#anyways … more about Unknown to come soon … if you're curious and can't wait for whatever reason shoot me an anon or somethin

[xiu21chen99]

hxh headcanon/imagine.

again... still about hisoillu but about their engagement instead of illu's influenced fashion choice.

also this is more of... idk it gave reason why they chose to marry instead of uh other ways i guess??

i've seen so many fanarts where illu would break the news to the zoldycks or how killu would react to having hisoka as his brother in law- like srsly it's meme worthy at this point- and lotsa ones that showed how hisoka proposed as a joke or smtg but... I've been overthinking abt it these past few days sO i present to you how i think "the big question aka the proposal" happened... (manga spoilers??)

it's after hisoka resurrected himself obviously, and def after he killed kortopi and shalnark (so he knew there was gonna be empty slots in the spiders' lineup)

i imagine illu went back to the zoldyck estate after the whole fiasco and only heard of hisoka's "death" from rumors while he was on a mission

and then when he was idk maybe contemplating on whether or not he should visit the body(?) to pay respects or something, he gets a text message from the devil himself

their text went like this probably:

hisoka: hey~ where are you right now?♠️ (and no u can't tell me hisoka doesn't text w card suits u just can't-)

illumi: who are you and how did you get the phone you are currently using?

hisoka: ooh~ illu~ i feel betrayed, did you delete my number?♣️

illumi: hisoka is dead

hisoka: *image attached*

illumi: oh

illumi: hello hisoka, how are you still alive?

hisoka: you sound disappointed~♦️

illumi: i kind of am...

hisoka: rude, just tell me where you are♥️

...and that's how they met up?? ngl i think illu has a know-it-all syndrome where he just has to,,, k n o w everything

he's curious so he agrees to the meetup ofc

he's also surprised when he sees hisoka is in good shape when they meet (idk at a bar in an unknown city?)

they drink whiskey on the rocks because... you know...

hisoka explains how he survived and his next plan of action (which is terminate the spiders)

illumi makes a mental note of nen after death bc he's heard and seen it all before but... not to this extent,

this is gonna be,,, bland but i think this is the logic behind why hisoka chose to get married/engaged instead of just paying up front (reference to the ten dons' commission to get chrollo killed and chrollo's commission to get the ten dons killed)--

anyways here's how their conversation goes:

i: "why did you want to talk in person?"

h: "oh y'know, for old times sake."

i: "...right"

hisoka laughs, "okay so maybe i want to ask you for a favor..?"

confused, illumi asks, "why could you not have just texted if you wanted me to kill someone for you?"

h: "no, no- wait, actually, you're not too far off."

i: ~mOrE cOnfUsiOn~ "huh?"

h: "how do contracts for assassination work in your... family business?"

i: "half the promised pay before, the remaining half afterwards. should the target be eliminated by a third party, the assigned zoldyck still gets the pay and should the employer die, then the contract is terminated and the zoldyck will report back immediately."

h: "and has anyone made a contract to have themselves terminated?"

i: "i beg your pardon?"

h: "what complications will arise should your employer's target be... themselves?"

i: "i believe... i have never encountered such circumstance before. the people who hire us are those who have enough money and resource to have their enemies killed quickly. no one's tried to test the zoldyck assassination prowess."

h: "so... how will that work?"

i: "are you implying this is the reason why you have contacted me today?"

h: "yes~ ♥️" (how he said a heart emoji out loud is up to you, reader)

i: "it will be a pointless paradox. logically, the zoldyck will only get the employment bill. and i, myself, do not find pleasure in going for the kill like you lest i get my reward, so you will not get a contract out of me, hisoka."

h: "is there no leeway?"

i: "a zoldyck stands up to their word. so no."

h: "even for a friend?~ ♦️"

i: "we are not friends, hisoka-"

hisoka raises his glass of whiskey along with his eyebrow.

i: "oh..."

h: "didn't you tell dear killua that a zoldyck didn't need friends?"

i: "you... are an associate, someone reliable in the killing world. it's different."

h: "hypocrite"

i: "i ask you for favors and you make me return them. it is not like we spend our time together leisurely like killu with that island boy..."

hisoka clinks their matching glasses of whiskey even though his is already empty, a shit-eating grin on his lips.

i: "you suggested we meet here."

h: "this isn't the first time we went out to drink, right illu?"

i: "regardless!! i will not kill you just for half the money. i do not like wasting efforts on fruitless missions."

h: "as i said, is there no exception, to make sure you get my money if you were to succeed in killing me?"

i: "are you doubting my skill, hisoka?"

h: "that's not the point right now~ ♠️"

i: "wait, why do you want me to get all of your money?"

h: "haven't we just gotten over this subject? because you're my friend, of course."

i: "i... we are not friends, hisoka."

hisoka claps, "that's it! illumi!! ♣️"

i: "eh?"

