shellphones | [VIDEO] TailsTube: Episode 1

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[VIDEO] TailsTube: Episode 1

Type: Video
Sender ID: SkyPatrol
To: Public
Subject: TailsTube: Episode 01 [LIVE!]
Warnings: bullying foxes

[The feed opens up to Tails' cabin on the Stormbringer. He's spent a bit of time and effort on getting it ready for the camera: Tools put away neatly on a pegboard, a few potted plants over here, some hand-drawn blueprints over there... the space still looks lived in, but mindfully so. And on top of it all, there's a banner reading "TAILSTUBE" pinned up on the wall behind him.]

[There's a moment's hesitation as the fox double-checks his shellphone, sees that it's recording properly, then backs up to fit in the camera's frame:]

Hey guys! Welcome to the inaugural episode of... TailsTube: Sea Fox Edition! [A quick jazz-hands towards the banner behind him!] Back home, TailsTube was my streaming channel, where I brought on the coolest guests I could find to hang out, answer your questions, and have some fun! Now, unfortunately, my setup here still needs a few upgrades before it can hold a candle to my original lab...

So, u-uh... [He pauses, clears his throat — summons up some willpower to say this next part with a smile.] This is also the first episode with a paid sponsor. And it's none other than Dr. Eggman himself!

... no one's more surprised about this than I am, guys.

[Normally, this is about the point where he would pull up some stunning, HQ art and graphics to add some context and flavor to the topic of discussion. But low-tech is the name of the game, and luckily, he's a fairly good artist. So, instead, he's standing up a poster display with drawings of Eggman's notorious creations, including various badniks, some weapons and obstacles, and his villainous pièce de résistance, the Death Egg.]

Back on our home world, Eggman's name is synonymous with terror and disaster. He's invented countless dangerous weapons and built an entire robotic military, which he's used in his many ill-fated plots to conquer our world! So, even though he's making peace with us for now, I can't help but be skeptical...

But on the other hand, if it is true? I'm actually kinda excited. Because Dr. Eggman does his best work when he's not trying to kill us.

[And here comes a second poster display, featuring some of the doctor's lesser known creations. For example, there's the E-Gear and a few other models of Extreme Gear, as well as some of his communication tech.]

And after looking over his new Radniks, I can say they seem like a step in the right direction. None of them come with any weapons, no animals are harmed in their creation or operation... even the code is pretty straightforward assistant stuff. So, if that's what we can expect going forward—

And that's where you're wrong, you twin-tailed toddler!

[The feed goes dark for a moment and there's a...well, it's a ruckus. Because Eggman has crashed the set of TailsTube and he's decided that now is his time to make an entrance. When the feed comes back, Eggman's taken a seat next to Tails. One leg crossed over the other, hands steepled in his lap. Where did he get that egg-shaped chair? He brought it. Don't ask questions. Especially if they're stupid.]

Since when have I ever given you anything you all 'expected?' The true hallmark of a genius is to subvert expectations! To shift paradigms! To—

[He turns to look at Tails' display and huffs disapprovingly.]

What are these? They look like they were drawn by a child. If you're going to showcase my work, at least put in effort.

[And Tails' fuzzy cheeks puff in his own disapproval at the critique. He put plenty of effort into it! ... but before the fox can get a word in edgewise, Eggman spins back around, sneering.]

Now, as I was saying! Tails here has given his sidekick seal of approval on my Radniks! And while I am aware that several of you have questioned my motives, especially in light of certain Shadow-y warnings, you can rest assured my motivations are...pure.

[He's not lying. Though what his motivations are 'purely' about is anyone's guess.]

And just to prove to you I've turned over a new engine...

[He lifts his gloved hand and makes several keystroke-like gestures. From offscreen a Motobug wheels itself in and places a box in the center.]

I've come with my newest product.

[He lifts the box to reveal...a model kit? It sure looks like a model kit.]

You see, my Radniks were so successful, I thought "Why stop there?" Why not encourage others to unlock their own potential! Foster the next generation of geniuses! And so, I present to you...Build-a-Bot!

This kit comes with every part necessary for you to build your own toys, complete with rudimentary programming chips that will teach you the fun of coding your own robotic arr–assistant!

