eternity . . .

both haunted and holy, made in glory. shadow, the ultimate lifeform. by elly.

[chaosresolve]

« CHAOSRESOLVE: Based on my original projections, I was able to complete my project, Shadow. I designed it's mind to be perfect, pure. I will leave everything to him.  / /  Shadow, you are the only hope to save mankind as we know it. The future of this planet depends on... you.  —— ( resolved by elly. )

[chaosresolve]

flaws/strengths

Bold what applies. Italicize what applies sometimes / rarely. Don't modify what doesn't apply / doesn't fit / isn't clear.

forceful. fearful. enthusiastic. obstructive. spontaneous. pushy. trustworthy. loose - tongued. respectful. mistrustful. tolerant. undisciplined. observant. sloppy. optimistic. rude. caring. contemptuous. generous. short - sighted. practical. passive. considerate. aggressive. self - assured. bossy. inspiring. chaotic. adventurous. cynical. lively. blunt. persuasive. stand - offish. serious. vague. idealistic. inflexible. warm. moody. humorous. indifferent. friendly. intolerant. determined. wasteful. patient. stubborn. orderly. reckless. disciplined. inhibited. ambitious. naive. dedicated.  greedy. flexible. fanatical. logical. dull. open. arrogant. accurate. lazy. independent. selfish. intelligent. complaining. tactful. impatient. creative. hard. honest. shallow. straightforward. strict. appreciative. shy. versatile. prejudiced.

Tagged by: @arksmemoir ♥ Tagging: you 🫵

[chaosresolve]

for @synxis.

     It's a few minutes shy of midnight, and it's raining. Hard. Pools of rainwater bubble from blocked drains, washing canvases of hazed lights and neon takeaway signs along the road's surface. Central City was surprisingly peaceful at night; nary a soul outside, bar the occasional vehicle rumbling past.

     And yet there he was -- Shadow the Hedgehog -- pacing along the sidewalk in a coat with no hood. The rain drenched his fur to his skin, quills heavy with water, droplets rolling down over his brow ridges and onto his muzzle. Where was he going? Even he didn't know. He'd been walking for hours, his mind wandering even more than usual lately after his brief foray into cyberspace with Sonic. 

     There's something humbling about realising you're not the only alien around. That you're even more alien than you ever thought -- the chaos energy woven into your very soul being just as foreign as the black arms DNA in your cells. Those cells that were hand crafted by a human man, a weapon for a government body; it pulls into mind an old question, one he previously thought answered.

     Who am I?

     ...He didn't even realise he was shivering, fingertips numb. He needed to get out of this rain before his thoughts consumed him whole, or he was chilled to the bone. Whichever came first. Turning to his right, across the street, stood the only building in his near vicinity with lights still on. The sign outside reading...

     ...In service and worship of Her Radiance, Goddess of Life.

     It was a church. Of course it would be a church. However, sinners beggars cannot be choosers, and Shadow did not have an emerald on his person to teleport back home. This would have to do. He strides up to the door, a sorry sight to behold, sighing & knocking loudly three times. Maybe he'd be blessed with respite.

[lightdash]

     “You can feel it too,” Sonic says matter-of-factly, staring right back at him. He isn’t deterred by the intensity in Shadow’s eyes, but intrigued — the portal is reacting to them both. When Sage…

     … when The End was defeated, his friends were freed and everything returned to normal. Everything except him, anyways; he was warned. It doesn’t matter, he thinks, because he wouldn't change anything. And it’s not corruption that pulls him now, but something else entirely. He can still navigate the island with his eyes closed. Can still see things that others can’t ( if the way G.U.N set up shop is any indication ). Can still feel years and years of history at his finger tips.

     And so will Shadow if this works right. There’s only one way forward.

     “It’s like I said: these portals are all over the islands.” Sonic explains. “And not just that — they’re connected. I’m apart of that connection, I think.” He looks down at his hand, still pulsing with light. “Eggman said cyberspace is like a giant computer. A network. If you can tap into it, maybe your chaos energy could too.”

[chaosresolve]

     "Yes... Hm." pauses. "...That's smart. For you, especially" There's a faint smirk on his lips as he speaks, eyes still locked to Sonic's. He could swear there was a spark of blue dancing around in his pupils...

     "A chaos blast with this could be akin to an EMP -- their technology destroyed from the inside out, with no apparent cause or culprit. It's perfect."

