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Eggspresso - Blog Posts
hey guys uhh…dumb yaoi animatic because I have too much time on my hands
Stobotnik animatic to Francis forever by mitski because every time I hear this song I think of them
fyi i do not “crush” i experience violent, all-consuming devotion and yearning that leaves me physically ill
Commission finished for my mutuals and their wonderful AU.
there's a little gasp, he sounds and looks genuinely touched by the gesture. "oh you shouldn't have!" he's lifting the heart out of that box, not caring about the blood staining his gloves, "this brings back memories~," & just like last time, julius makes direct eye contact with imad and chomps into that heart, tearing into it and then chewing a tad before swallowing,
"even better than it was last time."
💌 watch it be a heart, again ;P
send 💌 for a valentine’s day gift from my muse to yours!
indeed it is, only this time the heart is in a decorative box with black wrapping paper and a red bow to complete it. he remembered very well how julius reacted last time to this sort of gift, and was a bit curious to see if that reaction would be the same or differ.
"for you, my sweet."
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.
⸻ ft. imad stone x julius robotnik ⸻
( "i can't lose you." )
crafted by fritzi & wilhelm.
🕯️
send me 🕯️to hear my character's inner thoughts about your character.
imad. a pillar. he's... swiftly become everything that fuels me, and everything that terrifies me. what a horror: to have someone to lose. not again. never. again. i will protect him with every atom in my being. damn the consequences, damn the masses. i need HIM.
....i can only hope that i'm worthy.
⸻ ft. imad stone x julius robotnik ⸻
( "i can't lose you." )
crafted by iggy & marker.
he hadn't heard the name julius uttered in, so long. nowadays it was Robotnik, or Doctor, or Monster, Villain ⸻ but julius? he hadn't thought he'd ever enjoy hearing his name again. nor how much he'd missed being called that, in that absence. maybe he hadn't let himself think on that for too long to really register the depth.
at being told he had a nice name, a blush crossed his expression, and that sincere, awkward smile was back. & as imad said that julius was the first, oh. oh his heart.
he wanted that. more; more, selfishly, greedily, wanted to be the first for imad. a need coiled in his body and he did his best to stifle that, not wanting to get too overwhelmed. might make his chaos energy go out of control again.
a little chuckle leaves him, the noise soft and an airy sort of breath to the sound. "i'm glad." is this what that feeling was? he wouldn't know, hadn't had anything to feel glad about in quite some time. if he had ever. couldn't put a name to most emotions, at points ⸻ but he'd said that without thinking. so it was probably true. maybe that had come from his heart.
"i," a slight hesitation here, but julius pushes through that, "is there anything you might want to do? now that you're here."
julius... what an interesting name.
he doesn't mind that the handshake went on for longer than was considered polite, figuring julius just might not be used to doing such things and perhaps didn't know the unspoken rules of it. then again maybe he just liked having physical contact, given julius' stone was no longer in the picture.
despite it though stone keeps his smile, feeling a bit happy that the man was willing to open up a bit more, even if it was brief.
"it is nice to properly meet you as well, julius. you have a rather nice name yourself. I do not think I've ever met someone named that before, so you'll be the first."
⸻ ft. imad stone x julius robotnik ⸻
( "i can't lose you." )
crafted by fritzi & wilhelm.
i'd like to know you ⸻ hearing those words felt, bizarre. as precious and as warm as sunlight, they felt & yet that ever present and nagging fear, numbness threatened julius at the mere notion. the mere fraction of a thought: until you won't. until julius said or did something that was too much, too confusing, too outlandish or too contradictory, or too selfish or too sensitive or too⸻ he was scared, at the thought of losing this. losing him.
& just how much of himself was he willing to give, could he give? could he give parts that stone would help him to understand? julius had always wondered that, how he was supposed to just KNOW things innately when no one ever bothered to teach him, to explain, to show him. to let him feel, not that he felt very often or for very long.
at the reassuring smile, julius gives a small, awkward, brief one in return. like he isn't used to smiling very often, never sincerely. at what is said next, julius blinks, his turn to be caught off guard. oh. right. he supposed they never introduced themselves, did they?
