[Action / Accidental Voice] - What happened..? Who am I..? WHERE am I..?

[notshadowfever]

[A little distance north of the village, towards Cherry Blossom Tree hill, a large, unconscious creature blocks the path further north. A beached whale this far from the ocean? Wait, no, it's just a New Feather... A rather bulbous humanoid, splayed out on his back and sleeping like a baby. Not for long, though.]

Aaaargh!

[He wakes with a start,

Comments

[Voice]

[semper_cogitans]

[The loud yelling over the journal, by itself, wouldn't normally have garnered attention. But the name "Knuckles" is enough to ping Robert. After all, the echidna hadn't mentioned anything about others from his world... so this must be a New Feather.

A very loud New Feather.]

I... would be m-most willing to... answer your questions...

... But... if I may ask before, how exactly are you... affiliated with Knuckles...?

[It does not occur to Robert that the Knuckles he knows and the Knuckles this man knows could be entirely different people.]

[Action]

[notshadowfever]

Oh, I'll stop them, Hastings! Mark my words. And when the Malnosso are gone, imagine what could be done with their technology if only half of what I've read so far is true! [GUN would bow to Eggman, even Sonic would be powerless! And what a quaint little village. This place would be perfect to build Eggmanland, after it was flattened a bit of course.]

I see! And everything in the shops can be taken for free. [Eggman prefers just taking things. He looks around at the village's buildings, not too impressed by its old fashioned architecture.] We should hurry to the clothing shop first. I'm feeling too exposed as I am.

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

The Shifting technology is... admittedly incredible. I have high hopes for its usage if... if i-it is ever standardized and put through proper medical and ethical trials...

[Obviously, they have very different usages in mind.

Robert gestures towards the clothing shop - a little stiffly, the doctor should notice, like all his actions - and then starts off at a brisk walk towards it.] It is... h-here. Hopefully your clothing already exists in it... [Robert understands the appeal of wearing the exact same thing all the time. He just washes his clothes practically religiously.]

[Action]

[notshadowfever]

[The only trials Eggman is going to put this tech through isn't much different from the Malnosso's use of it.]

Someone will pay if my clothes are gone. You have no idea how difficult it is to tailor clothes for a man of my magnificence.

[Why is this guy still so shaky? Eggman feels kind of good knowing his reputation has a man acting like this, even feeling obliged to help him out of fear. Eggman hurries towards the shop, gladly taking shelter inside.]

Huh! How am I going to find my clothes in this place? [Eggman drops Robert's raincoat unceremoniously on the floor and looks around the place. So many different types of clothing...]

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

[Robert follows Eggman inside, still nervously. His OCD cleanliness compels him to pick up the discarded raincoat immediately.]

... Ah... if, if you give me a description I would be m-most willing to assist you in finding them...

[Robert remembers the difficulty involved in finding his lab coat. Ami had to help him search for awhile. (He's still grateful for her help.)]

[Action]

[notshadowfever]

[Eggman immediately begins pouring through the racks of clothing in the shop, with little regard for the items he sifts through.]

Ah, well, there's the red thing with the gold things, oh and musn't forget the black thing with the things on the feet, as well as some other, er, unmentionables...

[The doctor sifts through a pile of clothes and produces a pair of oversized boxer-shorts with a red heart pattern.] Ah-ha! I didn't think I'd find them.

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

[Since when was a "thing" an item of clothing...?

Also, if anybody wasn't going to laugh at oversized boxer shorts with hearts on them, it'd be Robert. In fact, he doesn't even raise an eyebrow.]

Ah, splendid. I... I suppose I will look for this... "r-red thing", then?

[... Sooner or later, he notices the bright red and white overcoat, with its obvious gold cufflinks and buttons.] Is... is that it...?

[Action]

[notshadowfever]

[Eggman looks up from a stack of clothes he's been digging through, grinning widely as he sees the familiar red coat-thing.]

Ah ha! That's it! [Eggman excitedly tromps towards Robert, taking the overcoat from him and beaming.] Good eye, Hastings!

Now just to find- Ah! [Rather standing out from the rest of the clothing in this shop, Eggman locates his pants and adds them to the pile of clothing he's found so far.]

There! That should be everything for now. [He looks around the shop after picking up his clothes.] There must be a changing room in here somewhere.

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

There might be... [Robert tries to pore through his own memories on the subject.] ... I believe it is somewhere in the back...?

[Honestly, the mun has no idea where they are. But at any rate, Eggman is being led to somewhere at least somewhat comfortable to change in.]

[Action] 1/2

[notshadowfever]

Ah, yes! Here we are. [Eggman squeezes into the changing area and draws a curtain that this mun hopes exists because he's winging it to obscure himself.]

Ah, now, erm, how does this- Ah, yes. [The sounds of awkward fumbling with clothing can be heard from outside the booth.] W-what! M-my coat! Who dares to- Oh, I see. For the wings. [Grunts and outcries of pain can be heard as Eggman attempts to work out how to slip his wings through the new slits on his jacket.] O-ow that hurt!

[Action] 2/2

[notshadowfever]

[Eggman steps out of the booth, now fully clothed.]

At last! Ha ha ha! That feels better. [He groans in pain a bit.] These wings are still sore, though.

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

[Robert was actually about two minutes from offering to help, but seeing Eggman step out fully-clothed pushes away that notion.]

... Ah, yes... The wings w-will be sensitive for, er, quite some time. Unfortunately...

[He casts a glance behind himself - the way Robert wears his lab coat - a coat he absolutely refuses to deface - suggests the presence of the bulge of wings underneath it.] Mine took... I believe the greater part of forty-eight hours to... c-completely heal.

Whatever grafting technology the Malnosso use, it is... e-efficient, but must cause subdermal damage...

[Action] 1/2

[notshadowfever]

[Eggman hadn't thought about the fact that Robert's wings weren't visible. Now he realises they're under the labcoat. Why did they have to destroy Eggman's coat and not his?]

F-forty-eight hours? [Eggman lets out a childish groan and sags.] Awwww... I can't stand this pain for two more days!

[Grafting technology? Eggman wonders what he'll do with that when he takes it from the Malnosso. Maybe if he gets blown up in an Egg Carrier crash he can put himself back together again with it.]

[Action] 2/2

[notshadowfever]

I suppose I'll just have to make the Malnosso suffer a hundredfold when I catch up with them! Ha ha ha!

[Eggman turns towards the door of the shop now.] But for now, lunch is in order! A scientist can't think on an empty stomach!

[Action]

[semper_cogitans]

Er... a-assuming you did not see this already, please note that - for reasons I am... c-completely unable to fathom [- and Robert hopes he can solve this mystery eventually -], the wings are... directly connected to your current survival in Luceti... Damaging them in any manner threatens your h-health, and removing them both will kill you...

[Robert cringes a little as he says it. He doesn't like the idea any more than anybody else does.]

... And... y-yes. Shall... shall I escort you to Seventh Heaven, perhaps...? [Not that Robert is the most comfortable there. Or anywhere with other people in it, really.]

[Action]

[notshadowfever]

[Eggman pretty much skimmed the guide, but this sounds familiar. No wonder the wings hurt so much.]

Hm. Yes. The wings are a great concern. We'll have to discover a way to remove them, lest the Malnosso use them against us!

Still! Perhaps we can discuss some things at this 'Seventh Heaven'. [Eggman opens the shop door.] Oh ho ho! After you, Professor!