A Date With Rose - Part II
Collab with @askmoviesonadow
The pair find themselves on the roof of The Mean Bean. Amy lets out a large gasp, as she spots the multitudes of flowers in the quaint garden.
“Shadow!” She exclaims as she slightly crouches to get a closer view of the lavender. “They’re beautiful. I hadn't gotten a chance to really appreciate this planet’s flora yet.” She turns and offers her brightest smile. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Shadow smiles proudly. “It’s … a project me and my guardian have been working on.”
He looks over at an engraved stone brick, his smile fading. It reads ‘In Memory of: Maria Robotnik and Ivo Robotnik’.
He sighs, looking back to Amy. “It’s given us purpose.”
“Well, it's beautiful. Gardening’s great, it’s really helped me too after my aunt died. She knew she didn't have much left so she planted some roses beforehand, told me to take care of them when she was gone.” Her smile turns gentle. “It helps.”
Shadow nods slowly. “It does.”
He pauses for a moment, gaze drawn to a butterfly that has taken interest in the blooms. “I’m … sorry for your loss.”
She turns to look at him. “Don’t be. It’s all part of life. We come and go…” She sighs and briefly glances at the flowers. “So, what do you have planned? I’ve heard of Earth dates spent watching movies.”
Shadow looks at her, excitement in his eyes.
“I know the perfect film.”
Shadow leads Amy downstairs into the apartment, ending up in Shadow’s room. It’s cluttered, but tidy. The decor is a mix of natural and celestial themes, complete with glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. One corner of the room is taken up by an indoor tent, likely meant for a human child. Inside is a nest of blankets, pillows, plushies, and a CRT with a VHS player, a stack of tapes beside it.
“Your room is really nice. I wish I had a room like this.” She giggles as she looks around, noticing the tiny details, everything that made Shadow’s room Shadow’s.
“Oh, um… Thank you. That’s … one of the reasons I decided not to live in the Wachowski home, I suppose.” He says with a grunt of amusement. He climbs into the tent, pulling the tape off the top of the pile and showing it to Amy.
Amy reads the title. It sounds more like a horror movie than a romance… But if that’s what Shadow likes, who is she to judge?
She gives a small nod to him, signaling her approval.
Shadow’s tail wags, nearly dashing back into the tent. “I think you’ll enjoy it.”
He plugs in string lights, setting the inside of the tent in a warm glow. The TV is turned on, the tape then inserted. Then, he pauses, looking back at Amy. He gestures for her to come inside the tent with a hint of nervousness.
Amy complies, excitedly making her way over and carefully taking her place.
As soon as the movie starts, and the male voice begins narrating, Amy becomes instantly entranced. She leans forward, listening and studying the colors with close attention.
The movie sparked giggles and gasps from the pink hedgehog. She’d nod her head to the music and smile during the songs, but nothing truly amazed her until the dance scene. She rested her head on her hands as she watched the two main characters sway along to the enchanting song. She imagined what that would be like, she lived it in her mind as she watched the scene play out.
Though it was Shadow’s favorite film, he hadn’t watched it since he began feeling … strange. That wrongness he felt during particular scenes. He hoped it would go away with time. That he could simply enjoy the film like he used to.
That was not entirely the case.
Involuntarily, at certain moments, Shadow’s tail would wag. He would feel his heart beat faster, and a rumble in his chest.
Focus on her, he tells himself. He glances over at her, allowing a smile at the sight. She’s enjoying it. That’s what’s making him feel this way. So he thinks.
After the credits roll, Shadow stops the player to rewind the tape. He clears his throat, speaking nervously.
“So… What did you think?”
“I- It was wonderful. This must be one of the best movies I've ever watched! Do you think so on Earth here too?” Her excitement dries down a bit as she begins to fidget with her fingers. “You know… something about Belle. It makes me feel odd… My heart beats faster and I get this weird feeling in my stomach. But I think I just admire her, right?” She asks nervously.
Shadow’s eyes widen as he takes a moment to process what she just said.
“You… Get that feeling?” He starts, looking away in shame. “The Beast… He… Does that to me too.”
“What do you think it is?” She tilts her head, scanning for any clue. “The feeling it’s new… My body loves it but I… I’m not so sure I do? Maybe it’s not knowing what it is? It scares me…” Amy looks down softly, before setting her eyes on the weights around her gloves. She begins to softly spin one around, comforting herself with the action.
“I’m not … entirely sure anymore.” Shadow sighs, “I want to think it’s simply admiration, or even a strange form of joy. For me, no other reason is logical.”
“Some things go beyond logic. When I was little, when my aunt had to take me in… We had to isolate ourselves. We lived in the woods, everyone thought we were weird, they were scared. And yeah maybe we were a bit quirky, but my aunt was the sweetest.”
She pauses. “I was scared of going to the woods. But my aunt told me this story, about the moon. She told me that the Moon was scared to orbit around the planet, because they thought that when the Sun came up, the night would disappear.
So she never did, she stood her place and the planet was divided between light and darkness. One day, the stars gave her a nudge, We’ve got you, they said. They held hands with her while she went to where she never had before. Reassuring her that if she was in danger, they could just pull her out.
When she crossed, she didn't disappear, she was simply somewhere else, and because of that, now everyone got to enjoy both day and night.
The unknown is scary, but it doesn't mean it’s bad. The only way to change is to face the unknown, and that doesn’t mean you have to do it alone.”
Shadow listens with a somber expression.
“Your aunt seemed very wise.” He finally says.
“She was… She would love the movie, you know. Especially the romantic dance, it’s my favorite part.” She smiles, briefly looking up. “It’s beautiful, a big ballroom with the person you love, dressed up and just dancing to the soft music as you stare into each other ‘s eyes.”
In Shadow’s mind, he flashes back to the dream he had the other night. The one with Sonic in that very ballroom. He grunts, doing his best to keep himself in the moment.
“Y-Yes, of course. It … truly is an incredible scene. Dare I say, cinema peaked with this movie.”
At that moment, a CLICK was heard from the TV, signaling that the tape had finished rewinding. Shadow ejects the tape, placing it back in its shell case. He stares at the cover for a moment before placing the tape back in its rightful spot.
“So… what now?” She asks nervously as she fidgets with her weights.
Shadow hums, thinking for a moment. They can’t call it a night here. Not yet. He hasn’t felt a spark yet.
“Have you had the chance to experience the beauty of this world?”
“Well, I got here yesterday. I’ve only been to the Wachowski’s and now everything you’ve shown me. But I’d love to know more about this planet!” She clasps her hands together, enthusiastic of what comes next.
