Gwen woke up the next day, sniffing the air. She sat up, her ears standing straight as the scent of breakfast filled her nose. Oh, man. Gee. Breakfast has never smelt so strong. Human senses are lame. I want these ones forever! Unless I'm smelling something bad or... there's a high pitched squeal. Nevermind. Human senses are a good middle ground. She stretched and got up, looking over at Tails who was busy at work in the kitchen. "Dude, that smells amazing." She said, walking over and resting her hands on the countertop.
Tails looked back at his roommate and chuckled. "Well some people are here can actually cook. Amy cooks better but I'm at least second best. There's no way Sonic and Knuckles could cook and I'm pretty sure Sticks prefers to forage. What about you, Gwen?"
"Ehh." She scratched her cheek. "I have a decent taste for things and I can cook with the instructions, but then that's really just testing your instruction-following 'skills'. Also known as reading, I guess." She wandered over to the couch and sat down. "You really didn't have to make me anything."
"Of course I do! You're living in my home and you're only going to be here a while. A short while in the big picture, though I suppose it could feel like a long while to you. You probably want to get home." He pulled out a plate, moving the omelette he hadd cooked onto it. He delivered it to Gwen, then returned to the hob to make himself one too.
"Eh." Gwen picked up a magazine, reading the title 'Sidekick Magazine'. She opened it up, looking at the table of contents. "Not really. Don't get me wrong, I... no, nevermind. I was about to say I like living there. Not strictly true. I just didn't think about it all that much but I... do miss my family. I've never been far from them. This is the furthest I've ever been... Though I'm pretty sure this is the furthest anyone can get from anywhere." She glanced over the top of the magazine when Tails came over and sat down, looking worried. "You don't need to look at me that way. I'm fine. I may be far from home but I aren't worried or... overly bothered. God, that sounded cold." She mumbled the last part, burying her nose back in the magazine as she turned to the section that was labelled 'Sidekick Charts'.
"You're not bothered about home?" Tails mumbled through his omelette.
"Nah." Gwen skimmed over the introductory paragraph.
"I thought you said you cared about your family?"
"I do." She grumbled, looking back at him. Gwen felt somewhat offended that he would think she did not care about them. "Like I said before, I'm not in any great contact with my emotions. I make friends easy but I'm flighty and rarely keep them. I like company, but I need to be alone sometimes. You're making me talk about myself and now I sound weird." She hissed, ears flopping down. "I get that it's maybe a little hard to understand if you aren't also that way. But I'm not a sociopath or anything. I'm just... a bit disconnected from the social aspects of life sometimes." She glanced at the roof, momentarily wondering if she worded that right, then looked back at the charts. "Most of the time." She corrected. "And I'm sort of getting to that point where I'm gonna have to take a breather from all of this interaction before I blow my top. Not that I'd... do much outwardly. I tend to implode. The whole Eggman scenario being an exception... though I did implode before that... Maybe I implode then explode?" Gwen tilted the magazine down slightly as the took to attempting to analyse her own behaviour.
"Wow... you sure sound like you've spent way too much time analysing yourself." Tails pointed at her with his fork. He could not decide whether he should be impressed or worry about Gwen.
"That's because I have. I guess it could be argued that it was time wasted but it's helped me settle and accept how I am." Gwen pulled her mouth into a thin line as she skipped the rest of the introductory paragraph and went straight to the chart, scanning the list for something to divert the conversation with. "Ooh! Hey! You're number one sidekick of the month. Good job." Gwen set down the magazine as she picked up her omelette and dug in.
"Oh... heh. Yeah. I know." Tails grinned.
"You already read it?" Gwen asked, not moving her eyes away from the chart.
"Nah, I'm just top of the chart every month. Best sidekick around!" Tails looked awfully proud.
Gwen smiled and closed the magazine. "I bet Sonic is thankful to have you as his best bud."
"Yeah, he is. He just doesn-"
The door to the house slammed open. Gwen sighed slightly. There was always something happening around these guys. She loved an adventure or two but all the action one event after another felt like exercise. Or worse, a chore. She glanced over to the door as she stuffed some omelette into her mouth. Amy was standing in the doorway.
"Oh, Gwen! I think we have something we need to do!" Amy warbled, dancing over to the table. Gwen swallowed some omelette, but only stared at Amy. Amy gestured for Gwen to speak up, to be excited! Gwen did nothing. Amy huffed. "Shopping?" She reminded Gwen, leaning over. "We didn't have time before, but we do now! Well, really you ran away but I'm going to overlook that in the interest of our friendship!" Amy clasped her hand together. "It's going to be so fun!"
"Oh." Gwen plastered on a smile. "Ooh." Gwen slid her gaze over to Tails. She pleaded with her eyes for him to save her, or at least to lighten the burden by accompanying them. He shook his head. Amy look at Gwen, then followed her gaze. "Oh! You want Tails to come along too?"
