LIVE AND LEARN

     It certainly wasn’t his intention, but Quirrel seems to have upset the poor adolescent. What a tricky situation this is.

     “Has my answer upset you? I meant no offense, friend.” It occurs to Quirrel that the yelling is attracting attention. He gestures towards an alley partially hidden by flower pots, neighbored by a gardening shop that oversteps its space. “I think it best we clear this matter, but private matters are for private places. Shall we chat away from this crowded square?”

Shadow has no idea how to even begin processing all of this. How does Quirrel not recognize him? Has Shadow somehow traveled to the past or something? Great. This is just great! Just another hilarious curveball this city has decided to throw his way! Shadow ducks his head and screams into his palms, muffled. When he pulls his hands away, he seems... well, sadder, but calmer. 

aged, ancient, he’s beyond attacking anyone in sight who nettled his personage. if he made a habit of leaving corpses in his wake, there would be very little left but ASH. this, above all else, would be a learning experiment for the rodent, lest he desire BRUISING to last his whole life. ganondorf may have said his piece, fully with the intention of returning to his business, and YET —— out of the corner of his eyes, the little vermin STRIKES! he hisses. ❝haven’t you learnt anything? you’re a wet behind the ears CHILD on top of a rat.❞ tempted, he is, to simply cast his repellant spell, but why waste it on something so PATHETIC. a clawed hand clenched round the hilt of his wooden blade, swinging it not too differently to one who’d swing a baseball bat.

Shadow lets out a sharp sort of cough noise as the wooden sword solidly connects with his middle. There’s a split second where everything seems to slow to a crawl, owing to all his momentum screaming to a halt and being replaced with the force of the wooden blade going in the opposite direction, and it’s in that moment that Shadow thinks maybe he ought to reconsider picking fights with people over twice his size while he’s stuck in this hellhole. 

     “Jokes? I’m sorry to not catch your meaning.” This small, fuzzy individual looks distressed… were they companions at some point? Perhaps they’ve molted since then, and Quirrel doesn’t recognize their new form? Regardless, he can’t fathom what could require such a serious apology. “I can’t recall any transgression, so you needn’t worry about apologizing. Surely I’d remember were it important!”

     “Could you remind me of your name? I’m Quirrel, but you already knew that.”

Shadow’s expression shifts from mild bewilderment and annoyance to full on desperation. His brows raise, and he grits his teeth before he starts babbling.

     This prickly creature seems kind enough, and while Zuko still finds it a bit strange to be talking to him, it is of some comfort to know that there are other people here who have felt just as angry and confused as he has. Tired amber eyes meet Shadow’s and the prince gives a little nod. “Yeah, it could be worse… No one’s tried to kill me yet at least. I appreciate your offer to help, but I’m… not exactly sure where to even begin asking for help.” Help also wasn’t something Zuko was used to asking for.

     They’re quiet for a moment and Zuko glances up toward the blue, clear skies. “So, uh, what kind of place are you from? It seems like everyone here is from another universe. I don’t understand how something like that is even possible, but it seems to be the truth.” It was either the truth, or this was one of the most realistic and long-lasting nightmares Zuko has ever had. Part of him hopes that he’s just going to wake up somewhere and find out that his uncle rescued him from the North Pole. Part of him wonders if he froze to death in the snow and this is really just the afterlife.

Shadow starts off with a shrug. Normally he wouldn’t have been so keen on sharing, but he sees little point in keeping his home a secret. He hasn’t found a way back yet, and he doubts anyone else would follow him even if he does. “It’s not too much different from here, I suppose. Just with more people like me,” Shadow answers.

     The day is bright, and the plaza is active. Quirrel surveys the area, watching people enter and leave the shops and enjoying the breeze. It’s a lovely day, and perhaps that cushions the surprise of someone he doesn’t recognize calling him by name.

     “Oh? Hello there!” His tone is friendly, but he immediately looks the stranger up and down. Is this the person who brought him here? They’re small, smaller than he is, and seem young. They’re unarmed as well, and he relaxes somewhat. No, they aren’t his captor. Just a stranger who knows his name. “I don’t suppose we’ve met before? You’ll have to forgive me for forgetting a friendly face. In my travels, I’ve not reunited with many bugs.”

     “Are you a traveler as well, then? I’ve only just arrived here recently, but what a lovely place! Such nice weather, and such friendly people. Spirale seems a wonderful island indeed.”

