For the first time he could remember, waking up didn't come with the sort of tension he normally felt as he prepared to visit Sonic. Even as he got his shower and did his morning preparations, his mind wasn't on how much Sonic would remember or not remember today. He wasn't concerned with whether or not Sonic could get mad again during cooking, or if he'd have a migraine. He was... actually excited for the day. And for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why...
Well, he knew why, but not why. Why did the thought of seeing Manic again make him want to get on with his day? He was just a silly hedgehog, and the brother of his nemesis at that! Plus, just like Sonic, the hedgehog was a damn flirty tease. Though for some reason, it felt more... genuine? As if it was actually flirting, rather than just trying to get a rise out of him.
Maybe it was just the fact that he was going to be out with someone else for a change. He'd taken Sonic to places now and again, sure, but he very well couldn't do that now with Manic wandering about. If they crossed paths... He didn't dare imagine.
Entering the house to start breakfast, he was quite surprised to see that the two blue ones were on the couch, same as they were through the evening. Evidently Metal didn't think it prudent to return him to bed. It had been so cute, coming back to see that Sonic and Metal were, of all things, actually watching a sort of marathon together. Once more, Sage had come through with the explanation that Sonic was attempting something more domestic, as if to prove to Metal Sonic they didn't need to make everything a competition.
It was both odd yet intriguing, the way Sonic took so easily to Metal Sonic helping around... far more than it did Metal Sonic being an assistant. Sage said he was `calculating obscenities' for the first two months but Sonic's gestures of kindness were affecting him in odd ways. At first it had only been once a week, but now it seemed like Sonic was keeping Metal close for as much as possible.
Most interestingly enough, he could swear something else was changing in Metal Sonic himself. He seemed more... relaxed, and emotive. Perhaps it was just because they were trying to find a way to communicate when Metal had no voice in this form. Maybe it was time he gave an upgrade to those eyes, after all. He'd thought nothing of it before, but why not give him something to express?
At least since he was asleep, he didn't have to worry about another tantrum like he did a few days ago. Or risk another fire. Gods, he couldn't wait to get the final two emeralds... if he didn't have backup, he'd probably have gone insane right now. Sage and Metal were blessings in his life. Hell, if it wasn't for Sage, they wouldn't have known what was wrong! Sonic probably would have been diagnosed with amnesia, or some form of dementia, and just been treated as a patient. All that the young age of twenty-five... And he, even as a villain, did not like that.
``It'll be good when he's back to normal...'' he murmured, carefully turning over the eggs so he could plate them the way Sonic liked, and a plate for himself. It seemed the smell stirred Sonic awake.
``Mornin, Eggman,'' Sonic casually took a seat. ``You seem... chipper?''
``Well, your brother asked if I'd show him around some places while he's still in the area. He doesn't have anything else to do until we get your memories back, after all.''
The small pause made Eggman tense. He hadn't forgotten already, had he? Thankfully, after a moment, there was a spark of recognition. ``My brother... it's been a long time. I always call... Tails my bro. I wonder how they're all doing. I feel kinda bad, leaving them the way I did... Do they still think I'm dead?''
``They do, yes... But it's not as if you could return even if they knew you're alive. Without that medallion, you'd die in weeks.''
``Yeah... same goes for you, right? You got powers of sorts.'' Eggman nodded, cutting into his egg and taking a fork full of toast. ``...Can't say I'm sad about that though. I still remember a bit about being angry all the time. And I thought that was just stress!''
It seemed today was a good day for Sonic's memories, at least. Or could just be the recency of remembering. It wasn't the same as when something was only brought up once a week or so.
``I'll be back later tonight. Metal! You and Sage are in charge of the hedgehog's lunch!'' he called. He doubted this outing would take until dinner time, but he'd get ahold of one of them if it did. With that, he was happy to head out and find his quarry.
---
Eager as could be to start the day, Manic didn't waste any time heading out as soon as the temperature started picking up. While it was still a bit chilly out, nothing could put a damper on his mood! His first stop was that special street corner, glad to see a familiar brown cat hanging by.
``Yo, Lightning!'' Manic happily called out. Thank gods, the lynx was free today! At the least, he could get an update, maybe. He tossed a wave in the other thug's direction, smiling when he was recognized.