"julius," he steps forward, reaching a hand out and shaking imad's, "it's nice to meet you, imad. er, properly." julius' touch lingers, not wanting to let go of imad's hand. he's probably shaking it for too long. how long did one normally shake another's hand?? julius glanced down, cleared his throat, finally stopped shaking imad's hand after probably 30 seconds, rubbed at the side of his neck again.
considered, but then stepped back, wanting to give imad space. "....your name suits you, i like it."
the little apology caught him off guard, and he chooses to nod as he shifts his weight from one foot to the other, seeing yet another change in the man's demeanor. stone figured julius was likely pushing himself way out of his comfort zone, and he really did wonder just why that was. the man had shown he was very capable of deflecting, of being indifferent to what stone said and even expressed, so why the change of heart?
"I'd like to know you, as much as you feel comfortable telling me. In turn I will tell you about myself, that way it is an even exchange."
he offers him a reassuring smile, his previous look of annoyance fading away as he takes on a more friendly stance. "We could start with our first names, yeah? I am Imad, what is yours? I'd at least like to properly address the person I am speaking with."
the silence was strangling. felt like it had a vice grip on his throat, threatening to close up his windpipe. great job being quiet, julius, you stupid piece of shit⸻ say something. SAY SOMETHING, FUCKING TALK⸻
"......i'm," his fingers shift, and he moves to rub a hand along the side of his own neck, not looking at stone as he says this, "i'm sorry you never got to tell ivo," that felt strange to say, "the things you wanted to." he felt jealousy nip in his chest and knew that was irrational and stupid. he barely knew stone after all. & clearly they were both lonely from, everything either of them had gone through. but julius wanted to throw caution to the wind and let himself feel jealous, want stone, want, want⸻ he always wanted but never knew how or if he should sate that wanting. if he had the right to.
what had stone called it? marinating? just marinating, coasting through life, he supposed. doing what he felt he had to. a death without dying.
he exhaled, not sure he had it in him to explain more. there was so much more he felt he wanted to say, it was conflicting. he was scared that if he didn't now, the opportunity might never present itself again. he wondered if that itself was irrational, or maybe stupid, or naive. too emotional, too sensitive. he also couldn't stand the silence. wanted to speak with stone, but didn't know how. was he afraid of judgment? rejection? stone recoiling?
was he scared more, maybe, of stone stepping forward to meet him, and accepting it? what would that mean? to be seen, accepted, wanted not in spite of his ugliness or his horrors or his darkness but because of it.
"...i want," he swallowed, inhaled shortly, exhaled, and finally looked at stone again, "i want to tell you. i do. i just... i don't know how. no one's, ever bothered to ask, before. to want to know," he isn't sure how to express that, so he, he just lays a palm against his own chest. as if to silently say 'to know me', all of him.
stone knew by the silence that seemingly yet again he'd said the wrong thing, and a small part of him was starting to grow irritated at that fact. he tries to do his best to listen and be reassuring but it's perceived as anything but, and he practically has to stop himself from letting out a frustrated sigh at the entire scenario.
he knew very well when to pick and choose his battles, and right now his annoyance was not needed nor welcomed.
so instead of speaking and potentially further souring things between them he just stands there, arms resting loosely over his chest as he watches julius stand up. there really wasn't much in the way of anything that he could say to the man, it seemed.
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."
at the question, a laugh bubbles out of him, the sound equal parts disbelief that stone is genuinely asking, and maybe some shock that someone wants to hear. mostly, a sort of bitterness, at everything and everyone else⸻
"....h," voice catches, stuttered breaths, gasped exhale. feeling that squeezing on his shoulder, julius grips at stone's hand so tightly. & yet it's conscious enough at least to ensure he isn't hurting stone while doing so. if julius weren't careful he was more than capable of shattering stone's hand without much thought. "horrible thoughts, or at least i've been told they're horrible. directly, indirectly."
his fingers twitch but still upon feeling stone's skin on the top of his hand. his gaze is darting along the ground as he tries to piece together what it is he wants to say, how to say it. whether or not it'll make sense. whether or not he means it. whether he should. can he?
finally, julius glances upward, meeting stone's face. he pauses, gaze locked with stone's. though that self-conscious, anxiety spiked pit of himself wanted to look away, afraid, he didn't. wouldn't. h-he had to, face this, even if it meant being vulnerable. only with stone,
"i wanted, to give you everything. i thought you deserved a throne. if you'd wanted to kill everyone, then i'd help you with that. not because i get any real joy out of it ⸻ well, maybe a little ⸻ but it'd mostly be by proxy of you. knowing that's what you wanted. ....so long as you're, fulfilled, then i'd be content just to be there."
