Reviews :

faolan1230 : damn that would be cool hahaha. But probably too much xD My goal for that last chapter was to have Zed not utter a single word for the entirety of it, I wanted it to be clear just how far his relationship with Lash has come and just how much he trusts the Turbotime men. I'm glad that was clear :D

ThoreLB : Very true haha. Thank you!

Snake557 : Thank you SO much! Yes I agree with both of you, and I'm super appreciative that my hard work to build these guys up has paid off and has taken roots in your guys hearts as well.

Burgie : It's very true! Their struggle goes all the way back to Rectifying Origin. That was four years ago now. Building up these characters is what I truly enjoy and do best, and I'm so glad you guys are enjoying it as well :D Thank you!

chuckiboo : Yyyyep. Lash is certainly a fun and sarcastic guy to hang with, but he's definitely someone you don't want to mess with. Thank you! The trip is coming up shortly :D

Firesong-Writes : Oh! Thank you SO MUCH! I'm so glad you like all my artwork and stuff! I'm really liking the alternative cover for Favor's Game as well, I really wanted to show off Kepa's and Gideon's full metamorphosis they explode from in this story. That's really special to me, so thank you! Hahaha with a side of fries - yeah, Lash isn't playing around that's for sure. This behavior doesn't end with chapter 96, either. Lash continues to play guard dog for Gideon, rest assured!

CHICKENM4N : Hey friend! Long time no see! :D I was really happy to see you join us again, no worries about not touching the story just yet, but I do certainly hope you enjoy all near-100 chapters you now have available to you! I'm starting to find that older veteran readers, of the saga, are creating distance so that they have a ton to binge all at once. I mean, alongside life being a factor, but if I were a reader, I'd likely let time pass by so that I, myself, had 100 chapters of plot to just have haha. All that to say, I sincerely hope you enjoy all the work I've done so far! Can't wait to see you again once you've caught up :D


Song Listened To :

California Trees by Walk Off the Earth


*Chapter 97*

"Alright, dude, c'mere," Kepa stabbed with a cute giggle as she flagged her hands to try and get Gideon's attention, though he loudly grunted as him and Novus were currently in the midst of a shove fight. Although Gideon was grinning and in good spirits, Kepa stood on the balls of her feet and nervously grit her teeth whilst she held her hands to her cheeks in a spike of rising terror watching both boys shove each other around, "GIDEON, seriously, don't bust your stitches!"

"Sorry, sorry," Gideon panted as he gave Novus's snout one last shove, to which Novus bellowed a grunt of a stifled, garbling roar and scampered on his much bigger feet in Gideon's direction. Although Gideon had begun to step in Kepa's direction, outside of the lighthouse's gaping front door, Gideon choked a laugh and now fervently flagged his left, uninjured arm at Novus, "Dude, okay! You win! Kepa has a point."

"Yeah, you're just scared you'd officially lose as opposed to waving a white flag," Novus muttered as both boys shared in playful laughter, though Gideon softened as they both came within Kepa's easy, loving presence.

"I wanted to remind you how to clean your cut while you're gone, Gid," Kepa instructed gently as she cutely handed him a small, tied knapsack of the curated salves and bandages she had on hand, and what she had been previously using for Gideon's gash. Gideon softened even further, sagged his gentle eyes to the small pack in her grip and ever so carefully opened his palm so she could present to him what to do, "Okay, so... You remember the steps, allow it to breathe a little each day, use the ointments inside, they're labelled in which order to use them. Pat dry, bandage snug, not too tight. And please, for the love of User please..."

Gideon and Novus stood frozen and peered to her in boyish, baited wait underneath the spot light that warbled in the shadows of a few moths and other winged beach bugs.

"Don't rough-house with Novus, I know it's tempting," Kepa muttered as she cutely shot Novus a snarky side-eye. Novus thud his heavy wings to the sand below and largely rolled his eyes, "If your stitches bust mid-vacation, then you'll be in huge trouble, cause you're not coded for Sugar Rush."

