Latest Posts by drrobctnik - Page 5

he hadn't heard the name julius uttered in, so long. nowadays it was Robotnik, or Doctor, or Monster, Villain ⸻ but julius? he hadn't thought he'd ever enjoy hearing his name again. nor how much he'd missed being called that, in that absence. maybe he hadn't let himself think on that for too long to really register the depth.

at being told he had a nice name, a blush crossed his expression, and that sincere, awkward smile was back. & as imad said that julius was the first, oh. oh his heart.

he wanted that. more; more, selfishly, greedily, wanted to be the first for imad. a need coiled in his body and he did his best to stifle that, not wanting to get too overwhelmed. might make his chaos energy go out of control again.

a little chuckle leaves him, the noise soft and an airy sort of breath to the sound. "i'm glad." is this what that feeling was? he wouldn't know, hadn't had anything to feel glad about in quite some time. if he had ever. couldn't put a name to most emotions, at points ⸻ but he'd said that without thinking. so it was probably true. maybe that had come from his heart.

"i," a slight hesitation here, but julius pushes through that, "is there anything you might want to do? now that you're here."

julius... what an interesting name.

he doesn't mind that the handshake went on for longer than was considered polite, figuring julius just might not be used to doing such things and perhaps didn't know the unspoken rules of it. then again maybe he just liked having physical contact, given julius' stone was no longer in the picture.

despite it though stone keeps his smile, feeling a bit happy that the man was willing to open up a bit more, even if it was brief.

"it is nice to properly meet you as well, julius. you have a rather nice name yourself. I do not think I've ever met someone named that before, so you'll be the first."

⸻ ft. imad stone x julius robotnik ⸻

( "i can't lose you." )

crafted by fritzi & wilhelm.

Be so completely yourself that everyone wants to kill you

i'd like to know you ⸻ hearing those words felt, bizarre. as precious and as warm as sunlight, they felt & yet that ever present and nagging fear, numbness threatened julius at the mere notion. the mere fraction of a thought: until you won't. until julius said or did something that was too much, too confusing, too outlandish or too contradictory, or too selfish or too sensitive or too⸻ he was scared, at the thought of losing this. losing him.

& just how much of himself was he willing to give, could he give? could he give parts that stone would help him to understand? julius had always wondered that, how he was supposed to just KNOW things innately when no one ever bothered to teach him, to explain, to show him. to let him feel, not that he felt very often or for very long.

at the reassuring smile, julius gives a small, awkward, brief one in return. like he isn't used to smiling very often, never sincerely. at what is said next, julius blinks, his turn to be caught off guard. oh. right. he supposed they never introduced themselves, did they?

"julius," he steps forward, reaching a hand out and shaking imad's, "it's nice to meet you, imad. er, properly." julius' touch lingers, not wanting to let go of imad's hand. he's probably shaking it for too long. how long did one normally shake another's hand?? julius glanced down, cleared his throat, finally stopped shaking imad's hand after probably 30 seconds, rubbed at the side of his neck again.

considered, but then stepped back, wanting to give imad space. "....your name suits you, i like it."

the little apology caught him off guard, and he chooses to nod as he shifts his weight from one foot to the other, seeing yet another change in the man's demeanor. stone figured julius was likely pushing himself way out of his comfort zone, and he really did wonder just why that was. the man had shown he was very capable of deflecting, of being indifferent to what stone said and even expressed, so why the change of heart?

