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Blue here. One of Eggman's robots, designed to test his custom tracks for Sonic the Hedgehog. Don't worry; I'm not made for open combat, so as long as you don't threaten the Doctor, I won't threaten you.

[virtualhedgehogpred]

-Red kept his hold on Blue until the other stopped patting his back and spoke. He let go and straightened up, despite how badly he wanted to continue clinging. Instead he put a hand over one of his own arms, feeling a little shy about what he just did now. The odd fluttering in his ‘stomach’ wasn’t helping either. Oh, if robots could blush. His ears perked at Blue’s question, and though he knew Blue wasn’t really lecturing him, he still looked away.-

I am really glad you were there to catch me…I…I guess I wasn’t too focused…

-He didn’t want to go further into it than that, especially since the entire reason he had been that out of sorts was fixed now. He didn’t want to make Blue feel guilty all over again. He looked at his counterpart, smiling once more.-

Thanks for lookin’ out for me, Blue.

[virtualhedgehogp1-blog]

-It was strange; even after Red let go, he felt some sort of "phantom touch" from him. Was that his imagination? There was a slight tingle to his arms, and as hard as he tried to ignore it, it did make him feel a little strange inside of him. Ah, well. It wasn't a negative feeling.-

... Yeah.

-For once, Blue was at a loss as to how to properly reply. They were going to be teleported out in a few seconds, anyway, so he supposed that it didn't really matter, though he prided himself often in his eloquent speech. Maybe there was no need for further words at this point. It would be best to just let it lie.

However, he didn't come to this decision without letting a small smile start to trace his face, somewhat of a rarity on the usually-serious bot. Not long after had it appeared had it gone away, but it was a start, at least.-

[virtualhedgehogpred]

-Needless to say Red was surprised when he felt Blue tap his shoulder, to the point he twitched a little, before turning around. He hadn’t been expecting Blue to even talk to him, let alone touch him, and his mind could only think that he was about to receive a lecture for having compromised the mission. But instead his partner seemed hesitant, maybe even nervous, and all Red could do was looked at him curiously. The words ‘I’m sorry’ reached his ears and the sim actually took a moment to make sure his audio-receivers were working correctly. Blue…was apologizing…to him?

‘I didn’t mean what I said.’

He didn’t mean it. The heavy weight that had taken over Red’s mechanical body lifted, and something else entirely welled up in him. Blue did care about him, just like he’d always thought, up until several minutes ago. Red’s eye-ridges furrowed, but the corners of his mouth turned up. With out warning, or even time to think about his own actions, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his partner, holding him in a tight embrace. He wasn’t sure at all how Blue would respond to this, but he couldn’t help it. For some reason he felt compelled to hold the other. His ears lay flat against his head from the overwhelming about of emotion that even he was having a hard time processing.-

It’s okay…-He finally spoke, all though much quieter than normal.- I forgive you. Thank you, and…I’m sorry too. For messin’ up, and…bein’ so annoying all the time…

[virtualhedgehogp1-blog]

-Although a hug was partially expected, Blue couldn't help but tense up when Red gripped him as hard as he did. He squirmed minutely so that the hold wouldn't be so uncomfortable on him, but otherwise the Sonic Simulator remained still, not so much as returning the hug. Hey, it was hard for him just to apologize. Being cuddly wasn't quite his forte, and the other more than made up for that, right? Some part of him was...well, ecstatic that his words had affected Red in such a way that enough enthusiasm was back in his body to make such an affectionate gesture -- and then another, smaller part of him, which was being told to shove it at the moment, was regretting it just a little bit if only because he wouldn't have to deal with the awkward situation of being...eugh, touched by his partner.

His ears flattened against his head as Red continued on. Oh, certainly, he'd messed up quite a few times, and he was definitely very, very annoying, but there was a certain part of him that Blue had missed when he was acting as he just had been, and no doubt he'd rather be annoyed by his partner than brought down by a foul mood. He sighed, bringing one of his hands upward and giving Red a (what he felt was rather silly) pat on the back.-

I'd rather you be that than how you were acting this past stage. How did you fall in that pitfall?