     Eyes cast back up to the head of the gate, admiring the craftsmanship once again -- focused and pointed. The cyan glow seems to respond to his outstretched hand, his nerves pulsating as the energy creeps further into his body. It's oddly familiar, like a family friend you met long ago but can't quite remember.

     It happens fast; the initial soft touch of the energy begins to turn to a searing grip -- it burns, and it burns cold -- and those whispers are getting louder with every passing second. Yet he finds himself unable to pull away, like a mouse in a glue trap --

     "...If it works. This energy feels volatile." He winces in pain, eyes furrowing as his elbow contracts, briefly locking up. "...My body will reject it if we don't do this fast. How do we proceed?"

[lightdash]

@chaosresolve replied: "... kinda hot."

     "Wait 'til you hear about the King. I used a sword for that."

[chaosresolve]

"Ah, I didn't know you were into sword fighting. I learn something new about you every day."

[lightdash]

     Not enough — it doesn’t surprise him. Commander Tower has made quite the habit of keeping Shadow in the dark about most things: whatever doesn’t benefit him, and by extension, G.U.N. What a headache…

    “It’s a portal.” Sonic answers, keeping his eyes straight ahead. “Or… I guess you could call it a gateway, too! There’s plenty of them around the island.” He walks past Shadow and up the stairs, old stone looming over him. His balance felt… strange, like when you stand in the ocean and the tide pulls, pulls, tempting you further.

    ‘That power is a fragile thing. It was not meant for you.’

    “— ?” Sonic opens his eyes to see his hand facing the portal, power surging throughout. He doesn’t even remember closing his eyes, let alone getting this close… he shakes his head and looks over a shoulder. Some nearby Koco jingle about. “We’ve been calling them The Ancients. All of this was built by them.” He nods, gesturing for Shadow to join him. “C’mere."

[chaosresolve]

     The Ancients, hm? It makes sense that G.U.N wouldn't be particularly forthcoming; after all, the organisation had a bad habit of withholding alien information. He could only assume this was the same, given how unusual the structures around them were. How much did G.U.N even know -- & how much was locked behind these... Portals. As far as he knew, there was not one soldier nor scientist passing through; and yet Sonic was here at the epicenter of it all, a hand outstretched toward him.

     Typical.

     "..." There's hesitancy, an ear turning back -- he has no reason to not trust Sonic, but there was something unsettling about the way the portal breathed to life at his fingertips, an otherworldly hum. Shadow feels the pull, too.

      Inhaling sharply, he steps forward and reaches a hand out in turn, standing by Sonic's side. The energy crackles through his fingertips, shivers wracking his arm, fur prickling to stand on end -- and he swears he's hearing whispers echo through his mind in a language he cannot understand. His eyes flick to Sonic, intense in their stare.

     "...What now?"

[lightdash]

     Regardless of whether Shadow said yes or not, Sonic was going to do things his own way, too. In this case, that means sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong… and his sneaker. Whatever gives the Commander more reasons to pull his hair out (what’s left of it, anyway).

     As confident as he is in his ability to ruin Tower’s day, that resigned “fine” is the answer he was looking for — the one he knew he’d get once Shadow caught sight of the Koco. For all that arrogance and stubborn pride, when innocence is brought to the equation… 'weapons aren’t supposed to have hearts, but both of you…'

     “We’ve got to get their equipment out of the way without damaging the island.” Sonic replies, placing his chin between his index finger and thumb. He hums and taps his foot, grappling for some of that quick thinking he’s known for. It’s not enough to inconvenience G.U.N, no; they have to sabatoge them. For the sake of the Koco, of course, but cyberspace too. These islands are the last vestiges of the Ancients’ history, and it’s worth preserving. After all, the pilots placed their trust in him for a reason.

     … Wait. Cyberspace.

     Sonic suddenly snaps his fingers. “I’ve got it!” He exclaims, and just like before, he’s racing off without explanation — this time it’s only a short run as he leads them to another structure, taller than the rest. Imposing. Sonic steps up to it and crosses his arms, eyeballing the large circle at the top. ‘I wonder…’

     “How much do you know about this place?” He asks, already gauging a response in his head.

[chaosresolve]

     Shadow stands with a hand to his chin in thought, mouth opening for a suggestion to simply move it out of the way or at the very least, incapacitate the technology, but Sonic runs off before he can speak. Again. He was beginning to regret agreeing to this already, and it had only been a few minutes -- perhaps a new record, even for him.