Tails shot up, "Oh, no! I would really love to, Amy, but I have a lot of work to do on the dimensional transporter." He pointed at the door as he began to shuffle towards it. "Well, I best go get started!" He rushed out the house.
Amy rested her hand against her cheek. "I guess that can't be helped... sorry, Gwen." She looked away, then her eyes lit up with an excited glint. "But I know someone else who is definitely coming!" She gripped Gwen's arm and dragged her out.
The house was left empty with two half-eaten omelettes inside.
Gwen stood beside Amy, slouched over slightly, as the hedgehog knocked on the wall of a beachside shack. Sonic zipped to the door. He looked at Amy, then at Gwen. Huh. So, this is Sonic's place. Seems pretty rundown. Oddly clean. Didn't take him for much of a clean type. Gwen thought, then immediately turned her attention to trying to think up a way out of a shopping trip.
"Hi, Sonic!" Amy greeted, "Come on, we're going on a trip to the mainland!"
"Ahh... okay? Who else is coming?" Sonic leant against the door frame. He looked around, as if expecting more people to be there than just Amy and Gwen.
"Gwen and me." She pulled Sonic out of his shack. Sonic stumbled with the force of the tug.
"But we haven't asked Knuckles and Sticks if they want to go yet." Gwen pointed out, but shrank back when Amy glared at her.
"We don't need to ask! Knuckles will be busy tending to his gym and Sticks will be setting traps. What more do you need to know?" Gwen held her hands in front of herself, defending herself from the wrath of Amy. She nodded, just agreeing with her that no one else need be asked to accompany them. Amy hummed, appeased by the submission. "Let's go catch a boat!"
"We could take the Tornado." Sonic suggested.
Amy glanced at him. "Sonic. You can't fly the tornado." Sonic's ears folded down.
"I can learn on the go!" He chuckled nervously. "You know hero types! We can do just about anything!"
Amy shook her head. "No, Sonic. We'll take a boat!" Amy smiled, pulling both Sonic and Gwen along.
Sonic groaned and fixed his gaze on the ground, looking rather uncomfortable with the arrangement.
As it turns out, Begone Island had a small, underutilised ferrying system. Gwen sat on the deck as the waves gently rocked the boat. She looked over the deck, eyeing what she could of the little boat suspiciously. It seemed to be in a state of disrepair.
Sonic stayed by Gwen. He did not dare approach the edge of the boat. He glanced at her. "Not a fan of water either?"
"Eh?" She looked at him. "Water's fine, why?" She narrowed her eyes slightly and grinned. "You scared, Sonic?" She teased, tugging on his ear gently.
"N-no!" Sonic smacked her hand off, then folded his arms. "Like I'd be scared of water! I'm the number one hero of Bygone island. Island. I can't be scared of water when I live surrounded by it twenty four seven. And did you see my shack? I live of the beach, overlooking the ocean. I watch it everyday!"
Gwen nods. "Uh-huh. I see. So... when you were pulling your feet away from the ocean yesterday, it wasn't because it was getting a bit too close for comfort, mm?"
"No! I didn't want my shoes wet. These shoes cost mon-ey. Lots of mon-ey." He waved his arms as his spoke, then gestured to his shoes. "Do you realise how hard it is to find shoes that last when you run at the speed of sound?" He curled his hands into fists, getting riled up.
Gwen nodded. "I mean, I don't blame you. Water is a scary thing, you know?" She laid back. "Very deadly."
Sonic calmed slightly, though it was only his temper being smothered. He felt terribly uneasy that Gwen chose to talk about water and death. "W-well... yeah. That's... true."
"Especially cold water! Man, that'll kill you in just a couple minutes!" She looked at Sonic. "Scary stuff."
Sonic grimaced. "So... so what's this about? Are you afraid of water too?"
Gwen rolled her eyes and looked back at Sonic with the smuggest of grins. "Nah, but I got you to admit it." She laid back, resting her hands behind her head.
Sonic jolted, his spines pricking up as he realised what Gwen was talking about. "Hey! No! I- That was dirty!"
Gwen hummed, closing her eyes. "Choose your words more carefully next time. But... no, I aren't afraid of water. But I am worried this boat will sink. It's a tip." She opened her eyes, watching the clouds roll by. "Then I'll have a reason to fear the water."
Sonic shuddered, looking out at the ocean. He paled at the thought of having to take a dip in it if the boat sank.
Amy poked her head out from the cabin. "I can hear you talking you know! Gwen, stop picking on Sonic!"
"Yes, mother." Gwen droned, then a chuckle broke her bored expression at her own words.
Amy growled. "I am a kind and delicate, wonderful lady and I do not fit the stereotype of a bossy mother!" She slammed the cabin door.
Gwen and Sonic looked at each other and laughed. Gwen closed her eyes, holding her stomach as she tried to breathe. Sonic quieted down before Gwen. He smiled at her laugh, then looked away before she could spot him doing so.
