Reviews :
chuckiboo : Thank you SO much! No, faux-codes aren't required to attend Academy. It's like college, except it's free. They just have to sign up, and in order to progress to higher, more difficult classes, you just need solid grades. Easy peasy! But no, no one is required. But only faux-codes can attend. So, like Ace, Libby and their children can't attend because, even though Ace and their children are self-programmed, they cant attend cause they're Users. Which is obviously an extremely rare case. Anyone who is a Usermade gamer (Ralph, Vanellope, Zed and all his brothers etc.) CAN'T attend Academy. Only way Zed got away with it, in Defying Code, is because he toyed with his coding. Tammy and Koko attend starting in Winter/Spring (where the story is currently), Tessa goes back to Academy in the Fall (coming up), with Emery. Then, after a year, once Berri, Wren and Theo are 'fully grown' (one year in Arcade is equivalent to about 18-20 human years, 'development-wise') they attend the following Spring. I'm positive none of this makes sense, but I did my best with how exhausted I am xD PM me if I've only confused you farther, otherwise I may make a massive A/N about this topic, just so everyone is on the same page as me! Wonderful question, thank you!
Alisi Thorndyke : Toooooo true xD Thank you!
Snake557 : LOL No, the shot is mandatory, and it's normal to get symptoms after getting a flu shot. I work in healthcare directly, so I have to get it. I think the only way I could get out of it is religious reasons? But it's just too much of a hassle, I just let them have my arm, it's not worth the fuss lol.
Burgie : Aww thank you so much! You learn a LOT about Lickity's breed, in this chapter! :D
BanannaSammich : Definitely will thank me when the 5th story finally comes around ;) Thank you!
Song Listened To :
Trajectory Burn by Adam Young
*Chapter 4*
As the evening came to a close, and Sugar Rush minty winter air frosted every single last palace window, Zed finally melted his way into his and Tessa's love nest, with Ace tight in tow. Although Berri has successfully been napping through all of the castle chatter, as well as being passed around by a few grabby, loving hands, she ended said spin around safe in Ralph's massive, safe embrace. Although it was just the thing to knock her out for the night, Zed grimaced in mild nervousness as his winter boots finally scuffed the gorgeous foyer of his and Tessa's soothingly warm abode; he was well aware Berri was due for a feeding, one of which her urgent screams wouldn't hesitate to demand at the drop of a hat. Cued to his father's lithe footsteps, Ace knew to talk softly, so to keep Berri sleeping for as long as possible.
"This book is huge, dad, you really gunna download the entirety of it to your phone?" Ace questioned in tenderness, he held up the Bible-sized beast of a book Finn had kindly lent to his oldest brother; it was loved all along the spine and back cover.
"No, I'm just borrowing it," Zed's masculine voice eased, he did everything he could to carefully take off his thick shoes, without making much noise. Berri remained tightly strapped to his chest, though he knew removing her from said sling would certainly wake her up. He was thrilled he at least had a starting point to go off of, and as him and Ace removed layers of coats, shoes, socks and scarves, they finally melted into the motherly warmth Tessa had lovingly sapped the place in. He continued on, tones still deep and low, "It's too big to download, anyhow. It'd take me ages."
"Let me know what you discover," Ace pressed as he eyed the book, though just as he was due to inquire more about said book, they hit a wall of the amazing, delicious scent of warm apples and cinnamon. Ace furrowed his eyebrows in a delirious draw of entire delight and eyed his father in a grimace, "Whaaaat is mom cooking?"
"Holy User, I don't know, but let's find out," Zed urged as he, too, beamed a curious smile and pressed deeper into his and Tessa's home, bursting at the seams with warmth and love.
Although they were stationed at the very top of the totem pole, in the hierarchy, Tessa's and Zed's humble little tower sat comfortably perched deep inside the flyer's enclosure; a secure little getaway from the usual, bustling chaos of the palace. Although they were still prominently on castle grounds, their tower just barely hovered over the canopies of the jungle trees, which originated from Dead Zed. Strictly a two-story abode, it towered a solid seven stories over the ground, the only point of exit and entrance being an intelligent, securely monitored teleport pad snug in the small common room, on the ground floor. Shroud in gorgeous jungle flowers and plants, which trailed a cobble path to the break of the dense, jungle enclosure, the King and Queen's little getaway was just what they needed in this time of raising a new baby. The lot of everyone, on castle grounds, knew to give the flyer's enclosure a wide berth, unless called upon.