h: "marry me! that way in our prenup I'll make sure you get all of my money, and even without a prenup you'll still get it since you'll be my only relative! that solves it!"

i: "hisoka, are you sure death did not took a toll on your brain? you did say you used Bungee Gum only on your heart and lungs..."

h: "i'm being serious, illumi!! and doesn't this solve your earlier conflict? we don't have to be friends, we'll be husbands!"

i: "do not use that tactic with me, you manipulative bastard. stop joking."

h: "this is purely beneficial for you, honestly i don't get why you just won't accept it."

i: "then humor me this first, why now?"

h: "dear illu, i've been to literal hell and back. i think it's time to leave my mark in case i fail to escape death again."

i: "was it that bad?"

h: "you'll love it there, illu~ ♥️"

h: "on a more serious note, though, i do plan to marry you. out of everyone i've encountered, you're the most eligible candidate. you're powerful, fully capable and extremely pretty to boot! you're the ideal husband!"

(blushing obviously, illumi downs the remaining whiskey in his glass) i: "death has changed you, hisoka."

h: "so?"

i: "fine."

h: "excellent!"

and in one fell swoop, illumi has a pin against the curve of hisoka's jugular, wrist held tightly by hisoka- a card matching against his own neck.

"not yet, dear husband." hisoka whispered into his ear, "we have to manage the papers first. and i've a request before you do."

they let each other go at the same time, not even breathing an unnecessary breath in the other's personal space (well, they're nearly pressed thigh to thigh anyways, what's the point of personal space anymore-)

"a condition rather than a request, really."

"what?" hisoka orders them refills, and downs his when it arrives.

"join the ryodan first."

glass already pressed on thin lips, illumi's confused hum resonates softly into the concave utensil. "why?"

"so things can get more interesting. i assume you know of the dark continent expedition that's soon to take place?"

"father has advised i take part on it, since kalluto told me the ryodan plans to rob some cliches who'll join the expedition- to look after him. you want me to join them?"

"yes, and i plan to board as well, don't fret."

illumi's eyes turn to slits, "how should i know you would be there? i can't take your word when you might just disappear when we've all boarded."

hisoka grins, wide then wider, "you should know by now illu, i plan to avenge my wounded pride. that damned chrollo didn't even fight me properly."

tilting his head, illumi stared at the man beside him, "is that not contradictory? i thought you did not mind your opponent using whatever means necessary to win?"

"magicians use tricks and misdirection to awe the audience," hisoka says almost thoughtlessly, "chrollo's a narcissistic hypnotist who used the audience as a damned shield because he knew he couldn't handle me face-to-face."

he groans, tinged in regret. "i shouldn't have picked heaven's arena, if i'd chosen a more discreet location then maybe the damage won't be this bad."

"damage?" illumi rests his chin on his palm, facing his husband.

hisoka swipes a hand over his face, and the glamour comes off. the picture he sent illumi now present in front of him. he was missing a nose, his left hand didn't have any finger left and dried blood chipped on his white skin. "oh."

with another swipe, everything's made correct again. hisoka was grinning again. he downs the remaining alcohol and leaves jenny bills under the emptied glass.

"come, lovely husband. we're to elope and legalize our union!"

illumi follows suit after downing his own glass, "i think there might be another loop hole, if you were to join the family. zoldycks do not kill family."

"so if i were to wed you, here and now, you'd think me more of a family than alluka?"

"alluka is not family."

"are those your words, illumi? or silva's?"

"i..."

"wow, you're really just as fucked up as i am."

"where do you plan to take me? i've just said i cannot kill family."

hisoka chuckles, "then you're the one to take my name, of course."

"preposterous!"

"who the hell still uses that word?"

"i am and will always be a zoldyck-"

"exactly. it's just legal papers, if you kill me then you'll just be a widow and even get your name back! see how everything'll work out in the end?"

"hisoka-"

"are you doubting your skill of assassination, my dearest husband?"

"... i better get the most expensive ring in this damned city."

"that's the spirit! now let's go get married!"

"wait, hisoka. what is your last name?"

later that night, when they leave a chapel, something gold glimmers on hisoka's bungee gum/texture surprise ring finger. a matching one around illumi's finger.

unlike hisoka, though, illumi had an extra red glimmer right under that gold, in the dead center of a silver band of intricately designed pattern. hisoka had foregone the traditional diamond in favor of a 16 carat ruby engagement ring, such a curious choice but illumi accepted it all the same...

(much later on, hisoka took both rings as collateral and reminded illumi that he would get them back even if he died bc it was in their damn prenup- and bc it was technically bought under illumis name and that's how hisoka assured illu that he'd be on that black whale,,, bc he had the rings and planned to give them back to him there)

"I thought a red gemstone was better suited for the rather bloody and murderous ending that our relationship will inevitably come to, wouldn't you agree?"