he trails off, gaze dropping again.
there's more, of course there is. that barely scratches the surface, and julius isn't even certain that he's explained that properly. he's never trusted his own words. he could barely make sense of his own emotions mentally, how was he supposed to vocalize his wants and desires in a way that anyone else would understand, or listen to, let alone ever accept or view as 'healthy' or 'good'?
whatever brief smile stone had on his face was wiped away instantly when he heard what julius said, which caused stone's blood to run cold. 'I can't lose you', words that paralleled the ones he had said to ivo in desperate attempt to get him to stop what he and his grandfather had planned. he clears his throat at that as he buries the memory, planning to revisit it at another point in time.
at least he seemed to have an idea on what happened to this robotnik's stone...
he listens to him, his grip on julius' shoulder never faltering. if anything, he gives it a gentle squeeze, a silent affirmation that stone would not judge him for anything he was saying or would say.
"what thoughts do you have?" he asks, voice soft as he waits for julius to answer.
hello ! trying this smaller promo thing out so ! if you are interested in writing with an agent stone from the sonic franchise, would you mind giving this a like and/or reblog ? 21+ to follow and many verses available ! tysm ❤️
CARRD
( followbacks come from @/robotn1k as this is a sideblog ) !
he was healing, of course, quicker than it'd scar. it'd need extended prolonged contact to do any actual lasting damage. julius is trying and failing to breathe properly, but stone's voice causes him to lift his head, hands still lifted up close to his face but no longer clasping or hiding. "talk to me, please."
how? HOW? he didn't know HOW to⸻ what to say⸻ how to explain⸻ if he should⸻ what if he fucked it all up⸻ what if⸻
"i'm here to listen to you and help." a hand on his shoulder. gaze flicks down to stone's hand. stares. julius focuses. exhales unevenly, focusing on his left hand, that feeling of warmth leaving his palm. his fingers twitch, but he moves to lay his palm overtop of stone's on top of his shoulder, eyes closing. inhales, exhales.
"....i can't lose you," the words are weighted: an ache and a sorrow and yet a guilt and regret and self-anger causing them to sound like even the very air from julius' lungs are burning, "i⸻ i can't, control.... s-sometimes, the energy," he falters, shamed, gaze now on the ground between himself and stone. unable to look at stone. not trusting himself to be able to handle whatever expression stone was making or whatever look stone was lobbing his way.
"it goes, haywire, a-and then my mind," fingers twitch slightly against stone's hand, pressing into his hand a tad more. as though needing to grip tightly to stone and never let go, "i start, having these⸻ thoughts."
stone doesn't flinch when julius suddenly grabs his wrist, though he does briefly knit his eyebrows together as he tries to figure out just why the man had done that. perhaps to ground himself? that was likely it, until...
he felt like his wrist was on fire, and just as quick as he had looked down julius had rescinded his grip and quickly backed away. what was more odd was the fact stone could have sworn he smelt burning flesh, the scent unmistakable to the former agent.
julius was... burning? mumbling to himself as well. stone doesn't move towards him however, simply choosing to remain where he was and just observe the other for a minute or so before finally speaking.
"hey... what's happening? talk to me, please. I'm here to listen to you and help," he says softly as he kneels down in front of him, reaching out a hand to rest on the man's shoulder in an act of comfort.
his left hand jerked forward, gripping at stone's wrist. his fingers twitched, thumb roaming and pressing into his wrist, to feel his pulse. julius' fingers, his whole hand, was quivering, shaking subtly. was he checking for stone's pulse, to make sure that he was really there?
or was it just to hold onto him?
he hears the breathing, and does his best to match that rhythm. but then, that feeling, that sensation getting worse in his chest. the breathing helped, for a spell, but- stone would feel julius' palm heating up, warming, as though an element on a stove just beginning to heat and give off a light waft of temperature-
hurriedly, julius let go of stone's wrist, and stepped back from him. the breaths were quicker now, shallow, "n-no, no," it's murmured, to himself? his palms move, cupping and pressing and covering his own face. "enough. stop." that burning would get worse- stone would no doubt smell it; flesh, starting to sear, but julius wasn't moving his hands away from his own face.
he'd ducked down now, squatting, hunched forward slightly. low, barely there mumbles, something along the lines of 'please no more. not now.' / 'you want to' / 'no' / 'liar.'
stone offers him a smile, very happy that julius was actually listening to him for once. he only wished it was under better circumstances. seeing the man start to do the little exercise saw stone joining in with him, hoping it would help him further in the little goal of calming julius down.
