The ring deposits you all safely outside the base and seals up afterwards. Neo Metal Sonic doesn't chase after you, which is something of a mercy.
What's significantly less of a mercy is the sky - it's gone dark and ominously stormy, though the clouds spark not with lightning, but with that same green Chaos Energy you've been facing this entire fight. Worse still, there are now far, far too many robotic planes filling the sky - the Egg Fleet seems to go on endlessly, as far as you can see. Though perhaps it would be more accurate to call it the Neo Metal Sonic Fleet.
Sonic and friends arrive shortly, looking pretty banged up but otherwise still healthy enough to make it here, though they stare up at the sky with obvious concern.
"O...kay, this is definitely not what any of us were expecting."
"We will have to take the fight to them, it seems."
"Easier said than done, I'm afraid... I'm not sure how to pinpoint their leader's exact location to send you all with a ring..."
A jolt of green lightning flashes across the sky and Neo Metal Sonic's voice rings out.
"I expect to see you onboard my fleet in one week's time. That includes you, my loathsome copy."
It seems you don't really have much of a choice. For now, tend to your wounds and try to regroup; you've earned a break after today.
[To see Oscar emerging from one of these massive fights torn to pieces is, in fact, not a surprise. But that he stands so removed, so distant, still peppered with wounds... had he not bothered to speak to someone to be cared for? He took such a beating during that confrontation...
Vakama is careful as he approaches, a hand against Oscar's shoulder as he looks down at him with a worried expression.]
Oscar.
[His expression drifts, a complicated exhaustion, as he looks the young man over with a brief scan of his eyes.]
Even I know you should not be standing out here so with these sorts of injuries.
[After their conversation the other day, it's not entirely unexpected to hear Vakama addressing him. The gentle hand on his shoulder is a surprise, however, and for the briefest moment his expression flickers between something like shock and guilt before settling itself into a small, quiet smile.
The exhaustion in his eyes doesn't seem to be solely the result of the battle itself.]
There're a lot of people who took worse hits than me. I'm used to this kinda thing, so it's best to let them get patched up first. I don't mind waitin' for a little while.
[Flick, flick. The lighter makes a slight metallic sound each time he lights it, then lets it go back out.]
Maybe so. But I do not think our healers find it particularly helpful if we choose to treat things too lightly, no matter what we believe we can handle.
Besides. Given the fight we just had, even with your experience... that was still an enormous amount of strain you were put under. It will put a lot of us at ease if we know you are taking care of yourself, Oscar.
[It's chiding, yes, but he won't push it much farther than that. Instead, he sighs, a clap of that hand against his shoulder before nodding off away from the base, towards the river.]
If you have the energy, would you come with me a moment?
[His eyes flit in the direction Vakama indicates, one brow arching just slightly. While he's not sure just what the other has in mind, he trusts his judgment, and so it's without any hesitation to speak of that he nods in assent.]
Yeah, sure.
[As for the other part... he purses his lips as if contemplating a response to them. It's certainly not the first time he's heard that exact sentiment expressed, nor will it be the last, yet the strange, uneasy feeling that surfaces in the pit of his stomach at those kind of words never seems to go away.]
To be honest, though, I'm more concerned about some of the others-- the ones who got their heads messed with...
Those with shards of green and white, correct? [Says the diamond-shard robot, but y'know. He's dancing around talking about that for the moment.]
I could see that. I trust some will be resilient enough on their own to sort through their feelings, but... it's still a shaking experience for many different reasons. [He thinks of Void Archive's haunted coldness for the rest of the fight, of Viktor's scrambled pleas as he fought it.]
Those that need to talk will find the ways to talk. All we can do is lend an ear and let them know we are here for them.
[And oh, is he ever glad that topaz and sapphire weren't affected, because the thought of a mind-controlled him or Basilio running rampant is a frankly terrifying one. They're the party tanks for a reason, and it's not just because they can soak damage like no one's business.]
An' somehow I don't think that's the kind of thing that just throwin' another party is gonna be able to fix. [Not to mention the fact that after that, he really doesn't have it in him himself to set something like that up again...]
... well, that's what Big Bro is here for. If they wanna talk, I'll be there to listen.
[He smiles, but it definitely doesn't reach his eyes...]
Mm. It's not an easy answer, and not one we should treat as such.
It takes a great amount of kindness and trust in another to let them speak candidly and withhold judgement. That you are willing to do so speaks well of your character.
[Surface wise, at least. But he has done similar song and dance plenty of times, especially here in Chicago - he knows it is an easy thing to lean on when he does not want to dwell on his own problems.]
...I wonder, though, what makes it so hard to accept it in reverse. How we may look, to those we love, if we insist we cannot do the same.