[And Tails' expression starts to light up with his original enthusiasm again.] ... Huh. A DIY kit should be pretty fun and educational. Even someone with more mechanical experience could probably use it to help jumpstart their work with the local technology. This is actually kind of a cool idea, Eggman.

[With another keystroke gestures, an overlay appears over the TailsTube feed that looks suspiciously like a Home Shopping Network style layout. Except it is positively branded with Eggman.]

Now, act now and order your own Build-a-Bot kit, and I'll even throw in some spare chips for additional behavioral programming! It's a deal so good, you'd think I was crazy much less evil! And all proceeds go to me and my research. You know. For the...good. Of everyone. [Bah.]

With...of course a small stipend to sponsor this show. Small.

Negligible really.

[Speaking of the sponsorship — by this point, Tails isn't hiding his cranky expression about this arrangement, and is quickly tapping away at his shellphone.] Seriously, Eggman? Come on! This is not that kind of show! [With a few more taps... bloop! The overlay disappears, block by block, scrubbing all the rotten eggman branding off the screen.] And I only agreed to let you be a guest, not take over hosting duties...

Yes, yes! Of course! How presumptuous of me! You have my sincerest apologies!

[With a quick few airborne keystrokes of Eggman's other hand, some text flashes rapidly across the bottom of the screen at a blink-and-you'll-miss-it speed.]

"Build-a-Bot is a licensed product. Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik does not bear any responsibility for any weapons, doomsday devices, or robotic armies constructed using this product. This product is fully and comprehensively endorsed by SONIC THE HEDGEHOG and MILES "TAILS" PROWER and responsibility for their use or misuse falls solely on their furry heads."

Anyway — please send us your questions, so we can read and answer them live on stream! Or if you'd like, call in to ask them yourself!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ there's a lot to speak on, but what stands out to her is the name and how surge's face instantly frowns. a few sparks jump off her body, but very little, it's like she hates to hear that too. it's all because they couldn't get rid of him then, because they kept him, she can't stand to hear those days where they could have ended him and avoided everything after. ]

I know enough.

[ her hands curl into fists, electricity snapping across the rings like a crackle and pop. she doesn't shake, but there is definitely anger that's building up, especially in the way that she stands her ground and grinds her teeth. "mr. tinker"... if he didn't exist and was simply himself, would dr. starline have reached out like he did to get into contact with him? probably not, maybe not. if they had all killed eggman when he was in that position, then none of this would have happened.

if any of these individuals were smart, but no, surge and kit are the bad guys for wanting that man disposed of. ]

Because a certain someone or any of you didn't take him out when he was vulnerable, it's like voilà, Domino effect of bad decisions hit everything. If you're tellin' me that's the plan of handling him, I will make sure none of you survive because that didn't work.

[ Amy doesn't want a fight, amd she doesn't want this time escalate into getting electrocuted and yelled at, either. The other girl seems to be keeping her temper in check, though, even as sparks fly.

She lifts her hands in a placating gesture. ]

Everyone here from home but Eggman seems to be from the future, so I'm just trying to get the facts and story from everyone.

[ Because it's a lot to take in. And she's making an attempt to be well informed, since she absolutely hates being out of the loop. ]

I don't know what the plan is, Surge. I just know that he can't be allowed to hurt anyone else.

[ She begins to walk, slowly, through the stands. If Surge follows, great. If not, she's just talking to herself now. ]

Everyone has a little bit of good in them. No one is born inherently evil... right? But... I don't know about Eggman. Even if he were this alleged Mr. Tinker, how long until he came back as Doctor Eggman again?

[ amy doesn't know, her ears may not be big, but she can hear enough. all she needs is that "i don't know" to know that there's nothing coming from this. directionless as always...

much like eggman said, though about her, but... them? ah, she shouldn't think about that. her ears twitch, and she walks behind but not enough to stay close. like surge is willing to fall back in the crowd once the hedgehog says things that doesn't align with what she wants. ]

That plan is stupid because he will always tap into that nature, I've heard this spiel from the quack.