Down the small stretch of a corridor, from the front foyer and teleport pad, the warm walls finally opened to a gape of the main room. A round, sprawling room with a massive bay window that hugged the curvature of the building, and showed a perfect view of Sugar Rush's main castle building, alongside the glass dome of the code room. A cozy, spacious kitchen hung to the left, alongside a large kitchen island, crowned with beautiful white wood and marble, kissed with pops of color and love, here and there. In said open, massive, breezy room was a proper living area to the right, which tidily left the kitchen's white wood floors and warmly eked into plush carpet amidst soft, light grey couches. Tessa knew she didn't want too big of an abode, though she spoiled her and Zed with a massive flat screen, hugged thin and tight to the wall. The tv was on, though it had dimmed to a screensaver mode, which consisted of a few pictures of exotic, luxurious beaches Sugar Rush boasted.
"So, not only did you get in a nap, you baked a pie and cleaned the entire house," Zed softly stated as him and Ace slowly moseyed towards the kitchen; Tessa was comfortably stationed at the marbled kitchen island, dressed in a massive dark grey slouch of a sweater and black leggings. Her hair was down in wet waves, and as she lazily thumbed through a news article, her hazel eyes peered to the two men that approached in a rise of renewed glow, although with that unending prickle of new-mom exhaustion.
"I also showered, duplicated the tree house for you, and programmed the tv for that one weird Pac Man show you boys love so much," Tessa snipped, she raised her eyebrows and softly sipped her cup of steamy tea, "I even had time for a second nap."
"Dad's turn," Ace chimed with a quiet chuckle, to which Zed huffed an exhausted breath and sagged the thick book to the kitchen island; Tessa cocked an eyebrow and peered hard to the worn and loved book with pure inquisition.
"How was she, today?" Tessa wondered, and although she was curious about the book, she stood up straighter, eased closer to Zed and beamed the widest smile upon seeing Berri's cute little hands and arms stir.
"Good, brace for screaming," Zed scrunched his face and nervously eyed the small baby strapped to his chest, though as Berri woke up a little more, everyone sagged in surprise at the raw fact that loudly crying wasn't the first thing on Berri's agenda, "... Or, never mind."
"Don't speak too soon," Ace grunted with a small laugh as he gingerly knocked on the wooden walls of the kitchen island, underneath the slab of thick marble.
"She'll remember she's hungry, soon," Tessa huffed with a small laugh as she began to peel away from Zed and head to their glorious, stainless steel fridge. She diligently pulled out a reserve of milk, for Berri, and began to prepare to slightly warm it up. She tucked her hair behind her ears and watched as Zed diligently began to unravel Berri from the sling he had been strapped with all day, "So, you boys have any lucky finding a good honeymoon spot, then?"
"Did we," Zed started, though he grunted in a struggle and realized he couldn't simply worm out of the sling while holding Berri. Without thinking twice, he softly turned to Ace and began to ease Berri into his fragile, bumbling gravity, "Here, can you please hold your sister for a second? I just need to get out of the sling."
"O-Oh, I... Well..." Ace grunted in tender, protesting nervousness, and although he began to take Berri's tiny little figure from Zed's masculine hands, his confidence began to shrivel, so visibly that he nearly hunched his shoulders in a slap of impending terror. He choked an inhale and bashfully peered to Zed as he desperately tried to take Berri from him in a forced show of education he had not retained.
"Watch her head," Zed pressed warmly, and although he was wanting to be quick about just handing Berri off, for mere moments, just to get the sling off, he slowed his roll and knew this was a valuable teaching opportunity, "Y'got her?"
"Sorta," Ace stated through a nervous huff of an inhale, and as Zed dilgently positioned Berri into Ace's larger hands and arms, Zed pat Ace's shoulder and began to tidy Berri's little hoodie.
"Perfect, you're doing great," Zed nonchalantly encouraged, he knew not to bring way too much attention to just how nervous Ace was acting, and although Zed was well aware Berri was a ticking time bomb, he was somehow hoping Berri would potentially explode, so to give Ace some experience, "She may wig out once she realizes you are, indeed, not mom."
