Sonic! A THIN STRAND OF LIGHT - Blog Posts

Blue flower

what day was it; what time. how long had he been here. the seconds blurred into minutes, into hours, into inability to perceive time. julius had thought he'd had bad concept of how long it'd been before, that had been child's play comparatively, to this.

he never moved, not from that spot. & no guards ( he could only surmise he was being held in some sort of G.U.N facility ) ever came to check in on him. supposed it was now more of a curse that he needn't eat, nor really breathe, or drink any liquid in order to survive. could've been kept down here a millennia and it wouldn't have changed anything for julius.

no real danger of dying. just listening to his own haggard, low breaths. he'd screamed until there was nothing left in his lungs to give. now, as it was, staring blankly ahead, all he could do was try. try and grasp for any small semblance of that chaos energy in his body, in the air surrounding him, and hold on. hope that he could push into it, or pull it closer to himself, start to build it. like starting over from scratch after having mastered a technique. a fumbling baby deer unable to walk, or a flightless baby bird. kept slipping, unable to hold on for long enough. or whatever restraints those bastards put on him kept on diluting that energy to the point it wouldn't spark, could barely breathe.

eventually, though he tried to stave it off, he began to sob. it wasn't even sheer sorrow that the sobbing had been inspired by; anger, mostly. that betrayal that kept growing and growing, morphing into disbelief and then hatred and then a numbness, rinse and repeat. that feeling of being abandoned, left alone to rot. forgotten by time. he clenched his hands together so hard beneath those restraints it was a wonder he hadn't shredded his palms to bits.

he kept thinking back to stone ⸻ having only met him the once, for barely maybe 10 minutes at that, an unrequited hug before stone had left ⸻ & wishing he were here. where are you, he kept thinking, not out of blame. not out of rage or anger, not towards stone, but the circumstances. that sheer helplessness of his situation. why aren't you bursting into here and ⸻ and what? why should julius expect to be saved, or needed, quite frankly.

that only caused his sobbing to get worse, that slow realization that, he wasn't necessary. he could die here and no one would turn their head elsewise. doubted anyone even knew he was gone, or if they did, all he could think was why. why was he still here then. why couldn't⸻ just someone, anyone⸻ not not even anyone his mind kept going back to stone, that hug ⸻ unreturned, but julius had hugged sonic too, before THAT BASTARD⸻

ragged inhales, that rage returning and eclipsing the numbness. he wanted sonic dead. he wanted sonic alive, so he could demand an answer out of him. wanted sonic screaming. wanted sonic safe. wanted to just turn back time and never accept that stupid invitation. should've known something wasn't right. sonic never invited julius anywhere. he had been so blinded by disbelief and by the small joy at being included⸻

weak. stupid. useless.

more screaming, not caring if his throat was raw, pushing beyond the limits of his vocal chords. knew they'd heal, even if it took time and at a slower crawl than normal. whatever was restricting his chaos energy usage wasn't affecting his healing. the sick fucks. he'd almost respect it if he wasn't so god damned offended & insulted, ashamed.

alone.

with nothing to do but think, but stew. trying and failing to come up with plans to escape.

eventually, his eyes lulled closed, wishing he could sleep. pass out again. couldn't, body didn't need sleep. another form of torture and using his own abilities against him.

wished he were dead. wanted to live to⸻ he didn't even know. to spite them. wanted to give up. but something in him writhed at the notion: coward. weak bastard. fight. go down screaming and cursing if you must, but don't let them win. never truly.

so he waited. bided his time. it was all he could do.

he didn't think sonic would hug him back. he couldn't remember the last time he had given someone else a hug, genuinely, and felt safe in their arms. his grip on sonic increased subtly, a shivered exhale of relief and peace leaving him. his head turned in towards sonic without his conscious realization, grateful. if sonic thought so, then yes, julius would try again. perhaps next time, they could spend time together at sonic's home. maybe eventually, julius could branch out and start to actually include the other little trio- not right away, but in time. who knew-

"....it's gonna be alright, julius. okay?"

julius' gaze opened, eyebrows slightly furrowing at that. what?... did sonic think he was that overwhelmed by everything? yes he'd been overly stimulated, but being off on this quieter road was calming his nerves down.