[ amy doesn't really know who "the quack" is, but she's not going out of her way to explain that when it's not asked. all she knows is that if someone is dedicated, they can bring him back, and the reason it's so easy is because this is what eggman wants to be. surge understands identity, this one that she has isn't even who she is, but there's no one who wants her to bring her or kitsunami back.

how long will they be stuck like this, and if so? will they die like this. she glances down at her hand pondering for a few moments.

with a quick shake of her head. ]

I dunno why you act so confused, it's simple what to do, but I guess goody-two shoes don't want to have blood on their hands.

[ even though they've killed who surge and kitsunami used to be.

... ]

I know.

[ Because she just does. She knows Eggman could never permanently retain that persona. Something or someone would trigger him back into his true self, and then what? It just repeats. ]

You're wrong. We have plenty of blood on our hands. [ She won't elaborate, because it's not her place. They've all had to fight for their lives at one point or another-- some people lived, some people died. On both sides. ]

But it doesn't mean we have to like it.

[ She continues walking, making her way out of the thick crowds, gently pushing through the throngs of people. ]

Can I ask you something?

[ then why are they afraid of having his blood if she's so confident in saying that? it doesn't make sense, maybe they're trying to make amends, if so, she doesn't care. she doesn't want to hear it because all it sounds like is them being hypocrites now. ]

...

[ surge listens rather than indulges, because she'll get mad, she's already not in a good position. her nerves on edge as she offers a scary look on her face to make some people back off and not get in her way as amy pushes through. these tall-men always in the way, stupid humans and creatures.

she does look around, seeing what's here to take advantage of. ]

What.

[ it's not even in as a question, it's more so say it and don't make it be stupid. ]

Are you ever going to give me a straight answer?

[ The girl is confusing. She claims to hate her, and yet twice they worked together pretty well. The last time, the girl went out of her way to save her. And now, today, at Amy's request, she'd even met up with her in person.

For someone who hates her so much, Surge shows up. ]

I want to know more about you and your friend, and I don't want to hear it from anyone else but the source.

[ don't ask. she hates her, she does. it's no lie, but she's capable of attempting to work properly with someone as long as her hero goal quota is met. that's why she glares at the girl when she talks about a straight answer, rich coming from someone who doesn't have a straight answer for solving a reoccurring problem. ]

I thought you were lyin' then, just to say something that fit at the moment.

[ but she really wants to know? ]

We're goin' to the The Minstrel and Cask if that's somethin' you wanna talk about.

[ amy doesn't remember them, she doesn't know them, and she wants to make up for that. it's... a sensitive subject, it's a ticking time bomb. she doesn't know what will come from it, but surge had said it wasn't the time then, but... she has time even if she doesn't feel 100% herself.

she'll brave through it. ]

No, I really want to know. I told you, I actually like you guys... so yeah, I do want to know about you both.

[ Amy blinks at the suggestion, and then visibly lights up. It wasn't a flat out no, so, she is willing to follow Surge wherever she wants to go. She doesn't mind doing this on Surge's terms. ]

Okay! I'm down, wherever you want to go is fine by me.

[ It's why Amy is happy to turn about and follow after Surge this time. She's a little nervous to hear whatever Surge has to say, but the fact that the other girl is willing to even tell her anything at all is a huge deal. ]

[ it's not that she's happy about this, but amy... has been asking, and while surge would rather keep her in the dark, she knows that's not possible. besides, surge would never be able to handle the idea of someone explaining her feelings. there's things that she can't let up on.

one hand leaves from her pocket to point down one direction. ]

Through here.

[ she can hear the hedgehog following behind her, and surge leads like anyone else would, almost like a leader because she's used to that. as she makes her way along through the crowd, it doesn't take long for the location in question to appear in their sights. as they close in, there's a place outside the tavern where amy will see a table that fits about four people. as surge kills the distance, she takes two chairs to lay on and stretch her legs. ]

[ waiting at the table, a blue fennec fox sits kicking his feet because they're not long enough to touch the ground from this seat. still, when he sees surge, he visibly perks up—as if he wants to wag his tail at the sight of her. he's been waiting, after all!

it's when he sees who she's with that his expression falls... first to something discontent, and then to a momentary scowl.

still, he's quiet as surge takes her seat. ]

[ Amy is more than happy to follow after Surge; whereas Surge is used to, in a way, being a leader, Amy is the same way when it comes to following. It's easy to simply fall into place and trail after the other girl, although unlike usual, she isn't chatty this time.