-His tone bordered on lecturing again, but this time there was a different edge to it that had become more obvious: concern, and almost a paternal caring for the other he happened to be lecturing.-

You're lucky that I was there to catch you.

-He'd always be there, though, that was just it. Even though he didn't really need to, he breathed deeply, shutting his eyes. Yes, yes, he would always be there, and that was what counted.-

[virtualhedgehogp1-blog]

[virtualhedgehogpred]

-At the moment, all Red could do was focus on the stage, and trying to catch up to Blue. It was almost the opposite of how his mind had been working before, and though the current situation with Blue had him confused, that near death experience still affected him enough to focus on what really had to be focused on. Survival. He would have plenty of time to think, or maybe even try to talk to Blue, once they were at the end of the stage. 

Blue got there first, which was no surprise to Red. He wasn’t too far behind though, and managed to touch the goal ring only a moment later. The rings that fell and bounced around might as well have not been there at all, because for the first time Red had no interest in them. He merely stared at Blue again, who…was not looking at him. In fact it seemed Blue was meaning to avoid even glancing at Red. The Sonic Sim stepped closer, once again attempting to say something before stopping. He didn’t even know what he was going to say, and it suddenly felt pointless to try. So, he turned away, remaining silent as he waited for the stage to wind down and the two of them to be teleported out.-

[virtualhedgehogp1-blog]

-Blue, on the other hand, was starting to finally come to the conclusion he somehow knew all along: that he was the cause of this situation, that what he was feeling...was something genuine -- guilt. Had he ever felt this way before? Not that he could remember, but that was because he didn't do anything that was worth regretting. All in one day, he'd singlehandedly become the one being that even his boss would look down upon, and the one who suffered from that, from his inability to express himself correctly, was the very one who tried to support him through it. No matter his own shortcomings, Red had supported him and agreed with him, and even though he was annoying, he'd always been nothing short of loyal and devoted to him, and that knowledge, which chose quite a lovely time to crop up, only managed to twist twist twist in further his own behavior, which had been inspired by his need by efficiency...but was mechanical efficiency really necessary for everything?

It didn't take the virtual hedgehog much longer to make up his mind on what he wanted to do. His walk was leisurely in comparison to the racing he had just done, but it still had its intended purpose and carried just as much weight. He gave Red's shoulder a light tap, and at first he was planning on making it quick and painless, but when the words decided to trap themselves in his throat, he had to look away for a few moments as he internally gathered his composure. It'd been the first time he really had to say something like this, and the hole in his stomach couldn't get any wider.-

I'm...

-His eyes snapped back to Red. No, he had to make eye contact with him. Wouldn't it mean less if he didn't?-

I-I'm sorry. For the way I treated you before, I mean.

... I didn't mean what I said.

-He let out a loud exhalation once the admittance finally passed through his lips. While he did feel as if a rock just fell off his chest, there was still a matter of how Red would take it...

He would do anything to make him smile again.-

[virtualhedgehogpred]

-The fall had come so suddenly, yet the shock it should have caused barely hit Red. Normally the feeling of nothing under his feet, where he knew floor should have been, would have at least made him gasp, even though he didn’t breathe. His reaction was so delayed that it wasn’t until he felt Blue’s hand grip his own that he realized he had been falling. Now he gasped, eyes widening as he stared down the bottomless pit. He recovered from it quickly however, and looked up at his partner as he was pulled back onto solid ground. 