     He gives chase, and thankfully, it's a short one this time. Shadow's eyes wander up along this... whatever it is. The stone bears cracks and weathers from a clear test of time, curious blue light pulsing up the smooth panels embedded within the rock; like blood through veins.

     It almost looked alive.

     "...Not enough." Shadow speaks flatly, his gaze now meeting the bundles of Koco scattered around the structure, happily chirping away. "All I was told is that ancient technology lies here, and it is being investigated. This must be what was spoken of." His expression is thoughtful, softer, as he steps forward and runs his fingertips along a crack in its surface. "...What is this?"

[chaosresolve]

"Shadow." She's handing him a... piece of broken glass? "Hold this for me, will you? I need to reapply." Rouge purses her lips and parts them with a 'pop'. Yeah, she just pulled a lipstick from her breastplate. They literally just finished a fight, girl ---

   "Excuse m--"    

     Watching with an incredulous expression (at least, incredulous by his stoic standards), Shadow stares as a very sharp piece of glass is shoved into his hands; he doesn't even have any time to protest before Rouge uses it to laquer her lips back to their signature mauve colour.

     "This couldn't have waited!?" He growls, trying not to take notice of the pile of now-destroyed eggman robots at their feet beginning to spark far more aggressively than before. "Can you hurry up? I'd like to leave before we get blown to pieces."

[wndrflgrl]

@chaosresolve replied:

"You can eat young cattail shoots while they're still green -- try preparing them like you would asparagus."

" Ooh! You're right! " Cooking neuron activated. " I didn't even think of that! That's a way better alternative to well. Instant regret. "

[chaosresolve]

     "Indeed." He nods in agreement, trying very hard not to smirk at the mental image of aforementioned instant regret. "...You're already a step ahead of Sonic, at least. Maybe try frying them with some lemon & pepper?"

[lightdash]

     "Right," Sonic agrees, "you have your own way of doing things."

     Of course, he understands — knows this predicament, just as Shadow says; he was there when it was written. But this is no world ending disaster (he'd already handled that), and what Tower doesn't know won't hurt him. "Some rules are worth breaking, don't you think?" He asks. Sonic changes positions to quickly jump to his feet and cross his arms. "And this is different. G.U.N can't just do whatever they want." Though unsaid, both of them are well aware of what happens when they do: nothing good.

     The familiar smell of soot reaches his nose, causing Sonic to look up and over. He scowls at the billowing smoke across the tree line. More machines. "At this rate, the entire forest will be gone in a few days..." The Koco at Shadow's feet begin to scatter, bouncing toward some ruins... to hide. "He'll tear everything down."

     Sonic turns to face him, and anger is replaced with a sympathetic smile. "Sorry, Shadow. I don't want to cause you trouble." And he means that. "But I can't waste time." He tilts his head. "So — will you help me?"

[chaosresolve]

"So you expect me to just roll over--"

Perhaps if he had asked on a different day, this wouldn't have happened, but something inside Shadow flips mid-sentence and he cuts himself off. Brows furrow, arms crossing even tighter across his chest as he watches the Koco flee and hide -- his heart wrenching at the sight.

This wasn't right; unquestionably, and yet his mouth still opened and began to parrot what he's always been told; do as we say, live in our bounds, our weapon -- or else.  When did he let this happen? That unyielding will; the persevering drive to do what he thinks is right, fading underneath a governmental boot, of all things? He already was rolling over, and the realisation hits like a gut punch.

Screw it. Damn the contract and damn the consequences -- no more.

"...Fine." He takes a deep breath, exhaling sharply and gesturing out with a hand. "What do you suggest? Something that keeps you out of sight and gives me plausible deniability would be nice." Looking over to the smoke, now growing and drifting overhead, he scowls. "...But not essential."

[lightdash]

       Sweet, sweet victory. With the convoy far behind them and Shadow's rage momentarily quelled, Sonic finally takes a second to relax. He balances on his heels and does a little turn — it's more of a hop, since he's still kneeling — to watch the Koco advance on their new friend. "The locals!" He exclaims. One of them bounces up to gently bump the underside of Shadow's hand. "... what's left of them, anyway."

     Sonic rests an elbow against his thigh, which in turn supports the weight of his chin in the palm of his hand. So casual, at least in comparison to Shadow who seems very... confused (and endeared, if Sonic is reading his expression correctly).