Shadow’s eyes widen a little. Is this... some kind of joke? Why is Quirrel acting like they’ve never met before? He pauses where he is, just trying to process what’s happening. 

he cannot help but LAUGH.

even if it weren’t for the ARROGANCE that was as part of him as hair and clothes, he’d find this to be a most AMUSING sight. the creature may be more powerful than appearances suggest, but even so, his attitude positively drips with BRAZEN energy. a chuff of sound echoes from betwixt king’s lips.

❝not very mannerly of you to cause such a stir in a public space. i’d rather not subject these citizens to the SIGHT of your broken body.❞ almost like scolding a child with his words. ❝i APPRECIATE your spirit, but i am growing too old for silly games, rat.❞

Shadow certainly isn’t deaf to the patronizing bite in the man’s words. He thinks he’s so tough, doesn’t he? Just because he’s three times Shadow’s size doesn’t mean he couldn’t take him down. Granted, his last fight didn’t go so well, either. He could’ve won, though! He had the guy on the ropes!

He’s a bit too busy sizing up his opponent to really hear what he’s saying, but one word does pierce through the rest. Suddenly, Shadow’s spines are pricked again, and his ears are flattened. 

“If that’s something you want, I think it’s something you can attain. He might not want to talk, but you won’t know until you try– you’ve already given him time to think and the space to reflect. I think approaching him now would be appropriate if you do it in the right way.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong by choosing to hope and believe in the goodness and sincerity of others. Please do not feel guilty over your actions; you did the best you could with the information you were given. If you find yourself in a similar situation in the future, though, in which you and a friend disagree, I would recommend pausing to consider their view as well as your own. Before resorting to anger, try explaining your thoughts and feelings as you’ve explained them to me, and respect that even with an explanation, you and Quirrel will not always agree on what’s right. …that’s easier said than done in high-stakes, stressful situations like the situation with NULL, but pausing to think will always be helpful if you can manage it.”

Dumb and angry. Not the ideal language for Shadow to use about himself.

“I doubt that Quirrel will truly think less of you if you go and explain yourself. If anything, I think it will help give context to the way you interacted with him. Even if he does, isn’t it more important to reconcile than to preserve your pride? You’re not dumb, Shadow. You made a mistake– a reasonable one– and the only wrong here is any lingering hurt Quirrel might be feeling. I would recommend apologizing for that, explaining yourself, and asking Quirrel if he has anything he’d like to say about the situation. Give him a chance to talk and tell you how you can help him, and then try to forgive yourself. What do you think of that plan?”

Shadow manages to keep himself from interrupting, or even really fidgeting that much as Rung speaks. He feels as though he should have known better. He feels as though he cannot be redeemed or forgiven for what he’s done. But what Rung is saying makes complete sense. They both had their reasons to believe what they did, and Quirrel isn’t all that unreasonable. Even so, Shadow has already been forgiven for worse, hasn’t he?

“...Yeah. It sounds like a good plan,” Shadow answers. He’s never really apologized before, simply atoned. But that isn’t really an option here, is it? Here, Shadow is weak. He has no powers, no services to offer. All he has is his words; words he used against his friend, so it only stands to reason that they would mend what’s broken.

A buzz seems to have overtaken the city. People are wandering about in confusion, but Shadow thinks little of it. People are always confused in Spirale. These must be more new arrivals--Shadow isn’t about to concern himself with them. This place boils over with new faces every other day, it feels like.

Eventually, Shadow finds the bug he’s looking for. Quirrel is wandering around the plaza with a new hat--probably to keep the sun out of his eyes. Shadow pauses just out of Quirrel’s sight, suddenly seizing with apprehension. What if he’s just rejected out of the gate, before he can get any apology out? But it doesn’t matter--he has to try, and he’s not about to back down from something so simple as this.

“Hey, Quirrel,” he starts, clearing his throat. “Uh... Funny seeing you here.”

@palevurm​ asked:  thots on sonic

TOPIC META MEME: NOT ACCEPTING

Shadow first regarded Sonic with complete disdain, as someone that was getting in his way and irritating to boot. But he slowly became a challenge. Shadow is a very arrogant character--so the fact that Sonic could rival his speed drove him up the wall but also intrigued him. Just who was this guy that could stand toe to toe with the Ultimate Lifeform and live to tell the tale?

He was a challenge to Shadow’s sense of superiority, and he still is. More often than not nowadays, Shadow and Sonic are pit against one another in terms of competition rather than a difference of morals or goals. But that, to me, implies something else: these two trust and respect each other. 