She can read a room.

As they round the corner, she's both surprised and not surprised to see Kit. She's only seen the boy once, and that's been a few days ago; even though he'd been the one to carry her to the safety of Espio's current residence, she doesn't remember that. She offers the boy an almost nervous smile as she approaches, and then takes a seat across from the two in the last chair available. ]

Hi, Kit. Thank you for saving me the other day, I really appreciate what you did for me.

[ Eeeeven though she's pretty sure he didn't want to. Given the look on his face right now, it's kinda obvious. ]

[ surge drums her fingers onto the table, eyes watching as people pass into the tavern and ignoring them while doing so. it's not the attention she wants, but considering there hasn't been a reason to save any of these townspeople, she can only accept that she hasn't really proven herself to be worth anything yet.

... ]

...

[ surge yawns, one hand over her mouth as she relaxes into her chair, or tries. before coming here took some energy out of her, more than she wants. her gaze falls on amy then shifts over to kit seeing if he'll accept her thanks. as much as she wants to be a hero, as much as she searches for the praise and recognition, she's still not ready to be the hero who saves her enemies.

with a click of her tongue, the tenrec shrugs her shoulders while placing the attention on kit. ]

How's the praise feelin', Drippy?

[ yeah, kit's not happy. he's frowning, his brows are pinched, his nose crinkling as she offers him thanks. he's not even able to pretend like he's pleased to see her after all the problems she caused for surge. ]

I didn't do it for you.

[ thinking kitsunami would do anything for her is a mistake right now.

but surge? he'll do something for surge. and it's amy's fault that surge was in danger at all—like she doesn't realize that if she had died there, everybody would have used it as an excuse to blame surge. isn't that what she was trying to do anyway? but kit wasn't about to let is partner down. that's why she woke up at espio's place. ]

[ Amy glances between the two, before her gaze lands back on Kit. Despite being out in the open, in an extremely public space, the way that kid looks at her just makes her want to crawl under a rock.

If this is some kind of test to see of she can handle intimidation, though, she's not going to cave. She's here to hear their side of things in a future she has yet to live. ]

I know you didn't. But you still did it, so that deserves recognition. I owe you guys.

[ Amy leans back in her seat, folding her hands neatly in her lap. This is the first time that she's seen the two of them together-- the first time she met Kit, he'd been searching for Surge. That same day, she'd bumped into Surge and didn't even know who she was until towards the end of their skirmish. ]

You're probably wondering why Surge brought me here, right?

[ Because she knows she's not welcome, thanks. ]

I asked her to tell me about you guys. I want to hear your story, and I wanted to hear it from the source. If that's okay with you.

[ Because if he says no, she's not going to push it, and she's just going to have to live with it. ]

[ amy seems unfazed, which is probably for the best. it's not that kit is trying to be intimidating, so to speak, but he's not one to act in a way that he doesn't feel. even at the restoration, it wasn't hard to tell how he felt.

at the mention of surge, kit spares a glance towards her that looks much less unhappy than the gaze that'd settled on amy. just because surge brought her here doesn't mean that kit's going to be any happier with her though. it'd take more than that to earn his forgiveness, if that.

he's not going to say no though. he respects surge's decision more than anybody's, and if she wants amy to know what she's at fault for, that's fine with him. ]

...

[ maybe she'll stop saying it's not her fault if surge does tell her. ]

[ talking to someone about this without yelling is a feat, it's the fact she has to pick where to start, what to do, how to phrase it. it's a sensitive topic because she blames each and every one of them. espio accepted his blame, he knew what he did wrong, he had said if the chance happened again he would follow through. is that true? somehow, surge is skeptical considering how long did he know eggman, and how many times did he allow that individual to pass.

she won't think too hard on it, because all it does is upset her more. ]

Ever since you met Sonic, your actions led to our suffering.

[ surge looks to amy, her gaze unmoving as she points at the young girl to make sure she knows that it's because of her. ]

I don't care how you met, or what you did to meet, but you knew what he was about. You saw his decisions, you watched as him and Tails defeat the bad guys then allow them to run free. Over and over and over and over and over, but there's a certain one that despite all the destruction, you kept alive.