``Yo! You're uh... looking pretty fresh this morning,'' Lightning chuckled. It didn't take Manic long to realize just what the cat meant, tossing a look down to his still bare hands. While in most situations, it was seen as an act of vulnerability, Manic at least offset it with his royal outfit. Manic only giggled back, flashing the manicure, which caused Lightning's eyes to widen just slightly. ``Those are clean... where'd you get those done?''
``Starlight Boutique. It was uh... a weird surprise. I went in jus' t' window shop, but uh... I guess I somehow did a thing?'' he rubbed the back of his head. ``I started mutterin' out loud tryna think `bout my fave color, n' got embarrassed `bout it, cuz it's looked down on in royal etiquette... Next thing I knew she whisked me t' a chair n' said I was gettin' a free color sesh.''
If Lightning's face wasn't surprised before, it definitely was now, and Manic felt his cheeks get pink. Was what he was saying really that unnatural?
``Bruh... Are you sure that's all that's going on in castle life?''
``Huh??'' Manic paused, his eyes widening. What was the cat saying now? Yeah, his classes sucked, but he was sounding almost like Eggman. Royal life was strict, no two ways about it. He had expectations to meet, and his teachers were trying their damnedest to make sure he got it down pat... even if he was in remedial classes...
``Dude, I don't think ya... realize how much your face shows. That ain't the face o' a man feelin' sheepish.'' Manic might not, but Lightning could see it. Guilt, frustration... dare he say, even despair. ``Ya look... I ain't gonna sugarcoat it, you look downright depressed. Like you've been beaten down waaaay too many times.'' Manic froze, his eyes widening back. D... Depressed? He looked... depressed? Before he could open his mouth, a gentle hand was on his shoulder, and he fought the strangest urge to shiver. ``Look, I ain't no doctor, but... maybe the stylist could tell you're... not doing good in the noggin?''
``I... I guess...? I dunno, man.'' Manic frowned, suddenly finding it hard to look at the cat. He hadn't considered his face made it seem worse than he was telling it. Or... was it more than that? He was frustrated with it all, sure... But... ``...But, hey. This ain't about me. Ya find out anything?'' No, he didn't want to think on that. Not right now.
Lightning looked like he wanted to talk more about it, but sighed before shaking his head. ``Nothin' I haven't only seen in news outlets,'' he admitted. ``Sorry. I know you'd probably have an answer already if you could use that.'' Manic sighed, rubbing his face. That was SO not cool... why his mom insisted on all this sleuthing was beyond him! Stupid old-fashioned aristocratic bullshit... ``...You're making that face again. You sure you don't need to like... talk about this to someone? I mean, if ya need to trauma dump, our hideout's free...''
Fuck. Was his face really that... expressive?
``I'm fine, dude!!'' he snapped, before realizing that was a bit harsh. Lightning didn't mean any harm. ``Egh... I mean... Look, I don't feel depressed, a' least... I don't... think I feel depressed? It's more frustratin' `an anythin.''' But Lightning clearly saw something there... And that was enough to concern him. ``...But if it makes ya feel bettah, I'm gonna meet up wit' Eggman soon fer a lil' q-n'-a. I'll ask `im if he sees what ya do.'' He gave the other street punk what he hoped was a reassuring grin before giving him his thanks and heading down the street. He didn't want to keep Eggman waiting!
Though as he walked, he definitely was forced to mull over what both of them had said. Between Eggman's insistence on listening to his `street talk' and Lightning offering him a place to `trauma dump...' What was his face doing that his voice didn't? ``Do I need t' fuckin' record m'self...?'' he grumbled. Clearly, he needed to school his features better. His teachers were assholes, sure, but... it wasn't that bad... Was it? And the way he snapped at both of them, getting so defensive... That wasn't normal.
Gods, what was going on?
He found himself messing with his ascot again, finding a comfort in letting his fingers touch the soft pink material. He didn't like it - well he did - he didn't enjoy the fact he could only do it for this week, but... well, maybe he could enjoy himself a bit more. That was the whole point of finding places, right? He couldn't do the interview until the Hero was better... So he was going to have fun. Yeah. That was it. He was here to have fun. Business was on pause, so why be so serious now?
But then again, was it worth trying to break these bad habits again?? He'd been doing so good, honestly. A lot better than he used to be. Ugh, why was this so complicated? He didn't want to think right now! He had some questions for Eggman, for sure, and he was curious what the doc wanted to know from him. Hopefully he could give a good - gah, there he was doing it again! Why was he worrying about what answers were `good?' If Eggman wanted to know more, he could ask. This wasn't a damn meeting between nobles!