     "They're called Koco, or that's what the Elder said." He says, not bothering to explain who or what "the elder" even is. "The people who lived here a long time ago used them as lucky charms. Supposedly, they hold the memories of their creators." Sonic hums, thinking back on the bizarre symbol that would appear in the sky. He wonders if they all need to find peace like that. 'There's so many...'

     One is still trying to get Shadow's full attention, the leaf on it's head wafting as it throws itself around in excitement. "You can find 'em on every island. This is their home." Sonic's expression drops, though only slight. "Understand?"

[chaosresolve]

It was most certainly a boon for him that Sonic knows Shadow's weak spot; small, cute creatures. Watching, almost transfixed, on the sweet little one bouncing up into his open palm; the dark hedgehog's ears perk high at every little 'coo' and 'waah'. A few more Koco toddle over, clearly interested in the hullabaloo (and head pets, apparently).

"...Hm." He tilts his head slightly, thumb smoothing over the small decorative sprout on its head. "...They're fascinating." His tone stays soft, subdued, eyes halving as he stops to think about the implication of Sonic's final sentence. "...I have no control over any of that."

Standing up straight again, he gestures back to the direction from which they came, smoke pluming up into the air from the archaelogical digs. "You know my circumstances. If I let you run rampant, I take the fall." A frown rests on his expression, brows knitted and arms returning to their usual folded position, a deep sigh passing his lips. "...Even if you are right to do so." The Koco at his feet, not being too happy with this change in posture & sensing his stress, start sadly chirping and jumping up at his legs; headbutting him to try and get more attention. He notably ignores them, now unable to look down. Is that guilt? Maybe.

[chaosresolve]

"Aren't you cute?"

     While usually quiet, Shadow isn't often at a loss for words. Sure, it wasn't uncommon to get a passing -- and infantilising -- comment from a human in the same vein, but she doesn't seem entirely... that. The wiggling fox ears and plethora of tails definitely say otherwise, and her outfit...

     He stares for a good moment, squinting as he looks her up and down with as discerning an eye as someone can have while experiencing sudden embarrassment.

     "...Is there a convention nearby you should be getting to, instead of pestering me?"

[lightdash]

       Shadow chases and it's the same as it ever was, with Sonic thinking one thing: he can't resist a race.

     "Stop running?" Sonic replies in a bark of laughter. "Don't you know who you're talking to?!" He sees it — that cheeky sweep of the leg — coming from a mile way and sidesteps with ease. It's quite graceful, really, the way he follows it with a turn of his heel to face Shadow. Now running backwards, with both hands clasped behind his head. Grinning like the bastard he always is when they're doing this (author's note: this, in context, being whatever strange and vaguely homoerotic fighting these two do).

     Water splashes as they race across the shallow bank of the river, and Sonic figures they're distant enough from the commotion to slow down. A lack of military equipment is a fair guess that G.U.N hasn't ventured this far — yet. 'Let's keep it that way.' Sonic thinks, running to some nearby ruins. He skids to a halt in front of some Koco, who eagerly start bouncing at his arrival. "Hey guys." He smiles and kneels down to greet them.

     "Sorry, Shadow." His words sound less teasing and more sincere now. "I appreciate the welcoming committee Tower sent, but I wanted you and I to have a chat between friends." Sonic looks over his shoulder and smirks, gesturing for Shadow to join him. The Koco jingle excitedly; some toddle past and closer to the darker hedgehog, eager to inspect him.

[chaosresolve]

     Dammit.

     While unsurprising that Sonic was able to dodge the kick, it was no less annoying. Not one to be deterred, Shadow quickens his pace; skates blasting hotter underfoot as he shoots a very strong glare ahead, the effortlessness of the backwards running prickling his spines. Of course he'd be doing this. Showy little asshole.

     Following the chase is easy; there almost being a notable rhythm after doing it enough times. Shadow throws a few more half hearted swings at the other along the riverside -- none connecting, of course. Just as he was teetering on the edge of genuine rage with an unrelenting thought to tackle him, Sonic seems to slow down. Good timing, as he was almost about to get a face full of dirt, and a back full of hedgehog.

     Storming up to the ruins, Shadow inhales & opens his mouth to chew him out -- but is quickly interrupted before a single word can pass his lips, by a delightful little 'uwah!' from the side of him. Twinkling, glockenspiel-like steps quickly follow, and he casts his gaze down to a... Rock?