"I'd like to know you, as much as you feel comfortable telling me. In turn I will tell you about myself, that way it is an even exchange."

he offers him a reassuring smile, his previous look of annoyance fading away as he takes on a more friendly stance. "We could start with our first names, yeah? I am Imad, what is yours? I'd at least like to properly address the person I am speaking with."

the silence was strangling. felt like it had a vice grip on his throat, threatening to close up his windpipe. great job being quiet, julius, you stupid piece of shit⸻ say something. SAY SOMETHING, FUCKING TALK⸻

"......i'm," his fingers shift, and he moves to rub a hand along the side of his own neck, not looking at stone as he says this, "i'm sorry you never got to tell ivo," that felt strange to say, "the things you wanted to." he felt jealousy nip in his chest and knew that was irrational and stupid. he barely knew stone after all. & clearly they were both lonely from, everything either of them had gone through. but julius wanted to throw caution to the wind and let himself feel jealous, want stone, want, want⸻ he always wanted but never knew how or if he should sate that wanting. if he had the right to.

what had stone called it? marinating? just marinating, coasting through life, he supposed. doing what he felt he had to. a death without dying.

he exhaled, not sure he had it in him to explain more. there was so much more he felt he wanted to say, it was conflicting. he was scared that if he didn't now, the opportunity might never present itself again. he wondered if that itself was irrational, or maybe stupid, or naive. too emotional, too sensitive. he also couldn't stand the silence. wanted to speak with stone, but didn't know how. was he afraid of judgment? rejection? stone recoiling?

was he scared more, maybe, of stone stepping forward to meet him, and accepting it? what would that mean? to be seen, accepted, wanted not in spite of his ugliness or his horrors or his darkness but because of it.

"...i want," he swallowed, inhaled shortly, exhaled, and finally looked at stone again, "i want to tell you. i do. i just... i don't know how. no one's, ever bothered to ask, before. to want to know," he isn't sure how to express that, so he, he just lays a palm against his own chest. as if to silently say 'to know me', all of him.

stone knew by the silence that seemingly yet again he'd said the wrong thing, and a small part of him was starting to grow irritated at that fact. he tries to do his best to listen and be reassuring but it's perceived as anything but, and he practically has to stop himself from letting out a frustrated sigh at the entire scenario.

he knew very well when to pick and choose his battles, and right now his annoyance was not needed nor welcomed.

so instead of speaking and potentially further souring things between them he just stands there, arms resting loosely over his chest as he watches julius stand up. there really wasn't much in the way of anything that he could say to the man, it seemed.

he could feel himself starting to clam up again. julius hadn't been finished, he'd just paused to try and figure out how to word the rest of it. if he could. it'd been hard enough to even get out those small bits and portions. & where stone might think his words were comforting, they were the exact opposite.

⸻ all that did was reaffirm to julius that he was supposed to be the one to be in that position. to be the one leading. to be the one that was meant to be sadistic. or to be the one that was meant to ⸻ what had he said? 'enslave humanity'? not unlike that time julius'd been told he was to lead his squadron despite not wanting to at all and feeling as though james had been better for the job.

if he had the energy in him, he might've gotten angered. but that odd numbness that settled into his heart and mind, sort of felt like a fog. like what little bit of hope he had for that ever happening cracked and slipped away. & julius just, let it.

"....." he isn't certain what to say, to stone telling him that he was happy that he trusted him enough. he exhales, and lets go of his hand before standing up, forcing himself to, even though he doesn't truly want to.

a big part of stone wasn't surprised with the reply julius gave, as he figured they had to be something someone wouldn't want to actually voice. the thing stone was surprised about was the man's willingness to humor him and actually give an explanation. stone knew it was likely very difficult if julius' body language were any give away.

however when the topic changes to him, or rather the stone that belonged to julius' timeline, he felt his heart start to race. how odd it was to hear those words come from his mouth, as if julius were some sort of mindreader and was voicing the thoughts stone had a long, long time ago.

it was the same explanation he would have given to ivo if he were able, but that didn't matter. not anymore, not since...

he meets julius' gaze with a soft one if his own, trying to figure out how to reply.