"Okay, then, hurry, cause I don't want to upset her," Ace rushed nervously, though Zed could see the hidden terror in Ace's eyes as Zed began to loosen himself from the cotton sling. He lifted it over his head and began to take off the thinner grey pull over he had on, though Ace's rigid posture just eked of frozen anxiousness. Just as Zed suspected, Berri scrunched her face in a cute grimace and began to grunt little noises of defiance. Ace raised his eyebrows in sorrow, and although he held Berri in a correct posture of love and care, he still remained frozen solid. The second Berri began to pitch gentle cries, which only would escalate, Ace darted his worried hazel gaze frantically between his mother and father, "A-Alright, uh, mom, she wants you."
"We'll just give her a bottle I prepared," Tessa stated in impending exhaustion, she dribbled a little bit of the warm milk to her wrist, to check the temperature, before she began to step closer to the two boys, "I'll be up at least twice tonight, to feed her. My body needs a break."
"Here, dad," Ace urged, his tone began to escalate to that of more dire concern, and just as Berri's whole little face began to turn red, she pitched a harder scream and began to loudly hungry-cry out to the world, "D-Dad...!"
"Bud, take it easy," Zed huffed a chuckle and warmly gripped Ace's shoulder. Just as Tessa approached, he gently took the bottle from her, unravelled Ace's free arm and handed it to him. Once he guided Ace's hand, as well as the bottle, to Berri, she urgently began to drink, thus quieting all cries and complaints. Zed warmly kept to Ace's shivering gravity, and as Tessa hung back and watched the tender moment, she crossed her arms and warmly smiled as Zed's fatherly voice coat over their first born's trembling aura, "I know it's nerve wracking to hold a screaming baby and not know quite what to do, but we knew ahead of time she'd be hungry, that's all... Y'gotta get used to this, bud, why don't you take some time to dote on your sister, a little. Get acclimated."
"You're as stiff as a board, love, she's not going to bite you," Tessa teased with a small laugh as she sagged her arms to the marble island. She heaved a content sigh and watched the cute sight unfold. Berri's little wrecking hands grappled Ace's much larger thumb as she fed, and although Ace looked visibly shook, a warm smile began to sneakily curl at the edges of his mouth as he noted his success in calming his sister down.
"I don't know about that," Zed grunted, Tessa blurt into a small laugh and gave Zed a bewildered look, "She was gnawing on my finger, earlier, and I felt some pretty sharp chompers, deep in those gums."
"Don't tell me that," Tessa grumble with a small laugh as she buried her face in her hands; although she eyed her first born and took note of his now thawing demeanor, she also was cued to Zed's silent plight; to not draw way too much attention to Ace's cute, fumbling, uneducated self, "So, what's with the book?"
"Well... Something pretty strange happened today," Zed started, he eyed Ace in mild annoyance as he picked up said book and waggled it about, "Why don't you tell mom what Lickity was caught doing."
"Lickity sent out a mating call," Ace stated in a teasing, nearly irritated, though smiling tone of snarkiness. He huffed a small, nervous breath and adjusted the bottle of milk he was successfully feeing his baby sister.
"... I'm sorry, I stroked out," Tessa mumbled as she shot Zed a dumbfounded look, "A MATING CALL?"
"It was the weirdest thing ever," Zed rubbed his face and heaved a yawn of exhaustion as Ace gently carried on.
"Sh-she like made this weird grumbly roar of a call out to the jungle, out of nowhere," Ace urged, he bashfully peered down to Berri and almost froze at the realization that her gorgeous, brilliant blue eyes were absolutely transfixed on Ace.
"Keep the bottle tilted up, hun," Tessa began to warmly instruct with a gesture, to which Zed cued to. He reached out to Ace, lightly corrected the problem and tilted the bottle a little more forward.
"...Why?" Ace wondered in soft innocence, and it was with this small inch out of his hermit shell did Tessa and Zed feel comfortable finally approaching the topic of his uneducated inquiries, like luring a wild animal out of it's den.
"If she inhales air, she'll get trapped gas later, which... Will result in tears," Zed huffed a chuckle and felt relief that Ace's nervous exterior wall was now softening and becoming malleable to accept advice.
"He's talking about me. I'M the one that will be crying," Tessa grunted as she firmly pointed to herself; both men loudly laughed.
"Berri won't know what to do about the discomfort, so she'll just scream and cry about it," Zed chuckled, "Keep it tilted so she only gets milk, and no air. You want to burp her afterwards?" Zed bravely pressed, he made sure to keep his welcoming gaze as soft and approachable as he could.
"I... I can try," Ace eased with a little more confidence, he peered down to Berri and blurt a small chuckle, "I-I am a lot more nervous about this whole new baby thing, than I thought."