"... Right, right," Gideon bobbed a nod and was now cued in as to why Kepa was so adamant about all of this, and it was here did both boys strictly know to shape up, so to keep the facade going. Novus heaved a sarcastic sigh and shook his head as Gideon gave Kepa a loving smile, "I'll be careful, I promise."

"Novus, please," Kepa begged tenderly, to which Novus sagged his ears in sweet submission and bobbed a nod.

"I'll make sure he doesn't pop stitches or forehead veins or anything else," Novus mumbled, he gave Kepa a lovingly playful smile and nudged Kepa's little shoulder with the wrist of his much bigger wing. She wobbled and continued to give both boys a look of wary uncertainty, "Don't worry."

"And, I'll be in touch, you know that," Gideon assured, he tossed his handsome eyes into hers, with full certainty, the glinting fire in his golden gaze hooked to hers in almost scheming delight as he warmly carried on, "You and Novus are going to be the only beings getting me through."

"It's a good thing Callum ISN'T going on this vacation, cause you bet your ass I'd be using his bones as toothpicks," Novus tightly muttered, to which Kepa flattened her ears and grinned in a fang-filled show of almost agreeing camaraderie.

"The thrill of the hunt," She hissed in excitement, such fervor that had Novus's big pupils dilating in an equal show of eagerness, though Gideon heaved a long sigh and closed his eyes.

"Alright, let's not mention his name, I'm trying to forget, for now," Gideon rushed, Novus bobbed an annoyed few nods and began to step away.

"Imma shit before we go," Novus muttered, though Gideon furrowed his brow and grinned.

"We're not far from home, you really can't wait?" Gideon stabbed with a happy laugh; although he was secretly glad Novus was due to stepping away and graciously gifting Kepa and Gideon a moment alone, he was eager to keep up their secret affairs, more facades he was almost becoming dizzy trying to keep upright.

"No, I also don't like shitting mid-flight, it's uncomfortable," Novus loudly ushered as he leaped into the air, and in the massive downswing of his huge wings, he brought himself to a lofty glide and began to disappear in Turbotime's starry night sky, towards Juniper Forest; Gideon heaved a shaky little laugh and now felt his coding wiggle with uncertainty, the very small amount of time him and Kepa were given to say their secretive, romantic goodbyes.

"Welp..." Gideon now shyly started. He wore one of his bigger, cozy red zip-ups, his tighter tank top clung to his figure in the gape of it, and as he brought his curious, cautious eyes to Kepa's, he rubbed the back of his head with his left hand and breathed a shaky chuckle as Kepa aimlessly scuffed the sand with her foot. Her tail curled about the sand behind her, the light from the front door's splay of yellow so beautifully continued to warble with the shadows of big, gorgeous moths and the like. Gideon finally sagged and breathed a long sigh through his nose, one of cute defeat, "I'm really gunna miss you, Kepa... Would you be opposed to me calling you each night, to say goodnight?"

"No, not at all, you can call me any time you want," Kepa warmly and happily encouraged as her ears perked, "I mean... I want you to spend time with your family, but feel free to call me before you go to sleep."

"Good, I'll have Novus, but..." Gideon looked off down the stretch of the dark beach their lovely, secure little lighthouse sat on, the ocean breeze whisked about said lighthouse and ruffled their hair and clothes. He shyly brought his twinkling eyes back to Kepa's with a hint of blossoming, loving adoration, though before he could messily spill his feelings, he stiffened as his deep voice choked a cute, boyish laugh, "Dammit, you're making me feel my feelings, stop looking at me."

"...What!" Kepa long-blinked in discombobulation and perked her ears, both friends erupted into contagious laughter with each other as Gideon bravely stepped closer to her, "What's wrong with that! C'mon, you love it, just admit it."