"I know how you feel. those thoughts that you have. they were the same words I wished I had told to ivo, before he..." he quiets, clearing his throat as he wills the tears away, "before he sacrificed himself. I'm not sure what happened to your stone, but I have a feeling we are in the same situation where we are missing our respective companions."

again silence on stone's part, but it is only a moment before he speaks again. "I am happy you trust me enough to share such a personal and vulnerable part of yourself with me."

at the question, a laugh bubbles out of him, the sound equal parts disbelief that stone is genuinely asking, and maybe some shock that someone wants to hear. mostly, a sort of bitterness, at everything and everyone else⸻

"....h," voice catches, stuttered breaths, gasped exhale. feeling that squeezing on his shoulder, julius grips at stone's hand so tightly. & yet it's conscious enough at least to ensure he isn't hurting stone while doing so. if julius weren't careful he was more than capable of shattering stone's hand without much thought. "horrible thoughts, or at least i've been told they're horrible. directly, indirectly."

his fingers twitch but still upon feeling stone's skin on the top of his hand. his gaze is darting along the ground as he tries to piece together what it is he wants to say, how to say it. whether or not it'll make sense. whether or not he means it. whether he should. can he?

finally, julius glances upward, meeting stone's face. he pauses, gaze locked with stone's. though that self-conscious, anxiety spiked pit of himself wanted to look away, afraid, he didn't. wouldn't. h-he had to, face this, even if it meant being vulnerable. only with stone,

"i wanted, to give you everything. i thought you deserved a throne. if you'd wanted to kill everyone, then i'd help you with that. not because i get any real joy out of it ⸻ well, maybe a little ⸻ but it'd mostly be by proxy of you. knowing that's what you wanted. ....so long as you're, fulfilled, then i'd be content just to be there."

he trails off, gaze dropping again.

there's more, of course there is. that barely scratches the surface, and julius isn't even certain that he's explained that properly. he's never trusted his own words. he could barely make sense of his own emotions mentally, how was he supposed to vocalize his wants and desires in a way that anyone else would understand, or listen to, let alone ever accept or view as 'healthy' or 'good'?

whatever brief smile stone had on his face was wiped away instantly when he heard what julius said, which caused stone's blood to run cold. 'I can't lose you', words that paralleled the ones he had said to ivo in desperate attempt to get him to stop what he and his grandfather had planned. he clears his throat at that as he buries the memory, planning to revisit it at another point in time.

at least he seemed to have an idea on what happened to this robotnik's stone...

he listens to him, his grip on julius' shoulder never faltering. if anything, he gives it a gentle squeeze, a silent affirmation that stone would not judge him for anything he was saying or would say.

"what thoughts do you have?" he asks, voice soft as he waits for julius to answer.

hello ! trying this smaller promo thing out so ! if you are interested in writing with an agent stone from the sonic franchise, would you mind giving this a like and/or reblog ? 21+ to follow and many verses available ! tysm ❤️

CARRD

( followbacks come from @/robotn1k as this is a sideblog ) !

What is Your Hate Language?

VIOLENCE

Physical Violence is a common, yet bold hate language. It’s old as time and is as natural as rain. It’s often one of the first thoughts that come to us when we feel hatred, but you actually have the moxie to go through with it. Fist fights at bars and you think assassination is the best option in politics. You’re an absolute loose canon. Your most likely crime would be murder. The only down side of this hate language is how hard it is to get away with it.

he was healing, of course, quicker than it'd scar. it'd need extended prolonged contact to do any actual lasting damage. julius is trying and failing to breathe properly, but stone's voice causes him to lift his head, hands still lifted up close to his face but no longer clasping or hiding. "talk to me, please."

how? HOW? he didn't know HOW to⸻ what to say⸻ how to explain⸻ if he should⸻ what if he fucked it all up⸻ what if⸻

"i'm here to listen to you and help." a hand on his shoulder. gaze flicks down to stone's hand. stares. julius focuses. exhales unevenly, focusing on his left hand, that feeling of warmth leaving his palm. his fingers twitch, but he moves to lay his palm overtop of stone's on top of his shoulder, eyes closing. inhales, exhales.

