Meadowood - Checking In

[Jamie Lee]

Rob rubbed at the agitated sore lump on his head as he wandered through the shady treetop village of Meadoowood. After a rest and some dry clothes, he was feeling better than he had after his 'accident' at the river, but his headache still persisted and the afflicted area was tender.

Nevertheless, he approached the lodge he had lead the human boy he and Rouge found earlier to, removing his hand from the sore lump and straightening his hood to cover it over as best was possible. He gave a soft knock on the door.

"Hello? Are you awake in there?" he called, loud enough to be heard, but not so much he'd startle the boy if he were sleeping.

[DB]

The collapsed figure of the overlander budged only the slightest, followed by a nearly inaudible mumble.

"Ten more minutes mom... five if you make waffflees..."

Apparently, Nik was awake. But not really awake.

[Jamie Lee]

Rob's head canted to one side, barely making out the boy's words. He decided to open the door a crack, just enough to peek inside. "Er, would it be alright if I came in?" he asked, more loudly this time.

[DB]

"Mom, your voice sounds really bad."

Pause.

"Wait..."

And at this point the overlander sat up in bed and gawked at the hedgehog.

"... you're not my mom!"

Pause.

"DON'TEATME"

[Jamie Lee]

The hedgehog drew in a deep breath and released it, opening the door a little more, enough to slip inside and close it behind him. "Nobody's going to eat you... Nik was it? Please, just please calm down. I just want to talk to you."

[DB]

The overlander, at this point, was crouched at one end of the bed, holding up a pillow and with his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

As if a pillow would honestly save him if Rob somehow was a vicious beast.

"... fine. We can talk."

[Jamie Lee]

Rob nodded in approval of Nik's compliance, however skittish he seemed. Crossing across the floor and he took a seat in a small chair sitting in front of a desk and eyed him curiously. "Where did you even get such an idea as that anyway?"

[DB]

"What do you mean 'an idea like that'..."

The overlander shifted uncomfortably on the bed's edge, continuing to keep the pillow between himself and the hedgehog. The bed wasn't exactly made for someone his size so he was a bit in danger of simply falling off the edge.

"...Everyone knows that."

[Jamie Lee]

Rob's head tilted to one side and he shook his head. "Who is 'everyone'? I can say I've never heard of anything like that before..."

[DB]

"Everyone civilized."

[Jamie Lee]

And at that the hedgehog grimaced, looking rather hurt. "I see. The prejudice really goes that deep, does it..." he sighed, slumping his shoulders slightly. "Did you know the common belief about humans is that they're malevolent brutes without an inch of compassion or honor?"

[DB]

Nik's brow furrowed at that comment. Where would anyone get an idea like that?

"Why?"

[Jamie Lee]

He smiled gently. "Quite possibly for the very same reason you think I'm uncivilized. A simple stereotype caused by the actions of only a small number of people. Tell me; how much do you know about the current war?"

[DB]

Nik blinked. That reply made sense, sort of, but... at the same time, why would anyone think something like that?

... And wait, what?

"... what war?"

[Jamie Lee]

The hedgehog's brow furrowed and he gave the boy a sideways look. "You mean to say you're not even aware of it? That's... really impressive..."

He leaned back, crossing one leg over another and resting his hands in his lap. "I'll admit I'm a bit rusty on my history. I'm just a simple farm boy, where most of the blokes around here are from the city. The fact is though we've been in the middle of a war for several years now; other parts of the world have been involved in it for around a decade... Somewhere around a ago there was a different war down in the central region though - The Great War. Off hand I can't remember what the depute was over, or who the capital city Mobotropolis was fighting against, but a very small handful of humans were involved in it. Of course, because humans rarely get involved in the affairs of other species it became a large focal point for propaganda. This laid a large foundation for today's present prejudice."

He paused for a moment then, scrunching his lips together and popping them as he strained to remember the details. "One of those humans was a man named Julian. He betrayed his comrades and joined the Mobotropolis military, and with his inside knowledge wiped out the opposing side. Shortly after, though, he betrayed the king of that city and overthrew it."

He pulled in a deep breath of air and closed his eyes for a moment as his head shook to either side. "Julian, now called Robotnik, is the man behind the current war still. After conquering his first kingdom, he's begun to spread out and overthrow others. That's pretty much where we are now, and pretty much where everyone's prejudice comes from."

[DB]

Nik listened carefully to what the hedgehog had to say, though still keeping distance from him. He thought, trying to clear his confusion as Rob spoke.

"I'll admit I'm a bit rusty on my history. I'm just a simple farm boy, where most of the blokes around here are from the city (Beasts have CITIES?). The fact is though we've been in the middle of a war for several years now; other parts of the world have been involved in it for around a decade... Somewhere around a ago there was a different war down in the central region though - The Great War. Off hand I can't remember what the despute was over (Does it have to be over anything? Beasts, after all...), or who the capital city Mobotropolis (They have CAPITAL cities??) was fighting against, but a very small handful of humans were involved in it (What?? Why?). Of course, because humans rarely get involved in the affairs of other species (As they SHOULDN'T!) it became a large focal point for propaganda. This laid a large foundation for today's present prejudice. (and I suppose that does explain it...) One of those humans was a man named Julian. He betrayed his comrades (WHAT) and joined the Mobotropolis military (WHAT WHAT WHAT), and with his inside knowledge wiped out the opposing side (WHAAAT). Shortly after, though, he betrayed the king of that city and overthrew it (W- oh. Oh! That makes sense! He betrayed his side so that ultimately he can overthrow the beasts... and if the people on the side he was formly on thought it was a good idea to get involved with beasts in the first place, then... well, I guess he can't be blamed too much...). Julian, now called Robotnik, is the man behind the current war still. After conquering his first kingdom, he's begun to spread out and overthrow others. That's pretty much where we are now, and pretty much where everyone's prejudice comes from. (ah...)"