-Hisoka Morow whenever someone mentions his preference of proposal ring...

"I disagree with most of his ideals, our relationship has always had a fragile foundation, and I knew from the start that we'd eventually end up killing each other."

-Illumi Morow, nee Zoldyck when asked about his thoughts on his husband...

[partywithgyu]

In The Pines.

🌙Members: Kang Taehyun and Huening Kai.

🌙Genre: Horror. More like, spooky.

🌙Tag: One shot.

🌙W/C: 2300+

🌙Summary: Taehyun had a dream. It was a lucid dream or rather a lucid nightmare. Along with him was his friend, Kai. Stuck in a lucid nightmare he can't manipulate, Taehyun has to deal with the horrifyingly weird happenings. He could get stuck in the nightmare only for that night, right?

‹•.•›

Taehyun woke up in a dimly lit room.

He looked down at himself, dressed in the silk sleepwear he wore to bed that night. So soft was the blanket he pushed away and his feet touched the ground. It was red but not a deep shade unlike the roses in the vase, on the white old fashioned dresser. Few steps towards it he took. Stopping at a distance, small, he looked into the mirror. He saw the reflection of the open window behind him, revealing the sky so enigmatic. No, he couldn't see his own self in the mirror for he was in a lucid dream. 

He did what one would if they were left to control a dream. He left to explore. His feet rushed past the tall bedroom door, down the stairs to the lower floor. He looked to the left then to the right. All around him were doors. No furniture, just doors. In the dimly lit room, he could see that the walls were of a pale shade. The doors were dark, with dull gold detailing. Confusion arose as he looked around. "Which door shall I go through?" The one straight ahead he chose. Opening it had consequences. Cold fingers wrapped around his wrist and he was dragged away. The face was familiar, but difficult to identify with the flashing lights. He could've looked over it for more time to try to recall the person's identity. If only there were blinding lights calling out for his gaze. 

Here and there he looked. Around him was chaos. Chaos was created by the people stomping around, screaming on top of their lungs, words he couldn't quite make out. They looked so dead. As if their eyes never once saw life. Holding in their hands, sources of colorful lights they pointed it around. Truly it was headache inducing. This was a lucid dream, he remembered. For it was lucid, he could control it. He believed he could manipulate it. So, he turned to face a wall. 

"Taehyun," called out a familiar voice making him feel relieved. He could recognize the voice to be of his best friend Huening Kai. He would turn to a different scene, he thought. No. He turned to see a familiar face in a scene growing more violent. He looked into his friend's worried eyes. Kai's eyebrows were furrowed, his cheeks stained with tear marks. "We have to get out of here," he said in a tone so pleading that Taehyun immediately held onto his hand. 

"Kai. Where do we go?" he asked, even more terrified as he noticed blood on the faces on the people. Now they held a weapon each in their hands once free. "Door. We have to get out of this mansion," replied Kai in a hushed tone. The last thing they needed was being charged at by the lifeless people. Twisting the knob, Kai opened the door. He dragged Taehyun out of there. 

Once again all around them were doors. They looked at each other. "How do we get out of here?," asked Taehyun. Breathing in and out, Kai looked around before looking at the shorter friend. "It has to be one of these doors right?," he said with a hint of nervousness in his tone. Taehyun nodded before hesitantly reaching for the other door. The door opened to reveal a mirror. Their reflection didn't exist. "Next door," said Kai before reaching out to the other door. He was rushing because the longer they stayed in the creepy mansion, the most afraid he was of whatever could happen next. Rather, whoever could come to them. 

The third door was pushed open by Taehyun. The young men narrowed their eyes, when bright light fell on them. It was a dimly lit room with a table at the centre. On the table was a cage and in the cage a very bright being. It looked like a fairy, that's what Kai thought at least. "Oh no. Has she trapped you two too?," asked the creature in a concerned tone. "Who?," the two of them asked at the same time. "The evil witch. The one who has caged me." They shared a look before shaking their heads, slowly. "We haven't met any evil--" "Oh good. You should escape before she returns." "How?" "I wish I knew. A window? Something. As long as you two escape to the pines, you're good." 

"The pines?," asked Kai. "Yes. Outside this mansion is a long road. At the end of the road are the pines. That's the only place she can't get you two," said the bright little creature. "As you walk down the road, do not talk to anyone else you come across. Do not believe anyone you come across." Taehyun gulped. The warning made him fearsome of what they would have to encounter on the walk. That's when they hear a small sound at the corner of the room. "Go! Go!" On hearing the fairy-like creature scream those words, Kai shut the door. It was for a split second that Taehyun felt guilty for not setting the creature free. However at times like that, one's own survival has to be prioritized. In this case, both their survival. Silently, he promised himself that he wouldn't leave behind Huening Kai no matter what. 