"i promise ya, everything''ll be alright."

sonic stepped back. no, something was⸻ a crack of sheer pain caused his sight to turn white from the impact, and before julius could register what was going on, he fell unconscious.

only to startle awake, inhaling sharply and his eyes shooting open. greeted by darkness; but it wasn't a normal type of shadow, he could normally see in the dark. this? like an inky black void, unable to see through it for as hard as he tried.

his knees hurt, and julius realized why. tried to move, but couldn't. his arms, legs and even his neck were bolted in place, massive shackles holding him down, chained and reinforced into the floor. he was being forced to hunch forward, couldn't even twitch his arms. there was a half mask clamped along his jaw, stopping just at the middle of the bridge of his nose, restricting him from talking.

at most, the only thing he could move were his eyes, and he could hear his own rasped breathing under that half-mask, getting heavier and heavier the longer he sat in this reality. how-

"....it's gonna be alright, julius. okay?""

he⸻ sonic had⸻ his breathing hitched, getting more uneven as the realization slowly dawned on him, widened gaze, pupils shrinking in shock. julius tried, he focused, as best he could, but he couldn't push out his chaos energy. couldn't begin to build it, tap into it, no matter how he tried. whatever they were restricting him with, wasn't giving him any access to his chaos energy. he couldn't escape this, truly. he was trapped.

his eyes skewed shut, for a brief moment, not wanting to believe. sonic wouldn't⸻ julius had trusted him⸻ felt his body tensing, and his mouth opened and a scream left him, that sound elongated, sheer rage, disbelief, hatred, anger that burned at his lungs and caused his throat to ache but that scream wouldn't stop, getting louder and more desperate and breaking on the edges from how intense as that near roar of betrayal left him.

his expression skewed, eyebrows furrowing as julius hugged him. sonic hesitated before hugging back. he could feel julius' face turning and almost tucking closer to him, and sonic swallowed. "....it's gonna be alright, julius. okay?" his voice is quieter, and it does shake a tad. "i promise ya, everything''ll be alright."

he squeezed julius just slightly, breathed out and stepped back, before swiftly and suddenly jerking his hand forward and slamming it into the side of julius' neck and lower jaw, as hard as he could. watched as julius' eyes widened before he slumped over, knocked unconscious.

a gasped exhale, and sonic swallowed before lifting an arm into the air, motioning with a short wave. it took a second or two before those G.U.N soldiers repelled down the sides of those supposedly empty buildings from their hiding spots on the rooftop.

"excellent work, sonic." clearly the leader of this squadron, addressed sonic. sonic was staring at julius, having to look away as some of those soldiers placed larger restraints along julius' wrists. could hear them doing the same to his legs.

"...he'll get the help he needs. you'll make sure of that." he's turning to look up at the man, who flashes a standard for the public smile.

"at G.U.N, nothing is impossible. even robotnik can be reformed under our guidance." a hand juts out, and sonic shakes his hand, glancing over and watching as those double doors closed, julius now tucked detained. that vehicle begins to drive off.

"....can i see him, at least? you've got like, visitations or something, right?"

"i am afraid not. robotnik is a.... let's say a flight risk. he will be better off under our care without any outside influences."

"better off..." sonic echoed, inhaled, exhaled, nodded. right. this was, for the best. julius would be able to get the mental, and the emotional help he needed.

he felt like he were disappointing sonic. he could tell that sonic were trying for his sake. hell only knew why, but sonic was. and that meant more to julius than he could properly admit, or even begin to process and parse through. he inhaled a touch through slightly clenched teeth, a hand coming up to rub at the side of his own face. "i.... think that would be for the best. i cannot stand these crowds. and the smell isn't something i'm fond of either."

at that, sonic coughed a little laugh, grinning up at julius, "you really are picky, huh," but it sounds fond, and at that, julius scowls a tad but a blush does cross his expression.

"i can hardly stop myself. you try standing around hundreds of people with enhanced hearing and scent and try not to feel dizzied."

"hey. it's alright, julius." sonic's hand is on julius' arm again. julius pauses, and sonic continues, "these things take time, yanno? small steps are still steps. n'hey, once you're feeling better, you can always try again. maybe at a smaller get-together."

what did i do, to deserve you? julius inhales a spell, before he's suddenly dropping down onto one knee, and then tugging sonic forward before hugging him. he can feel sonic tense up slightly, not having expected it. truthfully, julius hadn't either, but ⸻ he had just felt, compelled.

"i just thought you deserved to have a fun day out." sonic replied, and maybe it was the earnestness of his tone, but julius looked momentarily startled silent at what sonic had said. not wanting julius to feel awkward, he continued, "but i can also see that this's gettin to ya bit. hey how about we sneak down one of the side roads. letcha breathe for a spell." gloved hand lays on julius' arm, & sonic smiles easily up at him.

