Reviews :

Erlkonig : Oh! WOW. Not many people can say that about Wrecking Limits, only a small few have kept up with me through everything or can remember reading WL while it was still being written, I really appreciate you telling me this! And, thank you so so so much! I hope that you enjoy the journey! It's a long one, but hopefully it is all worth it :)

Snake557 : I love getting your guys interpretation on certain characters and locations. It's so fascinating to me! :D Thank you friend

Burgie : Yyyep... Poor guy's definitely branching out, if you will.


Song Listened To :

PARAMOUR ft. AURORA by Sub Urban


WARNING :

This chapter involves drug usage


*Chapter 128*

"...Why are you dressed like that?" Callum staggered a small, playfully mean laugh as he let Gideon into Flint's house.

"Dressed like what?" Gideon faltered an inhale, his airways tightened with the sensation of thick, easy, somehow intoxicating smoke that filled him.

He fluttered his eyes in discombobulated confusion and scuffed his bare feet to Flint's dirty, worn to the wood carpet and got a nervous look around. Flint's bong was on the table, the whole room was filled with the faintest haze, the ring of said blur hung around the few lights that were on, and it was here did Gideon feel his coding wiggle in full confusion. To run away and understand that doing drugs was wrong, to stay and understand that said drug was essentially harmless, to worry that he'd bring not only the smell or the new character he was developing into home, he felt the world spin to a hover of a frozen stop. The only thing that jarred him from it was the front door croaking shut with a hefty latch.

"You put on like... Rattier clothes," Callum muttered, although he had his faculties, Gideon felt his heart race in devious confusion, the fact that Callum looked totally at ease, he looked happy and calm, a blistered calm that Gideon almost was jealous over, a sense of calm he hadn't felt in a very long time.

"... I mean, I don't want to stick out like a sore thumb, I'm not going to wear my nicer clothes in the city," Gideon mumbled as Flint rounded from the kitchen and was holding a cup of water for himself.

"Y'made it," Flint's voice warmly chimed, "We're just smoking and chatting. We're probably useless in the city, so uh... I'll pay you if you wanna manifest us some food and beers or something."

"Topic was getting a little heavy, Flint," Callum warned, both him and Flint sagged into the living room area with the bong tight at the center of their attention.

"We can divert," Flint gently assured, Gideon moved in forced nonchalance. His desperation to fit in and hopefully not seem like a total noob here was something he adamantly wore, the ability to be a chameleon was something he was forever grateful for. He sat down on the chair that hung at the head of the coffee table, to which Flint was on the ratty couch to Gideon's left, and Callum on the fold-out chair to Gideon's right. Flint grunted, leaned forward and began to pack the bowl of the bong with loose, fresh weed. He cocked an eyebrow and eyed Gideon with gentleness, "What have you been up to, Gideon? How's your day been?"

"Eh... Busy," Gideon heaved a shaky sigh and tried desperately to come across as not so fresh and green, not so new to this weird and dirtier sense of the world he had never had access to until now. Strangely, he enjoyed this feeling of mild rebellion, he enjoyed having this weird hole in the wall to cave into whenever he was done showing up and pretending the face underneath his mask was still grinning, "I found myself an art mentor in Turbotime. Cool dude."

"No way, for your art?" Flint encouraged with a firm nod, his vivid golden eyes hooked tight into Gideon's with a show of true, genuine curiosity; Gideon was shocked to see Callum illuminate over this, as well.

"Yeah, he's pretty cool, I'm meeting with him tomorrow morning, though, so I can't stay here forever," Gideon mumbled, he flinched as Flint struck his lighter, lit the bowl, took a minute of gentle inhaling before the bong swirled into a cloudy haze of smoke and lifted straight into Flint's deep, anticipatory inhale. As he sagged back, he exhaled the stream of white smoke out to the room, a similar sight Gideon saw whenever any of the flyers, on palace grounds, threatened to breathe fire. Gideon tried to keep his cool and carry on, he knew the topic of him taking a hit was likely upon him, however nervous he was over it, "But... Guess this is a nice way to unwind."

"I was serious about paying for your goods, Gideon," Flint muttered cutely, he leaned up, yanked his wallet out of his black jean's pockets, flicked his fluffy, luxurious tail as he readjusted his position on his croaky couch and very flippantly outreached a few bills out to Gideon. In shock, Gideon hesitantly reached his hand out and took note that Flint was handing him a few hundred dollars, "Hope this covers it."