"I'm still convinced you casted a spell on me," Gideon grumbled, he looked down to the sealed sack Kepa had very kindly provided, though he cocked an eyebrow and gave Kepa a knowing smirk, "How do I know the salves in here aren't just vessels for your craft to lure me in?"

"Is it working?" Kepa mused as she tucked her arms behind her back, and though she was very clearly playing, she was thrilled to see Gideon's face slope in full, bashful concern. She grinned with her fangs, looked off and choked happy laughter out to the atmosphere, "Gideon! I already told you I'm not one to trifle with free will. I manifested a friendship, I let the universe take care of the rest."

"Two lonely ships that collided via broken lighthouse and morphed into one giant friendship," Gideon rattled as they cutely continued their staggers of laughter with one another, though Gideon softened and heaved a satisfied sigh as he shyly carried on, "Though, last night nor this morning didn't really seem very... 'Friendship' of us, did it."

"No, that would be more notions for a crew aboard a 'relationship'," Kepa muttered cutely, though she sagged her ears and felt her heart do a giddy backflip as they both caught eyes in a tight swing. She inhaled a shaky breath and nervously looked off, "B-But, that's... That's heavy, it's okay if you don't-"

"Want that?" Gideon dared quietly, he gently tucked the pack of salves to his chest and aimlessly allowed his eyes to traverse the building behind Kepa, within her gravity, though his twinkling eye contact revisited her, "It's soon, but... I'm open to the conversation."

Kepa raised her eyebrows in hot surprise and felt as if she had been suddenly shoved into an alternate reality, one where every single last one of her dreams came true, and it was here did she now fervently wonder if she genuinely had accidentally put a love spell on Gideon's fragile soul. In pure, girly shyness, she looked down, breathed a shaky sigh and tucked her fist to her chin in a show of not really knowing what to do with the wall of love lofted her way, though she unravelled the second Gideon's deep, lovely, husky voice ushered her a kind, knowing chuckle, his figure stepped into her bubble and so lovingly wrapped her in the biggest, warmest embrace ever. She sagged deep into Gideon's strong chest with the flutter of her eyes, her feet cutely angled inwards, her tail shyly flicked in a swat about Gideon's legs, and as her arms finally wormed their way into Gideon's gape of a zip up and about his thicker, muscular torso, she fluttered her eyes and ever so shyly peered her twinkling eyes up into his.

"My Kepa," Gideon whispered, and with a squeeze of bravery he wasn't sure just how he was sourcing, he just barely tilted his head down and cued for one last secretive little kiss before Novus's return.

Much to his whole delight, Kepa stood on the balls of her feet and pressed up into his tight vicinity, and as their lips melted together in a snuggly kiss of pure, nearly-unexplored romance, they both sighed on each other's cheeks, through their noses, and marinated in the very small window they had in each other's raw, vulnerable love. The two quietly smacked in a pucker of a release, though Gideon firmly cupped the back of her head and ducked down for more, a refill Kepa was beyond thrilled to supply him with. Her fingers eagerly gripped the back of Gideon's shirt as she had wormed her arms into the sanctity of his billowy zip up, and as they tilted in a softer gape of silent hums onto each other's warm lips, Kepa furrowed her eyebrows in a sting of sorrow as Gideon's stubbly, chiseled face now pulled away from hers with yet another audible unstick of their adoring kisses.

"Let me know when you'll be coming home," Kepa whispered gently as Gideon snuck one last little smooch to her mouth, and then to the flat of her nose. She huffed a shaky, smitten giggle as he unravelled from her embrace, and though it was quick and sudden, Kepa knew it was because Novus was due to coming back, shortly.

"I'll text you the second I'm back in Turbotime," Gideon warmly assured, his deep voice caused her heart to just ache and ache, she tidied her bangs and desperately tried to quell her racing heart.