It was only a hand coming up in front of him that caused him to stop in his tracks, doing a bit of a double-take before he realized it was exactly the man he was looking for, and he blushed hard.
``You almost walked right by me,'' Eggman muttered, and Manic bit his lip. The voice still made him twitch, but it wasn't a total flinch. So... progress? ``Are you okay?''
``I... dunno. I think so?'' he found himself taking hold of the hand as it lowered. Damn, he was really out of it today, huh? ``Lightning jus' kinda threw me fer a real loop, `s all. Got a lot on th' brain.''' It was just a good thing that with the cooler weather, less people were out. So they could walk together and talk about things without people trying to listen in.
``Would you like me to start?'' the question came after they headed down a few blocks, and Manic found himself nodding along.
``Uh, sure. Might help me get m' head straight,'' he admitted, his free hand still fidgeting. He was up for anything, really. Eggman was a pretty smart guy, so he hoped these questions actually made him think things other than what he was...
``How are Aleena and Sonia?'' The question there actually made him pause. He just wanted to say `fine' but, really, what could he say? It was honestly so odd that he was even asking about them, but he did say he was curious about Mobotropolis...
``Well, fine as far as they tell me?'' he managed after a moment. ``Sonia's got all her classes done except fer a coupla more intensive political things... Ma is, well... busy as hell. I guess while th' city was evac'd we had some issues o' peeps tryna get in fer shelter.'' He could tell she was often tired, but the smile on her face showed she truly felt happy doing what she did. Gods, what he'd give to have that happiness... ``Soon as we heard it was a big-ass war, she was all in fer relocatin' refugees int' th' city.''
``I see... what about G.U.N.? Are they involved?''
Now that was an easier question. ``No, they're not. Not yet. Ma has... concerns.'' He gave Eggman a pointed look, and the scientist had the decency to seem sheepish.
``Fair enough... Well, if she does open for cooperation, they've begun integrating more contract agents on the sapient side of things. One of them might pique your interest?'' Wait. Was Eggman suggesting...?
``Uh... well, if ya'd asked me tha' a week ago, maybe...'' Manic moved his hand to scratch at his cheek. ``But, uh... I think I kinda... wanna keep m' dating pool t' human guys... exclusively...?'' His cheeks now burned red, but he didn't regret what he said. ``Between ya n' tha' security guard a' th' music store... I kinda realized why m' suitors nevah clicked...''
To his surprise, Eggman didn't look at him funny, though the quirked brow did show he was amused... He looked like he wanted to ask something else, but paused. But before he could ask, Eggman chuckled.
``My apologies, I just realized I asked two in a row. I believe you have two questions to ask.''
Oh. OH, that was right... they were supposed to take turns. He giggled, his blush cooling to a softer pink. ``Um... So, this... Cyber Corruption came from these... Starfall Islands. Can ya tell me more about these islands? I don't think they popped up in any geography lessons.'' Also, clearly, if this place was that dangerous, surely they'd have to put travel restrictions on it...
``Certainly. It's a group of somewhat small islands in the northern hemisphere. While considered uninhabited, it wasn't always the case...''
Manic made sure to hold onto the human's hand as they walked and he got a very unique geography lesson. Ancient aliens and ancient tech? The Chaos Emeralds came from space? Guardians, Titans, Cyber Space?
``Ya mentioned som'm `bout an entity in Cyber Space tha' th' Hero defeated. Can ya explain tha' more?''
``Some tens of thousands of years ago, the Ancients were chased to Earth by this creature that called itself `The End.' A purely destructive force of nature, that seemed to almost disdain life itself, claiming that destruction was necessary for balance. The leader of the Ancients oversaw the creation of Cyber Space, a sort of... digital dimension, that held their memories, but also acted as a prison for The End. It escaped due to tricking the Hero into defeating the five Titans and shutting down the towers that acted as locks. That digital dimension is where the hero's memories are being held.''
Now that was something for the record books. The Hero defeated something like that?! Well, he knew what he was gonna ask on his next turn.
``...Damn. Okay. Uh... your turn.''
``Ah, yes... What exactly became of my factories in the city? I'm curious on the rebuilding.''