"...Flint, this is four hundred dollars," Gideon staggered a shaky laugh and counted it for Flint to see, he waggled it about and donned a smile of understanding that he didn't own this money and he was willing to give it right back.

"I'm aware, that's for you, as a thank you," Flint furrowed his brow, though he flinched once Callum reached for the bong, making clear it was his turn. Flint jolted, shook his head with a chuckle and lazily tossed Callum his lighter, "Jesus, chill out, how are you moving so quickly right now?"

"Sorry," Callum muttered as he began to go through the routine, just as Flint did, "Chase is missing out, that's for sure."

Gideon briefly watched as Callum took a hit, though he sagged and looked down to the dirty cash in his hand. With only the lift of his eyes, Gideon peered to Flint in confused shock. How willing he was to just hand over almost half a grand, he wondered why Flint was then living in near squaller. Gideon was well aware Flint didn't have a job, well aware any shred of money had to have gone towards food or even rent, and though Gideon pondered if this four hundred dollars could potentially be used to fill Flint's pantries, Flint didn't seem concerned about it. He acted as if he was paying Gideon for simply supplying them with dinner and beers, an extra swathe of substances so the three could simply enjoy this evening and nothing more. Not one to manifest money on his own, nor need it, Gideon slyly tucked the money into his pocket and felt a thrill about all of this. The payment for his skill, the adamant, different breed of desire for his presence and everything that contained, Gideon felt his muscles unclench as he finally began to relax.

"Where is he, anyways?" Gideon muttered, without patiently thinking on it and utilizing his manifestation skills in the way that Kepa had so kindly advised, he grunted a small noise of sourcing his power and managed to manifest three boxes of steaming hot pizza, a few cases of his favorite beer and bookmarked anything else the three could want.

"I don't know, he said his parents were having a special dinner for one of his brothers," Callum muttered as smoke eased from his figure, he sat back and looked off in smiling haze of gentle delight. He cocked an eyebrow and began to source the frosty beer Gideon had manifested, to which Flint happily joined, though Callum peered into Gideon's eyes in a narrow of scheming delight, "Hey, uh... Were you invited to that silly Sunday brunch the other week? Did you, like... Get an invitation for that?"

"No, the fuck else is new?" Gideon grunted in full irritation as he sagged back and bide his time. He knew he'd dive into the food and beers and weed when he felt comfortable, though for now, he patiently allowed himself the space to acclimate, to vibe lower than what he was used to, he almost felt bad about it, though not enough to get up and leave.

"Hoo, I got gossip for you, my friend," Callum's deep voice clipped the air as he tapped his fingernails to the haze of the glass bong he held onto. Gideon sharply furrowed his brow and honed his eyes tight to Callum's in a held breath of mild terror, "I guess my dad and I showed up very shortly after you had arrived and left. You stepped in to grab your coat, right?"

"Yeah, I was on my way to see Kepa, cause SHE had made breakfast," Gideon rattled, his whole attention was glued to the words coming out of Callum's figure.

"I guess they had MEANT to invite you, but the invitation went to a separate group chat Tessa and them have," Callum muttered in annoyed dread, Gideon grew tense.

"A separate group chat? Why would they send it to a group chat I'm not apart of?" Gideon grumbled, he glanced to Flint and took note that Flint had sagged his hand to his forehead in full annoyance, as if to show dismay towards Gideon's family.

"I don't know, Tessa and Koko made clear they have a whole, separate family group chat that YOU'RE not a part of, because, well," Callum's cunning voice lilted in and out of tease and smiling dread as he caught eyes with Gideon in a gentle stab, "I guess the chat that you're excluded from is a specific chat room dedicated to gossiping about you."

"...Classy," Flint grunted as he lifted his head from his paw like palm, he rolled his eyes, shook his head and firmly looked off in glowering irritation.

"... What?" Gideon hissed in whispery betrayal, he froze, his blood stopped cold in his body, and it was here did he feel rage begin to fill his core. He clenched his teeth and sharply side-eyed Callum, "Who told you this?"

"Tessa AND Koko," Callum staggered a laugh, shook his head and began scooting the bong in Gideon's direction, "Why don't you just... Have some of this, you look so tense, dude."