"you're doing so well. just continue until you start to feel better," stone says softly, continuing to do the breathing exercise with him.
"julius, look at me." / "can you try taking some deep breaths for me?"
his gaze flicked up, dulled irises and lidded eyes staring across at stone-not-stone. no. that was just him being rude. stone was stone.
("you're not my....") that bitter, lost, confused little smile. his expression skewed very briefly. looking as though he wanted to cry, but there were no tears. he couldn't. hadn't physically been able to cry in years due to that chaos energy in his system.
his lips parted, and julius inhaled slowly, unevenly, then exhaled unsteadily. his gaze closed, lips trembling. hands clenched at his sides, but he inhaled unevenly, slowly, deeply, then exhaled another shaking breath.
he watches as julius literally slams his hand against the side of his head, and the sound actually made stone wince at just how hard it was. surely that had to have hurt, but perhaps that was the point? despite his apology however he had been written off yet again, and the man dared to take a few steps forward until he was only a few inches away from him though he still refrains from touching him.
julius could always just shove him if he wanted, or dismiss him yet again so why not try to help, even if it was just a little?
"can you try taking some deep breaths for me? it may help you to alleviate what you are currently experiencing, and help you ground yourself."
why are you so damned sensitive⸻
⸻you just marinate⸻
damned sensitive⸻
⸻marinate
⸻
⸻
.....
"we are merely getting to know one another" distant, though through a haze, or muffled from underneath water. he blinks, but doesn't move. simply stands there, gaze looking a tad duller than it even did in his waking day to day. which was saying something, how detached he felt normally. "i.... i M SOROY- unkwo- somet-" he blinked, a hand moving to slam against the side of his own head, as if wanting to jostle himself out of whatever stupor or state he were in⸻ all it served to do was making that pounding in his head worse, but his hearing did come back to him somewhat.
lips. what had stone's lips said. he blinked, focusing on the movement he had just seen a few seconds ago. 'i am sorry' 'didn't mean to upset you'.
julius scoffs. gaze lowering away from stone. he shrugs briefly. "hardly something to get upset over." he could feel it, that churning sensation; like a rolling fire, stoking and trying to vault higher but he was pushing that down. no no no stop stop⸻
stone instinctively took a step back when he saw how quickly the man's demeanor had changed, though he knew ultimately if julius chose to attack him there wasn't really much that he could do. in a way he had been unknowingly provoking the man, it seemed, not that he had any real way of knowing.
whatever feeling of annoyance and boredom stone had previously felt was quickly replaced with dread, like his instincts were telling him to try and run and yet... he didn't. he just stood there, staring aimlessly at the man.
something was wrong, and stone was almost sure the man was currently experiencing some form of PTSD. he'd seen it firsthand during his time with G.U.N, and for a moment stone's expression softens before he hears the words the man uttered next, whatever sympathetic words of his own getting lost entirely.
"we are merely getting to know one another," stone replies as he refrains from moving further away from him, a bit of him on guard regardless if the man chose to suddenly snap. "I... I am sorry, if I unknowingly triggered something with what I was saying. I did not mean to upset you..."
"you're the one taking offense and acting all defensive over a simple topic."
("why are you so damned sensitive.")
he stilled, hand twitching and stopping in his hair. his arm slacked, falling away from his own skull.
"⸻you just marinate, it's no wonder you feel how you do."
an explosion rattled and echoed in his own mind; sight of bodies, pieces of limbs, once organs, bits of hair and skull, lay strewn before him. he remembered shaking ⸻ unable to process what his eyes were seeing, his squadron, dead⸻
blood rained down on his face, scientists strewn along once white now red stained marble flooring⸻ his mother's distant, muffled screams, blood coating his own hands, arms. such a small child to be covered in so much blood⸻
years, days, months as a child and a teenager of begging, pleading, ASKING what he had done wrong to his parents and never being told why⸻ being treated like he were this horrible monster, this terrible blight of existence despite NOT REMEMBERING⸻
AND IT WAS HIS OWN FAULT? MARINATING?