     "...?" Blink blink. "...What... is this?" Shadow's ears perk straight up as the little creature blinks in return. How charming.

[chaosresolve]

◐

◐ : My muse and animals. (If they like animals and treat them well, do not care for them at all, e.t.c.).

     Shadow loves animals. They're easy for him to understand, and they cant/wont be judgemental. This goes for chao, flickies, any animal, really -- he tends to find they have an affinity to him too. Something something pets are good for people with PTSD. It's why he ended up with Rosemary; he absolutely did not plan on keeping the little abandoned chao that they found on a mission, but they just would not leave his side. Shadow will now die for them.

[chaosresolve]

✿ ♬ ☾

✿ : My muse and nature. (If they are an ‘outdoorsy type’, like the sound of bird’s singing, if they have never set foot in a forest, e.t.c.)

     Shadow loves nature. He feels he owes it to Maria to experience it & respect it -- and in his free time, when his phone becomes mysteriously unreachable, he's often chaos controlled himself & Rosemary to the middle of nowhere to see a sight that she told him about. Either from a geography book, somewhere she pointed at from the sky above, or just somewhere he thinks she would've liked. You could argue the enjoyment of it isn't for his own sake, sure, but it brings him a sense of closure and peace, and that's enough for him.

♬ : My muse and music. (What type of music they like listening to and in what context, what music they would never listen to, e.t.c.)

     Music isn't something he's terribly picky with, but that's mainly because he's unfamiliar with modern music as a whole (Taylor Swift aside. Thanks Amy!). Songs that are deeply familiar to him are rock & roll hits from the 50s, but he often struggles to listen to them. They make his heart ache for... Something. A memory slightly out of reach.

☾ : My muse and sleep. (How much they sleep, how much they wish to sleep, if there is something that never fails to put them to sleep, e.t.c.)

     Shadow is a terrible sleeper. Tossing & turning and easily disturbed with frequent nightmares to boot -- it's a blessing that he only needs a few hours on average. He will deny it until he's blue in the face, but having someone to sleep next to -- be it a person or his chao -- makes it so much easier for him, too.

     He tries to aim for at least 3-4 hours per night, though if he has to go longer without any, his maximum before he starts to struggle is around 3 days. After then he starts to lose the thread juuuust a little. The longer he stays awake, the more he has to sleep afterwards -- Rouge once saw him pass out for 18 hours straight after a mission. Zzzzzzz.

[chaosresolve]

▶

▶ : My muse and level of education. (If the muse has some form of education, what education they perhaps wish they had, e.t.c.).

      While Shadow is absurdly intelligent, he has absolutely no formal education whatsoever, nor does have have any desire to get one. During his time on the ARK, Gerald and the other scientists would teach supplemental classes to him and Maria -- though it was mainly for her sake, to give her some sense of normality; he just tagged along because sibling rules TM.

     Because of those classes, Shadow is particularly well versed in scientific subjects, knowing a lot of niche factoids and concepts, primarily about physics & biology, that aren't really useful in his day to day (but would be absolutely lethal in a pub quiz).

     He does enjoy learning in general though, quite a lot -- he's always down to hear cool facts or pick up a good non fiction book; he's rather particular to ones on chao care & general history.

[chaosresolve]

cont. thread

     Ah. Here we go. Shadow doesn't even so much as cast Tower a glance, who, at this point, had gotten out of his convoy truck and began shouting more orders and obsceneties -- his words falling into the mindless drone of noise surrounding the crash. There's always something about these... Interactions that made it impossible for Shadow to focus on anything else but the hedgehog stood in front of him. Sharp, crimson eyes stay locked on Sonic's, following his movements; even as he zips far off into the distance. That smirk... Well, what other option did he have but to give chase?

     Shadow says nothing. Tower is behind him now, ranting and raving, demanding to know why this hadn't been avoided, how he didn't notice -- and then he was gone. Rocket skates kick up, burning track marks into the grass as he becomes a black and red blur in the distance, catching up to blue with relative ease. Sonic was holding back, it seemed.

     As soon as they were side by side, Shadow turns, openly growling at him. "It'd be easier to explain if you stopped running."

     With that, there's a blast from his left shoe, sliding under and swiping at Sonic's legs in an attempt to knock him down. If he wouldn't slow down by choice, Shadow would make him.