Manic rose a brow. That was definitely not a question he considered... ``Well, a good chunk got used fer manufacturin' some o' our own goods. A few got emptied out n' made int' shelters. A coupla are still empty, right now. After we got everythin' cleaned up, we uh... don't have th' population we used t' have.'' He resisted the urge to pointedly look at his companion, since Eggman had already admitted his regrets. No point in bringing them up over and over again. The hum of affirmation was enough, and he got to ask his own turn. ``So... `is Hero... How th' hell did ya manage t' hold `im hostage fer six months if he beat som'm tha' strong?''
``Well!'' Eggman chortled. ``He didn't defeat it purely with skill, you know. If he had the powers he used against that thing back when Infinite unleashed his attack, well... I don't think my plan would have succeeded. At his base strength, he's easy to knock around, especially if you have greater numbers, hohoho!'' Manic nearly tripped on his own feet, hearing the doc sound so damn proud of himself for a dirty trick. ``The illusions of some of his toughest enemies easily gave him a good thrashing.''
``Gee, you may not do roboticizin' anymore but ya sure don't play fair, huh?'' Manic leveled a flat glare up at his date. ``Thought ya said ya wanna beat th' hero honorably.''
Wait. Date?! Where the fuck did that thought come from?! Not that he'd particularly object to a date with a human, even Eggman, but...
Eggman had to notice the sudden blush on his face as he blinked in surprise at his own thoughts, but thankfully didn't comment...
``Oh, I just mean beating him in terms of wit and skill instead of just carpet bombing him. I could easily win if I wanted it that badly. But... fighting him is rather... fun.'' He tossed a smirk. ``If your medallion still worked, I'd definitely be eager to see if it could topple my newest drones.''
Manic instinctively grabbed at the crystal hanging from his neck, rubbing it with his fingers before sighing. That honestly did sound kinda fun... but that'd never happen.
``...So, uh... where exactly are we goin'?'' That was definitely something he wasn't told yet, and he was curious. ``Ya never said.''
``Well, we're going to get you some fingerless gloves, for starters. After that I have a few sights I believe you'd enjoy.''
``Wait, you're takin' me shoppin'?'' Now Manic couldn't hide his surprise. He'd already resigned himself to just checking a few thrift stores, and that was if he had the budget!
``Only for gloves, but we can browse. I trust you're keeping in mind that color matching pamphlet?''
Manic nodded dumbly as they made their way to a clothing store, wondering if he'd actually find anything here he liked. There was always the standard white gloves, but they were going particularly for fingerless... those usually came in black. Which, nothing wrong with black, but... he didn't really want `punk' anymore. His frown deepened as they kept flipping through the minimal options on the men's side, before shaking his head. If he was able to pick, he hoped for something a bit more... fresh.
``I remember at Starlight I found a really cute pair of leggings... can we see if there's anything wi' pink stripes?''
Eggman, to his credit, kept his voice even, but the idea of Manic in leggings... Gods, why did that get him?! Now he wanted to see! ``They're potentially in the female section. This store is a bit more gender-categorized...''
It was a small enough store that it took only a minute to walk over, and Eggman could swear his heart melted when those dark gray eyes lit up at the array of options in his preferred colors. He seemed to be feeling the fabric as well, as if trying to decide between fuzzier gloves or more standard leather. Why was this hedgehog being so... cute? And it wasn't just the gloves. He didn't miss the way Manic was also looking at midriff baring shirts and things with frills a bit more heavily than others. It seemed Manic really was leaning into femme fashion now that he knew what colors worked best with his fur.
Eventually, while it wasn't his preferred choice, Manic found a pair of pink fuzzy fingerless gloves with white borders, slipping them on carefully. ``Well, it's at least th' inverse!'' he giggled, wiggling his fingers. Now he could proudly show off his black nails without worrying about the issue of bare hands! He was practically bouncing on his heels while Eggman paid for them, and didn't hesitate to try and hug his companion. ``Thanks a bunch, Doc! You're real sweet, ya know that?''
Now Eggman was definitely blushing. How could he not?! How this hedgehog's earnest comments got under his skin in all the right ways... It clearly showed, as Manic's expression shifted into a slightly devious one. ``Cute, too, if that's how ya handle compliments~'' he wiggled his brow before taking his hand again. ``Now, c'mon! Ya said we have places t' go, yeah?''
``Ahem, yes! There are a few places I think you'd enjoy...'' Yeah, if he just... kept calm, he could keep his blush down. So what if Manic found him attractive? They were still enemies once things got back to normal. He just wanted to make sure Manic had some places he could look at in the next few days, if he decided to venture out on his own! No other reason...