"....i can't lose you," the words are weighted: an ache and a sorrow and yet a guilt and regret and self-anger causing them to sound like even the very air from julius' lungs are burning, "i⸻ i can't, control.... s-sometimes, the energy," he falters, shamed, gaze now on the ground between himself and stone. unable to look at stone. not trusting himself to be able to handle whatever expression stone was making or whatever look stone was lobbing his way.

"it goes, haywire, a-and then my mind," fingers twitch slightly against stone's hand, pressing into his hand a tad more. as though needing to grip tightly to stone and never let go, "i start, having these⸻ thoughts."

stone doesn't flinch when julius suddenly grabs his wrist, though he does briefly knit his eyebrows together as he tries to figure out just why the man had done that. perhaps to ground himself? that was likely it, until...

he felt like his wrist was on fire, and just as quick as he had looked down julius had rescinded his grip and quickly backed away. what was more odd was the fact stone could have sworn he smelt burning flesh, the scent unmistakable to the former agent.

julius was... burning? mumbling to himself as well. stone doesn't move towards him however, simply choosing to remain where he was and just observe the other for a minute or so before finally speaking.

"hey... what's happening? talk to me, please. I'm here to listen to you and help," he says softly as he kneels down in front of him, reaching out a hand to rest on the man's shoulder in an act of comfort.

MUSE'S HANDWRITING

Go HERE and find a script that suits your character's handwriting!

mother and father issues are so valid like yeah i do take issue with the way you two behaved. Actually

“   you had me worried .   ”

"for a moment there, i couldn't find you. you had me worried."

julius glanced up, a smile lighting up his expression at the sight of james stone leaned against the doorframe into the g.u.n break room. james returned that smile, easily & readily. he pushed off the frame and walked into the room itself, gently setting down a file onto the table and sliding it over so that way julius would catch it.

"your field test results, revised after our studies." james sounded, proud, and julius could feel his heart pounding in anticipation yet fear. even with james' help, what if he'd failed? what if⸻

"julius," his attentions were brought back up to james yet again. met with that affectionate and yet ever-confident smile, "let's have some coffee in your quarters. while we go over the results."

his eyes brightened, a sort of goofy giddy smile crossing julius' expression as he hopped up out of his seat, "i'll grab the coffees then," james knew that julius preferred doing this. it was why he had mentioned it: a way to take julius' mind off the anxieties and fears that had hung over him like a darkened cloud.

his gaze lingered where julius had been seated, now following julius' pepped up step over to the nearby coffee machine in the break room. a small laugh threatened james, but he stifled it, "i'll meet you there." & trusting julius to know he meant his quarters, james turned and left the break room, that file tucked under his arm.

"Robotnik will lead your squadron," their supervisor announced, lowering that page back onto the clipboard. he was about to turn away from them all, but julius stepped forward, clearing his throat,

"Sir, with respect, i-" he motioned over to stone, "erm, shouldn't Stone be leading the squadron. he's far more capable than i-"

"you've got rank and seniority, Robotnik."

"so?" julius said it without thought, and the supervisor seemed almost offended that julius dare question his decisions. "stone's got better experience in the field, and he's-"

"YOU are the leader, Robotnik."

julius' eyebrow twitched, and he exhaled, nodding.

"hey, don't sweat it jules," wolfe grinned, clasping a hand onto julius' arm. julius gave him a small, polite smile, "i trust you."

the others in the squadron all pat julius' shoulder, agreeing in their own ways. clearly trying to blow air under his sails, and he enjoyed their company, but he doubted their opinions. they hadn't seen how abysmal his files were on field work. he could gather samples and scout things, but actual physical missions that required sheer tact, understanding and know-how on leading?

was the room spinning? did he feel warmer? he felt a hand cupped at his face, then, and julius blinked, "julius, look at me," stone's voice. and julius did, glanced over at stone, staring down at him. stone smiled, "you can do this. and even if you think you can't, you can work at it until you improve."

stone always knew how to put things in a way that julius respected. he nodded, expecting stone to pull his hand away. stone's gloved hand lingered against his face, though. julius blinked, head lilting to the side a touch. what-?

stone's hand slipped away, and he gripped at julius' wrist, tugged him so that way julius began to walk alongside stone, "come on, i can run you through some basic potential field scenarios so you can study."

