Reviews :
Snake557 : Exactly :D I wanted the issue to emulate real life. People scoff at things that they don't understand, even if it's not hurting anyone.
CHICKENM4N : LMAO I am alive right now oh my User.
Burgie : Yes indeed! :) Thank you!
Song Listened To :
Silver Comforts Jim by James Newton Howard (Treasure Planet Score)
*Chapter 17*
"I'm not sure how they're going to do it," Nox's masculine voice ever so softly carried on; him and Koko slowly meandered about the racer's, donut-shaped corridor, that hugged the code room. They head in the direction of the corridor's North entrance, one of which lead to the main courtyard, as well as a winding path that eventually lead back to Nox's and Koko's little tower abode. In the stillness just before everyone had gone off to sleep, the two had just left the palace's main kitchen, a long-overdue double date with Ace and Libby. Koko and Nox walked close in step, hand in hand, Nox finished his thought through a long sigh, "But, Ace seems to be coming into himself, thankfully."
"You can tell he's excited to be a dad, I think it's cute," Koko chimed in kindness, she tucked her long, wavy, chocolate brown hair behind her ear and relished in the warmth of Nox's hoodie, in which she proudly wore, one of which that had TurboTime's logo confidently labelled down her left arm in a stylized way, "I can't wait to cuddle more babies. I thought I'd be satisfied with Wren, Berri and Theo, but wow... Throwing in two more will just be icing on the cake."
"... What about a third?" Nox pressed with a coy smile as he eyed Koko in rising, boyish cheek, though the second Koko's eyes flashed to his in a sudden zip of stunned surprise, their tender little bubble was popped.
"Hey, Nox?" Minty called from her wing of the corridor, a massive archway that each racer had, and although Nox and Koko had nearly entirely passed her entry way, they halted their movements and eagerly peered in her direction. Minty was bashfully hanging out of her large double doors, her name was gorgeously engraved in the marble and stonework above her pristine white doors, the warm glow from her home eked out the peek of her cracked door. Her long, green hair was down and draped her shoulders in a damp show of preparing for bed, though the twinkle in her eye lead to suggest she still had energy left for one last conversation. She gently waggled her hand in uncertainty and gestured inside her welcoming home, "Can, uh... Can I talk to you two for a moment, in private?"
Nox and Koko remained frozen in uncertainty, and although Nox knew what this was likely about, he felt Koko's eyes peer up to him in a slew of thrown around confusion. Though Nox had filled Koko in on the conversation that him, Ace, Balba and Minty had had days prior, the both of them were absolutely certain that nothing was going to come of it, and it was due to be dropped and entirely forgotten about. Nox gently gripped Koko's hand, peered back to her and silently asked her permission to join Minty, strictly through eye contact. Something of which Koko appreciated, she bobbed a small nod and fell into the movement of turning around and slowly sauntering closer to Minty's wing of the palace. Upon closing their gap, Nox gave her a nervous smile and shrugged a little.
"Is, uh... Everything okay?" Nox pressed, though Minty opened her door a little wider and allowed for the two to step inside.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I just... Would like to tell you something, I guess," Minty staggered, she tried to remain confident, though it was clear she was very nervous.
Once Koko and Nox slowly and apprehensively stepped into Minty's abode, they both got a good eye full of her place. Upon Minty softly shutting and latching her door behind the two, Nox and Koko's eyes dragged about in delighted surprise. Although each racer's wing was nearly identical in architecture and structure, each home was different in decor, furniture and style. Minty was clearly a very neat and tidy individual, one of cute minimalism, accents of mint greens, creams and soft coral pinks were abundant in her choice of wall art and decor. Each wing was in the style of a two story abode; a ground floor for living and a proper loft for sleeping, which over looked the first floor. Warmly lit with an array of different house lights, Nox huffed a small chuckle in humble amazement and glossed his eyes to her pearly white kitchen, as clean as could be.
"Wow, your home is beautiful," Nox complimented, to which Minty bashfully tucked her hair behind her ears and eased into the kitchen, cueing Nox and Koko to follow.
"Thank you, I... I keep it tidy in case anyone wants to come over, or what have you," Minty sighed, the small twinkle of despair hung in her eyes as she gently sagged to her smaller kitchen island with an equally as defeated shrug, "Really the only person that ever comes over is Torvald, though... Sometimes Jubi, even Libby has come knocking on my door, but... Whatever."
Nox held his tongue; he knew very well why she didn't have much of anyone over. Her bratty exterior made it nearly impossible to even understand that there could be a potentially doughy, warmer interior. Nox narrowed his eyes a little, tucked his hands lazily into his jean's pockets and exhaled a small sigh, and understood in this instance that all Minty needed was love. Her fear of anything abnormal came off in such a harsh and degrading way, Nox felt something softly tap him on the shoulder, reminding him that he was once an outcast himself, someone that no one cared to get to know, until someone, being Ace, took him under his wing. Nox nearly felt annoyed; of all people to softly scoop into his safety net, the last person he expected it to be was Minty. Nonetheless, he was well aware that he had a duty here, and he knew not to let the people that helped him, in his struggling past, down.