[ she closes her eyes, sighing to herself as if it's annoying that she has to repeat this to amy. she should know this! she should! ...however, circumstances are different, so that anger from before subsides. if amy can't help not knowing then surge will fill in the gaps. ]

Eggman, ha, that doctor but is it really his fault when he's defeated that he gets back up? It's because you all allow him to do so, you all give him chances to continue his rule. ...But, there's one you all listen to, no matter what, you always follow him, listen to him, be convinced [ thanks for the word, espio. ] by him.

[ Kit is being quiet, but. She's actually going to take that as a good sign; he was quiet when they met too, so, she's going to assume that he's going to just let Surge do the talking. Interesting dynamic. Amy's gaze slides from Kit back to Surge, and she remains quiet while Surge talks.

She lets her talk, uninterrupted, because Surge and Kit both deserve that. They deserve to be heard, and she did ask. The fact that the tenrec isn't flailing and yelling at her is just a lovely added bonus. ]

I... I see.

[ Sort of. She understands enough of Surge's frustration, honestly; because there have been occasions where several of Sonic's friends, including herself, have questioned the call on letting certain people, including Eggman, go. She leans back in her seat, glancing between the two again, her ears lowering a little. ]

May I ask how those decisions impacted you? I'm not trying to be mean or brush it off. I just really want to know what's going on.

[ Glancing down into her lap, the pink hedgehog shifts a little uneasily. Much like Sonic, she's never wanted to hurt anyone -- quite the opposite. So the thought of their actions leading to the suffering of the two sitting before her doesn't sit right with her. ]

I'm sorry if I sound ignorant. I just want the full story and to be able to understand better.

Because someone looked up to him...

[ and kit looks no less impressed when he does speak up, but he can't make surge do all the work for him. still, he doesn't look at amy as he speaks. his eyes are resting on a particularly interesting spot on the table as he mumbles. ]

Starline wanted to surpass Eggman. So he created us.

[ by letting eggman live, he acquired fans. not only did those fans sew chaos and disorder among others, but they're also the ones who led to all of kit and surge's suffering. ]

We're supposed to... to break the 'Sonic Cycle', but if there was no Sonic, we wouldn't be like this.

[ and while kit can't imagine a life without surge, he knows that surge cares about their past a lot. ]

"You hate Sonic. You want to destroy Sonic."

[ surge starts, her head thrown back as she looks up at the sky reciting familiar words that she's only seen on the screen. the way she appeared so innocent, so accepting. ]

"You hate Sonic. You want to destroy Sonic."

[ one hand comes up, two fingers up, then three, then four, then five, and as she lifts up every finger, she restarts the count indicating an extra ten, another ten. it's when the palm of her hands come down, slamming on the table as she leans up, feet properly on the ground now, but she's still sitting. one of the visitors jump at the sound as they pass by, but surge doesn't even give them an inkling of her attention. ]

I hate Sonic. I want to destroy Sonic. Over, and over, and over, and over, and over, over, and over again. [ there's hate in her voice, while starline chose that for her, this personal grudge of hers is her own. she made it so, she doesn't live by starline's code because she thinks for herself, she doesn't need him to be better. ]

In my session as he hypnotized me, I have suffered endless repetition of what I want, what I like, and what I have to do. That quack decided what our lives would be! What's funny! Ahaha! What's so... funny. [ her fingers curl into fists, a few sparks coming off her rings, but nothing that will cause any damage.

the tenrec stands up, head tilted down as she tries to get a grip, but when she has to reflect on it, her feelings only grow wild. one hand comes to her forehead to point right at the center, she acts as if it's a gun, locked and loaded and when she does the gesture of a "shot", a bit of electricity hits against the area, but causes no hard. ]

Whoever we were before is dead, even my body— what he did to our bodies!