🎉

post 🎉 and let your followers tell you about how you're doing with you character portrayal underneath!

julius had just discovered about his own experimentations; those memories ⸻ of being injected, killing the scientists after he'd lost control ⸻ he had shackled away and compartmentalized. locked and buried deep within, yet always a nagging. a ghost of dreams, thinking them only bad nightmares, horrible intrusive thoughts that couldn't possibly⸻ but they were real. they were memories, and julius was not a human. hadn't been in decades, not since he'd been a young boy.

the rage he'd felt was indescribable. he couldn't stay with G.U.N any longer, knowing now what he did. & so julius sought to leave the base, but not before exacting some revenge. this organization had done nothing but take, take, take from julius. time he returned that favour.

before this though, he sought out agent stone. stone, julius had decided, was not part of the plan. stone was one julius couldn't bring harm to, no matter how annoyed and irritated he may be feeling. so, julius had told stone that they'd be parting ways, and stone was to leave the base. julius made up some small lie about stone being relocated to a different G.U.N base without him. convincing enough, julius decided. that done, he left, headed back to his own quarters.

& didn't exit from his 'room' for the next few days, planning.

of course, missing his duties meant that eventually the G.U.N base supervisor and some of his men were obligated to check in on robotnik. he could hear them now, knocking on the door and demanding that robotnik open the door, before they broke it down. he stood there, memories of those agonies ghosting along his ear.

he could feel it now, so easily: that power swelling within his chest, swirling and building, arcing down his arms and kissing his fingertips with warmth. he gathered that chaos energy into his palms, noting that bright red energy that gathered like a mist initially before transforming into a brighter plasma, a low bubbled laugh rolling out of julius' mouth at the sight. a grin split along his expression ⸻ HE WAS GOING TO ENJOY THIS ⸻, and he moved, hurling that sphere of chaos energy at the door the moment they breached; which caused an explosion to billow outward, engulfing the supervisor and the men behind him, causing the others to be blown off their feet.

alarms began to blare, explosions in another part of the base caused the lights to cut and for the emergency lights to kick in. washing the floor and the walls in a darker red. julius stepped out, over those bodies, barely paying them any mind. until his gaze landed on an unmoving person laying just a bit away from the main group.

stone.

julius stalled, staring. what⸻ he moved, scrambled, dropped to his knees and scooped that limp corpse body into his arms, eyes scanning and roaming stone's face for any signs of life. no, no- "y-you were supposed to leave," the words are hurried, hushed. julius had killed him⸻ NO, NO JULIUS COULDN'T HAVE⸻ NOT HIM

his shoulders twitched, hunching over stone's body, as though protecting him. useless. stupid. worthless. his breathing was quickened, as though gasping for air he couldn't suck in fast enough. he hadn't meant to- he couldn't- please, come back. "i'm sorry, i'm sorry!," the words were barely there, whispered, voice breaking, a choked catch of the last syllables. if he'd felt that energy building before, it was skyrocketing now. his entire body tensed up, a screamed wail of a noise that heightened into a louder angered sound: shrill and echoing and seemingly never-ending.

that energy burst outward, not in an explosion but a burning of fire, that energy arcing around julius' body. through tear-stained face, he watched as stone's body burned away in his arms. ash, slipping through his fingers, scattering along the floor only to blow away from that output of pressure. he had thought he'd lost everything before⸻ didn't realize until it was too late just how much more he had left yet to lose⸻

"i, for one, have never been prouder of colin."

