smashrising | Open log: A wild Carnival Night Zone appears!

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Open log: A wild Carnival Night Zone appears!

Who: Anybody bold enough to jump through a mysterious warp ring.
What: A giant carnival zone!
Where: In a pocket dimension, nearby island, or just AU, depending on how serious you want to take it.
When: Now?
Warnings: F for FUN!

Without notice or explanation, a giant, spinning gold ring had appeared at the edge of the island. Through the center one could see what looked like roller coasters, carnival games, and lots of balloons, among many other things. Timing a jump through the ring was tricky, but doable.

A mysterious spacial distortion obscured the area beyond the carnival. Anyone hoping to escape the mansion entirely would find it was hopeless through this warp ring. However, the entertainment value probably seemed tempting to anyone growing restless with nowhere to go. Why not grab a buddy and have some fun?

[[Sorry if this isn't allowed. Let me know if this is beyond the boundaries of where the game wants to go from here on out.]]

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"'Uh' is right, handsome. Look at where we ended up!" Rouge teased as they approached the ride. "How appropriate; there's room for two and two of us. Though it is an awfully tight fit. We'll just have to cuddle up nice and close, won't we?"

She hooked her arm in his and pulled him up to the next empty boat.

"This is the part where you hold my hand while I get in to ensure I don't lose my step," she said sweetly.

"U-uh... I guess...?" he asked, looking between her and the boat as his brain tried to process what she was saying. She wanted to get into that tiny boat. With him. And go in that tunnel. Buh...

It didn't help when she hooked arms with him like that.

"R-right," he said, taking her hand and putting another hand on her hip as she climbed into the boat, to steady her. "I've never exactly been on a boat with a girl before. Big or little..." He climbed in after her, and it was just then he realized how little space they actually had in there. They were pressed right up side by side there.

"Mmm, it's cozy, isn't it?"

Rouge shifted her posture so she was leaning into his side. Seeing him so flustered was very amusing, and it made him that much more endearing to her. When it came down to it, she wasn't sure where she'd actually draw the line in her flirting, but she was ready to keep pushing the envelope as far as she could until she got to that point.

"There isn't much to this ride," she explained while the tiny boat floated down the tunnel. "Red heart decorations, strings of tiny red lights, it can get a little old after a while."

"But that's not the point of the ride," she said as she grinned and rubbed his arm. "If you go on this thing and focus on the decorations, you're doing it wrong."

This was ROCKETING past Knuckles' comfort zone in record time. Her touch felt great. It felt AMAZING, actually, and he loved having her pressed up against him like that. But he'd never been that close to a girl in his entire life. Tended to happen, growing up on an isolated floating island. Sure, she'd flirted with him, and he'd even tried to flirt back on occasion (failing miserably, mind you). But this as the closest they'd ever been together. And as much as he liked it, he was still nervous as hell. What was he supposed to say or do in this situation?

"A-ah, I see. I guess it fits with the whole 'tunnel of love' theme... So... Am I supposed to be focusing on you?" he asked, hoping it wasn't a stupid question. (It was.)

Don't worry, Knuckles. Your awkwardness just fuels Rouge's urge to push your buttons.

"I'd hope so. I'd get rather lonely here if you entered the 'tunnel of love' just to focus on yourself!" she feigned taking offense and pouted. "You do want me here, don't you?"

Ask silly question, get stupid answer.

"O-of course! There's nobody I'd rather be in a tunnel of love with!" he blurted out without thinking about it.

He was silent for a moment after. "...That did not come out the way I wanted it to. I mean, you're nice, and I think you're pretty and everything, I just... don't know anyone else I'd want to go in a tunnel of love with...? This isn't helping at all... I'm no good at this kind of thing."

Congratulations, Rouge. Buttons: pushed.

"Oh, don't be silly. You're doing well. You called me nice, you called me pretty, and you said there wasn't anyone else you'd rather be here with. You just paid me some very nice compliments, handsome!" Rouge applauded.

It was like teaching a toddler how to walk. She hoped she wasn't coming off as patronizing and softened her tone to play it safe. It meant lowering a defense, but it'd do them both no good if he got so flustered, he wound up making a complete ass of himself. She was certain his shame would keep him from enjoying himself if it did happen, and she wanted him to enjoy their outing.