[ rip this flesh off, and she doubts they'll die. one hand comes to her chest, sometimes she doesn't like to check if there's a beating heart there or not. still, she falls back into her chair. it's all sonic's fault, it's all amy's fault, it's everyone's fault for being the reason why surge and kitsunami are here today. their pain, their loss, and how they were created for simply being replacements for another purpose. ]

Because of that annoying hedgehog, the quack put us through thousands of death courses, the fact we would have lost our life all because he NEEDED to have the attention of a certain genius. If that genius wasn't spared by you, by the rest of your friends, and mostly by Sonic... I wouldn't have this much hate in my heart.

[ now she knows any won't like it, but surge has never liked what happened to him, but there are some things that can't change. ]

I can't forgive what he did to me, what he put me through because of his shitty decisions. I hate Sonic, I want to kill Sonic if it's the last thing I do.

[ This is a lot to take in and try to process. She listens to Kit first. ]

Starline... Espio mentioned that person to me. Said he was a fan boy. [ Which, ick. Why anyone would fan boy over that weirdo is just beyond her.

Her eyes widen, though, when he says that they were created, and suddenly, things begin to slowly click, little piece by little piece. ]

...the Sonic Cycle? [ It's self explanatory, honestly. And Surge confirms it.

Her eyes drift to the tenrec, and for a few moments Amy actually forgets to breathe. These two have been through literal hell and back, and now... now she gets it. To an extent.

Amy will never turn on Sonic. He's one of her best friends, and the workings of a mad scientist trying to get Eggman's attention is absolutely not his fault. She won't say that, though, she's not stupid.

It's not Sonic's fault, but gets it now, why they're so angry. And rightfully so, because if she were in their shoes, she would be the same way. ]

I'm so sorry... no one. No one should ever have to go through what you two did.

[ Amy sincerely means that, too. Her hands, still on her lap, are gripping at the fabric of her dress so tightly the material threatens to rip, not because she's upset with Surge's threats against Sonic, but because of the disgust she feels about what was done to them. ]

And... you two have no memory of who you were before. [ It's not a question, because it doesn't need to be. Her shoulders drop, and her brow furrows. All of this because they didn't put Eggman down for good. ]

That's... a lot. For you both to have had to deal with. I can't imagine the pain you've had to endure.

[ I'm sorry. That's a lot. I can't imagine...

kit's still scowling, even as amy offers her shallow platitudes to them. being sorry isn't going to make it all go away, it's just a word that people offer when they're not willing to do anything about the root of the problem. if they were really sorry, they'd do something about it. that's why even as amy offers her heart to them, kit can't bring himself to be impressed. ]

...

[ the way kit sees it, it's amy's fault that surge is hurting the way that she is. even though she words it as if it has nothing to do with her, it has everything to do with her choices, though he glances to surge to gauge her reaction first. ]

The world isn't kind, people aren't any kinder. If you all weren't selfish.

[ if they didn't allow sonic to make the decisions or choose what they do then perhaps things could have been different. in another life, another time, surge and kitsunami could have just been two individuals amy stumbles across by chance only to say their pleasantries and separate. ]

You said you have blood on your hands. I'm gunna take a wild guess, "of innocents"? If so... you let the most horrible live?

[ it's insensitive, but surge asks genuinely searching for an answer as to why they all avoid taking eggman out. the many times that they've come across him is probably more than what she can count on her hands. who does surge blame at the end of the day? all of them. she blames sonic. she blames his friends. she blames eggman. this group of individuals is what built starline's ideas, his plan to counter the problems in order to remove these pests.

even though amy apologizes, surge keeps her composure, not because the girl before them is showing how she feels it's only because amy hasn't said anything that warrants for surge to get offensive, because this tenrec will bite back. all it takes is one wrong move, one wrong word. ]

To say you're s— [ surge coughs, one hand coming to her chest. ] sorry... [ like there's something in her throat that she can't get out, and tears build up along the bottom of widened eyes. she pushes at the table, trying to catch her bearings, but there's a small trail of electricity that circles her bracelet. ]

...Someone's.... genuinely... s- sorry... for what happened to me... to us...

[ the light in her eyes dims, her knees buckle, and rather than catch herself, a hand comes to her forehead to hold herself. some sort of pain resurfacing from how she responds with shaking her head. her hand shakes, body shivering as though she's cold, and it's with her forehead against the ground as though she can't take the sudden pain anymore... ]

I...