"....very well." & julius motioned for sonic to lead, since sonic knew the streets of station square forward and backwards by this point. and so sonic did, led them away from all that hustle and bustle, toward one of the roads that had less car & foot traffic because the road had been blocked off due to the festivities.

"thanks, for trying julius. i really mean that." sonic's glancing over at julius, "you don't gotta stay for the whole hour. we did say five minutes, originally."

grateful it were just he and sonic again. truthfully, he had only really come to this event because it was sonic that had asked him to. he never would've set foot at one of these shindigs, otherwise.

at sonic's laugh, julius scoffs a breath, "for someone panicked, you certainly kept your cool." naturally, julius thought, and based on sonic's little smirk he seemed to agree.

"yea, well, y'made it pretty easy. nice italian by the way."

"mmn," he hummed, not sure how to respond to that genuine compliment. his scalp itched but he couldn't do anything about that due to this damned wig. "why were you so insistent on dragging me here." he can't help the bluntness to his tone, all of that stimuli from the sounds, smells, let alone the massive crowd, was beginning to irk him more and more as the seconds passed.

amy's eyes were practically sparkling as she listened to ian & sonic's exchange, her attentions rapt on sonic in particular, "wow sonic, you sounded so good!" at that, sonic grinned over at her and flashed a thumbs up, "oh gosh, let's see if i remember any words..." turning to face ian, she smiled up at him and spoke, her cadence slowing down and sounding a tad broken up. "il tuo cappello è bello."

"Oh, grazie."

"that in mind, i'm gonna take ian to grab some grub." sonic didn't want make julius feel more pressured, and that meant getting him away from the trio. especially tails, if anyone of them might start pulling the ruse apart it'd be his little buddy. planning to meet up later, sonic 'ian' and the others all went their separate ways.

it wasn't until they were fully out of earshot and eyesight that sonic started speaking to julius normally again, "whew, i panicked there for a second!" he lets out a softer laugh, "i was torn between italian or russian, but i thought that italian would be the safer bet!"

ian, really⸻? julius had to fight not make a face of disgust, kept his expression neutral, before smiling and giving a slight nod toward them all. he hated this already. how did any of them find this fun? the crowds were far too loud for julius' ears, that scent of oily greasy foods overwhelmed him.

"sonic do you mind asking him what brings him to station square?" amy's staring up at him, and julius can't tell if she's caught wise already or she's genuinely curious. he keeps that smile plastered on.

"ah, right! sure thing," sonic's turning towards him then, paused to consider before he spoke, "Ok, allora fai finta che ti stia chiedendo perché sei qui."

julius glanced at sonic, impressed. that was near perfect italian. "È un'assurdità, ve ne rendete conto?"

sonic's smiling, but his next words sound a tad sharper, "Dai, non è poi così male."

sonic's looking back toward the trio, smiling, "he says he's here to take in the sights, and try out some new food."

"heeeey, sonic!!" amy's voice sing-songed the second that she saw sonic's quills and saw him shuffling past a group of people walk-dancing across the street to some of the more jivy music playing over the loudspeakers strewn along the sidewalks. she paused then, noticing that sonic was leading someone closer to them. she blinked, hand lowering a touch as her fingers curled, "tails, did sonic mention anything about bringing someone?"

"it's news to me too, just indulge him amy. sonic likes to bring new people for us to meet."

"that's a big hat," knuckles sounded amused by it, not really caring either way who sonic did or didn't bring. wasn't any of his business anyway.

"hey guys, sorry it took a bit t'get here! had to go get my friend." sonic's letting go of his hand, and motions towards him, "this's ian, he's not from around here and can't speak english too much. so sorry if he's quiet."

'ian' gave a short, very brief smile, nodding toward the trio.

🕯️

send me 🕯️to hear my character's inner thoughts about your character.

how could you. i trusted you. i hate you. i love you. you're nothing. you're everything. i'll kill you. get away from me.

the outfit that 'ian' is wearing during this thread, in case anyone was curious!!

julius stood there, in that ginger wig, a medium aqua-teal short sleeved shirt with tropical patterns, tan loose straight-legged pants, and a beach hat with a ridiculously massive brim. he had on green coloured contact lenses, with full whites in order to hide that black sclera julius naturally had. he felt completely and utterly moronic, and the sounds of all those hundreds of people and distant music and laughter growing closer as he and sonic walked towards the street for the event was causing a discomfort to broil and simmer deep within his chest.