⸻a snort of chuckle breaths through julius' lips at the other's response. he gives a slightly tight smile in silent response but doesn't comment elsewise. then he's being asked how he travelled here, "chaos energy. i've decided to take a little," he rolls his wrist, considering, "me time. do some travelling." & what better way to avoid the cacophony of shit that was his own universe, than jumping ship for a little while?

"I am bald, correct! would you like a gold star for stating the blatantly obvious, other me?" ivo grins, but his eyes narrowed soon after despite himself. "how did you get here? multiversal travel, I suspect?"

jaw flexes minutely upon realizing who julius is face to face with. instantly, his crimson red irises began to glow, piercing through even the darker tint of his sunglasses. chaos energy licked along his fingers and arms in the form of a darker red electricity,

"COMMANDER," there's no affection to his tone. in fact, one could only call the words that spill from julius' mouth mocking, "how nice to see you again. i expect the cavalry will be arriving shortly to try and take me in. again."

@towerfcllen

his left hand jerked forward, gripping at stone's wrist. his fingers twitched, thumb roaming and pressing into his wrist, to feel his pulse. julius' fingers, his whole hand, was quivering, shaking subtly. was he checking for stone's pulse, to make sure that he was really there?

or was it just to hold onto him?

he hears the breathing, and does his best to match that rhythm. but then, that feeling, that sensation getting worse in his chest. the breathing helped, for a spell, but- stone would feel julius' palm heating up, warming, as though an element on a stove just beginning to heat and give off a light waft of temperature-

hurriedly, julius let go of stone's wrist, and stepped back from him. the breaths were quicker now, shallow, "n-no, no," it's murmured, to himself? his palms move, cupping and pressing and covering his own face. "enough. stop." that burning would get worse- stone would no doubt smell it; flesh, starting to sear, but julius wasn't moving his hands away from his own face.

he'd ducked down now, squatting, hunched forward slightly. low, barely there mumbles, something along the lines of 'please no more. not now.' / 'you want to' / 'no' / 'liar.'

stone offers him a smile, very happy that julius was actually listening to him for once. he only wished it was under better circumstances. seeing the man start to do the little exercise saw stone joining in with him, hoping it would help him further in the little goal of calming julius down.

"you're doing so well. just continue until you start to feel better," stone says softly, continuing to do the breathing exercise with him.

look at him. look at him. the young 20-something. precious. i just wanna hold him. little jules. tiny juju.

"julius, look at me." / "can you try taking some deep breaths for me?"

his gaze flicked up, dulled irises and lidded eyes staring across at stone-not-stone. no. that was just him being rude. stone was stone.

("you're not my....") that bitter, lost, confused little smile. his expression skewed very briefly. looking as though he wanted to cry, but there were no tears. he couldn't. hadn't physically been able to cry in years due to that chaos energy in his system.

his lips parted, and julius inhaled slowly, unevenly, then exhaled unsteadily. his gaze closed, lips trembling. hands clenched at his sides, but he inhaled unevenly, slowly, deeply, then exhaled another shaking breath.

he watches as julius literally slams his hand against the side of his head, and the sound actually made stone wince at just how hard it was. surely that had to have hurt, but perhaps that was the point? despite his apology however he had been written off yet again, and the man dared to take a few steps forward until he was only a few inches away from him though he still refrains from touching him.

julius could always just shove him if he wanted, or dismiss him yet again so why not try to help, even if it was just a little?

"can you try taking some deep breaths for me? it may help you to alleviate what you are currently experiencing, and help you ground yourself."

why are you so damned sensitive⸻

⸻you just marinate⸻

damned sensitive⸻

⸻marinate

⸻

⸻

.....