"Not again," they heard a scream from upstairs. Taehyun turned to the staircase. It sounded like a boy just like him. Someone, who seemed rather frustrated. "We should go," said the other boy before opening another door. Oddly to their convenience, the door led to the outside. "Outside?," he asked Kai who nodded at him before stepping out. Taehyun followed. 

The front yard looked ruined by chaos. Taehyun made the observation as the two young men walked to the main gate. The swings were broken. The merry-go-round was once painted with colors he could tell. Aesthetic, it would be to some. To Taehyun, it was chilling. To be present in a scene, under the purple sky, in a place unknown. He wanted to go back to the world he knew. He wanted to wake up. 

"You told me I would be able to control the dream," he said to Kai. 

"I told you it would take practice," reminded the accused man with a hint of nervousness in his tone. 

Kai was right. He was told that. But he didn't expect this to be the outcome. "Why am I lost in a nightmare?" The last thing he wanted to do was walk on the spooky road that they were walking on. At least there were streetlights. "It's alright. It'll get done today. It's only for tonight," muttered the taller guy, walking ahead. "Right. It's just for tonight. I'll wake up soon." He picked up the pace to catch up with the taller boy. He felt better about walking next to him. "How do I wake up?," he questioned. Kai looked at him. "Oh. It's easy. We just have to reach the pines. That'll be the end of the adventure, you see." 

Not knowing much about how lucid dreams work, Taehyun just nodded. That's all he could do anyway. Walking to the pines wouldn't be that difficult, he thought. Then, he saw someone sitting on the bench, at the bus stop. He noticed first the small golden ornaments hanging on the tip of a tall, pointed hat. It was a clown. A creepy smile was painted onto his face. The one that extended upto his cheeks. Taehyun clinged to Huening Kai. "Stop," he whispered. Huening Kai did as told. He turned to Taehyun with worry in his eyes.  "We'll be fine as long as we don't talk to him. He'll disappear if we do that. After all, this is a dream," he reminded softly. "I know." 

"Know what?," asked the clown in a high pitched voice. He was heading to them, on his hands, upside down. It was horrifying, his gaze. "Ignore." reminded Taehyun to Kai. A small nod from Kai, then they started walking ahead. It was going to be a long walk with a clown behind them. 

"Tell me. Tell me. I wanna know." 

"Oh! Let me guess! You know that you're headed the wrong way?" 

"My! My! The pines are the other way! Poor boys!" 

"You're so lost without your mom. Don't worry, children. I'll help you find them!" 

"Wow! Did she tell you to not talk to strangers?" 

"I am not a stranger. Look at me. Don't you know me? Take a look. Take a look." 

"Look! Is that a shark in the sky?." 

"Ah! Fooled you!" 

"Don't act like you didn't fall for it."

"Why did the mushroom go to the party? Because it was a fun guy!" 

The clown wouldn't shut up. More than terrifying it was annoying. So, very annoying. It was shocking when the clown screamed for he had been hit. The two guys turned around to see another boy, about their age, with a baseball bat in his hand. The clown lay on the floor, with 'X' painted over his eyes. To their surprise he was beginning to fade away. Kai looked over at Taehyun who just watched the scene. The unknown guy smiled at them. "You're welcome." Taehyun opened his mouth to talk for it to be covered by Kai. "Don't talk to anyone," he was reminded. 

"Why not? You can talk to me. I am just another wanderer. I wouldn't have hit the clown for you otherwise." 

Taehyun was curious about the use of the term wanderer. What did it mean to be a wanderer?, he wanted to know. So, he stopped to hear what the wanderer had to say next. "What? Aren't you two wanderers too?" He was clueless of what it even meant to be a wanderer. Yet, he couldn't ask him. "This is a trap," whispered Kai into his ears. 

The wanderer's eyes lit up as he drew a conclusion. He looked over at Kai who only seemed to be wanting him to shut up. "I don't know what to do other than tell you to not go to the pines. Don't go. Wake up." 

The warning made Taehyun even more curious. What was the guy talking about? He looked so human. Like a boy killing time. The way he had been waiting for the clown almost. He must've picked the spot to hide because of the streetlight. He could see the clown clearly that way. He was so tempted to ask him. "Taehyun, we have to go to the pines to wake up, remember?" said Kai, gaining his attention. "Right." 

Once again, the two guys found themselves walking on the path. The pines, they could see far away. "What did he mean?" asked Taehyun to his friend. "How am I supposed to know?," replied Kai. He sighed as he looked at his friend. "Dreams don't always make sense, you know?," he said. "I keep forgetting this is a dream." "Right. You aren't even able to control it so that makes sense." Taehyun raised an eyebrow. "Can you?" "Hm?" "Can you control this dream? Are you really here? Are we sharing the same lucid dream?," questioned Taehyun, stopping in his tracks. Kai stopped too. "I can't control--" 

A fish hit Kai's face. It was a goldfish, he could see courtesy of the streetlights. A few more fell on the ground. Surprised, Taehyun looked up at the purple sky. It was raining fishes, just like he had once read about in a novel. "We better run," said Kai putting forth his hand. Taehyun held onto it before the two of them ran to the pines. He giggled, once they were covered by the trees. He turned back to see a lot more fishes fall from the sky. "That was silly," he said to Kai. "Free fishes," commented the other boy. 