Gideon opened his mouth in a falter and felt a world of different knee-jerk reactions rush the front of his brain first, though it caused his being to brick. He closed his eyes, shook his head in discombobulated disarray and felt betrayal hit his heart. He finally reopened his eyes and caught with Flint's facial expression of apologetic dread. Everyone was frozen as Gideon so quickly cycled through the five stages of grief a hundred times over, in seconds flat, all visible in the dark glint of his eyes. All of this had Gideon's eyes lazily trailing to the bong, the box of now opened pizza, the frosty beers, he bit his tongue and now scoffed a dark, silent chuckle with the shake of his head. His eyes aimlessly scanned everything on the coffee table before him a few more times, he looked as if he was grimly contemplating something, though he heaved a shaky, raspy sigh and sagged in bitter acceptance. Just as he was about to somehow utter words, Flint's deep, gentle voice beat him to it.

"That's fucked up," Flint muttered, he eyed Gideon in further apology and shook his head, "These people are your family? They act like Academy bullies. They're just nice to your face and then have a separate group chat behind your back?"

"The brunch sucked, by the way. Emery went on and on about her stupid candles," Callum muttered, Flint perked his ears and peered to Callum with a confused grin.

"Candles?" Flint staggered a laugh, though both boys were now rocketed into a wildly contagious giggle fit with each other, one that had Gideon's hardening heart strangely softening alongside their laughter; with said sag of camaraderie, Gideon bravely grappled for the bong and felt his veins wiggle with curiosity.

"It's just something that brings her joy, I think it's harmless, it's just silly," Gideon muttered.

Having watched Flint and Callum, Gideon reached for the lighter and followed the steps previously witnessed. Not knowing how easy or hard to go, he managed to suck in a rather hefty hit of smoke, and with such, Gideon held the smoke in his lungs with a hover of curiosity before releasing it all in a drag of white that clouded his vision. Trailed with a firm few chokes, due to not being used to smoking, Callum and Flint roused in their laughter, once more.

"Virgin lungs, eh?" Callum teased, Gideon darkly side-eyed Callum as if to silently dare him not to go there.

"I don't know, I think I just need to officially get away," Gideon darkly grumbled as he held onto the bong, he eyed it and wondered when any of the effects would kick in, though due to holding onto it, he knew his next hit was shortly upon him, "It's just hard because... I love my parents. I love the house we live in, it's kind of like a point of safety on palace grounds."

"Well, good, at least you have that, y'know?" Flint shrugged, he and Callum began to hungrily eat the pizza provided, "Just bounce between there, here and Turbotime, I guess."

"We should all move to the internet," Callum suggested dryly with his mouth full, he shrugged and continued to hungrily chew, "Seems broader, more to do. You're familiar with the internet, Flint, why don't we all room together or something? That'd be awesome."

"Nothing's keeping me here," Flint shrugged, his eyes tossed to Gideon in smiling curiosity, "Gideon's got Kepa, though."

"Yeah, I got roots in Turbotime," Gideon muttered, he struck the lighter once more and was eager for another hit from Flint's bong, "If it weren't for her, I'd take you guys up on that offer. Seriously..."

"We should visit, then," Callum loosely suggested.

"We could... What kind of a tour guide would I be taking you fools to the dark web," Flint grumbled, and though Gideon had the inklings of Flint being loosely involved with dark web, or at least having visited, he still felt a strike of curious fear crawl over him.

"Starting with Game Over applications," Gideon muttered with a smile, to which Flint flattened his ears and rolled his eyes; Gideon sucked in a slow, hefty inhale from the bong and held it while Callum perked up.

"Wait, what? You've been to the arena, Flint?" Callum staggered, Flint playfully held frozen in a glower between both boys and finally eased a sly smile.

"I used to work there," Flint mumbled in a croak of mild regret, to which Callum bugged his eyes as Gideon let the smoke escape his figure in a huge billow.

"Did you meet Vye? Or Albar? Any of the winners?" Callum looked as if he had come out of being stoned to show full, normalized energy for this conversation, as if it gave him a second wind.

"I'm neither confirming or denying that I may or may not know them personally," Flint muttered, though his tone sounded playful, as if he could be joking. He shook his head and heaved a long, dreaded sigh, "You boys don't want that lifestyle. You boys have the prospect of your whole life before you, I wouldn't waste any ideations of Game Over or rushing away to the internet. It's not a glamorous place."

"...Unless you win," Callum pointed, though he gestured to Gideon and choked a shy little laugh, "Surely winning is... Permanent celebrity status. Can you imagine if one of us signed up for Game Over and WON?"

"Listen, Gideon's the only fool in this room that would win," Flint barked a chuckle, though just as Gideon was due to denying Flint and disregarded even the thought of throwing away his life for Game Over, suddenly Gideon's spine sagged to the furthest sag it possibly could.