"julius," stone's voice, his stone, cupping his face, "look at me. it's going to be okay."
any anger julius might've been feeling dissipated. he couldn't. not to him. never. and yet part of him could, would. julius smiled, but the expression looked bitter, a mix between genuinely hurt and confused, a touch lost,
".....clearly, you've waste your time."
the glare does nothing to him, and if anything it just makes the former agent shrug in response as he crosses his arms over his chest. "I merely asked. you are the one taking offense and acting all defensive over a simple topic."
really could the man not realize that? surely he had to know how odd that reaction was.
"because, from what it seems, you don't do hardly anything aside from challenging sonic when you get the chance. you just marinate, for lack of a better word. it is no wonder you feel how you do." the more he spoke with the man the more he regretted showing up, as whatever hope he had of aligning himself with another supposed like-minded individual kept slipping further and further away with every passing minute.
though that was mainly on stone for assuming, of course.
at what stone says about sonic, julius' pupils shrink and he glares across at him, "shut up," the response is instant, the words are sharp and slightly raised as they leave julius. is he ⸻ defending sonic while sonic's not present? "what i choose to do in my own time is hardly any of your concern."
a scoff leaves julius when stone mentions that they all had their own things to keep them occupied. feeling insulted, julius shrugs, and moves to ruffle at his own hair. irritated. he felt irate because he knew he wasn't explaining himself properly even though he was actually trying for once, "it isn't just sonic," or is he deflecting? denying that?, "it's that he can match me. you've no idea how ⸻ how dull it is. i have all of this strength, this energy cascading around inside of me, and nothing to do with it 90% of the time."
"fighting sonic. of course, what an obvious answer. you sound as if you actually enjoy fighting that little blue menace." stone couldn't personally see the appeal, but then again he was nothing like julius. stone was nothing more than a mere man, and julius was... well, whatever he was. the answer the man gave felt almost unsatisfying in a way, but stone didn't really bother to care in expressing that feeling currently.
"I suppose we all have our own little things that keep us occupied. yours is fighting sonic, for instance."
it'd be fun, the thought floats through julius' mind when stone wonders what the point in slaughtering those that'd be working for him, and because it's chaotic. his expression twitches, a fraction, but julius stifled that. breathed through it, refocusing, through the slight tinny ringing of his ears as stone wonders what would be a challenge to julius, then.
"...." he shrugs, not sure how to answer that initially. no one had ever asked him that, before. not earnestly. it takes him barely a fraction of a second to think of a response, "fighting sonic." though even as he says this, there's an odd, fondness to julius' voice ⸻ as though sonic weren't an enemy of his, but an old friend? perhaps a rival?, "sonic's one of the few creatures that can match my power," maybe even exceed it, if the little hedgehog bothered to try, "so fighting him is thrilling. it's exciting because it's new and i don't know what to expect, i can't predict him."
"you deflect my questions and it only serves to further my curiosity towards all of this," stone says as he rests his hands behind his back, nodding along to what the man was saying.
however when it came down to him mentioning 'needlessly slaughtering' stone's expression changed. now becoming one of confusion.
"what? no, why would I do that? what sense would there be in slaughtering the people I'd want to work for me? I don't want them dead at all." well... not all of them, of course. "what would be a challenge to you, then?"
it felt as though something within him writhed at stone questioning on why julius hadn't enslaved humanity yet. why hadn't he⸻ & then stone goes on to say if he had even a fraction of julius' powers, he would've taken advantage of the opportunity. his expression shifts, something akin to a brief headache, like a dull throbbing, pounding along his skull. that chaos energy in him, writhing, he inhaled, hesitated.
"i feel nothing for most. but humanity as a whole's done nothing to me. i've only struck out against the few that've moved to hurt me." & then there was the collateral damage, and all that blood overwhelming him, and how he'd⸻ his irises flicker, eyes glowing briefly but then stopping, as though a dimming and reigniting lightbulb, "it's rare i give into those sadistic urges."