"Well... Thanks..."

He was silent for a moment, as he tried to think of what to say next. "You tease me a lot. Like, a lot a lot. Does that... mean anything?" he asked her. "Stupid question, I know. But we're kinda stuck here until the ride's over, and well... We never just sit down and talk."

He was very right. They never really sit and talk. It made her squirm a bit. Having a heart-to-heart meant being honest, and in her experience, honesty brought pain.

"I suppose," Rouge admitted. "I do like you. I just... ....."

The more earnest approach to discussing their feelings was making her horribly uncomfortable. She wasn't used to being called out on her behavior. It was unnerving. With no other apparent way to regain face, she reverted back to flirty mode.

"You'll have to forgive me. I just think you're simply scrumptious!" she cooed, poking his cheek.

The shift to more flirty territory again threw Knuckles off balance again, and that blush returned in force. She may not have said anything serious about it, but the fact that she was ready to keep flirting with him like that wasn't nothing. There was SOME interest on her part, even if he didn't know what exactly it meant.

"Hngh!" he said in surprise. It was more of a guttural sound than a word, really. "Nobody's ever called me THAT before," he said. "Well... I think you're... really gorgeous." He tried to retaliate. It didn't work the way he thought it would. "Okay, so I'm not the fastest witted one out there."

Rouge was starting to wonder if she was pushing him too far. Sure, she was still within her personal boundaries, but maybe she was making things worse for him by laying it on so hard.

"I think you're smarter than you give yourself credit for," she told him, patting his cheek. "You may not have the best way with words, but the intent is still there. GOOD intentions, appropriately. That's worth something."

She WAS pushing him too far. But sometimes he needed a push, and perhaps this was best for him. Despite his embarrassment, he didn't seem to mind this terribly. "Smart is DEFINITELY something nobody ever calls me," he added with a small chuckle, flashing her the smallest of smiles. "I'm trying, at least."

The boat's trip through the tunnel started to slow down even slower than before, as one of those aforementioned platforms started to come up alongside them. Knuckles glanced at it. "Huh... What's that for?" He asked.

Rouge returned the smile. "I can tell."

She turned to see what he was pointing at.

"The platforms conveniently placed deep in a dark, romantic setting? The staff will have you think they just forgot to put decorations up, but..." she needlessly whispered to him. "I think they're meant to be used for quickies."

"Heh, thanks..." Acknowledgement of his hard work was appreciated.

Knuckles glanced at the platform, then back at her as she whispered her response. He seemed to be taking the suggestion surprisingly well. The reason soon became obvious, as he added, "Oooh... Um... What's a quickie?"

Rouge was completely taken aback. All of her guises fell away to make way for disbelief. Surely a man his age would know about such things...?

"You don't know what a 'quickie' is?" she gawked. "Honey, um... are you a virgin?"Maybe it was a rude thing to ask, but she was curious and couldn't help it!

Knuckles had never known his parents. ~~His dad jumped into a wall of fire when he was a kid because he was objectively a shitty person.~~ While he never had "the talk", he had to pick up on things on his own when he stopped being an island hermit and spent time with Sonic.

"No, I--" But when Rouge made that suggestion, the pieces all fell into place. His face turned even redder, his eyes opened wide, and he just looked at her like a deer in the headlights. "OH... OOOOHHH... U-um. Is it a bad thing if I say I am...?" He asked quietly. Is this why she brought him here? Was she expecting to have sex with him?!

Edited 2016-05-21 15:29 (UTC)

Rouge had to stop herself from teasing him about it further. Without thinking about it, to her, it WAS a cultural sin to be a virgin at their age. But... it really wasn't. It was just a thing that happens. How and why it got to be demonized in her mind would take some thinking over, but she didn't have time for that at the moment.

"YYYYyyy-nnnooooo, no, it's *cough* fine. N-normal, even, in this day and age!" She laughed nervously. "I never realized you were so progressive, sweetie!"

