Sometimes this relentless search got to be too much. Warping to yet another world, then another, and another, it never ends, and still Shadow feels like he's getting nowhere. Hope is dwindling again, dragging down his drive and motivation along with it, leaving room for all the ache and longing to sink into his flesh and lungs. It makes it so much easier to feel overwhelmed by everything around him.

City buildings feel so much taller, looming over him in a way that makes his quills stand on end, and the noise. The noise layers on top of itself, growing louder and louder, like all the cities he's been in are blurring into one.

It makes Wander all the more grateful for the escape nature provides. The sounds are still lingering, but growing fainter as quick steps take him to the city's outskirts. Even after a few drinks he's still on edge, but now on a quiet path accented only by the chirping of crickets, and the occasional skittering of other nocturnal creatures, the hedgehog's starting to come down.

How long has he been breathing this heavily?

A deep inhale and Wander steels his nerves, then starts making a conscious effort to ground himself. A glance to the left- he can see most of the city from up here on this hill, but his eyes don't linger there, instead looking straight ahead. Only to catch sight of something that stops him dead in his tracks.

Quills bristle as his heart rate rockets up again, Wander blinks and shakes his head, but it doesn't seem like he's seeing things. Mere feet in front of him stands a being so tall he has to crane his neck back to see their face, and even then he has no idea what to make of them. He's never seen a Mobian- or any creature- that looks like this. And they're dressed so fancy...

"... And here I thought I didn't have that much to drink," he comments quietly- but still loud enough to be heard, whether he intended that or not- his tone a strange mix of joking and uneasy.