Knothole - Sticks and Pucks

[Lans]

"It's not all that hard," Tails was explaining to Ray, attempting to teach the little squirrel the game of dirt hockey. "This is a hockey stick," he held out his stick in his hand, "and this is a puck..." he gestured with the other object before dropping it to the ground. "And you wanna hit the puck with your stick," he continued lining up a swing, "an' try to get it in the other guy's goal," he finished, putting actions to words and giving the puck a light smack to bump it into one of the cans he'd set up as goals.

[Leda]

The tiny's squirrel ears remained pressed to the back of his head as he watched. The activity itself didn't actually bother him so much; Ray had actually played a similar sort of game with his father a few times.

It was mostly the fact that the stick was bigger than he was.

Regardless, it apparently was his turn now. Ray carried (read: dragged) his stick to where Tails had knocked the puck, and made his best attempt to hit it in the way the kit had demonstrated. But that darn hockey stick was just giving him more trouble than he had the ingenuity to resolve. Instead, the squirrel simply kicked the puck with his weather-worn shoe.

[Lans]

Tails giggled. "You're not supposed to hit it with your shoe! Gotta be with the stick!" He said, whacking the puck back towards Ray.

[Leda]

"I tried!!" Ray whimpered, again struggling to even hold the stick correctly. "It won't work for me! I wanna do it my way!!"

[Lans]

"You can't, cause it's da rules!" Tails protested.


Just then, the air seemed to rumble as the two boys heard the approach of a fammiliar (to Tails at least) sonic boom. A swift moving dust cloud zipped right up to them before breaking hard, revealing the fammiliar form of Sonic. "Hey there little bro, got room for one more?" He spotted Ray out of the corner of his eye and glanced at him, "Who's your friend?"


"Hi Sonic!" Tails said in greeting before moving over to Ray and pulling him foreward, "This is Ray, he just got here today!"

[Leda]

It was a good thing Tails had grabbed ahold of him, because Ray was already on his way to climb the nearest tree for protection. As the kit began to tug him toward the noisy and intimidating newcomer, what remained of Ray's mangy fur fluffed up on end. The squirrel burst into tears and buried his face into Tails' shoulder; he'd mistaken Sonic's booms for explosions. "A-Are we *hic* gonna die??"

[Lans]

"Huh? Naw, we're not, that was just Sonic!" Tails assured him.


Sonic, meanwhile, knelt down to their level. "Yeah, nothin' to be scared about from me, unless you're a bot that is!' he said with a smirk, then held out his hand. "As you may have heard by now, I'm Sonic."

[Leda]

Ray continued to hiccup and tremble, and made no move to approach the hedgehog. That's not to say that he didn't move at all, however; the squirrel's face had contorted with panic as he hopped from foot to foot. "BUTBUTTHENICELADY-- *hic* --ISN'TBADDON'T-- *hic* --HURTHERDON'THURTHERD-- *hic* --DON'THURTHEEEEER!!"

He also kicked a rock at him. Perhaps it was some very, very small act of defiance. But it probably didn't come across with much force given that Ray continued to cling to Tails' arm.

[Lans]

Sonic instantly reflex dodged the rock. "Whoa, hey! What're you talking about, kid? Which nice lady, and why would I wanna hurt her!?"


"Um...I think he means Aunt Bunnie, Sonic..." Tails said, his ears going flat at the sight of his friend in distress...again.


"Huh? Oh...OH!" Sonic said, now understanding. He knelt down, and, lightly, gripped Ray by the shoulders. Listen, Ray, I'd never hurt Bunnie, she's practic-...she is family to me. 'Sides, she's not a bot." He paused and thought about that a sec, "...Well ok, maybe a little. But not really."

[Leda]

Sonic's assurances didn't quite make it to Ray's ears... mostly because he drowned it out with his own wailing. The squirrel covered his head with both arms and attempted to squirm backward. What he actually accomplished was a phenomenal display of tripping over his own feet, spilling him onto the awaiting grass. Ray promptly curled up into a tight ball and bleated, "WAITWAITI'MNOTAROBOTANDI'MSORRYIHITYOUWITHTHEROCKIJUSTWANNAGOHOOOOOME!!"

Of course, having curled up as he had, it was sorta... muffled.

[Lans]

Sonic looked at Ray through the whole thing...then looked up at Tails. "...Did you get any of that?"


"I think I heard something about being sorry..."


Sonic just sighed and nodded, heading over to Ray once more. "Kid, you've got nothing to be sorry about!" he said loudly to make sure he was heard. "I know things might be a little tough right now and all, but you're gonna be all right here!"

