that this series has is a(n as-of-now) gender-ambiguous Elon Musk with better hair in the Japan-excusive gacha game.

Further reading from the author (that isn't already on their tumblr):

[1]

[2]

[3]

[tailschannel]

Sonic to get "several new mobile titles" in the future, according to SEGA management meeting document

The Sonic the Hedgehog series is expected to receive "several new titles" for mobile platforms, SEGA's parent company confirmed in a management meeting early Wednesday.

Apple and Google were both named as "key players" in the mobile sector for SEGA, as the publisher detailed an encompassing transmedia scheme for the blue blur, which will include licencing and collaborations with other third-party properties.

"Several new" mobile games under development

With an established presence thanks to the likes of free apps like Sonic Dash and Sonic Forces Speed Battle, the franchise looks set to dive in the world of mobile gaming, as part of SEGA's future plans.

The publisher did not rule out exclusivity clauses with subscription-based mobile gaming services. In recent days, the publisher signed a contract with Apple to produce Sonic Dream Team, and Netflix announced a mobile port of Sonic Mania Plus for their game subscription service.

No word of a specific timeframe for the aforementioned mobile games, currently in development.

Future Sonic mobile games to adopt Rovio's Beacon toolkit

As part of the mobile expansion, the upcoming slate is expected to adopt "Beacon", an internal development and marketing toolkit powered by machine learning, frequently utilized by Rovio, the Finnish studio behind Angry Birds that SEGA acquired over the summer.

The studio described Beacon as a platform to "build games and get games to market, models to profitably grow and monetize the game and live operations tools to maximize our players’ fun."

The toolkit has been criticized in a number of fan-run Angry Birds forums for incentivizing revenue at the expense of gameplay quality.

SEGA did not disclose if the Beacon platform will extend beyond the present suite of HARDlight mobile games.

More details on SEGA's resurrection of classic hits

SEGA also unveiled these new images and descriptions for the five new games announced at The Game Awards, described as a "power surge" to re-electrify their classic hits, like Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio.

Crazy Taxi: Innovative & Fresh Style Driving Action! Cheerful feeling of freedom and fusion of nature and city. Peel out the new stage of Crazy City!

Jet Set Radio: "Counter-Culture" - Tokyo Street Open World! Experience the "rebellion" movement that feels free in a suffocating society. Make friends, increase your fans, and create a movement!

Shinobi: Slay the enemies in the silence of the moment. Run through the world of Shinobi, full of monsters and ninja actions. Grab Oberozuki, the legendary sword and slay evil once more. Your clan and the world are counting on you.

Golden Axe: Warriors arise to subdue the demons! Defeat your enemies with a variety of attacks with swords and magic! The legendary story about the battle axe, Golden Axe is about to begin!

Streets of Rage Revolution: Beloved side-scrolling beat 'em up action series! Take control of one of the ex-officers and make the city a place where people no longer have to walk the "Streets of Rage."

The announcement coincided with SEGA's plans to strengthen their flagship video game brands like Persona and Like a Dragon, and to expand with legacy properties.

(Edit 2:00 pm ET - post updated with new details)

[ohanny]

pitbabetober whump edition

day 8

SLEEP DEPRIVATION

ISOLATION CHAMBER

FORCED TO STAY AWAKE

“LEAVE THE LIGHTS ON”

kim / north / sonic. pg. 1463 words.

kim would like to say the residual aches of his battered body are what keep him up every night but really? his sleeplessness has nothing to do with bruised ribs or the head aches from a healing concussion. the real problem is being alone in the dark in a closed room. sure, this one has a door that isn’t locked and comes with a bed that is right under a big window, but kim can't exactly help it.

no matter how exhausted he feels, every time he lays down and closes his eyes, his body tenses up and he starts overthinking everything. suddenly each noise is amplified and sets him on edge. the sheets that were comfortable against his body a minute ago start feeling like a shroud. the ac is either too high or too low and then, inevitably, some part of his body starts twitching restlessly. tonight it’s his left foot tapping against the mattress and he knows he won't be getting any rest.

3 am sees his third trip out of the guest room. he walks to the living room to take a couple of deep breaths in front of the floor to ceiling windows and then wanders into the kitchen to get water. after chugging half of the glass, he presses it against his cheek. even though the swelling on his face has already gone all the way down and the bruising has faded into faint yellows, the coolness still feels amazing.

“hey.”

kim jumps. apparently laying down with his eyes closed sharpens his senses to rival babe’s but standing in a kitchen dulls them down to nothing. he never heard sonic come in but the younger alpha is standing by the kitchen island clad in maroon silk pyjamas. his hair is pulled up into a small ponytail that, while admittedly adorable, reminds kim of the teletubbies.

“are you okay?” sonic asks hesitantly. “i don’t mean to pry but i hear you moving around the house every night.”

