❝ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀꜱᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ɪ ꜱᴀᴛ ʙᴇɴᴇᴀᴛʜ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ…

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.

PSA

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—

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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?"

he could feel himself starting to clam up again. julius hadn't been finished, he'd just paused to try and figure out how to word the rest of it. if he could. it'd been hard enough to even get out those small bits and portions. & where stone might think his words were comforting, they were the exact opposite.

⸻ all that did was reaffirm to julius that he was supposed to be the one to be in that position. to be the one leading. to be the one that was meant to be sadistic. or to be the one that was meant to ⸻ what had he said? 'enslave humanity'? not unlike that time julius'd been told he was to lead his squadron despite not wanting to at all and feeling as though james had been better for the job.

if he had the energy in him, he might've gotten angered. but that odd numbness that settled into his heart and mind, sort of felt like a fog. like what little bit of hope he had for that ever happening cracked and slipped away. & julius just, let it.

"....." he isn't certain what to say, to stone telling him that he was happy that he trusted him enough. he exhales, and lets go of his hand before standing up, forcing himself to, even though he doesn't truly want to.

a big part of stone wasn't surprised with the reply julius gave, as he figured they had to be something someone wouldn't want to actually voice. the thing stone was surprised about was the man's willingness to humor him and actually give an explanation. stone knew it was likely very difficult if julius' body language were any give away.

however when the topic changes to him, or rather the stone that belonged to julius' timeline, he felt his heart start to race. how odd it was to hear those words come from his mouth, as if julius were some sort of mindreader and was voicing the thoughts stone had a long, long time ago.

it was the same explanation he would have given to ivo if he were able, but that didn't matter. not anymore, not since...

he meets julius' gaze with a soft one if his own, trying to figure out how to reply.

"I know how you feel. those thoughts that you have. they were the same words I wished I had told to ivo, before he..." he quiets, clearing his throat as he wills the tears away, "before he sacrificed himself. I'm not sure what happened to your stone, but I have a feeling we are in the same situation where we are missing our respective companions."

again silence on stone's part, but it is only a moment before he speaks again. "I am happy you trust me enough to share such a personal and vulnerable part of yourself with me."

@blckfckinmsk [!!]

· 𓂃 ࣪˖🔪 ˖ ࣪𓂂 . "Why punish someone without reason?"

it was a terribly naive and oddly sentimental statement. one that julius could scarcely comprehend - let alone agree with. he has to bite back the scoff that catches behind teeth. instead, julius flashes a practiced & eased smile.

"if only the world agreed with you, roro. we might be in a better off place." as it stood - being fired from his job, pending acceptance into G.U.N - julius felt a tad, bitter. maybe that was why he had brought up the topic to begin with. of course roman knew none of this: julius saw no point in sharing such developments with roman.

jaw threatened to flex and twist in the irritation rising from being asked. shame and pride broiled in his chest. through it all julius keeps that smile up, because that's all he's ever known. smile through the agony, the negatives - your feelings and needs and wants don't matter.

"no. everything's fine." what good would telling roman do anyway? as if roman could fix things.

@blckfckinmsk [!!]

· 𓂃 ࣪˖🔪 ˖ ࣪𓂂 . "Why punish someone without reason?"

it was a terribly naive and oddly sentimental statement. one that julius could scarcely comprehend - let alone agree with. he has to bite back the scoff that catches behind teeth. instead, julius flashes a practiced & eased smile.

"if only the world agreed with you, roro. we might be in a better off place." as it stood - being fired from his job, pending acceptance into G.U.N - julius felt a tad, bitter. maybe that was why he had brought up the topic to begin with. of course roman knew none of this: julius saw no point in sharing such developments with roman.

indie julius ivo robotnik — written by WILHELM — semi-selective , ask box open , anon is on , threads are welcome & encouraged!!

updated carrd / promo / pinterest board / 💜pinned gifs made by fritzi💜

blog roll: @speedhcg / @eggstation

affiliates: @eggspresso (+ @emeraldcoast ) / @speedhcg / @unlackeyed / @painmon / blog here / blog here

he was impatient, head lilting upwards to stare up at the very obvious security camera zooming in on julius standing there in front of the door. julius focuses, can feel colin's energy signature, and simply teleports into that office room with him, now standing directly behind colin.

hands gently clasp colin's shoulders, and julius leans forward to speak lowly beside colin's face, "why, is that relief i hear in your voice~?" his fingers squeeze so carefully, but julius doesn't move to let go of colin's shoulders. then, julius remembers and does let go, because he doesn't want to make colin feel uncomfortable or trapped,

"now don't i feel special." very suddenly, julius has teleported to across colin's office desk, standing on the opposite side of it before sitting on the edge of the front of the desk, careful not to muss any of the paperwork. his left leg crosses over his right leg, eyebrow raised. julius isn't wearing his sunglasses, so those bright crimson red irises and black sclera are on full display for colin to see.

& despite the otherworldly hues, julius gaze looks warm as he looks across at colin. he even smiles, fleetingly.

@drrobctnik

"Knew all along you weren't dead."

The protracted, nasal drawl in Snively's voice is especially evident in this moment, as he leans back in the office chair and smirks at the image of Julius Ivo Robotnik filling his tablet screen.

Relief, tacit approval, even a touch of admiration, belie his cockiness.

"Motber fucker."