The first place they went to, was one Manic was definitely familiar with, at least in terms of having been to something similar. The moment they walked into the dimly lit area with its purple lights, wildly designed carpet, and rows and rows of machines, Manic actually took a minute to pause. ``Holy shit... they actually still run arcades?'' He could easily make out a few machines he'd played as a kid, such as a speedboat racer, and a fighter game that involved comic book heroes.
``Many people still love the `retro' era, Manic,'' Eggman answered with a smirk. ``Now, how about we buy some tokens and have some friendly competition?''
``Fuck yeah!'' He couldn't believe his luck! He hadn't played an honest video game in over a decade! ``I'm gonna be sooooo rusty at `is, hah!'' He was right behind the doc as they walked to the counter, exchanging money for a nice bag of tokens, his eyes wide at just how many there was. That had to be enough to play for a couple hours at least!
The first spot he was gunning for was one of his favorites: a zombie shooter autoscroller. Picking up the plastic gun, he was already grinning like a fool. ``Think ya can get a bettah score, Doc?''
``Pah! Who do you take me for?'' Eggman smugly took the second one while they put in a few tokens. ``But I believe you should be Player 2, Manic.'' He gestured to the fact the split screen was a top-bottom split, and with Manic's height, it was definitely better off.
``Ya tryna say I belong on th' bottom, big guy?'' he laughed, feeling good that he could finally just cut loose like this.
Eggman had to fight hard to keep his jaw from dropping as that comment could be taken in quite a few different ways, and he was almost sure Manic meant it in a lewd way... He looked over at the grinning prince and made sure to lightly shove him, making him stumble slightly and laugh even harder. Well, he did ask for Manic to stop restraining himself... He'd take some innuendos if that came with it. It was just that... gods, the idea of Manic below him...
``L-Let's see if you shoot zombies as well as you shoot your mouth, little hedgehog. I'll have you know I placed first in Skeet Shooting at the Olympics.''
Manic wanted to make a crack, but honestly? The fact Eggman was that good of a shot was actually impressive, and that made him worthy competition. He settled for a smirk while they clicked the trigger buttons to start the game. The first few zombies were pretty easy to see coming forward, with Manic and Eggman shooting the moment their reticles turned red. It was just too bad they couldn't aim the moment they saw them on screen - the hitboxes activated shortly after. So much for being `snipers' on this classic.
The more they progressed, Manic had to admit he was surprised less by Eggman's skill and more by his own. He was fully expecting to be rusty and lose pretty fast. But here they were both on wave ten, and it seemed the announcement got some attention their way. He could hear people muttering, some recognizing his fur color, while others were surprised a sapient was actually playing against Eggman - and doing well at that.
Each wave brought more zombies and let them move faster as well, and it was the type where they had to `reload' by moving the pump. It took a lot of coordination and paying attention to how many bullets he used, as well as the amount on screen. But still, for keeping up with the doc despite not playing in years, he was pretty proud of his muscle memory. And he actually had more health than Eggman did, which was saying something!
Still, by that tenth wave, it was more a war of stamina rather than skill. The zombies were coming pretty fast at this point, and it was definitely a matter of choosing when to reload, and he had to admit his arm was getting tired after a point. By the thirteenth wave, Manic ended up conceding, placing the gun on the rack so the zombies could damage his side. ``Whew! Tha' was a fuckin' workout...'' He shook his arms a bit, prompting Eggman to chortle in glee. He made a point to shoot a few more, just to ensure the score had a measurable difference before his last two hit points were taken out. ``Not bad, doc! I prolly coulda won if I was used t' holdin' m' arms like tha'.''
To his surprise, he found his front quills being ruffled by the other's hand, and a blush peppered his cheeks. It was... rare for him to be praised despite losing... But despite that, he found himself following Eggman over to another fighter game. This one, Road Ravager II, was one he'd heard of but never got a chance to play. He bit back a grimace as he realized just how many buttons there were, wondering if he'd even win one match. He didn't remember jack shit about these!
``Uh, ya sure ya wanna fight against me wit' `is? Yer likely gonna mop th' floor wi' m' ass,'' he grumbled. Even still, he was looking over the combos written out on the decals surrounding the `fight stick' controls.
``To be fair, I don't play these often either. So you may have a better chance to come out on top. Unless you'd rather play air hockey or something?''