"i just see no point in it. it's too easy, there's no challenge." at what stone asks about what julius found interesting, he shrugged, ignoring that and continuing to elaborate, "perhaps if you had the same powers, you might show me what is so 'fun' about needlessly slaughtering."
stone frowns, having to resist the urge to give him the biggest eyeroll that had ever existed in response. "then why haven't you? if you can do it at any time, and on your own, why haven't you? if I had even a fraction of your power I would take full advantage of it." his doctor would, too. "what do you then consider 'interesting' and 'not boring'?"
that eyebrow arches upward yet again, and julius silently mouths the words 'world domination', and at the thought of 'enslaving humanity' his nose scrunches up. he frowns. to serve julius' will? tch. "that sounds boring. i can do all of that easily, and without your help." julius had enough power from that chaos energy inside of himself to level a continent if he so chose. it'd probably take him less than a day, if he really focused at it.
ah, so that had obviously been the right thing to say. he had the man's attention, even if it were only further dependent on how he replied and the little ideas given. due to that stone wastes no time, instantly thinking of all the things he and the doctor had dreamed of doing together... before that damn hedgehog.
"world domination, for one. enslaving humanity to serve your will for another," stone starts as his eyes light up, as if the topic he was currently speaking on was something utterly fascinating to the man, "toppling governments, too. any number of things, really. nothing is too small or out of reach, or so I'd like to think."
his gaze narrows, slightly, before it lids at what stone mentions about being fascinated by their last encounter. & then mentioning doing horrible things together, if julius would give him a chance. his tongue moves behind closed lips, gliding the tip of his tongue along his upper teeth in some thought. his boot shifts against the ground again, exhaling through his nostrils.
"⸻what did you have in mind?" what stone had mentioned was terribly vague, but julius was, briefly intrigued by the notion. however fleetingly. it really depended on what stone himself defined as 'horrible'.
stone wasn't too surprised when the quill was snatched from his fingers, and it reminded him a little of when he had found one of sonic's quills to which the doctor had promptly taken and immediately examined. out of all the other robotniks he had met this one was the most like his doctor, though he knew better than to bring him up currently. this encounter was actually going pretty well, all things considered.
when the quill is tossed back he quickly catches it, tucking it away back into his breast pocket before clearing his throat. "believe me, I would have, but the chaos emeralds are guarded by sonic and his little friends. I'd have no luck obtaining them, and as it stands the only means of chaos energy I currently possess is that which is stored in the quill."
he tilts his head then as he sees the little pose the man had hit, and he had to stifle a laugh at how utterly silly it looked. he pauses a moment then continues, planning on answering his next question.
"like I said... I came here for you. I was fascinated by our last encounter, and feel we could do something wonderfully horrible together... if you'll give me a chance."
at the genuine thanks, julius pauses. he shrugs, a tad, not sure how to respond to those words, so he doesn't. not initially, "i wasn't about to let you die," he trails though once stone starts to speak of chaos energy. julius glances over then, finally, gaze narrowing at how stone mentions a quill from a hedgehog. sonic? shadow? their quills - yes, he supposed that made sense. the chaos energy had to gather somewhere when output, and where normally it would discharge off julius' body and his skin naturally, it made sense that the same chaos energy would get 'caught' in the hedgehogs' quills.
stone produces the quill, and julius walks over before snatching it out of stone's fingers before the other can think to blink. he hums, lifting that quill above his head as though to study it under the light from the rays of the sun. it's a beautiful day, white fluffy clouds rolling peacefully along that bright blue sky.
he can see flickers of that chaos energy arcing along the quill, but to julius, these are like dying embers. he scoffs, "these quills hold barely a fraction of actual power in them. you'd be better off using the chaos emeralds. or gathering your own source of chaos energy," disinterested, he tosses the quill back towards stone, "⸻why are you here." as though julius didn't believe what stone had answered previously.
he shifts, hip jutting out slightly, arms crossing over his chest, an eyebrow raised. now that stone can see his eyes, julius gaze looks, darkened almost. not distant, but, almost, vacant? as though julius were living life through a sort of hazed, barely present state.
stone was about to say something else when the man's hold on him gave way, and just as quick as he'd been dropped he had been grabbed again, only this time instead of being held by his arm he was being held in a more proper position.
at least this way his poor arm could have a little break...
stone as well looks away, but not before noting the way the man's face had flushed. once back on the ground stone takes a moment to literally ground himself, before he looks back over to the man and nods.
"thank you, for saving me. I suppose I owe you for that yes? as for the... chaos energy, as you call it. In a way, yes. there is a particular hedgehog where I'm from that exudes the same energy you do."
simple explanation, right?
"I used one of his quills to essentially make my way to you," he says as he picks said quill from the brest pocket of his coat, then holds it up to the man so he could have a better look. "I once watched the doctor harness the energy from another hedgehog to power his machines, and to be as fast as the speed of sound."
stone was staring up at julius like julius had grown seven extra heads. he supposed that made sense, if this was stone's first time experiencing flight via chaos energy. though, julius was instinctively aware of stone's gaze lingering on his eyes. ah, great.