Gideon set the bong down on the coffee table and suddenly felt as if the gravity in the room was upped. His eyes felt like massive bowling balls in his skull, somehow the delightful, extraordinarily heavy feeling of being cemented to the grid was one of the best feelings he had ever experienced. Every single circuit in his body felt as if it had lifted from the rigid structure under his skin, every single worry in his heart released the death grip of a choke hold it had on Gideon's nervous system. Gideon long blinked, huffed a shaky chuckle and was almost relieved to feel his high-speed thoughts finally slow, finally ease in coherent sentences Gideon could understand. For the first time in his life, he filled his lungs with air to a full capacity, every single sense of his suddenly played in his favor. Everything about this experience felt as if the world was brand new, every touch, every smell, even the dull surroundings about him looked exciting and alluring to take in.

"I'd win," Gideon darkly agreed with a nod, all three boys carelessly grunted laughter out into the air, "Ohh, I'd win. I got enough rage in me, I'd be in that winner's circle."

"Yeah, those winners are treated like gods," Flint grumbled as he reached for the bong, "I'd sign up, myself, but... I'm just a silly old fox, I don't have any powers."

"Remember me when you're famous, Gideon," Callum joked in dry, smiling apology, to which Gideon freely laughed and shook his head.

"I'll try, dumbass," Gideon stabbed, all three erupted into happy, freeing laughter.

"Y'got the prospect of love in your grasp, Gideon, don't give it up like I did," Flint gently warned, Gideon furrowed his eyebrows and frowned.

"Oh, he could win and come back, you know the winners being treated like criminals is fake," Callum guffawed, to which Flint shrugged and looked as if he maybe wasn't certain if that was correct or not.

"Yeah, if the game didn't kill me, Kepa for sure would," Gideon muttered as he shook his head and relished in how solid his eyeballs felt, how loose his core finally acted, how easy it was to utilize facial muscles to smile. He eyed Flint in gentle curiosity and shrugged, "You had a girlfriend, Flint?"

"Ohh, not... Necessarily," Flint frowned and aimlessly looked off in thought, "She was taken... Oh, she was beautiful. She married Sezeke."

"Who's that?" Gideon muttered, Flint tossed his eyes to Gideon's in smiling cheek.

"Mr. Favor," Flint volleyed, Gideon felt his consciousness lift with the hit of realization that crawled over him, "Sezeke Favor is the head of Arcadia Academy."

"I thought his name was Sam? It was short for something," Gideon pressed on confusion, having remembered seeing Mr, Favor's luxurious desk once upon a time.

"Sam was just a nickname, I used to call him Seze... He's a pretty private dude," Flint looked to show signs of nervous back tracking.

"... Weren't you guys friends?" Callum staggered nervously, Flint smiled and bobbed a nod.

"We still are, I'm just bitter, but..." Flint sighed and shook his head, "Elkuorra is dead... Now neither of us can have her. I mean, he had children with her, it's clear I wasn't desired, but... Man, I loved that woman. She was everything."

"Do you need us to leave you alone?" Callum erupted into contagious laughter that wrangled Gideon in, as well.

"I'm just saying, there's gotta be a lot to sacrifice love for dirty fame," Flint grumbled with a smile as he eyed Gideon, "If you have love, you're richer than the richest man alive."

"... And if not?" Callum darkly wondered with a shrug, "I don't have anyone. I should sign up for Game Over."

"Dude, you wouldn't last four seconds," Gideon bravely stabbed with a roll of a laugh as he lulled his heavy eyes closed, "You tried to kill me once and failed."

"Watch your back, G, I'll pop out of nowhere when you least expect it," Callum teased, it was here did Gideon understand that their newfound friendship was to carry on being one big rolling event of mean jabs that oddly translated to brotherly love.

"Game Over is for souls that have nothing left," Flint muttered, he smiled into Gideon's eyes and shrugged, "I've been in and out of the internet, the dark web, the arena... It's only for guys that have nothing to lose and absolutely everything to gain. As long as you have love, you have something to lose."

"Good point," Gideon uttered with a gentle nod of defeat, Callum continued to nonchalantly eat his pizza.

"Still... We should go on a field trip to see the arena," Callum lazily suggested, Flint flattened his ears and shook his head.

"I don't think you boys understand... It's not a place to just lallygag in," Flint chuckled, "You'll leave changed men... And not for the better. I won't be responsible for that."