"Take pictures, too, I want to see what kinds of candy you find," Kepa smiled, she sagged her shaking hands into the pockets of her hoodie, and though both beings outwardly relaxed, they both knew the other was still trembling with anxious itching to expand on their romantic affairs, as if this gap of time spent away was going to be the death of them, "Y'gotta tell me more about your parents, and whoever you're going with, too. I don't have any family to share with you, in return, but I'd love to at least know what your family is like."

"I can tell you all about it while I'm gone," Gideon warmly assured, though he could feel his throat close; with said notion of the potential of a pending relationship, Gideon was now starkly aware that it'd mean telling Kepa the truth, once and for all. At war with himself, he was grateful she at least promised that she'd be patient with him, though he somehow hoped that patience wouldn't run out, "As we've been texting, I've discovered it's much easier for me to explain things about myself through text, y'know?"

"Gets rid of the face-to-face intimidation," Kepa hummed knowingly, she side-eyed Gideon and now cued in to the blatant displays of cheeky nervousness Gideon was sporting, "However and whenever you want to tell me, I'm alllll ears."

"You're all satellite dishes," Gideon choked a cute laugh, to which Kepa erupted into a giggle fit as well; she perked said ears with a grin and took note that Novus was lofting his way back.

"Nah, the award for having a proper set of satellite dishes has to go to Novus," Kepa stated loudly, so that Novus could hear, and as he landed to a scuff of a trot and came to a stop, Novus grinned his fangs in irritation and tucked his wings tight to his body.

"I'm a BAT. I can't help it," Novus complained, though he cutely began to step closer to Kepa, as if to silently inquire if he could give her affection as a proper goodbye, "Welp... Four days, three nights, I hope it goes by fast, this bag of fur doesn't do very well in the snow."

"I forgot you guys will be in the snow," Kepa huffed in surprise as she warmly welcomed Novus in for a big hug. She cutely hugged her arms about the underside of Novus's jaw and so sweetly pressed a firm smooch to Novus's snout, "I'll be here, soaking up the sand and sun for you guys, waiting for you to come back."

"We might dip early if I get too cold," Novus tightly muttered as he finally sagged away from Kepa's figure, though Gideon rolled his eyes and began to board Novus's spine in preparation to officially leave.

"I'll text you," Gideon assured as he gave Kepa a loving wave and smile, "Thank you for the supplies, and... For everything."

"Of course, take care of your arm, Gideon, I don't want any texts from you saying you busted your stitches, I'm serious," Kepa cautioned nervously, "I don't want to have to come scouring all of Sugar Rush for your sorry hide."

"I'll be careful, I promise," Gideon and Novus happily laughed as Kepa put her hands on her hips and sagged in smiling, mildly annoyed defeat, though as Novus prepared to take off, Gideon ushered her one last little notion of warm departure, "Bye, Pebbles."

"Bye guys," Kepa ushered through a spike of a surprised giggle, a nickname Gideon hadn't verbalized since when they had first met, and just before Novus leaped into the sky, they held eyes in shy, loving knowing.

The stars eventually enveloped both beings into the night sky, and as Kepa sagged her arm to her side after waving them off, she perked her ears and now very firmly understood one thing; she was entirely alone, and would be for the next few days. Although not a stranger to said things and was thrilled to have a safe, warm place to reside, due to Gideon's kindness, she almost felt a wave of nervousness fall over her. The sheer idea that other gamers, outside her scope, knew her name and knew she was in tight with Gideon, the notion that she definitely wasn't in her home game, uncertain if she was safe to even game over. With this new rush of anxious thoughts that hit her, she could feel her heart's security system vanish across the gape of Juniper Forest, and though she was thrilled she was able to keep in contact with Gideon, she wondered if reaching out to Lash, and asking to be coded to Turbotime, would be a wise idea on her part. Uncertain if Lash had already up and added her to the game's main frame, somehow she felt more vulnerable than she ever had in her entire life. She knew running with a big crew meant running from even bigger threats, and due to the mess Gideon was in last night, Kepa sealed herself inside, once and for all, and was now adamant on counting down the minutes to when Gideon would safely return to her.