[ She glances at Kit again, but he remains quiet, so her gaze returns to the green tenrec. She wants to return that with 'Not everyone is unkind, either,' but she can't. Surge and Kit don't remember anything but what they've been put through, and she has no place right now to argue against how she feels. How they feel. ]

No... yes? Yes, it would be a lie to say otherwise. Good people, innocent people were lost during the war. [ She has to admit that much. Things could have been much different, they're right, if they just hadn't given Eggman chance after chance. But she's also not naive enough to know that someone new would have likely risen up to take his place.

Someone like Starline.

She wrings her hands as she thinks about it further. Does the Biolizard count? It had been alive and a huge threat, and they had all helped Sonic and Shadow to destroy it in their own way. There have been others, of course. Chaos hadn't died in the end. The onslaught of Black Arms...

Amy looks up again as Surge begins to speak again, her brow furrowing with concern as the other girl appears to be choking. Before she can ask if she's okay, Surge goes down, and immediately Amy's on her feet. ]

Surge! Hey-- [ She circles the table in a rush to get to Surge's side, and she drops to her knees next to the other girl. She doesn't hesitate as she places a gentle hand against her back and rubs soothing circles, but she remains just far enough not to crowd her. ]

Deep breaths, Surge... [ Is the other girl having a panic attack? Anxiety attack, nervous breakdown, whatever it is the label doesn't much matter right now. What matters is helping her get back to herself. ]

Focus on your breathing, do you want some water? What can I do to help?

[ it's as soon as amy gets close that surge's coughing only gets worse until she exhales, and then that agonizing pain, turns into laugher. she's quick to smack away the girl's concern, her hand as well as surge looks at her with tears in her eyes. a loud laugh as she shakes her head, taken aback by the girl's actions. ]

BE REAL! Apologizing like that makes everything okay!? Like it'll erase all our pain.

[ the tenrec is quick, her hands coming to curl around amy's shirt, pulling the hedgehog closer so that their noses briefly touch. in her space, surge only laughs louder, annoying as hell because she really can't get over what the girl had said. she sounds like those people who are happy that it's not happening to them, but she can feel sorry for someone else.

...

she's not going to do anything to stop this violence that runs through surge's body. ]

If you want to help me, you'll stay out of my way when I kill that blue hedgehog.

[ her eyes angle to a glare, her hands smooth up amy's upper chest from where she gripped, both hands wrapped around the girl's neck. her thumb settles underneath where she can feel when the hedgehog swallows, knowing that she can still breathe with ease, and she hasn't started squeezing yet. ]

You don't know how it feels to know he's living, doing whatever, and it's like something tightly around our throats. [ slowly her hands will tighten around amy's throat to give her an example. ] I'll die for this, especially as it grows tighter and tighter.

[ Well, out of all the things she was expecting today, this isn't one of them. On one hand, she's relieved that Surge is, y'know. Not dying. On the other, this is a huge emotional whiplash and it's... definitely something to see.

She frowns and sits back on her knees. ]

I never said that it would-- [ And just like that, she's dragged forward. That laughter is a little migraine inducing, but she's got bigger problems. Mostly, the hand that suddenly closes around her throat.

There is no way Amy will ever willingly stand aside while someone tries to hurt or kill Sonic, and all parties here already know that. That's why she doesn't bother saying it-- there's no point in adding fuel to Surge's fire.

Instead, she simply places a gentle hand atop Surge's, although she's not trying to pry her hand away. It just settled there. ]

You're right. I don't know how that feels, or how you feel.

[ Her small shoulders drop, and she meets Surge's gaze. ]

I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what happened to you. I'm sorry you're hurting in unimaginable ways. I'm sorry for every single wrong that has been done to you both. I'm not going to sit here and pretend to understand, because I can't. I can never understand the pain you two have in your hearts.

[ Because to feel that much hate? It's gotta be absolutely agonizing. ]

I can't understand. But that doesn't mean I can't try and help in some way. I've already told you, despite everything that you and I have already been through in the short amount of time we have known one another, I don't hate you. I don't hate, or dislike either of you. I like you both, and I don't want to see you two get hurt. You've been through enough as it is.

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