Shaking his head, Manic put in a handful of tokens. ``Nah, `s only fair I play som'm ya picked!'' He could still have some fun with it, even if he sucked... right? Once Eggman put his in, the character select screen felt almost daunting. There were so many of them, and he had no idea what any of them did. There was quite a learning curve with this, even if every character used the same buttons...
Once the match started, with him picking a guy that had his hair in a braid and what sounded like an accent from the Andalucia region of Eurish, he was ready. Eggman seemed to go for someone bulky, which he found amusing, and soon they were off. Manic quickly learned that Eggman's character was a heavy-hitting grappler, while his was a sort of keepaway with long range. Truly, polar opposites. And more, he learned his character was... fragile. He winced at two hits dealing more damage to him than a few did to the other character, prompting him to try out the various combos.
``Fuckin' - '' he bit out as his character was piledrived by the big guy, leaving him with very little health. ``Piece o' shit clawman!''
Naturally, that caused a few `pros' to walk their way over, smug grins on their faces.
``What's a noob like you picking a character like him, huh? You need way more practice in a matchup like that!''
Manic wanted to lash out, but bit his tongue. He was here on a mission, just having fun in the meanwhile. He couldn't leave a bad reputation of Mobotropolis' prince. ``Yeah, obviously I'm a noob. Ya think we got shit like `is back home, dudes?'' He wasn't going to lie and say he was rusty - he never played this! ``I only played tha' one ovah there, like, when I was a tot.'' He jerked a thumb over to the comic-based one. ``So unless ya wanna actually gimme tips n' be a helpful sort, lemme just have some fun wit' Eggy here - AW C'MON!''
Eggman had to fight back his laughter as he managed to knock him out with a special. ``You'll pick it up, if you want to keep going.''
``Like hell I'm givin' up like tha'! Who ya take me fer?'' he snorted, unaware he'd just repeated Eggman's line from earlier. Round Two kicked off, and immediately Manic started to take advantage of the guy's speed. Jab, run back, jab, run back... And he also got to test out a wicked air combo that did considerable damage once he got in range to use the thing. If there was one thing he was good at, it was making quick observations... He'd done it a lot in his Freedom Fighter days, so it came almost naturally. This time, he actually was going toe-to-toe!
Apparently his progress after just one round was enough that even one of the `pros' was blinking in surprise. ``The hell is he, some prodigy...?''
``See? Learning quickly already,'' Eggman chuckled. ``Your skills you learned as a street thief make you apt at analyzing things quickly.''
Manic almost lost his focus, managing to get back just before he could get grappled again. That... ``...No one's ever complimented me `bout that before...'' It felt... warming. The moment of shock was replaced by a growing grin, as he felt his confidence get boosted. Yeah! He was good at noticing things, and that came from years of practice. Just like now, he could notice Eggman was trying for a low sweep, and scored his first counter. The round ended shortly after, with his character nearly out of health, but ensuring he forced a third round.
To not only Manic's surprise, but the others watching, he practically destroyed Eggman on the third round. While his character took two good hits, he was somehow jumping circles around the bigger character with air combos that whittled down his health. By the time Eggman even managed the second hit, the match was already well and over.
``Shiiiit bro! He locked in hard on that!''
``...Eggman, ya didn't, like, stop tryin' in that match, did ya?'' Manic had no idea what `locked in' even meant outside of being locked in a room, but to his surprise, the scientist chuckled.
``I would never. You simply managed to get into an intense focus.'' With Manic winning two out of three, he had to admit, he felt... pretty good. Now they were even, and it made finding other games even more fun. Manic quite quickly learned he was NOT good at racing games, especially the ones with the gear shift. He kept forgetting that was even there, which meant he'd end up either in the middle at best or almost last place at worst. It was annoying, especially as Eggman lightly teased him, but at least it was gentle teasing and not outright mockery.
Though it seemed his date - gods, again?!--had seen his frustrations and walked him over to another game. And this one wasn't just an arcade. It was a skee-ball game with a ticket dispenser. Was... was he actually giving him an opportunity to get tickets for something? He gave a guarded look for a moment, but Eggman was happy to assure him, starting up the game next to him.
``We'll pool our tickets together, see if we can score something nicer.'' With that, Eggman was already on it, rolling the small balls up the ramp, and Manic's grin returned once he started racking up points.
