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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"Yes. Yes it is," Rouge agreed. It was hitting her just how sexy he was. Not cute, but sexy. She was already attracted to him before, but this realization certainly cemented her opinion of him. She wondered why she hadn't noticed earlier and felt a little foolish. She figured she was just that focused on having fun with him in general.

Without saying a word, she took the hand of the arm he was flexing and brought it down to his side so she could hug it again. Whether they were going to wind up as a serious couple or not, it felt nice being close to someone in that way again.

Likewise, Knuckles had no idea where this was going to go. But admitting it was nice was a big first step for him...

"You know, you feel really nice," he said, trying to vocalize his opinion of her holding his arm like that. It wasn't very eloquent, but at least it was earnest. "It'll be kinda sad when the boat ride ends..."

"Err..." Rouge muttered nervously. She wasn't sure what he meant by that, or at least if he meant it as suggestively as it sounded. He didn't strike her as someone who'd imply they should stop a boat and have sex after just admitting not knowing what a "quickie" was not five minutes prior. Having settled on taking it innocently, she responded.

"You do too, handsome. But we could always go around one more time, hehe!" she giggled. "Or would you like to move onto something different? We don't have to end the night after this ride is over."

He fortunately DID mean it entirely innocently. He was enjoying having her there and cuddling, as he got to learn there was more to her than the sultry jewel thief he first met. He leaned against her more to enjoy her presence, and beamed. "I HOPE the night's not over after the ride! I mean, we're just starting to have fun!" he said happily. "Er, that is if you still want to do things with me after the boat ride... I don't wanna take up all your time."

Rouge grinned. He certainly was enthusiastic. It was flattering.

"I wasn't planning on doing anything except find Sonic and his crew later. They seem to be where the action is. I figure they'd be a bit of fun." She side-glanced at him, searching for any sign of discomfort. "But I'd rather spend more time with you if you keep saying sweet things like that."

"Y-yeah. I think I'd like that a lot," he said, holding on tight to her. "I mean, we could always go find the others together, but I'd love to just spend more time with you, y'know?" He may have been slower with his words, trying to be more deliberate, but he wasn't uncomfortable. He was actually quite enjoying himself.

Rouge smiled and rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Suit yourself."

It suddenly hit her that the tunnel had gotten even darker than earlier in the ride and that a quiet smooth jazz had started playing, apparently coming from speakers lining the walls.

"You know, you'd think the creators of this tunnel of love wouldn't want riders to jump out and start doing the nasty in the middle of their attraction, but it sure seems like they're making it awfully easy to do so."

He was doing so well too, trying not to think about how interested he was in just that, and trying to disguise that fact. His eyes widened, and he didn't budge from his position when she made her comment.

"Hahaha, yeah, really," he said, trying to shake off some nervousness and get things OFF of the subject of sex. "I mean yeah, they're making it really easy and tempting, but that'd just be crazy to actually do it, right?"

Rouge thought about it for a moment and replied:

"Hmm. I wouldn't say crazy; maybe adventurous. Or shameless!" she laughed. "I don't judge, though. Since we're speaking from the heart here, I guess I should admit that it's something I've done in the past."

She wasn't sure if it was something to be proud of, but it did show that she WAS that adventurous -- or careless -- at one point in her life. Her comment was half-to show some character and half-to gauge his response to her actually being open to something like that.

He kinda suspected when she made a big deal about him admitting he was still a virgin, but to hear her actually confirm that thought did make him stiffen up, grip tightening before he caught himself and loosened it. "A-ah... I see..." His face turned red. Great, did this mean he had things to live up to now? That was a lot of pressure for a guy who's never had a girlfriend before! She was so worldly... He was a guy who spent most of his life in the wilderness.

"S-so is it something you enjoyed doing...?" he asked, trying to stay cool and casual.

Rouge looked away, suddenly finding the mood lights along the wall quite fascinating.

"Maybe. I was willing to do a lot of things if it meant that kind of closeness because I felt... well..."

Now it was her turn to tense up. She'd been wanting to talk about this kind of thing with someone she could trust for a long time, but it sure seemed harder now that the opportunity had arisen. She bit her lip anxiously.

Knuckles looked down at her, his nervousness replacing itself quickly with concern. She was starting to sound upset. And it (hopefully) wasn't thanks to something he said. He didn't move his hand from around her. "Do... Do you want to talk about it?" he offered.

Rouge sat silently for a moment while she considered the upsides and downsides. It would be nice to get it off her chest, and his reactions to it would be a good indicator of how well they'd do as a couple. On the other hand, it could be horribly embarrassing, and if things went wrong with this deep a level of honesty, she wasn't sure she'd be able to open up to someone that way again.

Still, at this point, she figured he was her best shot at, well, not being judged.