"It's always scary to hold a baby, if you don't totally know what to expect," Zed shrugged, he warmly pat Ace's shoulder and shook his head with a knowing, narrow gaze, "Though, trust me, it's an entirely different story when it's your own baby."
"Scarier?" Ace lilted in a shaky pitch of impending question.
"Easier," Tessa cooed with a small laugh, she shook her head and gave Ace a loving smile, "You're going to be just fine, there, DAD."
"You look terrified, son," Zed chuckled, to which Ace finally eased his shoulders and bobbed a nod, and although he was previously rigid in his posture, he began to sag and look a little more comfortable with his fragile baby sister, "You know you're going to be just fine, when the twins come, right?"
"I-I know, I just... I need experience, but I guess I just didn't know how to obtain it. Or ask to obtain it," Ace pressed nervously, Tessa urgently gestured her hands to the cute bundle in Ace's masculine arms.
"By all means, you can practice on your sister to your heart's desire," Tessa softly laughed, Zed beamed a knowing smile and bobbed a nod.
"Y'also got Wren and Theo to throw in the mix," Zed cued, Ace shrugged and bashfully eased a smile.
"You should practice taking care of all THREE of them, at once," Tessa pointed, to which Ace bugged his eyes in terror and urgently shook his head. Tessa shrugged and cutely smiled, "That way, when it comes time to take care of just TWO babies, it'll be cake."
"Mom, dad, I need you to know I'll probably be on your doorstep every single day after Libby gives birth," Ace assured, to which Zed and Tessa were all smiles of knowing understanding.
"No you won't, son, it comes naturally," Zed shrugged and gestured to his two children, "I mean, lookit you, not two minutes ago you looked as if you were holding a fabergé egg over a boiling pit of lava."
"But, on the offchance you DO find yourself on our doorstep," Tessa gently interjected, both men peered their curious eyes to Sugar Rush's Queen, "You know we are always here to help you and Libby. Our door is ALWAYS open."
"Your mother will want to dote on every baby on the lot, so bring 'em our way," Zed grumbled with a chuckle as he continued to rub his eye.
"Seems as if Lickity wants to add to the pile," Ace pressed in teasing concern as he skillfully rounded the conversation back to the topic at hand.
"Yeah, what the heck?" Tessa prod, Zed finally heaved a raspy sigh and held up the book, once more.
"Finnigan loaned me this book on Dead Zed's dragons," Zed eased as he began to thumb through the pages, "Everything we need to know, about Lickity's breed, is in this book. I mean, I'm telling you Tess, if it weren't for me snapping Lickity out of it, she nearly took off and didn't look back, that's how focused she was."
"Weird, I mean... Lickity doesn't ever talk about finding a mate, or anything," Tessa pressed, it was clear she was becoming sorrowful, in an agitated, anxious kind of way.
"Well... I don't think that's something Lickity even has control over," Ace shrugged, to which Zed bobbed a nervous nod, "I mean, it was instinctual. Once dad snapped her out of it, she looked as if she had no clue what had just happened. She was riding on pure, animal instinct. It was odd to see her so disconnected from her typical talking self."
"W-well, what does the book say?" Tessa pressed in a further show of gentle urgency, she scoot closer to Zed, "Can you find her exact breed, in there?"
"Sure can, let's see... She's not a wyvern, she's not a drake..." Zed fingered his lip and scanned the table of contents, and once he thumbed through a few page numbers, he finally cleared his throat and was successful in his findings, "Aha, here it is... Draco Velociraptor Myotis Kamuri."
"Gesunheit," Ace chuffed; Tessa blurt a hard laugh.
"That's the scientific name... 'More commonly known as a Regal Kamuri, these large, mammalian bat dragons are known for their incredible sense of hearing, lithe speed and silent stealth. They have thirteen out-of-game lives. Upon death, each respawn results in a prettier more regal skin and power upgrade of its previous version. Equipped with large, razor sharp velociraptor-like dew claws, Regal's are incredible hunters and fighters. Typically solitary creatures, during mating season, males pack together in groups of two to four to aid in their scout for a female'," Zed intelligently carried on, he raised his eyebrows in delighted surprise and cued to the next passage he read, "'Male Regal's have vivid, varied color markings along different areas of their ventral to attract a mate, whilst females lack said color markings."
"But... Didn't you say Lickity had like these weird speckles of blue all along her chest?" Ace pressed, Tessa furrowed her eyebrows hard in surprise.
