New Beginnings

Chapter 39 - Advise Abduction

Watching Silver and Espio sitting next to each other on the couch with both clearly internally screaming had no right being this funny, and yet it was hilarious.

"Gooooood morning!" the speedster sung as he bounced inside the room in full from where he had sent a discreet glance through the opening first, Silver's quills falling victim to his ruffling fingers and the others present getting shot a wink and a thumbs-up. "How's everythin' going in here?" Presumably poorly for at least two of the people inside, that much was obvious, but hopefully Vector could tell him more about just what had happened. Because something had happened, that much was certain.

"Eh, same as usual," the crocodile retorted from where he was reading the newspaper, Charmy having gotten his hands on another one – Sonic hoped it was not this day's edition – to fold either an upside-down hat or an inside-out boat out of. "Rise 'n shine, see if we have something left for breakfast, try to find cases. And now entertain you inbetween, I s'pose." A most obvious glance of amusement was sent over the rim of the paper towards the two anthros sitting on the couch together, one sorting his quills back into place with a surprisingly flustered expression on his face as opposed to more expected annoyance and the other carefully helping with no words passing his lips, and the tiny spark of utter panic in Espio's eyes which had been clearly visible from the hallway also had not dissipated in the slightest. "Es 'n the kid couldn't sleep, so they went downstairs already," the crocodile added a bit more loudly than before, one pair of golden eyes burning into him and Sonic immediately as he said that and the other quietly dropping down.

"That sucks." With a bright grin that was entirely opposite from his words Sonic studied the lovebirds on the couch. He could not quite get his hands on just what had transpired before the others had arrived in the living room, but he could tell it had left a great impact on both... Imagining just what it could have been was remarkably easy, though he took great care to keep those thoughts to himself. "Did you get some sleep after all, though?"

A flick of a purple tail was all that followed, Espio's face as neutral as always- even if Sonic was seeing right through him. Silver's demeanour told him more than enough as well, the grey-furred psychic staring at his knees with the sideways glances being sent to the chameleon impossible to miss. "Of course," the latter spoke up first, voice sounding almost like usual. "And Vector is lying-" a sharp glare was sent to the crocodile next- "because we have nothing left for breakfast."

"...It's not that bad, is it?"

"Yeah, surely there's some stuff in there we can whip up? I don't mind getting creative!" Sonic added, smiling comfortingly at the tense ninja sitting on the couch. Espio always was worried about being able to feed Charmy and now Silver too; no doubt whatever had happened last night only made that escalate further into the current snappy tone and short fuse of the other. A front to pretend he was doing fine, no doubt.

"Forget it," the chameleon hissed lowly. "You cannot 'whip up' a meal out of thin air. As it stands we are all out of groceries, which Vector still has not done despite me asking about it for literal weeks now."

Agitatedly the newspaper got shut. "That's not true! I went out 'n got some when you were bein' all depressed and stuff-"

"While leaving out literally everything of proper sustenance and coming home only with that accursed cereal and chips and premade soup and pancake batter and it has all been eaten already-"

A small voice piped up as Charmy crossed his arms, interesting paper hat placed over his helmet and goggles. "Doing groceries is boring."

Brow creasing deeply Vector huffed, defensive attitude clearly aimed more at the stubborn chameleon than Charmy's well-thought-out addition to the argument. "And you know fruit is expensive and I refuse to spend my heard-earned money on some quickly-spoiled apples or whatever-"