"okay, so, remember: you're a tourist from another continent and can't speak english too well, which is why you'll be quiet," sonic's glancing up at him, and seems to still a second, "hey," julius feels a soft gloved hand grip at his own. his shoulders twitch and he glances over, shadow of that massive brimmed hat eclipsing and shielding sonic from the sun as julius does so. sonic smiles up at him, squeezes at julius' hand, "you'll do great, julius. it's gonna be alright."

how do you know that? how can you say that so assuredly?

"....let's get this over with." he couldn't stand having sonic's hand in his and so julius let go of it before briskly walking on ahead.

"julius, y'gotta sit still!"

"i am TRYING to," he winced at the way sonic's grabbed at his hair, moving and slapping the hedgehog upside the head, "YOU are the one who is yanking on my scalp hard enough to bald me." sonic's swift to boot julius in the side from where he's stood up on a nearby chair. sonic's helping pull the longer strands of julius' hair back away from his face to clip them down, in order for a ginger wig to settle on his skull,

"i've almost got it, stop whinin', y'big baby."

each time julius thought he had found his footing, his bearings, sonic would go and pull the rug out from beneath him with such ease. he stared, stunned again in such a short span, at being asked if his eyes hurt him. unable to look at him much longer, julius' gaze lists over to the pond. his eyes narrow.

".....i, suppose, in a manner," the recoiled looks, shouts of disgust and fear, his own inability to look into a mirror for terribly long. "yes. yes, they do hurt. that is why i hide them. that is also why i know for a fact that this festival idea of yours is foolish at best. a dream at most." he can feel sonic staring, and finally does look back over at him. there's no anger, there isn't even disappointment.

sonic is still looking at him with that determination in his eyes. like he just believes.

what is that like, julius wonders.

to believe.

"....." he exhales, "an hour. that's the most i'll spend at this," sonic's all grins now, and julius points at him, "but if i see anything that so much as makes me feel i need to run or raise a fist, i am leaving. and if you stop me i will throw you through the nearest building."

right then. at that, sonic smiles. "full eye contact lenses. people use them for cosplaying all the time." he sees an eyebrow of julius' lift in silent confusion.

"do i even want to know what cosplay stands for."

"costume play."

"ah, of course, how silly of me."

"....does it hurt?" sonic wonders. julius blinks.

"does what hurt, i don't know what 'it' refers to."

"your eyes. do they hurt you, is that why you hide them?"

his gaze flicks down to sonic's hand that brushed his arm, gaze narrowed behind the sunglasses. fun. he doubts that. a good time, julius doubts even more. eyes shift back to sonic's expression, and julius pauses. he takes those sunglasses off, not looking away from sonic's expression. he expects a recoil, or a scream of surprise. there's nothing like that, sonic's just, looking at him. "and what do you plan to do about these, hm."

"it'll be fun." sonic reaches out, and lays a hand on julius' arm. "i promise. you'll have a good time." he can't see julius' eyes, but he figures that julius' looking at him. there's hesitation there, but then julius reaches up and removes those sunglasses. sonic stills, staring at red irises and a darker black than the night sky overhead. oh. well, all right then.

he can feel a headache threatening him, more out of annoyance than any actual sheer anger. julius inhales, running a hand through his hair as if that'll help. what an insistent little- "neither of those colours would suit me." he sees sonic frown, and quickly amends, "but. if i must choose.... ginger. i suppose." sonic smiles then, and julius huffs, "....you'll not stop until i relent, will you."

"yeah, i know you know what wigs are," sonic returns, smirking at the scowl that julius gives him, "i'm thinking blonde. or maybe a ginger." his hand lifts up, 'framing' julius' face through some of his fingers as though imagining it. "we can grab one'a those massive floppy rimmed hats, for the sun."

of course he was right, what kind of idea was that? totally out of left field, completely lacking in any thought, entirely out of the realm of possibility-

"unless," no. no no no no- he knew that look on sonic's expression, knew that grin most of all. lips could barely part to begin to say 'sonic' before the shorter's off and running his mouth, and at what he registers julius just stares in mute disbelief before a sharp laugh bursts out of him at how stupid,

"a wig?" are you serious.