"It was so beautiful, it was all down her chest and speckled on her cheeks and jaw," Zed eased in boyish excitement as he gestured to his chest and neck, though he furrowed his eyebrows and continued to read from the book, "I guess... It says here that females will crown the same exact color of a matching male, so to carry on stronger, like-for-like genes."
"Too bad a male didn't respond to her call," Ace eased in a soft tone of disappointment, though Tessa began to look worried.
"Well... Guess we can't take Lickity with us, on our honeymoon, then," Tessa grumbled in dismay, though both men gave her a mild look of bewilderment.
"... Wait, why?" Ace wondered lightly, Zed cocked an eyebrow.
"We're bringing her because Royal, Balba and Marble are going on that getaway to Honeydew Ridge," Zed reminded, "Lickity was coming with us so she wouldn't get lonely, remember?"
"I mean... If we bring her, she could easily just ditch us and never come back," Tessa complained in now rising worry, Ace eased his confused eye contact to his father's, and vice-versa.
"Well, Tess, you want to just stifle her needs and leave her here, all lonely and without any other flyer for the week?" Zed began to get defensive of Lickity, something he was absolutely certain he'd never have to do, against Tessa of all people.
"Well, no, not at all, I just..." Tessa staggered and began to feel strange, a pit in her stomach she was uncertain of how to even digest. She frowned and gave Ace and Zed a raw and honest look into her heart, "Wh-what if... What if she finds a mate and just... Forgets about us? I mean, what if she just takes off and that's that?"
"I don't think that'd happen, mom," Ace's deep voice assured, though Zed shrugged and softly glanced to his first born.
"Well, Tess... Lickity may talk and laugh and tease and play and hang out with us, but... At her very core, she is an animal," Zed tenderly reminded, to which Tessa finally sagged her sorrowful eyes to the kitchen island, "If she finds a mate and flies off into the sunset, and just... Somehow carries on like how she used to, before she got Orion's ability to talk, then... We'll just have to accept it. We can't force Lickity to stuff instincts she feels the need to act on. She's a free being."
"But... Y-You don't really think she'd just forget about us, would she? I mean, she has Royal, her own son... A-and a grandbaby on the way?" Tessa began to show very visible worry in the tears that gathered in her eyes.
"Babe, I highly doubt she'd just take off and forget us, but..." Zed looked off and grimaced an apologetic smile, "If she acts on instinct, whilst we're in Dead Zed, we're going to have to just let nature take it's course. She's not like us human gamers. Underneath all that walk and talk and sass is a very real amount of animal instinct, one that can't really be ignored."
"Especially in the heart of mating season," Ace cocked an eyebrow and gave Zed a small, knowing look of delightful dread, Zed's chest expanded with a deep inhale and a knowing bob of a nod.
"She wasn't acting like this, last winter, because she had just given birth to Royal, thus not expecting a mate," Zed shrugged, "I mean, I don't know, Tess, how would you feel if you were Lickity?"
"Don't turn that around on me," Tessa sorrowfully stabbed with a frown, though Zed put up his hand in gentle defense.
"I'm not turning anything on you, it's an honest question... You'd want to feel free to come and go, as you please, right?" Zed warmly eased, to which Tessa finally heaved a hard sigh and bobbed a nod, "And, so... Maybe she'll be gone for a few days. Would be cool if she came back with another flyer to add to the pack, wouldn't it?"
"Royal would be PISSED," Ace bugged his eyes and shot his dad a teasing look of smiling dread, "Hooo Royal won't like that. Another dominant male in the enclosure? One that is his mother's mate, of all things?"
"The whole palace would catch fire," Zed grit his teeth and glanced to Tessa, who groaned a noise and sagged her face into her hands.
"Exactly why I don't want to take her into Dead Zehhhhd," Tessa grumbled in a long drag of slightly teasing despair.
"We don't really have a choice," Zed sighed in soft conclusion, to which Tessa finally swallowed said large reality pill, "You can try and distract her, for as long as you want, but... Instinct will likely override everything, eventually."
"It'll be okay, mom," Ace shrugged, Tessa bobbed a nod and looked off in anxious concern, "I think Lickity deserves it, after everything she's been through... I can maybe warn Royal, prepare everyone for every aspect of this situation."
"We're gunna need a bigger enclosure," Tessa's raspy voice grumbled in exhausted concern.