[... ah. How he keeps insisting that people don't need to worry about him, of course. It's become such an ingrained habit by now that he no longer even does it consciously, yet people still protest it when he does.
He's a soldier; he protects others, and that means putting them first. To him, it's simply a statement of fact.]
... it's just a matter of prioritizin' things. Some people need that kind of support a lot more than others, that's all. So if I can help 'em with that, then that's what I'm gonna do.
I can understand that much, as far as how it feels.
[They're not going too horribly close to where the river sets, but there's an overlook close to their base that at least captures the sound and movement of the water even at their distance.]
I have also been told recently, that... just because we feel that there may be nothing to be done about ourselves, it does not mean that something shouldn't be attempted at all. It doesn't make our loved ones in the wrong for asking, or for wanting to hear our thoughts, even if it feels like it could be nothing but a waste of time.
[He slows to a stop, dropping heavily to a seat in the grass.]
Far easier in words rather than practice, I think.
[Oscar follows suit, though far more gingerly given his injuries. Whether it actually takes him a bit of time to get settled comfortably or whether he's simply trying to stall is hard to tell, though the end result is the same.
He's quiet for a moment before at last he speaks.]
Dunno why anyone would want to hear my thoughts. Anythin' that requires usin' your head has never really suited me, so that's why I just stick to the stuff that takes strength.
[He laughs quietly.]
So unless they wanna hear about what I'm plannin' on cookin' for dinner or which bar I'm goin' to tonight, there's not much point in askin' about that kind of thing.
[He knows, of course, exactly what Vakama really meant by that. He also has no intentions of answering it honestly, because he's perfected the mask so well by now that it's easier to keep it in place than it is to let it slip.]
You would not be out staring into the unseeable distance with such a look on your face if there were not something with considerable importance on your mind.
I have not minded your thoughts, Oscar, when you allow them to come. They are not as pointless as you insist they are, just as others' thoughts are not pointless to you when they are voiced. [He folds his arms tight, leaning them against his knees as he looks out to the river.] But I'm no different than you, so perhaps I have no room to talk.
[... busted. A part of him supposes it was only to be expected; it was quite a departure from his usual demeanor, which was exactly why he'd retreated outside for a bit of space rather than staying in with the others. It really isn't a tremendous surprise that at least one amongst their little group would be able to see right through it...
He's silent for a long moment before pulling out the cigarette he'd pocketed when they'd begun walking over, holding it up to gesture to Vakama with a simple:]
Y'mind?
[At least he has the self-awareness to know that not everyone appreciates the smoke-- it is harmful, after all, as he's well aware. (Which may in fact be part of why he does it, not that he'll say as much aloud.)]
[With a grateful nod, Oscar lights the cigarette and takes a deep pull on it, exhaling a puff of smoke in what almost sounds like a sigh. The ritual is more comforting than he'd like to admit, a way to calm his jangled nerves after a harsh battle... which is certainly what today had been.
He's silent for quite a while, rolling the thoughts around in his head while he tries to figure out what he wants to say. At last, he settles on:]
... I really thought we were gonna lose someone today.
No, but that was pretty awful all on its own, too.
[He takes another drag of the cigarette, his other hand still holding the lighter clenching just a little tighter around its familiar shape.]
I mean what happened with More, an'... Bas jumpin' in to take that hit for me. I thought I was gonna have to watch 'em die right in front of me.
[He's already been through that once, and he came out the other side permanently scarred in more than just the physical sense. Another time would have been far too much for him to bear.]
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hello :)
Vakama is careful as he approaches, a hand against Oscar's shoulder as he looks down at him with a worried expression.]
Oscar.
[His expression drifts, a complicated exhaustion, as he looks the young man over with a brief scan of his eyes.]
Even I know you should not be standing out here so with these sorts of injuries.
What is troubling you?
reaches for...
The exhaustion in his eyes doesn't seem to be solely the result of the battle itself.]
There're a lot of people who took worse hits than me. I'm used to this kinda thing, so it's best to let them get patched up first. I don't mind waitin' for a little while.
[Flick, flick. The lighter makes a slight metallic sound each time he lights it, then lets it go back out.]
no subject
Besides. Given the fight we just had, even with your experience... that was still an enormous amount of strain you were put under. It will put a lot of us at ease if we know you are taking care of yourself, Oscar.
[It's chiding, yes, but he won't push it much farther than that. Instead, he sighs, a clap of that hand against his shoulder before nodding off away from the base, towards the river.]
If you have the energy, would you come with me a moment?
no subject
Yeah, sure.