Red didn’t move, or really react at all, as Blue looked him over. He only stared at his face, finding something odd in his expression. Alarm? Concern? Red was about to say something, and even started to lift his hand toward the other, but suddenly Blue let go, and let go quickly. Was he mad at Red now? Surely, he had messed up big time, and nearly fallen to his death.-

Bl-

-Then his partner sped off again, but not with out Red noticing that last glance. He stood there, that heavy feeling still in his chest, but now confused as well. He wondered; did Blue save him because losing him would compromise the mission, because that’s what he needed to do for his job, or because he actually did care about him beyond their working relationship? When Blue had been looking Red over, with that alarmed expression on his face Red had begun to believe the latter, but after he let go and continued on…well he wasn’t sure. Red dared to allow a glint of hope ignite in him again, but he was still cautious. After a few moments of just standing there as if frozen Red finally moved again, running to catch up once more. This time doing so with out messing up so severely.-

[virtualhedgehogp1-blog]

-Even with Red starting to call out to Blue, he didn't bother to turn around to look at him, instead focusing back on the track itself. He couldn't bear to witness him anymore, especially knowing that it was he himself who had caused that sort of damage. It didn't matter how many pitfalls that Red went through diving down; it wouldn't ever compare to that pain that he knew was there, that no matter how much he ran away from it would always be present, and he could feel a part of it within himself, clenching his chest. He didn't breathe, but he did let out a few more exhalations than was really necessary, and couldn't help a yawn, too, which didn't spawn out of boredom. He wanted to get this stage over with so he could go ahead and sit down and sort out the chaotic mess that was his mind without Red hovering over him.

He could hear the goal ring's light buzz ahead of him, and it was only this touch to his senses that made him feel the slightest bit satisfied all day. Even then, it was only because it provided him with some place to go, some place where he could reach closure, which was the one thing he needed at the moment. He pushed himself forward as much as he could, lowering his chest as if it would threaten to touch the ground, before finally leaping into the end point, rings spraying out in all directions around him. Ordinarily he'd attempt to go after them (or watch (admittedly with amusement) as Red attempted), but he had no energy this time, and he just watched them fall instead -- anything to keep from looking at his partner who would no doubt catch up.-

[placeofvoicesarchive-blog]

@K6K and Blue

[placeofvoicesarchive-blog]

“Mhm, that’s right. I’m a three thousand year old dead girl… Under the influence of magic that gives me a body. It wears off in three days or so. Good thing you didn’t try to touch me when we first met, or you would’ve gone right through me.”

She says quite casually, as though she were talking about the weather. Hmmm, it doesn’t seem to bother her much any more… Progress is being made, it looks like.

“So where’ve you been, Blue? Has the doctor been keeping you busy or something?”

[virtualhedgehogp1-blog]

Blue twitches an ear, more out of emotional habit than anything else. He's never heard of such a thing before, having firmly believed only in the thought that creatures just plain live and die and that was that; he's never given it any chance to believe that perhaps there's some sort of way that a creature can stay bound to Earth even after he passes.

"I'm adding that information to my memory," he decides, finally, "since there is no reason to suspect that you would be lying about it." Plus, he'd see for himself in three days. He's seen her in spirit form, but he's never connected it to just that. How strange.

He moves onto the other topic that she brings up: "Yes, I have been busy. I don't know why he bothers; Sonic is going to win in the end, and no amount of testing his tracks will we come up with any way to stop him, especially if their layout is generally the same." He shrugs.

[virtualhedgehogpred]

-Red was oblivious to what was going on in Blue’s head. He was lost in his own thoughts, though he understood what he was feeling, or at least thought he did. He had taken Blue’s words to heart, and thought the player one sim really didn’t care about him beyond their working relationship. He felt stupid. He had let himself fall into the ‘illusion’ that Blue at least cared about him on a friend level. But the other robot’s explanation for his actions, such as not telling the Boss when Red did something bad, made sense. It hurt. But it made sense. 

Red was so deep in his negative thinking that he almost didn’t hear the signal, causing him to get a slightly late start. Great, even more reason for Blue not to be impressed with him. Yes, he still felt the need to impress his counterpart. Though he wasn’t sure why anymore. Deep down he must have still thought that if he could prove himself that would get him somewhere. 