"Anyway, let's go now. I want to wake up," said Taehyun. "Sure." 

 "Don't go," they heard a voice say. Another boy sat by a tree, sadness in his eyes. He looked as pale as one could with the darkness under his eyes as if he hadn't slept for months. "It's a trap. Don't go in," he told Taehyun. Particularly, him. "They're just like the clown, Tae." "He's right," defended another guy, from not so far. Few more guys headed closer. "Don't go in. He's trapping you." He sounded very assuring. That wasn't enough for Taehyun to believe them. Why would he believe the people of this nightmare? As they started getting closer, trying to convince him, Kai held onto his hand. "Let's run before they trap us. They don't want us to get in the pines." 

The two friends ran as fast as they could. So fast, that the few of the unknown guys who tried following them, gave up. They ran and ran until they saw a golden bench. In the middle of the pines, a golden bench, had to be there for a reason. "I think this is it. It has daylight around it. So sit," said Kai to Taehyun. Relieved, the guy sat on the bench. It was over. The nightmare was over, at least that's what he thought. "May I never have a nightmare again," he said only to notice the creeper growing up from the land, creeping around his leg. 

Golden was the light surrounding the trees. Familiar was the voice that spoke as though it didn't belong a person. The voice belonged perhaps to the trees or the wind. Maybe, it was the purple sky. "You were successful, wanderer. Just as told, you brought to me a sacrifice so you no longer stay cursed. You're free from the recurring nightmare. You shall now dream freely, no long wake up in the mansion. Be vary of wandering back into my nightmare world again." 

Eyes wide open, Taehyun looked at Kai. He looked so relieved for he had finally gotten rid of the curse. How could he not be? Not even once he would have to visit this nightmare again. He had to work hard for it of course. To even convince Taehyun to try to have a lucid dream was work. Every bait was a work of art. It took efforts but it was done. He was free to finally have a goodnight's sleep. He felt as happy as Taehyun felt betrayed. 

"As for you new boy. Every night you shall visit this nightmare. Every night, you shall suffer. As it gets brighter, you'll wake up to a bright morning but at night you'll wake up to the purple sky. If you wish to not do so, get along a friend in the pines." 

‹•.•›

 To head to my masterlist click here.

[axemetaphor]

Some Writing

I have little idea if this readmore will work because i'm on mobile but!!! I'm trying.

I wrote a bit of a something for my new fan character Unknown the Raccoon/Hedgehog [usually just called Unknown]; it starts right after they lost their memories and ends with them meeting Sonic. Kinda based on Forces (since that's what motivated me to even make Unknown!) but since ive been avoiding all spoilers it's probably not accurate lolol

Anyways—

Rating E10+

Contains mild injury, violence, and light swearing.

A hazy greenish-blue sky slowly comes into focus, partially obscured by the walls of tall buildings that rise far above their head, stretching up into the sky to brush against the clouds; the sun shines down brightly, harshly, and their whole body feels hot. 'How long have I been out here?' They wonder. They try to lift their arm, but it feels heavy, their movements sluggish. Their head aches, a dull ringing echoing in their ears, and the moment they try to twist their neck agony spears through their skull.

"Ow!" They yelp involuntarily, wincing and squeezing their eyes shut. "Oh, jeez, that hurts..." Slowly, they try to sit up, using their arms to both lift and support them. They're lying on something soft, squishy in places, covered in plastic. It feels like a lot of stuff with varying degrees of softness all wrapped in one very sturdy plastic wrap. It crinkles a bit when they move, a gentler sound than cellophane, but unpleasant nonetheless. Their eyes ease open again, and the sunlight seems slightly less harsh now. For a moment, they sit, blinking and looking around with wide green eyes. They're sat in an alleyway, in an open Dumpster practically overflowing with black trash bags. The alley itself is devoid of life, and the streets beyond it seem similarly abandoned. 'What's going on? Why am I the only one here?' Turning this way and that, they search for a clue. Finding none, they sigh, hopping down from the Dumpster, and their boots thud loudly against the concrete upon contact. Straightening up, they brush themselves off, feeling a little grimy. The walls ahead of them look equally dingy, rather run-down. 'Which way do I go?' They frown, squinting first one way, then the other. "Six of one, half-dozen of the other," they mumble, but then something catches their eye. There's a couple flyers tacked onto the walls to their left; curious, they turn that way and cautiously approach them. The city has the air of a place that really should be more busy than this—the silence is so obviously unnatural. Their boots thump with each step, the only sound heard at all. No birds, no insects dare make any noise, but why? They pause, reading the flyers, which they now realize are tacked on to the windows of what was—is?—a store, presumably. Distracting themselves for a minute, they peer into the store. Racks of clothes sit in a relatively orderly arrangement, but the shop itself is devoid of life. Their eyes slowly focus on their reflection rather than the contents of the store, and their ears prick in surprise. Leaning forward, they gently place a hand on their cheek, as if to make certain that that's their reflection.