“i’m just having some trouble sleeping. nothing to worry about.”

sonic makes a face which… okay, fair. if their roles were reversed, kim wouldn’t let it slide either. a person he saw as a friend going through a traumatic, violent experience followed by persistent insomnia and avoidance? he’d be on their ass 24/7. it’s actually a miracle the x-hunter team has given him as much space as they have, considering their odd propensity for acting like a bunch of mother hens. sometimes kim forgets he's living with young men – most of them alphas and professional, competitive drivers – and not clones of his halmeoni. speaking of which…

“do you want to come upstairs with me? maybe what you need is a little sleepover.”

that is exactly what you'd tell to a little boy scared of bad dreams. except kim isn’t little and there's nothing grandmotherly in an alpha inviting another alpha to share a bed with his omega. not that sonic means it like that. probably. again, this pack is strange and while kim wouldn’t mind, he also doesn’t want to risk his precarious position in it by acting out of line.

“i don’t want to disturb you,” he says carefully.

“you couldn’t if you tried,” sonic huffs, “because trust me, it would be the other way around. north is like an octopus and i tend to move around a lot.”

“i don’t like the dark.”

it slips out before kim can really think about it and he freezes, mortified. but it kind of is the root of his problems, if he really thinks about it. the room he was kept in in tony’s house was pitch black, day and night. it was a windowless square without as much as a strip of light coming through from under the door and being stuck in the darkness had unexpectedly been way worse than the beatings. it was like being trapped in a limbo and drove him damn near insane.

“well, i like to sleep with one of those galaxy lamps on,” sonic shrugs, his voice deliberately neutral. “the light is mostly blues and purples, though. is that okay? because if not there's also a desk lamp and if we point it towards the wall it should -”

“blues and purples are fine,” kim cuts him off, feeling oddly flustered.

he doesn’t like it, being the one on the back foot. there’s nothing physically threatening about the younger alpha but he has an uncanny ability to sneak under your defenses to deliver the kind of an emotional gut punch that leaves you reeling.

“come on,” he says with a gentle smile, offering his hand. “let’s go get some rest.”

kim follows him in a near daze but tenses up once they make it upstairs and cross the hall to another guest room that has turned into the semi-permanent residence of the chaotic duo. he pauses at the door, mouth opening to politely inform he has changed his mind, but sonic grabs his wrist and pulls him inside. the younger alpha’s grip is surprisingly strong. kim has the fleeting thought of dragging him onto a mat to see what he's capable of.

and then he's bathed in colors. they're brighter than he imagined, dancing over the walls like the northern lights. beautiful, he thinks, eyes flickering to sonic and then to north. the omega is spread across the bed like a starfish, taking up all the space.

“ugh, he's ridiculous,” sonic groans but sounds disgustingly fond.

he starts pushing and prodding, corralling the omega towards the wall like he's done it a thousand times before. he probably has. kim vaguely remembers alan mentioning the two have known each other since freshman year of high school and been inseparable ever since. there's a spike of envy in his chest, a secret yearning to experience the same – to find a person willing to stick around and tolerate all his neuroses and busy schedule. his entire life might revolve around racing but it's not something you can take to bed and hold at night.

“you wanna be in the middle or take the edge?”

kim blinks a couple of times to clear his thoughts. there is clearly only one proper answer to that question, but he hasn’t been feeling very proper lately, and figures if he's going to try this, he might as well go all in. he climbs into bed, pointedly shuffling until he's dead center. sonic looks way too satisfied about his decision and happily shuffles to the side, offering kim his share of a blanket and one of the many pillows strewn around the bed.

he has barely gotten comfortable – on his side, keeping north and the wall at his back – when something swats his temple. there’s a near incomprehensible apology and then a pointed sniff.

“you're not sonic,” north mumbles.

“it’s just kim. we’re having a sleepover to keep the bad dreams away,” sonic explains softly.

“mm’okay.”

and with that north presses his face between kim’s shoulder blades, throwing an arm and a leg over his body. when their eyes meet, sonic smiles at him, silently mouthing “see? an octopus.” kim doesn’t understand how, with everything that’s going on, the two of them can still be this trusting, and it both tightens and rattles something loose in his chest. he already told the pack he'd help them take down tony but now, sandwiched between north and sonic, he promises to himself to do it while keeping these two out of harm’s way.

“good night, kim,” sonic whispers and grabs kim’s hand to hug it against his chest. “wake us up if you need anything.”

“okay,” kim agrees even though he can't imagine needing anything other than this. “good night.”

he stares at the swirling lightshow on the walls and listens to sonic’s breathing slow and even out. he waits until he's sure both of them are asleep before closing his own eyes, afraid of what might come. he expects the creeping sense of dread, the involuntary tensing of his muscles as hypervigilance spins his senses into an overdrive.

but nothing happens.

it’s still dark, but this darkness keeps shifting to the patterns of the lamp. sonic’s heartbeat is strong under his palm and north’s limbs anchor him down, each of the omega’s breaths stirring the hairs on the back of his neck. being so caged in should be making him claustrophobic but instead he just feels safe, like no one can get to him as long as he stays right here, and once his brain accepts this, the true scale of his exhaustion hits him like a truck.

he sinks into the mattress and his last coherent thought is a simple 'maybe this is what i've been looking for all along.'