THE FASTEST.

he felt like he were disappointing sonic. he could tell that sonic were trying for his sake. hell only knew why, but sonic was. and that meant more to julius than he could properly admit, or even begin to process and parse through. he inhaled a touch through slightly clenched teeth, a hand coming up to rub at the side of his own face. "i.... think that would be for the best. i cannot stand these crowds. and the smell isn't something i'm fond of either."

at that, sonic coughed a little laugh, grinning up at julius, "you really are picky, huh," but it sounds fond, and at that, julius scowls a tad but a blush does cross his expression.

"i can hardly stop myself. you try standing around hundreds of people with enhanced hearing and scent and try not to feel dizzied."

"hey. it's alright, julius." sonic's hand is on julius' arm again. julius pauses, and sonic continues, "these things take time, yanno? small steps are still steps. n'hey, once you're feeling better, you can always try again. maybe at a smaller get-together."

his expression skewed, eyebrows furrowing as julius hugged him. sonic hesitated before hugging back. he could feel julius' face turning and almost tucking closer to him, and sonic swallowed. "....it's gonna be alright, julius. okay?" his voice is quieter, and it does shake a tad. "i promise ya, everything''ll be alright."

he squeezed julius just slightly, breathed out and stepped back, before swiftly and suddenly jerking his hand forward and slamming it into the side of julius' neck and lower jaw, as hard as he could. watched as julius' eyes widened before he slumped over, knocked unconscious.

a gasped exhale, and sonic swallowed before lifting an arm into the air, motioning with a short wave. it took a second or two before those G.U.N soldiers repelled down the sides of those supposedly empty buildings from their hiding spots on the rooftop.

"excellent work, sonic." clearly the leader of this squadron, addressed sonic. sonic was staring at julius, having to look away as some of those soldiers placed larger restraints along julius' wrists. could hear them doing the same to his legs.

"...he'll get the help he needs. you'll make sure of that." he's turning to look up at the man, who flashes a standard for the public smile.

"at G.U.N, nothing is impossible. even robotnik can be reformed under our guidance." a hand juts out, and sonic shakes his hand, glancing over and watching as those double doors closed, julius now tucked detained. that vehicle begins to drive off.

"....can i see him, at least? you've got like, visitations or something, right?"

"i am afraid not. robotnik is a.... let's say a flight risk. he will be better off under our care without any outside influences."

grateful it were just he and sonic again. truthfully, he had only really come to this event because it was sonic that had asked him to. he never would've set foot at one of these shindigs, otherwise.

at sonic's laugh, julius scoffs a breath, "for someone panicked, you certainly kept your cool." naturally, julius thought, and based on sonic's little smirk he seemed to agree.

"yea, well, y'made it pretty easy. nice italian by the way."

"i just thought you deserved to have a fun day out." sonic replied, and maybe it was the earnestness of his tone, but julius looked momentarily startled silent at what sonic had said. not wanting julius to feel awkward, he continued, "but i can also see that this's gettin to ya bit. hey how about we sneak down one of the side roads. letcha breathe for a spell." gloved hand lays on julius' arm, & sonic smiles easily up at him.

"....very well." & julius motioned for sonic to lead, since sonic knew the streets of station square forward and backwards by this point. and so sonic did, led them away from all that hustle and bustle, toward one of the roads that had less car & foot traffic because the road had been blocked off due to the festivities.

ian, really⸻? julius had to fight not make a face of disgust, kept his expression neutral, before smiling and giving a slight nod toward them all. he hated this already. how did any of them find this fun? the crowds were far too loud for julius' ears, that scent of oily greasy foods overwhelmed him.

"sonic do you mind asking him what brings him to station square?" amy's staring up at him, and julius can't tell if she's caught wise already or she's genuinely curious. he keeps that smile plastered on.

"ah, right! sure thing," sonic's turning towards him then, paused to consider before he spoke, "Ok, allora fai finta che ti stia chiedendo perché sei qui."

julius glanced at sonic, impressed. that was near perfect italian. "È un'assurdità, ve ne rendete conto?"

sonic's smiling, but his next words sound a tad sharper, "Dai, non è poi così male."

amy's eyes were practically sparkling as she listened to ian & sonic's exchange, her attentions rapt on sonic in particular, "wow sonic, you sounded so good!" at that, sonic grinned over at her and flashed a thumbs up, "oh gosh, let's see if i remember any words..." turning to face ian, she smiled up at him and spoke, her cadence slowing down and sounding a tad broken up. "il tuo cappello è bello."

"Oh, grazie."