"we are merely getting to know one another" distant, though through a haze, or muffled from underneath water. he blinks, but doesn't move. simply stands there, gaze looking a tad duller than it even did in his waking day to day. which was saying something, how detached he felt normally. "i.... i M SOROY- unkwo- somet-" he blinked, a hand moving to slam against the side of his own head, as if wanting to jostle himself out of whatever stupor or state he were in⸻ all it served to do was making that pounding in his head worse, but his hearing did come back to him somewhat.

lips. what had stone's lips said. he blinked, focusing on the movement he had just seen a few seconds ago. 'i am sorry' 'didn't mean to upset you'.

julius scoffs. gaze lowering away from stone. he shrugs briefly. "hardly something to get upset over." he could feel it, that churning sensation; like a rolling fire, stoking and trying to vault higher but he was pushing that down. no no no stop stop⸻

stone instinctively took a step back when he saw how quickly the man's demeanor had changed, though he knew ultimately if julius chose to attack him there wasn't really much that he could do. in a way he had been unknowingly provoking the man, it seemed, not that he had any real way of knowing.

whatever feeling of annoyance and boredom stone had previously felt was quickly replaced with dread, like his instincts were telling him to try and run and yet... he didn't. he just stood there, staring aimlessly at the man.

something was wrong, and stone was almost sure the man was currently experiencing some form of PTSD. he'd seen it firsthand during his time with G.U.N, and for a moment stone's expression softens before he hears the words the man uttered next, whatever sympathetic words of his own getting lost entirely.

"we are merely getting to know one another," stone replies as he refrains from moving further away from him, a bit of him on guard regardless if the man chose to suddenly snap. "I... I am sorry, if I unknowingly triggered something with what I was saying. I did not mean to upset you..."

"you're the one taking offense and acting all defensive over a simple topic."

("why are you so damned sensitive.")

he stilled, hand twitching and stopping in his hair. his arm slacked, falling away from his own skull.

"⸻you just marinate, it's no wonder you feel how you do."

an explosion rattled and echoed in his own mind; sight of bodies, pieces of limbs, once organs, bits of hair and skull, lay strewn before him. he remembered shaking ⸻ unable to process what his eyes were seeing, his squadron, dead⸻

blood rained down on his face, scientists strewn along once white now red stained marble flooring⸻ his mother's distant, muffled screams, blood coating his own hands, arms. such a small child to be covered in so much blood⸻

years, days, months as a child and a teenager of begging, pleading, ASKING what he had done wrong to his parents and never being told why⸻ being treated like he were this horrible monster, this terrible blight of existence despite NOT REMEMBERING⸻

AND IT WAS HIS OWN FAULT? MARINATING?

"julius," stone's voice, his stone, cupping his face, "look at me. it's going to be okay."

any anger julius might've been feeling dissipated. he couldn't. not to him. never. and yet part of him could, would. julius smiled, but the expression looked bitter, a mix between genuinely hurt and confused, a touch lost,

".....clearly, you've waste your time."

the glare does nothing to him, and if anything it just makes the former agent shrug in response as he crosses his arms over his chest. "I merely asked. you are the one taking offense and acting all defensive over a simple topic."

really could the man not realize that? surely he had to know how odd that reaction was.

"because, from what it seems, you don't do hardly anything aside from challenging sonic when you get the chance. you just marinate, for lack of a better word. it is no wonder you feel how you do." the more he spoke with the man the more he regretted showing up, as whatever hope he had of aligning himself with another supposed like-minded individual kept slipping further and further away with every passing minute.

though that was mainly on stone for assuming, of course.

at what stone says about sonic, julius' pupils shrink and he glares across at him, "shut up," the response is instant, the words are sharp and slightly raised as they leave julius. is he ⸻ defending sonic while sonic's not present? "what i choose to do in my own time is hardly any of your concern."

a scoff leaves julius when stone mentions that they all had their own things to keep them occupied. feeling insulted, julius shrugs, and moves to ruffle at his own hair. irritated. he felt irate because he knew he wasn't explaining himself properly even though he was actually trying for once, "it isn't just sonic," or is he deflecting? denying that?, "it's that he can match me. you've no idea how ⸻ how dull it is. i have all of this strength, this energy cascading around inside of me, and nothing to do with it 90% of the time."