[As for the other part... he purses his lips as if contemplating a response to them. It's certainly not the first time he's heard that exact sentiment expressed, nor will it be the last, yet the strange, uneasy feeling that surfaces in the pit of his stomach at those kind of words never seems to go away.]
To be honest, though, I'm more concerned about some of the others-- the ones who got their heads messed with...
no subject
Those with shards of green and white, correct? [Says the diamond-shard robot, but y'know. He's dancing around talking about that for the moment.]
I could see that. I trust some will be resilient enough on their own to sort through their feelings, but... it's still a shaking experience for many different reasons. [He thinks of Void Archive's haunted coldness for the rest of the fight, of Viktor's scrambled pleas as he fought it.]
Those that need to talk will find the ways to talk. All we can do is lend an ear and let them know we are here for them.
no subject
[And oh, is he ever glad that topaz and sapphire weren't affected, because the thought of a mind-controlled him or Basilio running rampant is a frankly terrifying one. They're the party tanks for a reason, and it's not just because they can soak damage like no one's business.]
An' somehow I don't think that's the kind of thing that just throwin' another party is gonna be able to fix. [Not to mention the fact that after that, he really doesn't have it in him himself to set something like that up again...]
... well, that's what Big Bro is here for. If they wanna talk, I'll be there to listen.
[He smiles, but it definitely doesn't reach his eyes...]
no subject
It takes a great amount of kindness and trust in another to let them speak candidly and withhold judgement. That you are willing to do so speaks well of your character.
[Surface wise, at least. But he has done similar song and dance plenty of times, especially here in Chicago - he knows it is an easy thing to lean on when he does not want to dwell on his own problems.]
...I wonder, though, what makes it so hard to accept it in reverse. How we may look, to those we love, if we insist we cannot do the same.
no subject
[... ah. How he keeps insisting that people don't need to worry about him, of course. It's become such an ingrained habit by now that he no longer even does it consciously, yet people still protest it when he does.
He's a soldier; he protects others, and that means putting them first. To him, it's simply a statement of fact.]
... it's just a matter of prioritizin' things. Some people need that kind of support a lot more than others, that's all. So if I can help 'em with that, then that's what I'm gonna do.
no subject
[They're not going too horribly close to where the river sets, but there's an overlook close to their base that at least captures the sound and movement of the water even at their distance.]
I have also been told recently, that... just because we feel that there may be nothing to be done about ourselves, it does not mean that something shouldn't be attempted at all. It doesn't make our loved ones in the wrong for asking, or for wanting to hear our thoughts, even if it feels like it could be nothing but a waste of time.
[He slows to a stop, dropping heavily to a seat in the grass.]
Far easier in words rather than practice, I think.
no subject
He's quiet for a moment before at last he speaks.]
Dunno why anyone would want to hear my thoughts. Anythin' that requires usin' your head has never really suited me, so that's why I just stick to the stuff that takes strength.
[He laughs quietly.]
So unless they wanna hear about what I'm plannin' on cookin' for dinner or which bar I'm goin' to tonight, there's not much point in askin' about that kind of thing.
[He knows, of course, exactly what Vakama really meant by that. He also has no intentions of answering it honestly, because he's perfected the mask so well by now that it's easier to keep it in place than it is to let it slip.]
no subject
You would not be out staring into the unseeable distance with such a look on your face if there were not something with considerable importance on your mind.
I have not minded your thoughts, Oscar, when you allow them to come. They are not as pointless as you insist they are, just as others' thoughts are not pointless to you when they are voiced. [He folds his arms tight, leaning them against his knees as he looks out to the river.] But I'm no different than you, so perhaps I have no room to talk.
no subject
He's silent for a long moment before pulling out the cigarette he'd pocketed when they'd begun walking over, holding it up to gesture to Vakama with a simple:]
Y'mind?
[At least he has the self-awareness to know that not everyone appreciates the smoke-- it is harmful, after all, as he's well aware. (Which may in fact be part of why he does it, not that he'll say as much aloud.)]
no subject
He shakes his head.]
I worked in forges. A little smoke will be welcome, if anything.
no subject
He's silent for quite a while, rolling the thoughts around in his head while he tries to figure out what he wants to say. At last, he settles on:]
... I really thought we were gonna lose someone today.
no subject
Mm. A lot was thrown at us unexpectedly, you and Basilio included.
Given your hesitations, though, I take it you do not mean what happened with those that lost control.
no subject
[He takes another drag of the cigarette, his other hand still holding the lighter clenching just a little tighter around its familiar shape.]
I mean what happened with More, an'... Bas jumpin' in to take that hit for me. I thought I was gonna have to watch 'em die right in front of me.
[He's already been through that once, and he came out the other side permanently scarred in more than just the physical sense. Another time would have been far too much for him to bear.]