Nik blinked after Rob was done.

"I guess that would explain it."

But he said nothing more of what he was thinking. Needless to say, Rob's speaking of undeserved/deserved biases didn't jar Nik from the deep routed prejudice he was raised with from birth.

[Jamie Lee]

Rob just jerked his head to one side and shrugged. "It seems some of the blokes around here hold onto that prejudice too..." he sighed. "I'll have to have a talk with them about it later if need be. Personally, I don't approve of the attitude or entertain its thoughts. I prefer to judge an individual based on what I see in their actions, not by what species they are. I'm sure you wouldn't like the idea of me thinking you as a heartless brute anymore than I like being called uncivilized."

"In any case, do you have any idea how you got out into the forest the way you were? I'd be happy to help you find your way back home if you'd like."

[DB]

Nik shook his head.

"No, not really. I sort of whited out from... from the sun."

Not as if I'd lead you back to my home anyway.

He tilted his head to the side.

"Can you tell me more about that... Julian... Robotnik guy? What's he doing? Where is he?"

[Jamie Lee]

Rob frowned. "As far as I know he's still in Mobotropolis, now renamed Robotropolis. As for what he does..." his expression grimmed considerably. "Where do I even begin... He pollutes the lands with his toxic waste, destroys everything he touches... And worst of all he turns the population into slaves. Uses a process called roboticization to change people into machines. You saw one of them, that porcupine follow Chrono was a victim of it. Chrono's a special case though. Most of the robians as they're called have their free will stripped from them, forced to do what their implanted programming commands."

He glanced at the door leading out into the village. "Us here in Meadowood are all that's left of the original population of Mercia. We've been taking refuge here and fighting for years to defeat one of Robotnik's subordinates, Itzal, and claim back our freedom."

[DB]

Nik blinked and shook his head rapidly, as if trying to fling a thought out of his skull.

He was actually starting to feel bad for them.

They're probably just lying! Focus, Nik...

"Where's this Itzal guy?"

[Jamie Lee]

"Mercia," he paused, suddenly looking concerned. "... Why?"

[DB]

Nik fidgeted a bit, now not using the pillow for as much as a shield as he was using it for a security blanket.

"... I'm... I'm just asking... if I ever get lost again, I want to know where not to head."

Smooth.

Apparently he didn't realize how 'smooth' he looked at the moment, huddled at the end of the bed clutching a pillow with matted hair and looking like hell. But whatever. Smooth.

[Jamie Lee]

Rob folded his arms and gave a 'sure whatever' look at Nik. He'd seen more than enough of that behavior from a certain trio of troublemakers to know a bluff when he saw one.

"You'd be smart to stay very far away from that city and not get any ideas of going there. It's not safe, and if you're caught you won't be shown any mercy either. In fact, anywhere outside this village isn't safe, which is why I'm offering to help you find your friends or family or whoever you come from. An experienced freedom fighter is at a great risk wandering around alone, let alone someone who only just found out a war even exists."

[DB]

"I can't stay far away from a place if I don't know where it is to stay away from it in the first place."

[Jamie Lee]

Rob just smirked. "I guess that's unfortunate, because I'm not pointing out its direction."

[Leda]

Just then there was a soft knock at the door, and a second later a white bat peeked inside. "Forgive my interruption," she said softly, "but I purified some water for you, sir. You could probably use it, what with all the sun you got today..." Slipping swiftly into the lodge, Rouge toted a pitcher and glass over to the table, where she set them for Nik to get as he pleased. "I'm sorry for the fright you received earlier. I hope you're feeling better now after some rest..." She paused, then perked up again when she realized she hadn't introduced herself properly. "...My name is Rouge, by the way."

At length she glanced sideways at Rob. Though she said nothing verbally, her ears drooped ever so slightly as she looked away.

[DB]

Nik frowned at Rob's response, "Oh. Fine then.".

Rouge's entrance brought a startled jump to him, though he calmed a bit seeing she'd brought water.

Water.

He'd forgotten how thirsty he was. He reached to pick up the pitcher but stopped, realizing the source.

What if it was poisoned?

Maybe it was unclean and full of nasty parasites?

He gave a forlorn look at the pitcher. It looked clean... And... well, he was really, really thirsty.

Oh, screw it. If I don't drink I'll die of thirst, if I do, who knows. The worst is death either way.

That decided, he snatched the pitcher and began to greedily gulp it down.

[Jamie Lee]

"Ah, Rouge, brilliant timing!" Rob exclaimed happily as the bat entered. "I was just about to ask this bloke if there was anything he needed," he glanced at Nik, waiting a moment or two as he drank, smiling ever so slightly before asking. "Is there anything else besides that that could be gotten for you? Food perhaps?"

[DB]

Finishing nearly half the pitcher, Nik had to take a small breather, and gave Rob an odd look from the question he asked. It wasn't that the question itself was an odd one, it was simply... just... well...

What do they eat?

After a few moments thought he shook his head.

"No."

[Leda]

Rouge gave a sort of half-nod, half-bow. "Goodnight, then. I hope you sleep well." Without any other delay, the quiet bat departed the lodge, the sound of her light footsteps slowly fading as she headed down the boardwalk.