He ran as fast as he could to catch up, though once he did he hung back. He didn’t want to get too close to Blue. Red tried to focus on the stage, and even shook his head, but he was having an even harder time than usual. So far at least he was managing to avoid falling, or getting damaged. He was however, falling behind again, despite how hard he was trying to keep up.-

[virtualhedgehogp1-blog]

-Red obviously wasn't on the same wavelength as Blue, who was also rather distracted. Blue had a hard time keeping up even though he was focused on the path ahead since that pain hadn't numbed even though he tried to dim it, and the intensity of it threw off his general balance. Thankfully, his focus was enough to allow him to deftly leap over pitfalls and spikes that darted the path ahead of him and served as obstacles just like anything else that was laid out within these stages. Blue had always prided himself in his ability to "sense" these ahead of time, and although he wasn't doing quite his best he was doing just enough that they proved to be of very little problem.

This sixth sense blended in with another one, and it was this one that made him skid to a screeching stop and turn right back around -- and it was this one that told him that Red was in trouble. Ordinarily the second player virtual hedgehog could take care of himself, but just as he had been off so too had his partner... How could he have been so stupid? He should've been looking after him, heck gone behind him, instead of just speeding ahead! He had been so focused on trying to figure out what had happened to his mind that his partner had completely escaped from it, and for some reason that he couldn't understand the self scolding for such thought direction was worse than it'd ever been before as he dived the way he came, just barely managing to snag Red's hand as he nearly fell down into a bottomless pit.

In this action brought upon a brief clarity to his mind, because all he was focused on was the other simulated hedgehog's safety. Even when he was bringing him back up onto solid ground, he looked him over, the alarm bells lifting the fog that had dampened whatever thought processes he had long enough to assess that his partner would be okay. Another stab, this time one that was unprecedented; he could see his face, his expression, right up against his own, and even though he didn't need to he had to resist the urge to swallow before letting go of Red as if he'd been burned. Something about being in the other hedgehog's presence now was killing him, and he allowed himself only one more meaningful glance before he took off yet again.-

[virtualhedgehogpred]

-Red kept walking, not slowly at all for Blue, though he hadn’t been walking fast at all anyway. He didn’t try to speed up or stop Blue either, his eyes remaining somewhere in between straight forward and looking at the floor. His entire body felt heavy, but his chest was what ached, and he couldn’t even begin to ignore it, even if he was able to play it off.-

Right.

-He spoke flatly. He thought Blue only said that because that’s what they needed to do. The Sonic Simulator Bot continued on, but it didn’t take long to reach the room with in which they would enter to go to the next stage. He paused for a moment before opening the door, saying nothing. There was none of his usual excitement or enthusiasm. No wagging tail, not bouncing up and down on his heels, no jabbering on about how he was totally going to own this one. Just silence.-

[virtualhedgehogp1-blog]

-Wow, that was a stab. Blue felt a very sharp pang in his chest, a lump building in his throat, but he didn't know why. Something about the way Red looked, the way he spoke as well, bothered him immensely. Sure he was not being obnoxious anymore, but this was far worse than that could be. He wasn't sure exactly how it was worse, since all he did was complain about how Red was...

All he did was complain.

The Player One Sonic Sim was the better of the two at hiding, mostly because he didn't know how he felt just yet, but that didn't mean there was nothing to be seen. He was staring right at Red with calculation, but it wasn't the only thing present in his gaze; in fact, he was stiffer than usual, and his ears didn't want to stand tall on his cranium. Ordinarily he'd do his usual Sonic imitation stretches at this point, but somehow he didn't feel like it. In fact, he didn't feel like running this stage at all, which was a first for him. He wanted to sit down and understand what was going on through his head, why it suddenly wasn't his anymore -- and how Red was connected to it.

He didn't have long to muse over it, though. He heard the word "GO!", and that was all the signal he needed before he took off, tunnel-visioned.-

[virtualhedgehogpred]

-As Blue spoke Red’s ears found themselves lowering further and further. He didn’t know why he had ‘emotions’ but he did, and what Blue was saying was hurting. Really bad. He opened his mouth as though to speak, but nothing came out, and he simply shut it again as his eyes lowered to the floor, then closed. He was silent for a long moment, too long. He finally opened his eyes and perked his ears back up, but his expression was blank, and he did not look at Blue.-

I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.