"fighting sonic. of course, what an obvious answer. you sound as if you actually enjoy fighting that little blue menace." stone couldn't personally see the appeal, but then again he was nothing like julius. stone was nothing more than a mere man, and julius was... well, whatever he was. the answer the man gave felt almost unsatisfying in a way, but stone didn't really bother to care in expressing that feeling currently.

"I suppose we all have our own little things that keep us occupied. yours is fighting sonic, for instance."

it'd be fun, the thought floats through julius' mind when stone wonders what the point in slaughtering those that'd be working for him, and because it's chaotic. his expression twitches, a fraction, but julius stifled that. breathed through it, refocusing, through the slight tinny ringing of his ears as stone wonders what would be a challenge to julius, then.

"...." he shrugs, not sure how to answer that initially. no one had ever asked him that, before. not earnestly. it takes him barely a fraction of a second to think of a response, "fighting sonic." though even as he says this, there's an odd, fondness to julius' voice ⸻ as though sonic weren't an enemy of his, but an old friend? perhaps a rival?, "sonic's one of the few creatures that can match my power," maybe even exceed it, if the little hedgehog bothered to try, "so fighting him is thrilling. it's exciting because it's new and i don't know what to expect, i can't predict him."

"you deflect my questions and it only serves to further my curiosity towards all of this," stone says as he rests his hands behind his back, nodding along to what the man was saying.

however when it came down to him mentioning 'needlessly slaughtering' stone's expression changed. now becoming one of confusion.

"what? no, why would I do that? what sense would there be in slaughtering the people I'd want to work for me? I don't want them dead at all." well... not all of them, of course. "what would be a challenge to you, then?"

it felt as though something within him writhed at stone questioning on why julius hadn't enslaved humanity yet. why hadn't he⸻ & then stone goes on to say if he had even a fraction of julius' powers, he would've taken advantage of the opportunity. his expression shifts, something akin to a brief headache, like a dull throbbing, pounding along his skull. that chaos energy in him, writhing, he inhaled, hesitated.

"i feel nothing for most. but humanity as a whole's done nothing to me. i've only struck out against the few that've moved to hurt me." & then there was the collateral damage, and all that blood overwhelming him, and how he'd⸻ his irises flicker, eyes glowing briefly but then stopping, as though a dimming and reigniting lightbulb, "it's rare i give into those sadistic urges."

"i just see no point in it. it's too easy, there's no challenge." at what stone asks about what julius found interesting, he shrugged, ignoring that and continuing to elaborate, "perhaps if you had the same powers, you might show me what is so 'fun' about needlessly slaughtering."

stone frowns, having to resist the urge to give him the biggest eyeroll that had ever existed in response. "then why haven't you? if you can do it at any time, and on your own, why haven't you? if I had even a fraction of your power I would take full advantage of it." his doctor would, too. "what do you then consider 'interesting' and 'not boring'?"

that eyebrow arches upward yet again, and julius silently mouths the words 'world domination', and at the thought of 'enslaving humanity' his nose scrunches up. he frowns. to serve julius' will? tch. "that sounds boring. i can do all of that easily, and without your help." julius had enough power from that chaos energy inside of himself to level a continent if he so chose. it'd probably take him less than a day, if he really focused at it.

ah, so that had obviously been the right thing to say. he had the man's attention, even if it were only further dependent on how he replied and the little ideas given. due to that stone wastes no time, instantly thinking of all the things he and the doctor had dreamed of doing together... before that damn hedgehog.

"world domination, for one. enslaving humanity to serve your will for another," stone starts as his eyes light up, as if the topic he was currently speaking on was something utterly fascinating to the man, "toppling governments, too. any number of things, really. nothing is too small or out of reach, or so I'd like to think."