---
By the time the evening rolled around, Manic wasn't holding Eggman's hand, if only because his hands were full. A meat-filled sandwich in one hand, and another teddy bear in the other. While nothing would replace the first plush his mom had gotten him, it was nice to get something of his own. And it was pink! He never realized how much he liked the color until that trip to the boutique, but now he couldn't pass it up.
Eggman's smile could have blinded people, if Manic even noticed. The young man was practically skipping! All pretense of his royal self was gone, save for the clothing on his body. Clothing that, honestly, just didn't fit him at all. What he'd give to put him in a standard pair of gloves, that shirt and pants cast aside - and NOT on his bedroom floor, dammit! He nearly had to pinch his nose at the sudden idea. He had to get a grip - Manic was attractive, yes. Gay, yes. Attracted to humans, yes. But he was a prince, and they were still technically enemies... Manic needed a man to be by his side, not on the opposite side.
With that thought, he was happy to lead Manic to a spot he hadn't really had a chance to check out - the outer roads. Namely because - as much as the place was a good size, there was far more to see. The overlook showed off the city, but the outlook... now there was a view.
It looked like they were just going over another weird street, having to carefully jump over a couple more unstable sections of road, but Manic was very trusting of the situation and eager to see where they were going. So once they reached the edge of the area, Eggman was happy to walk him up the small flight of stairs.
``Now, if you thought the overlook was nice to look at, I think you'll love this.'' He made sure to somewhat cover his view by leading him, until they reached the top.
Manic's curious gaze shifted into awe once he was greeted with the sparkling ocean view. The sun setting in the east cast huge shadows from the bridges over the water, bathing the outer islands of Green Hill in orange light and deep shadow. Even the fact they weren't actually on a real beach - this island was set up on a rocky area, so no such luck there - the sight spoke for itself. Boats were still out and about, some carrying cargo between the islands, and he could see headlights moving down the bridges.
``Holy shit...'' His voice came out in a breath, eyes wide. He'd never really been able to appreciate a sunset or sunrise... not like this. Watching how it bathed the ocean itself in orange, the sun itself turning more red as it was nearing the horizon, wasn't something he got to see from the castle. And the few times they'd been out on islands or coastlines, it wasn't usually their thing to hit the beach and watch... ``The world outside th' castle is so beautiful...'' Chaos, he was envious. But more... he was happy that he was given this chance. ``...Can we sit n' eat here? I wanna see `is fer as long as I can.''
Eggman gave a small nod as he easily moved to sit, bringing him into his lap. ``Of course. It's the reason I brought you here, after all. Everyone should see the sun at the beach at least once in their life.'' As much as he desired to conquer the world with machines, sometimes it was nice to just... appreciate the little things. Though it seemed for Manic, it was a big thing, and he didn't miss the fact Manic was getting teary-eyed again. ``You okay?''
``Mhm... I... I really `preciate this, Doc...'' He sniffled. ``I didn't realize... how much I needed t' get out.'' He was very grateful for this mission now. Even if he couldn't get an interview, he was getting so much more. And he'd cherish it all. Even if it came from his enemy - who was so much nicer than he thought possible. ``I... jus' wish `is could last longer `an two weeks.'' He sighed, leaning back. ``So... it's great I got ya helpin' me make th' most o' it.''
Gods, this poor boy needed it more than he thought. He actually felt sorry for Manic, a rare thing to feel for any of his enemies. But in ways, it was almost like he'd suffered more in his absence than he did during his rule... Hopefully he was just reading too deep into it. Manic had problems, that much was clear, but how deep they went, only the young man currently snacking on a sandwich was able to reveal.
They stayed in silence to enjoy the setting sun, only getting up once the sky started to darken. Which happened faster and faster as it came closer to the solstice...
Eggman made sure to walk Manic back to the hotel this time instead of calling a cab, finding himself enjoying the quiet walk.
``Well, I suppose we'll meet up tomorrow, yes? Same time as usual?''
Manic giggled, adjusting his arm with the teddy. ``Sure thing, Doc. Thanks fer... everythin' today.'' Why, he didn't know, but Manic actually made an effort to hug him properly, arms and legs wrapping around the huge torso for a quick moment while he gave a soft laugh. Unable to resist, he lightly pressed his lips to the human's forehead before scampering into his doors. For a first day, he felt so much better about Eggman than he thought he would!
He just hoped the next days were just as good.