Fluffy blueish-grey fur covers their entire body, with paler whitish fur outlining their eyes and the inside of their ears—which bear three piercings: two rings towards the tip of their ears, and one gauge piercing at the base—and covering their muzzle. Deep blue—almost black!—fur rings their eyes, with one little patch on their forehead and two stripes down their cheeks. Just beneath their chin, a plume of thick, fluffy, bright pale green fur covers their chest and neck. There's a rather tattered black rain jacket hanging from their shoulders, one sleeve half-ripped-off and the other completely absent. Form-fitting black jeans cover their legs, and are in a similar level of dishevelment. The only thing that remained intact was the studded belt wrapped around their waist, which bears two chains dangling off of it. Their gaze drifts back up to their face again, and they notice dried blood practically caked to their upper lip and around their nose; there's a dried smear of blood on one of their ears, too, right beneath one of the ring piercings. The thought 'oh, that must be the newest one' drifts through their head unbidden as they stare in mild confusion at their face. Somehow, everything about this is so unfamiliar... but how? This is their face, isn't it? So why doesn't it feel right? And how come they don't remember their name?

They close their eyes and shake their head, letting their hand drop back down to their side. "What the hell happened to me?" They think aloud, looking back at their reflection. Taking a step back, they tilt their head from side to side, checking out their spines. All are brushed to curve towards one side—their left—and the two on their right have a bit more curl in them than the ones on the left. Their gaze drifts down again, admiring their black combat boots. Flexing their foot, they realize the shoe has a steel toe, stained with blood. "Whatever it was, I guess I went down fighting." They laugh shortly, smirking, and look back up. Something else catches their attention now, a paper flapping in the wind, trying vainly to escape and flutter down the street. They reach up, gently smoothing it down with a hand, and examine it more closely. The top of the paper has the word "wanted" printed in all-caps, boldface, large font. Their eyes skim the page, automatically focusing on the chunk of text nearer to the bottom—several bullet points read "Name: Unknown. Age: Estimated 18 or 19. Height: 3'6" Reward: 100,000,000 rings," then several phone numbers. Their gaze drifts back up, and their eyes widen when they see the image accompanying this Wanted poster. Their eyes snap from the image, to their reflection, back to the image, back to the reflection. There's no mistaking it. The face in the photo, grinning smugly at the viewer, is none other than their own!

Instinctively they tear the paper down and rush to shove it in their pocket, frantically glancing about even though the street is deserted. Turning all about, they look for copies of the poster; finding none, they relax slightly, and run a hand through their hair, jamming the other in their pocket. "'Unknown,' huh..." they mumble. "Doesn't clear much up, but I guess it works...for now." Looking up, they frown. "Bigger problem—where are all the people? ...And why do I keep talking to myself?"

--•~

After an awful lot of hard work, Unknown finally made it to the top of the tallest building they could find, and they sat on the edge of its roof, wheezing slightly as they looked out at the city sprawling beneath them. The sky is still a cheery light blue above them, but they can see that, far ahead of them, a dark reddish-black cloud hangs over part of the city. A large part, too, and it's spreading. Some parts of the city are on fire, the smoke already darkening the sky, and something in Unknown's gut twists. No wonder the city is silent—it must have been evacuated. 'Guess nobody was checking the Dumpsters, though… or they thought I was dead.' Swinging their legs slightly, Unknown looks up, thinking carefully. The sky above is deceptively calm, unnervingly so—not even a bird dares disturb it. Looking back down at the dark part of the city, Unknown narrows their eyes, focusing intently. They can see, amongst the smog, some weird, slow-moving shapes that tower over the buildings. 'What on earth is going on over there?' Standing up, they swish their tail back and forth, mulling over their options. Either they run away from all the dark fiery stuff, and hope they can find where the city evacuated to, or they take their chances and head for all the chaos, because, well, why not? What even are the chances that they'd find the evacuees?