[Leda]

It seemed at first that Sonic's brief speech had no effect, but after a moment, Ray's damp face peeked out from under his membranes, his ears flattened backwrads, to peer up at the hedgehog leaning over him. A flurry of hiccups were the first response, but after the spasming passed, the squirrel finally squeaked, "I d-d-don't wan' 'er t-to die c-cuzshe'slikemymommyyyyyy...!!" If he'd intended to say anything else, it was overtaken by a long wail.

[Lans]

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Sonic said, taking Ray by the shoulders again. "No one's gonna be dying here, especially on my watch, kay?" He struck up one of his trademark smirks. "And I wouldn't worry too much about Bunnie, she can take care of herself."


"Sonic's not gonna hurt you," Tails told him, "I promise!"

[Leda]

The blonde squirrel continued to whimper and wipe his teary eyes, but with the assistance of Tails' encouragement, Ray seemed to gradually be calming back down. The hiccups diminished, and after a moment stopped all together. The tiny boy sniffled and peeked up at the hedgehog leaning over him. "Y-you.... w-won't be mean??" Ray whimpered, but those paying attention would notice his frizzy fur was starting the relax back down. "T-T-Tails said so..."

[Lans]

Sonic just nodded. "Yeah, I promise I won't, little guy."

[Leda]

Though he still looked somewhat unconvinced, Ray give a small nod, then clammered to Tails' opposite side, so as to keep the kit betwixt himself and this stranger. The squirrel shakily latched hold of the other boy's arm once more. "H-How long is he gonna stay??"

[Lans]

Tails giggled. "Probably a while. Sonic lives here too, ya know!"


"Yep, there's no gettin' rid of me...no matter how much 'ol 'Buttnik trys!"

[Leda]

Ray's ears pressed against the back of his head. Apparently he wasn't pleased by this news. ".....Oh. ..." He idly began to wonder if Bunnie was still busy, despite the fact that he still wasn't willing to travel alone.

[Lans]

"Hey, don't worry," Tails said, patting Ray on the shoulder, "Sonic's cool!"


"Way PAST cool!" Sonic corrected with a smirk.


"Right," Tails agreed, "Way past cool!"

[Leda]

The squirrel looked less than convinced, but nodded anyway. "W-way past," he squeaked.

[Lans]

"Well, now that that's cleared up," Sonic began, before suddenly disapearing in flash and returning a second later with a hockey stick of his own. "Think you guys are up for a three way game?"


"Nuh uh, make it me and Ray against you, Sonic!" Tails said.


"Wha?" Sonic said dramatically, "You and him against little 'ol me? Whatever shall I do?" He then grinned, "Yer on, little bro!"

[Leda]

Ray gulped. This game was hard enough just playing with Tails. Sonic was so much bigger than either of them... The squirrel's blonde fur fluffed up a bit at the idea of Sonic barreling at him with a stick and smacking the puck toward his considerably frail body. Nevertheless, Ray reluctantly fetched his hockey stick from where it'd been dropped... And then stayed there, a great distance from the other two, and looking even tinier than usual as he cowered behind his stick.

[Lans]

"All right!" Tails said excitedly. "Ray, you take goalie!"


Sonic just grinned and dashed over to scoop up the hockey puck before meeting tails in the middle of the 'field'.

[Leda]

Take goalie? What did THAT mean? Ray gulped and felt his tiny body begin to shake; they were already starting, apparently. It didn't look like there was any time to ask what a goalie was, or where he was supposed to take it. Or if someone would come with him while he took it there.

So he just stood there. And hid behind his hockey stick. Poorly.

[Lans]

Tails glanced back to make sure Ray was in position, only to see him just standing there. "Ray, yer supposed to stand in front of the goal!" he said, pointing towards the small barrel they were using as one of the goals.

[Leda]

What remained of the squirrel's mangy, patchy fur fluffed up on end. "B-B-but that's wh-where you're hitting things!!" Ray squeaked in protest.

[Lans]

"Well, yeah, it'd be kinda hard for you to stop 'em otherwise!" Tails answered.

[Leda]

"B-But... I thought w-we're s'posed to get them in there.." Ray's tiny body wilted down even smaller. He was never gonna get this game!

[Lans]

"We are, but you're supposed to try and keep Sonic from getting it into ours!" Tails explained, now looking a tad impatient.

[Leda]

"Oh," Ray squeaked shortly, though he still didn't exactly feel clear. Tails was getting angry, and the little squirrel loathed to be scolded. With a hard gulp, Ray eyed the dirt and nodded his blonde head apologetically, and silently wondered how on Mobius he was ever going to prevent that big, imposing hedgehog from doing something he wanted to do.