She playfully slapped his arm and kept smiling widely. Ohhhh, so awkwarrrrrrd.

"I-I mean it's not THAT," he corrected her, blushing hard and trying to make sure she didn't misunderstand him. "I've just been on my own for so long, and I don't know a lot of women... I've never, um... met someone I wanted to do that kind of thing with! Or like... the chance never came up... Y'know?" he asked. "It's not that I don't WANT to..."

In sum: Island hermit who doesn't know a lot of ladies.

Edited 2016-05-21 22:47 (UTC)

"Hahaha, well, I guess that's something," she admitted, still smiley awkwardly. "Glad to know I'm still in the running. I was starting to think... well,..."

It was poorly worded, but she hoped he understood what she meant: she liked knowing he was open to it and not bent on, say, marriage first. Not that she ACTUALLY wanted to do anything with him seriously. She hadn't planned that far ahead. There was an envelope that needed pushing, so she just went with it without thinking too hard about it.

Knuckles pressed his fingertips together, more of a nervous reflex than anything. This conversation was going places he never planned or intended. He tried to further clarify, saying "Y-y'know, I always thought you were really pretty and awesome, and if there were anyone I would want to do that with, it'd be you."

Things were... Strange between them. Between his Guardianship, her treasure hunting lifestyle, and her aversion to being fully open with anyone really, he had no idea what kind of future they had. He didn't know whether he could picture her as a wife or anything like that. But he had to be honest about his feelings. He DID like her. That much was true.

Rouge found herself feeling a little more at ease. He didn't seem too preoccupied with how pushy she was getting. Well, if she was ever going to date a guy for serious, she might as well be sure he likes all aspects of her, including the manipulative tease part.

"I'm flattered. Truly," she said, leaning up against him again and hooking her arm in his. "I think you're 'pretty awesome,' too. I wouldn't be here with you if I didn't, would I?"

"No, I guess you wouldn't," he replied, smiling for her despite his heavy blush. He did like having her there with him like this, arm linked with his... He just wished he knew what was appropriate in this situation, where they knew more or less where they stood and yet were in such a compromising position.

He was content to just stay like that, but as the boat slowed and the platform was about to come in range, he decided he'd best be sure about what SHE wanted. Looking down at her, he asked, "Hey Rouge... Do YOU want to... Y'know? With me?" He gestured with his head to the platform.

Rouge turned to the the platform and, after a few moments, sighed.

"You know... Don't take this the wrong way, handsome, but I don't think we should."

She honestly didn't feel like going into detail about why. She hoped he'd fill in the blank on his own with something appropriate, such as: "it's too soon in our relationship." She wasn't quite ready to admit how much she was bluffing and how much she was valuing their time together enough to NOT want to sully it with a fling.

After all, she could still flirt mercilessly with him without having to go all the way, right?

"Yeah... You're right," he said. "It's too soon... And when we do have our first time together, it should be more special than a boat ride at a carnival," he suggested. Note the "when", as opposed to "if".

"But that said, there IS something I've wanted to do to you ever since I first met you," Knuckles said. With that said, he turned towards her, lifted his hand to her chin, tilted her head towards his, and leaned in to kiss her firmly. His face was bright red, but he felt proud of himself for finally taking at least SOME initiative in this... Whatever this relationship was.

Knuckles actions had taken Rouge off-guard. Once the surprise wore off, she realized how warm his lips were and how good it felt to be shown such genuine attraction. Blushing profusely, she returned the kiss, leaning into it gently.

When it ended, she opened her eyes slowly. Wow, what a feeling!

"Wow, sweetie, for someone who hasn't seen much action, you sure are good at that!" she commended. "'Since you first met me,' huh? Are you sure going on the tunnel of love wasn't secretly your idea?"

And up again the barriers went. As much as she enjoyed the kiss, she wasn't ready to be open about it. He had only recently reentered her life, and she found she was having to get used to him all over again. Him taking action like that certainly was speeding up the process, though.

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forgotlegday - 2016-05-23 15:33 (UTC) - Expand

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Open log: A wild Carnival Night Zone appears!

Re: [[Tunnel of Love]]

Re: [[Tunnel of Love]]

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