"that in mind, i'm gonna take ian to grab some grub." sonic didn't want make julius feel more pressured, and that meant getting him away from the trio. especially tails, if anyone of them might start pulling the ruse apart it'd be his little buddy. planning to meet up later, sonic 'ian' and the others all went their separate ways.

julius stood there, in that ginger wig, a medium aqua-teal short sleeved shirt with tropical patterns, tan loose straight-legged pants, and a beach hat with a ridiculously massive brim. he had on green coloured contact lenses, with full whites in order to hide that black sclera julius naturally had. he felt completely and utterly moronic, and the sounds of all those hundreds of people and distant music and laughter growing closer as he and sonic walked towards the street for the event was causing a discomfort to broil and simmer deep within his chest.

"okay, so, remember: you're a tourist from another continent and can't speak english too well, which is why you'll be quiet," sonic's glancing up at him, and seems to still a second, "hey," julius feels a soft gloved hand grip at his own. his shoulders twitch and he glances over, shadow of that massive brimmed hat eclipsing and shielding sonic from the sun as julius does so. sonic smiles up at him, squeezes at julius' hand, "you'll do great, julius. it's gonna be alright."

how do you know that? how can you say that so assuredly?

"heeeey, sonic!!" amy's voice sing-songed the second that she saw sonic's quills and saw him shuffling past a group of people walk-dancing across the street to some of the more jivy music playing over the loudspeakers strewn along the sidewalks. she paused then, noticing that sonic was leading someone closer to them. she blinked, hand lowering a touch as her fingers curled, "tails, did sonic mention anything about bringing someone?"

"it's news to me too, just indulge him amy. sonic likes to bring new people for us to meet."

"that's a big hat," knuckles sounded amused by it, not really caring either way who sonic did or didn't bring. wasn't any of his business anyway.

"hey guys, sorry it took a bit t'get here! had to go get my friend." sonic's letting go of his hand, and motions towards him, "this's ian, he's not from around here and can't speak english too much. so sorry if he's quiet."

right then. at that, sonic smiles. "full eye contact lenses. people use them for cosplaying all the time." he sees an eyebrow of julius' lift in silent confusion.

"do i even want to know what cosplay stands for."

"costume play."

"ah, of course, how silly of me."

"....does it hurt?" sonic wonders. julius blinks.

"does what hurt, i don't know what 'it' refers to."

of course he was right, what kind of idea was that? totally out of left field, completely lacking in any thought, entirely out of the realm of possibility-

"unless," no. no no no no- he knew that look on sonic's expression, knew that grin most of all. lips could barely part to begin to say 'sonic' before the shorter's off and running his mouth, and at what he registers julius just stares in mute disbelief before a sharp laugh bursts out of him at how stupid,

of all the things sonic could have said, julius didn't expect to be invited. his eyes widened, lips parting briefly as though too stunned to process it. which he was. catches himself, and steels his expression, a frown etched into features. sonic's telling him no one would recognize him, there'll be so many there. five minutes.

julius' refuting sonic's flimsy reasoning immediately, and sonic gives a short, brief smile. like he's, sad, that he knows it's the truth too. doesn't want it to be, not really. "....yea, guess y'got a point there," he's looking back to the pond now, leaned back on his hands, sort of lounging. hears the rock splash hard along the water's surface before plummeting.... "....unless," there's a spark to his gaze, and sonic glances over at julius with a cheeky grin,

sonic's doesn't go quite nearly as far as his had, which causes him to puff with silent glee. julius is in the midst of finding an even flatter rock, wanting to skip it the absolute farthest so sonic can't hope to catch up, when sonic mentions station square and a festival, of all things.

curious, julius glanced over when he noted movement, and saw sonic rummaging around the grass. what was he doing? then, sonic's picking up a - rock? julius' eyebrow raised. tossing, it skips before going into the water. sonic mentions it not being 'flat' enough. if that's the case.....

he bends down, gloved hand feeling through the grass, until he feels a sizeable rock, flatter than sonic's. smirking, julius lifted it and closed an eye, staring at the pond as if that'd help him aim better.

he waits, knowing. julius was always a curious, competitive kinda guy. it doesn't take long before he's in the grass, and sonic watches him with a small smile, before julius is tossing that rock. it does go pretty far, and at that, sonic whistles, impressed,

"hey, not bad." a thumbs up. his hand grabs another errant rock, and tosses it, watches it go about five before sinking. finally, his mind settles on something. knows it's a long shot, but sonic wants to try,

ah. hm. julius simply stood there, night breeze causing the end tails of his coat to sway in that light wind. his gaze dipped down to sonic, who was sitting there, studying him. before julius looked back toward the pond as sonic wondered if they'd be fighting today or not. tonight, julius wanted to correct, since it was after sundown, but,