Consider: at the end of SA2, these two are fighting side by side after spending the whole game bickering and fighting and almost killing each other. They’ve come to realize they both want the same thing, but as Shadow comes to terms with his past, Sonic just... accepts it. He accepts that Shadow was misguided and he accepts that they can move on from it. Granted, there was a giant lizard hellbent on destroying earth, but even after they see each other again in later games, they slot right back into their rivalry and still occasionally fight side by side. 

What I’m really getting at is I think that Sonic is one of the few people Shadow has ever met that he respects and even cares about. Sonic has proven time and time again that he can take whatever Shadow can dish out and still come back with open arms and a smarmy smile on his face. Shadow feels like no matter what he does, he just can’t get rid of this stupid blue hedgehog. 

     Zuko blinks a little in surprise, running his hands tiredly down his face. Alright, that MIGHT not have been the kindest way to address another sentient creature. “Uh, I’m human as far as I know,” he replies awkwardly. “Sorry, I haven’t slept much since I’ve gotten here and it’s getting hard to tell if something is real or if I’m just seeing things…”

     The prince lowers himself to the ground, resting his back against one of the dozens of cherry blossom trees in this park. Zuko’s been drawn to the Cotes ward the most out of the rest of the city – the foliage and architecture was the most familiar. They’re now at something closer to eye level and Zuko looks him up and down for a moment. “Uh, my name’s Zuko.” Typically, Zuko would be a little more hesitant to give out his name, but no one here seemed to have any connection to his world whatsoever. His name and status meant nothing in Isola.

Shadow huffs, his quills still prickling and his brows furrowed. But after a moment, he seems to soften. He has a feeling it had not been intentional, but this guy did bother to lower himself. And besides that, Shadow finds himself feeling sorry for the guy. He remembers when he first arrived, how frightening and confusing it all was. How weird it still is. Nobody had come to help him... Maybe there’s something Shadow can do for Zuko now.

tagged by @beyond-use​

“I see. You’re not alone in those feelings; this city unfortunately comes with its own unique set of stressors, and you have every right to have felt all that you’ve just described.” Rung wishes he had more answers to give his patient, but he’s as alone and trapped and clueless as everyone else here. He can’t offer certainty, but he can eventually offer methods for dealing with that lack of certainty and those feelings of not quite belonging.

Rung scribbles down a few hasty notes about Shadow’s thought processes, his isolation here, and Quirrel, then sets his pad aside again and steeples his fingers in thought.

“I understand what it’s like to be culturally isolated here. Perhaps later we can discuss some possible ways to feel reconnected with your homeworld and species, but first I’d like to say that I’m proud of you for putting in the effort to connect with someone here, even though he is different from you. …I’m acquainted with Quirrel– the bug from Hallownest, yes? I have a feeling that with him, reconciliation is not out of the question. Do you want to reconcile with him, Shadow?”

Quirrel is a good, reasonable person. Rung’s more than confident that he will be able to forgive Shadow sooner or later. …assuming, of course, that the hedgehog didn’t hurt him too badly.

“Tell me what happened when you parted ways. I think once I get a better sense of that, we can work on a plan to help mend this relationship. Having the support of a friend again should make it easier for you as we work towards your other goals for these sessions. How does that sound?”

“Of course I do!” Shadow says, his ears flattening, but he seems to draw closer into himself as Rung asks about what exactly happened. It’s a painful memory--emotions ran so high. If he hadn’t been so brash, so angry, things could have been different. “I wasn’t... I wasn’t very nice to him, though. I don’t know if he’d want to talk.”

He sighs. “It was during the almost-apocalypse that happened a little while ago. I sided with NULL. I just... I wanted to go home. I was--I am afraid, that something horrible is happening there, and I’m not there to stop it. I made a promise that I wouldn’t abandon the people there, and I should have known that NULL’s promise was too good to be true, I just... I had to go home. I would have done anything to do it.

     “No, no, you don’t need to apologize. No one could be prepared for this.” When Quirrel died, he hadn’t expected to arrive here afterwards. It’s odd enough for him to experience, and he can’t imagine how difficult it must be for a young person, especially one who had so many connections and so much purpose in his old world. This must be a great loss for Shadow.

     “… If you ever need to talk about your feelings, Shadow, I listen just as well as I chatter.”

Shadow sucked in a breath, doing his best to collect himself before he looks back at Quirrel again. He has hardly spoken to anyone about his feelings, or his past. It’s a little too late for that now--he’s broken down in front of Quirrel already, only to be met with compassion and understanding. Surely he can trust him. It’s just a matter of when Shadow is ready.

“Pfft– Well, I can transfer them to you whenever you want. What pet are you planning on getting?”