tunasub | OPEN POST 2025

[ little does she know, shadow knows how to be miserable without being told to. that was just a drop of weakness thinking that he could relate to rouge with this, but the difference is that her heart is stronger. she's blocked all opportunities to be hurt by things such as relationships with others. he doesn't look so deeply into it, besides, their lives are so different from what that wish to accomplish and achieve, but when they do cross paths like this then he wouldn't want anyone else by his side.

however, he response does catch him off guard.

shadow raises a brow confused by her reaction, really not too sure what he should take from it. rouge is a con artist, a manipulator of hearts, this is par for the course with someone like her to get her way. the difference is that he doesn't hear that lilt in her tone where he can tell she's attempting to take advantage.

he wants to ask if she hit her head, but now she's blaming him for not realizing something so simple.

if she wasn't so complex. if... wait, what did she say? it's not disbelief, but he's not too sure about this either. their relationship works on business, strictly that in order to keep things easily flexible between them.

rouge has joked before, but it's not something he thought she would say again in this context. ]

I shouldn't. [ those words come easy as he wants to correct whatever mistake she may be making, or already have. ] If you know what's good for you.

[ maria too believed that shadow mattered, slowly but surely shadow is starting to learn the more that people see less in him, little as possible will most likely keep them safe. that's what he thinks... it's all he can think because it's an option that hasn't hurt anyone else. ]

[ she looks over at him from the corner of her eye, not particularly placated by his response. "Sorry for calling you a gossip" was too much to expect from him, naturally, but still. Is he actually this dense, or is he just in some kind of denial that she cares about him? Rouge can only pray to whatever might be listening that he doesn't force her into giving some kind of friendship speech to convince him. One: he doesn't have the money to convince her, and two: she already got close enough to sounding like Amy back in the white space. Apparently, it didn't stick.

He had other things on his mind, she supposes. Much like he does now. Sometimes, she's nearly convinced there's not room for anything but Maria in that big spiky head of his. ]

Tough luck, sugar. I get to decide what's good for me, not you.

[ and she's decided that having him around is good. Fun, even... though not right now. ]

[ she gets to decide what's good for her? that's practically jewels and everything else, but he knows, he knows that she's always been here for him since the start. why she stayed that entire time after she's paid her debt to him that long time ago is beyond him, but maybe what she says is the truth.

because somehow he matters to her. ]

....

[ shadow scoffs, tough as usual to show he doesn't care for her words, but the action does cause some pain to circulate through his body. the taste of blood now on the flat of his tongue, but then his gaze returns to the ground to see the substance spread along the ground.

he doesn't know what to do, never has he been in a situation where he's felt so lost. he's lost so much, he doesn't know how much he's capable of losing at this point, and this room is a testament to that. she's a fool, the fact that she even stays with what stakes they have on the line from what may be hiding within this base. ]

Hmph, you don't understand what you're saying. None of you do.

[ some other people who also have horrible choices? well, it's not like he's ever liked the last few things maria has said to him either times... ]

Oh, put a sock in it. I'm a lot smarter than you think.

[ she understands that he's trouble and a huge pain in her bat butt, and she can't imagine there's much else to understand. Rouge is pretty sure they've thoroughly excavated every gnarly secret his past could possibly hide by now. None of it was intolerably awful. She's not exactly a shining paragon of heroism, herself - that's why the two of them get along.

It's clear she won't be getting to the bottom of whatever's on his mind anytime soon; she'll just have to settle for the pointed reminder that he's not alone for the time being. Things are always slow with him, anyway - knowing Shadow, he probably needs time to brood on what she said in addition to Maria. She'll just hope that there aren't any other nasty surprises waiting for them down here. (Or, if there are, that Shadow's been properly shamed into following her lead after this debacle.) Rouge sighs, glances sidelong at her burned wing for a moment - she's got burn cream, but left it at home, of course - then deigns to turn back to Shadow at last. Who, as it turns out, is still leaking on the floor.

This really doesn't seem good. Irritated though she may be, she finds herself taking a step towards him again. ]

I do keep some emergency bandages on me.

[ "and they're going on you whether you like it or not" is unspoken but implied. All that remains is for her to find out if he's going to make it difficult. ]

[ arguing with rouge tends to lead to some unsavory realizations, some like: he trusts her, that he would always be by her side if he had the option, and cases like that which makes him feel vulnerable. that doesn't mean he won't fight back, willing to reject the idea of it and let his body heal on its own. there's been many worse times than this where his own body part had been severed away, and it only took some time until a new limb grew back in its place.

he's difficult, but it's within reason, and his thoughts win out when he gets into his own head. rouge's voice helps from time to time, sometimes he's able to be mindful of his surroundings when she is speaking, but this time... could she understand that he's not past the past? as much as he should be, as many times as he's killed or thrown away certain aspects of himself to better his future... it's one thing he can't let go, he always says he can't let he go.

so why did he let her disappear. why does he always seem to fail her? there's a question that comes to the forefront of his mind, but it's easily replaced with something else. ]

Does it hurt?

[ obviously he's talking about her wing, but maybe he has something in mind for her. ]

[ she raises a brow, initially thinking he's asking her if getting bandaged will hurt. Not any worse than it already is, she thinks - but, no, he's asking about her wing. Ah, a redirect. ]

Only my pride, [ she replies flippantly. Half a lie: burns are pretty painful, but her wings aren't too sensitive, at least when it comes to injuries on the membrane. Better to be hit there than anywhere else... save for the fact that it's limited her mobility. While speaking, she pries her breastplate forward just enough to swiftly retrieve a small roll of bandages from somewhere within. Trust a spy to have plenty of secret resources on her person (and Rouge to have plenty of room around her chest.) ] I suppose I've got you to thank for that.

[ it would have been worse if she'd taken the full brunt of that fall - then she might have actually broken something. She stops short of actually thanking him, if only because she's still feeling slighted. Instead, she crouches down next to him with the bandages in hand, gesturing for him to let her see the injury. ]

[ what is he to say to that? throughout all of this, she still remains, no matter what it has always been her who stays. why does she do it? he'll never be able to understand the answer, but it's these moments that are always short-lived when he takes part in them. how long until this becomes another mistake, when she's on her side, bleeding out like the others because of the damage to her wing because of his actions. ]

Rouge.

[ her name is said like he needs her to do something. the hedgehog looks to her now, as close as she is, she should be aware that he doesn't need it. he'll regenerate with time, or maybe she doesn't like that she can see this wound so clearly.

it's because of that regeneration that the hedgehog removes one hand from the wound, the substance oozing out of him hasn't stopped, but it is held out to her. ]

[ it looks pretty grisly, regeneration be damned. That definitely would have killed him if he were a normal hedgehog. Fortunately, she's made of tough stuff, and the sight doesn't even make her flinch. She won't pretend she understands anything about how that regeneration works, but she has to figure that stopping the bleeding can't be anything but helpful.

If it weren't for him saying her name, she'd get right to it. As it is, she stops mid-motion, glancing up at him expectantly. ]

What?

[ he already seems to have given up on making her back off - but all she can figure is that he has a new complaint. ]

Drink it.

[ shadow was created to be a cure, someone who indulges in immortality, and it isn't out of the way for his blood to be used to heal. as much as he doubts extensive wounds are here or there, surface level ones such as what rouge has should be enough for him to fix.

besides, he doesn't want to hear her complain about how messed up her wing is because of his ... mistake. ]

For as much as you run your mouth; I am aware you can put those fangs of yours to use.

[ haha gott'er. ]

OPEN POST 2025

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