A strange curiosity consumes them, and they find their eyes drifting back to the hulking shapes almost crawling through the buildings. "I have to know what's going on over there," they think aloud, standing up. Turning around, they head for the opposite edge of the roof, then turn back around. Their eyes catch sight of a power line running from a building to the left of the one they're currently down into the sea of rooftops beneath them. Crouching down a bit, they brace themselves, take a deep breath, then sprint for the corner of the roof. Springing off it, they spin their arms a bit like a windmill, slowing them down slightly; reaching out, they grab hold of the power line, feeling it bend beneath their weight. Wrapping both hands around it, they twist their body to face the same direction as the wire leads, putting their feet in front of them. The wind roars through their ears as they slide down, squinting against the force of the air. After a short bit, they feel their grips start to weaken, arms shaking from the force of holding them still, and they crane their neck, looking for a good place to land. Right as the wire passes over a rooftop below, they let go, flailing a little; right before they hit the ground, they tuck into a roll, and somersault right up to the edge of the roof.

Without missing a beat, they spring to their feet, launching themselves off the roof to collide with the wall of a building adjacent to it. Scrabbling for a handhold, they fall a few inches before their fingers wrap around a windowsill. Hauling themselves up halfway, Unknown looks around for another place to go; spotting a decorative grate on a skyscraper across the street, they grin, then fling themselves from the windowsill. The wind screams in their ears again as they sail through the air, plummeting at an alarming rate until they collide with the grate several meters below where they were on the windowsill. The raccoon-hedgehog takes a moment to steady themselves, panting slightly, before beginning to claw their way up the grating towards the top of the building. After maybe five minutes, they can feel their arms start to burn and ache; pausing, they twist and turn, looking for a new place to go. To their left, a bit below them, is a balcony jutting out from a floor of the building. It has some potted trees and bushes almost directly beneath them, and after a moment's consideration, they casually let go of the grate, falling right into a bush. Rolling straight out of it, they brush themselves off, then dash for the opposite edge, hopping up onto the banister then springing off again; their feet collide with a roof below, and they fall into the landing, crouching down with their palms flat on the floor.

Unknown looks up, eyes searching the horizon as they get to their feet, blinking a few times. The red darkness is still pretty far away, but they can faintly smell its smoke now. Flicking an ear, they stretch briefly, trotting forward. 'Now what?' They ask themselves, looking around. To their left is a taller building with many, many windows and a rail branching off its roof, arcing down further into the city, maybe even directly to where they want to go; directly ahead, there's a shorter donut shop with a massive sculpted donut on top of it; on the right sits an apartment complex with a lot of balconies. The weirdly placed rail draws Unknown's attention, and they casually look down at their boots. "They're no SOAP shoes, but maybe they'll work..." The raccoon-hog muses aloud, heading towards their left. After a step or two, they break into a jog, then a sprint, dashing as fast as they can before vaulting up onto the lip of the roof and springing right off it. As they sail towards the building, their blurry reflection comes into focus in the windows, a grinning face with feet outstretched to take the brunt of the impact. The glass shatters so easily, thin sheets not meant for the force of a body or bullets, and they drop into a shoulder roll across the razor-sharp shards. Luckily their fur is so thick; they spring up, shake their fur out, and dash forward, hardly paying attention to their surroundings. This is an office building, with tons of cubicles all in the way, so Unknown hops up onto one of the desks then up onto the thin dividers and starts lunging from one to the other, headed for a set of elevators. Leaping off the last divider, they slam the "Up" button, then take a step back, breathing hard. The elevator whirrs softly, slowly growing louder as it approaches, until it lets out a gentle "ding!" and the doors open.

"Roof access...?" Unknown asks hopefully, ears perked, as they lean in and peer first one way, then the other, looking for the panel of buttons. Finding it, they step further into the elevator, wiggling the fingers of their right hand as they visually scan the controls, a grin lighting up their face as they spot one marked "R." Strutting all the way into the elevator, they press and hold the button, then step back and lean against the wall. The doors creak closed, and after a brief moment of stillness the elevator starts to ascend. Unknown leans back, crossing first their legs then their arms, looking at the ceiling. Their breathing relaxes to a normal pace, the pounding of their heart easing into a calm rhythm, just in time for the elevator to stop and let out another cheery "ding!" with the doors grinding open mere moments later. Immediately Unknown bounds forward, streaking towards the rail; hopping over a ventilation duct, they skid a slight bit before vaulting up onto the rail. Their boots collide with the rail, screeching loudly as the steel scrapes up against whatever metal the rail is made of. Wind rushes through their hair and that familiar feeling of weightlessness, like their stomach is lifting up into their ribcage. They pick up speed, and soon the city skyscrapers are a blur rushing past them, quickly darkening the further along they go. Looking up, Unknown realizes they're most definitely not under blue skies anymore; glancing back down, they spring off the railing a mere few yards before it ends, falling into another shoulder roll. Getting to their feet, the raccoon-hog pauses, looking first left then right.