"Yeah," she replied, biting her lip. "I felt... lonely. Unappreciated, I guess. Maybe. And that kind of thing is only--typically̶̶ -something you do with someone who loves you. Some of us haven't felt that in a long time, so we skip the slower, difficult parts to feel fleeting relief in that area of insecurity. Of course, it doesn't last. It actually makes you feel worse afterward, now that I think about it."

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye to subtly gauge his reaction.

Edited 2016-06-07 08:29 (UTC)

Knuckles wasn't sure what to say in response to her admission. He knew what it was like to be lonely, but where she had other people around, he had his isolation. To be that desperate for some kind of companionship... He'd be lying if he said he'd never wished he had someone, anyone, around that he could talk to. He felt lucky to have people in his life now, but years ago he couldn't have imagined it.

He thought for a few moments about how to best respond. Finally he settled on giving her a tighter hug. "I guess we have a bit more in common than I thought," he told her. "We both spent a long time wishing we had anyone who understood us."

Rouge would be lying if she said she wasn't surprised at not only his compassionate response but also that he could relate so well.

"B-but--" she stuttered, becoming more confused the more she thought about it. For a fleeting moment she wondered if his way with dealing with the loneliness was the same as hers, but then she came to her senses and remembered he'd told her he was a virgin. And he ACTED like he was a virgin, so it wasn't a question of honesty here.

Eventually, she settled down and relaxed into the hug.

"You don't seem perturbed at my dark secret. That's reassuring, handsome. ...Thanks."

"Well, now that you know my methods, how did YOU deal with the isolation?"

He smiled for her, petting her shoulder as she relaxed against him. "I had my duty mainly," he said. "Knowing that it was my legacy to protect the island, it gave me purpose and made me feel like all that time alone had meaning. But I did do other things to keep myself busy."

He lifted one strong arm and flexed it. "You'd be amazed the kind of workout routine you can set for yourself when there's no distractions and all the land you could need in any direction!" he laughed, trying to inject a bit of humor into the moment. He felt she could use it.

Rouge smirked at him. He was quite the cutie. Look at him go with that lightheartedness.

"I suppose that's a healthier way of dealing with it, yeah. But..." she hesitated and shifted in her seat. "Didn't you want something more? Someone to talk to? Someone to listen? Someone to hold you when you're sad and tell you things will be all right?"

She instantly regretted asking that. She felt it gave away too much of her deepest fears. It was an area she really didn't want exposed to just anybody, but the damage was done, she thought.

"Well... yeah," Knuckles told her simply. "But it always just felt like a fantasy for me. Like something that would never REALLY happen. At least not until I met Sonic and Tails, and finally made real friends... And, um... when I met you, and started feeling like maybe... it wasn't such a fantasy anymore...?" he added, face turning red again.

Wow, THAT was flattering. Not just that he found her attractive, but that she could have such a big impact, it changed a person's view of himself and their future.

Rouge was also turning bright red at this point. It wasn't an easy thing to hide, what with her face being white and all.

"Th-that's... really nice of you to say. That I could have that kind of effect on you. A positive effect..."

Without thinking, she kissed him. She wasn't sure how else to convey the feelings she had at that moment. Whether they were destined to be together or not, she was enjoying being with him then, and the more he was open and honest with her, the less dorky and more attractive he got.

As the kiss went on, she felt her face burn even hotter, but at that point, she didn't care.

Knuckles felt the same way. He was shy and nervous, but the more time he spent with Rouge, the more confidence he felt in him. He did care about her. Being in close quarters without being surrounded by danger gave him all the reason in the world to admit it. And when she came in to kiss him again, it just felt... natural.

His strong arms held her close, resting a hand on the small of her back, rubbing over to her hip and back. He stroked her side with his other hand, feeling the need to get closer to her. As they kissed, all he could think was that he wanted to get closer to her. Closer than he ever had with anyone before. He slid a hand down to cup her rear...

But the moment was broken when sunlight finally shone through, to snap them out of it. The boat was almost out of the tunnel. He sighed heavily, releasing her very hesitantly. He really didn't want to let go. His heart raced, his face was red, and he looked her over as if she were the most wonderful treasure he'd ever laid eyes on. Before the boat left the tunnel, he found himself speaking. "...Do you want to... go through again?" he suggested. He wasn't finished exploring her, and hoped she felt the same.

Espio, still concealed by his chameleon camouflage, breathed a sigh of relief when Knuckles pulled back. Oh good, at least THAT was over.

And then the echidna invited the bat on another run.

Espio clenched his fist and rubbed his temple. If this wasn't a temporary gig, he'd be seriously badgering his boss for a hefty raise.

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Open log: A wild Carnival Night Zone appears!

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