-He started walking around his counterpart, going back the way they had came.-

I’ll see you when the next stage is ready.

[virtualhedgehogp1-blog]

-The satisfaction that had welled up within Blue because of Red's compliance died before it could really see day as he took in the other's facial expression. The Sonic Simulator was no expert when it came to reading other hedgehogs, but it didn't take a genius to figure out what he'd said had an impact that was beyond what he intended. Sure, he wanted to silence him; sure, he wanted him to stop being annoying; but never had he wanted him to walk off with a lowered head and fabricated (only because of their condition as androids) glassy eyes.

Blue also wasn't an expert when it came to reading his own feelings, but that didn't mean he didn't have them. He did feel some sort of gnawing sensation in his chest which he tried to ignore, but it grew to be painful in its own way -- in a deeper way. And try as he might to think that it wouldn't cripple him, it did, to the point that when he followed Red, he could barely think straight.-

We need to go...together.

-It was somewhat forced, as if he was trying to think of at least something to say instead of leaving the heavy atmosphere hanging between the two of them. It didn't help in the slightest.-

[placeofvoicesarchive-blog]

@K6K and Blue

[placeofvoicesarchive-blog]

“Very, very easily.” She can’t help but chuckle at this. It sounds rather tired. “I’m usually one myself.”

[virtualhedgehogp1-blog]

"You...are?"

Blue stares at her, uncomprehending. Give him some credit, he's just a Sonic Simulator.

[virtualhedgehogpred]

Yeah…

-He sighs and puts his hand down, and lowers his eyelids half way.-

That’s all that’s needed.

-Red repeats what Blue said, but in a tone that makes it clear he doesn’t believe that. He doesn’t feel like arguing anymore though.-

[virtualhedgehogp1-blog]

Red, we were created with a specific purpose in mind. We do what we are supposed to, nothing more, nothing less.

Just because you were bluffing doesn't mean I was. You are much too focused on that ridiculous notion of 'attachment', and it makes you oblivious to what's actually in front of you. You believe in me doing the opposite of my job because, somehow, you're deluded into thinking that maybe I give an ounce about you more than what I'm created to do.

The only reason I had not told the Boss those other times is that I thought it wasn't beneficial to our mission. You are designed to be my follow-up; doing away with you would fault Robotnik's plans, especially if something were to happen to me.

[virtualhedgehogpred]

-Red grumbles and runs a hand over his face. For crying out loud.-

Gee, thhaanks. 

You know you’re not all posies and sunshine to deal with either!

[virtualhedgehogp1-blog]

At least I focus on what I'm supposed to do.

That's all that's needed.

[placeofvoicesarchive-blog]

@K6K and Blue

“For the next three days I’m going to be stalked by the spirits of family members. Only two of them I’ll be happy to see, but knowing my luck this whole thing will be some sort of roulette and I’ll be stuck with the worst of them.” She grumbles, crossing her arms.

[virtualhedgehogp1-blog]

"... How is that possible? How can spirits even exist?" The (literal) gears seemed to be turning behind Blue's eyes.

[virtualhedgehogpred]

How does it DEPEND?!

[virtualhedgehogp1-blog]

Some days you annoy me more than others.

And on some days, you can be -- barely -- tolerable.

It depends.

[virtualhedgehogpred]

I was bluffing, dude!

-He stands in front of the blue sim.-

Of course I care, I don’t want boss to be mad at me! And he’d get REALLY mad if he knew I said something like THAT! You don’t want me decommissioned do you??

[virtualhedgehogp1-blog]

...

It depends.

[virtualhedgehogpred]

Hrk-

No, wait!

-Red quickly runs to catch up to him.-

Don’t, Blue, seriously!

[virtualhedgehogp1-blog]

-You're lucky Blue stopped, Red.-

You just told me that you don't care.

[virtualhedgehogpred]

Yeah, well…

Go ahead, then! I don’t care! 

-He’s totally bluffing.-

[virtualhedgehogp1-blog]

Fine.

-And then he walks off. Oh.-