Many of the buildings nearby are broken, crumbling and some are on fire. The sounds of chaos and destruction are much louder now, along with some very weird mechanical sounds. 'Is that coming from the huge robots I saw earlier?' Unknown wonders, looking up. A couple roofs over, they notice some smaller robots wandering around, almost like they're patrolling the area. Squinting, they try to make out just what's going on, too distracted to notice the robot creeping up behind them until—

"Look out!" Someone shouts, and a weight slams into Unknown. They yelp, tumbling head-over-heels with a stranger's arms wrapped around their shoulders. A gunshot is heard, then the sound of smashing metal, and the arms are lifted from them; scrabbling along the rooftop, Unknown scrambles to their feet, ending up in a slightly unsteady crouch with one hand pressed to the ground. Looking up, they see a somewhat-bruised blue hedgehog getting up a bit ahead of them. Without even missing a beat, he leaps up into the air, curling into a ball to smash through an air born robot. Before they can properly react, Unknown's head instinctively snaps around to see a different machine charging right for them. Letting out another yelp, they run off to their right, trying to escape it, but the machine isn't going to give up anytime soon. More are descending from the sky like metallic locusts, one thudding to the ground right in front of the sprinting raccoon-hog, who immediately drops into a sliding kick.

Surprisingly, they knock the robot right off its feet, and it detonates as the robot following Unknown mows right over it. Glancing over their shoulder, Unknown grins, an idea forming in their head; they begin to slow their pace, waiting for the robot to catch up a bit, before making a beeline right for a wall sticking up from the roof. Leaping up onto it, they take two steps upward before backflipping off of it to land behind their pursuer; their left leg lashes out, colliding with the robot and slamming it harshly into the wall. It collapses, and they land with a thump, turning immediately to see a different robot taking aim at them. 'Jesus, they never stop, do they?' Sprinting, they duck behind a ventilation duct, hearing bullets ping off of it, before they abruptly stop with a crash. Scrambling to stand, Unknown looks to see a bright pink hedgehog absolutely whaling on their former assailant. Paying little mind to that, they vault up over the ventilation duct, choosing to sprint towards their right. They see a red echidna punching straight through machine after machine, all surrounding him, and they tackle the nearest robot, surprising and distracting it. Unknown scrambles quickly to the top of its head, then springs off it just as two different machines shoot right at the raccoon-hog. They miss spectacularly; with an explosion the robot's head is gone, and Unknown lands neatly on top another robot to repeat the process. In no time, the robot's numbers dwindle drastically; Unknown leaps off the last robot's head just as the red echidna's fist collides with it, throwing it almost off the building. The raccoon-hog hits the ground a meter or so away from the red echidna, pulling themselves to their feet as the blue hedgehog and his friends all start to walk across the roof, headed for the center where Unknown and the echidna are.

Panting, Unknown pulls off their tattered jacket, slinging it over their shoulder. They've no clue why they didn't ditch it earlier, since it isn't useful at all, but at least they had a thin layer of protection, they suppose. Running a hand through their hair, they look over when the blue hedgehog calls out, "Not bad!" He grins broadly, stepping forward. The pink hedgehog and an orange fox follow him; the red echidna meanders off across the roof, looking like he's trying to find something.

"Who are you?" Intrigued, Unknown steps forward to meet the three halfway, and stares into the dark green eyes of their new friend. 'How is he not winded at all?' They wonder.

A mixture of surprise and confusion flashes across his face briefly before he smiles in a friendly manner and answers, "I'm Sonic! Sonic the Hedgehog." He extends a hand, and Unknown cautiously shakes it, a bit puzzled. "These are all of my friends," Letting go of Unknown's hand, the hedgehog takes a step back and gestures towards his company, pointing first at an orange fox. "That's Tails," The fox smiles and waves cheerfully. "That's Amy," a pink hedgehog holding an absolutely massive hammer steps forward with a smile.

"Pleased to meet you!" She interrupts Sonic to extend a hand to Unknown as well. They take it with a polite smile, still a little uncertain.

"That's Knuckles," Sonic continues, gesturing towards the red echidna, who turns at the mention of his name to wave casually. "And who are you?" Turning his focus back to Unknown, Sonic raises an eyebrow.

"Oh, uh—" they frantically think back to the flyer they found, "U-Unknown."

"Unknown?" Amy echoes, tipping her head to one side and looking perplexed.

"Yep," the raccoon-hog straightens up, feigning confidence and quickly changing the subject. "Hey, what's going on? What's up with all the robots and fire?"

"Oh, y'know, same ol' Robotnik stuff." To Unknown's surprise, Sonic shrugs it off. "We're gonna take care of it, don't worry."

"Uh—I—Can I help?" For a moment, they're caught off-guard by the nonchalance this colorful crew is displaying, but they've recovered as quickly as they can.

Sonic seems surprised for a moment, then grins broadly, looking around his group of friends. They all nod, smiling themselves, and the blue hedgehog turns back to Unknown. "Sure! Why not?"