julius' refuting sonic's flimsy reasoning immediately, and sonic gives a short, brief smile. like he's, sad, that he knows it's the truth too. doesn't want it to be, not really. "....yea, guess y'got a point there," he's looking back to the pond now, leaned back on his hands, sort of lounging. hears the rock splash hard along the water's surface before plummeting.... "....unless," there's a spark to his gaze, and sonic glances over at julius with a cheeky grin,

"we can putcha in a wig, n'get you all fancied up. different coat, pants, make you look real tourist-y. no one'd ever know," he snaps his fingers, points at julius as though it were the best idea in the world.

of all the things sonic could have said, julius didn't expect to be invited. his eyes widened, lips parting briefly as though too stunned to process it. which he was. catches himself, and steels his expression, a frown etched into features. sonic's telling him no one would recognize him, there'll be so many there. five minutes.

"you know as well as i do that i would be 'recognized'. immediately." his height, his appearance, not to mention his eyes. "i've never eaten and would never eat a candied apple. i'm also not fond of inhaling food grease." he feels strange still kneeling, and hesitates a fraction before just sitting down in the grass. a sigh leaves him, and julius throws that rock, too hard, awkward angle. it sinks immediately.

sonic glanced over at julius then, not breaking his gaze, "and you should come to the festival." he sees the flit of, stunned shock and confusion that crosses julius' expression, although he tries to hide it. sonic keeps on, "there'll be hundreds of people in the streets you know, no one'd notice you. 5 minutes, you can pop in, get a candied apple or something, smell the gross greasy food air, pop out."

sonic's doesn't go quite nearly as far as his had, which causes him to puff with silent glee. julius is in the midst of finding an even flatter rock, wanting to skip it the absolute farthest so sonic can't hope to catch up, when sonic mentions station square and a festival, of all things.

he stills, staring down at the grass. knelt on a knee, he glances over at sonic, gaze squinting at him behind those sunglasses. holding that rock, but he doesn't move to try and throw it. thumb roams along that flat top of the rock tucked between his fingers. "....and." his voice is rather flat, weary.

he waits, knowing. julius was always a curious, competitive kinda guy. it doesn't take long before he's in the grass, and sonic watches him with a small smile, before julius is tossing that rock. it does go pretty far, and at that, sonic whistles, impressed,

"hey, not bad." a thumbs up. his hand grabs another errant rock, and tosses it, watches it go about five before sinking. finally, his mind settles on something. knows it's a long shot, but sonic wants to try,

"you know. station square's got some kind of festival coming up. think they're setting up stalls on a cleared out street."

curious, julius glanced over when he noted movement, and saw sonic rummaging around the grass. what was he doing? then, sonic's picking up a - rock? julius' eyebrow raised. tossing, it skips before going into the water. sonic mentions it not being 'flat' enough. if that's the case.....

he bends down, gloved hand feeling through the grass, until he feels a sizeable rock, flatter than sonic's. smirking, julius lifted it and closed an eye, staring at the pond as if that'd help him aim better.

he tossed that rock, and it skipped about several times before finally submerging. a smile crossed julius' expression at the realization. hmph. how stupid.

at that, sonic gave a soft, understanding smile. he shrugged a little bit, "no problem," then thought about what to talk about. not like he and julius ran with the same circles, or really talked outside of fighting or battle quips. his gaze lowers to the grass, fingers roamed until he felt a small pebble. lifting it up, sonic tossed that rock and watched it skip across the pond about twice before sinking, "drat, not flat enough."

ah. hm. julius simply stood there, night breeze causing the end tails of his coat to sway in that light wind. his gaze dipped down to sonic, who was sitting there, studying him. before julius looked back toward the pond as sonic wondered if they'd be fighting today or not. tonight, julius wanted to correct, since it was after sundown, but,

"no. if it's all the same to you, i want to just talk."

[julius]

"of course i do. you're implying i'd forget?"

a clear laugh rising out of sonic; but it isn't mocking, or mean-spirited. good natured, like an old friend just told him something that made him unable to stop. sonic smiles laxly, "nope. was just wonderin'." he was sat in front of a small pond, glancing over at julius. "so. we gonna fight today, or?" never knew which one it'd be.

❛ do you remember when we first met? ❜

the question catches him off guard ⸻ trust it to sonic to be able to accomplish such a thing. his expression softens. "....of course i do. you're implying i'd forget?" he sounds almost offended. they had met countless times since, always fighting, nagging, 'catching up' as sonic liked to put it. julius never understood why they sought one another, but they did. for better or for worse ( no doubt the latter ).