"i, uh, i was looking for you. it worked." ⸻ w h A t ⸻ his brain short-circuited. in fact he was so shocked by this that julius' grip on stone's arm slipped and stone started falling away.
he scrambled, diving down after him and catching stone properly this time, by grabbing him and lifting him so that way julius was holding him flush against him. he exhaled, mumbling, "if you say so." he's avoiding looking directly at stone, a light flush coating his face. "let's get you to the ground." & julius starts to descent then, before landing and letting stone go, stepping back from him.
"there. no risk of you falling and becoming a splat on the ground." an ungloved hand moves to run through his hair. julius exhales, boot shifting along the dirt beneath him. "⸻i sensed chaos energy, earlier. that was you?"
well it definitely had worked, as when stone reappeared he was in a different place entirely but also... wait. he was falling?? he in fact was falling and could feel himself plummeting towards the ground at an almost alarming rate. why had he been brought to the literal sky and not the ground??
as he fell however he swore for a brief moment he saw robotnik, flying in the air like some damn bird might but that wasn't possible... right? people just didn't fly, but his brief thought was only confirmed when he feels something grab him and a sharp pain erupt in the upper part of his arm right after.
though he soon forgot about the pain when he realized he was no longer free falling, as the only thing he could focus on was how he had been saved by him, and... no way. his eyes were glowing? not only was this man flying, but his eyes were glowing an intense crimson that made stone feel very small beneath the man's gaze. then he hears the man speak, and his voice was just the same as it was all those years ago. in fact, he hadn't changed at all, it seemed.
fucking speak, stone!
"I uh, I was looking for you," he finally says as the initial shock wore off, and he managed to catch his breath despite the pain from being only held by the arm soon coming back into his mind. "it worked."
time was an odd concept to julius: never aging, he hadn't really needed to think about how long it'd been in years. he rarely thought of days. barely kept track. just sort of existing, especially now that⸻ no. don't think of that.
his eyes closed, and he exhaled: he was flying today, trying to hone his chaos energy manipulation and control. if he trained that, he'd get better at it. able to fly farther, faster, more precisely without floundering like a fish out of water. hadn't thought to before. maybe it was because he had nothing to do now but just fly about⸻
sensation then, floods him, like a shiver: or more like being dunked with cold ice water. his eyes widened, and he stopped on a dime, only to see stone materlise in thin air and then start to plummet because stone wouldn't know how to fly.
instinctively, julius moves and soars down, catching stone via his arm and using his chaos energy in order to halt stone's fall without accidentally ripping stone's arm off just from the sheer momentum of the stop coupled with julius' innate strength.
it's the jarring of the motion that causes julius' sunglasses to fall off, passing stone by and falling down towards the earth. julius barely registers this, bright crimson eyes staring down at stone, exhaling, then chastising, equal parts anger and annoyance, "what the hell do you think you're doing."
three years had passed since his encounter with that robotnik, and during that time stone had managed to visit many alternate universes that varied in different ways. some were universes where the doctor had died from the numerous encounters with sonic the hedgehog. one where he was slain by the hedgehog himself, for instance. another where he had died after falling from his giant egg-machine due to super sonic destroying it.
on top of that there were other timelines where stone had never even met robotnik, and everything was... better? as if not having the doctor there was far better for the earth and everyone who inhabited it. those stones looked so content and happy without him, and it made stone sick to his stomach.
he could never imagine his life without the doctor in it, and despite all the timelines stone had briefly visited the only one where robotnik was still there and very obviously himself, as much as he could be, was the one where he had had one of the oddest encounters. he'd been blown off, somehow having offended the man in a way he wasn't entirely sure of.
so why now was he wanting to return, and give it another go? he was lonely and that certainly was a factor, he mused. he also was mildly interested in just how that robotnik managed to send him back via the chaos control he'd seen shadow use once or twice. he then thinks on why shadow couldn't save his doctor, and it made his blood boil in thought.
no, stone, not now.
taking a deep breath he thinks about that timeline, and using one last try with the chaos energy he had produced from one of shadow's salvaged quills he wills himself to make that 'jump', hoping he'd arrive at his destination and not ultimately end his life due to potential miscalculation.