"I mean, Tessa comes by every other day, or so, to check up and have a chat," Minty rushed in smiling annoyance as she looked off, though she tread lightly due to being in Tessa's sister's presence, "But, she's the Queen, I think... It's sort of on her daily to-do list, is to make sure everyone's in good spirits."
"Yeah, Tessa checks up on all the girls, Zed for the guys," Koko relayed, solid inside information Minty perked up to with a gentle smile.
"Oh, so that really is a thing," Minty chuckled, she almost wistfully looked off, "I always wondered why Swizzle would keep saying that he got visited by Zed, but I never do."
"I think they may switch it up, every now and then, but," Koko shrugged and gave Minty a more relaxed smile and stance, "Would seem a bit odd if Zed was knocking on all the ladies doors and asking 'what's up', y'know?"
"User," Nox blurt a small laugh and shook his head, as if he hadn't even thought about it until Koko said something.
"Yeah that'd be weird, I guess," Nox concluded, though he sighed in the clear of the conversation and gave Minty a nearly nervous smile, "So, uh... What did you want to talk about? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything's fine, I just... Have been doing a lot of thinking, since our conversation with Ace, the other day," Minty started tenderly, though in the break of her sentence, Koko gently cocked an eyebrow and remained frozen.
"Oh, the one where you thought Nox was going to beat you up?" Koko asked in such girly charm, it nearly didn't seem like a stab. Minty froze and now felt any bit of confidence wash flat to fear with the way Koko's sharp, agitated brown eyes hooked tight into Minty's; a proper show of Vanellope's bitey and more dominant side, it was clear that Nox had told Koko everything that had happened.
"Easy," Nox softly soothed in Koko's direction, he placed his masculine hand on the small of her back and gave her a small nod as they caught eyes, he silently thanked her through their intense eye contact, it was clear Koko was simply protective of the vastly misunderstood TurboTime boys, all of which were now her coded brothers and family alike.
"Yeah, that one," Minty snipped, though it was more in a show of collected, sorrowful defeat. She looked down to the kitchen island, inhaled a long, deep breath and tried her hardest to regain her composure. She shook her head and peered to Nox in a show of whole remorse, "I just wanted to apologize for... Well... Everything. How I've been acting, how rude I've been to Turbo. I know I've probably made you pretty angry. Both of you."
Koko and Nox remained silent and allowed Minty to carry on, it was obvious she likely had a lot to get off of her chest. Nox felt his heart begin to soften, the gentle sag of his crossed arms, he looked down to Minty's beautiful, white wooden top kitchen island and was thrilled to step into this conversation, once and for all. He knew it was only a month of torture for him, though for Vanellope and everyone else, it was years. He inwardly grimaced at said thought and finally dragged his eyes to Minty's in listening tenderness, they held for a moment, as if Minty was silently begging this conversation remain within these walls and nowhere else.
"You and Ace really got me thinking and... I guess I haven't been honest with myself, or with anyone," Minty pressed, the hesitancy in her voice was almost painful, "Ever since Vanellope swapped with Ralph, and then, well... Taffyta and Rancis joined on board the swapping train, and then Candlehead and Gloyd, it just started to freak me out. And then Vanellope had Tessa and I just shut down, I guess."
"Because you didn't know how it all worked? Or were, I guess, scared?" Nox pressed as gently and cautiously as he could, though he was elated that Minty nodded.
"I was so overcome with frustration... Everyone was pairing off so easily and it just was such a natural thing for everyone to do, and I was wondering why, well... Why..." Minty began to grow embarrassed, as if she suddenly realized what this conversation was due to unfold, and in the tender glance of her apprehensive gaze, she shook her head and peered hard into Nox's eyes with a wavering shiver of worry, "I guess why... No one..."
"... Was pairing off with you," Koko finished, as softly as she could; Minty heaved a gentle sigh, bobbed a nod and looked off as her face turned red in further embarrassment. Koko huffed a small giggle, crossed her arms and caught glances with Nox. Although she came into this conversation wanting to throw hands in Minty's direction, she realized all this anger stemmed from a very vulnerable point in Minty's heart, something she knew to be sensitive to. Koko's demeanor finally softened, and with such, she felt she should likely bring a feminine touch to this fragile conversation, "Well, certainly there's at least someone in Sugar Rush that you've been interested in, or vice-versa, right?"
"Yeah, there is someone," Minty sighed with a small smile of bashful reminiscing. She shook her head and barely glanced at Koko, as if revealing it was likely too much to bear, so she tip toed around it, "It's extremely irritating that he lives one door down from me and not once have we properly hung out, alone..."
Nox furrowed his brow, as did Koko, as they suddenly scoured, inside their brains, for the layout of the racer's circular corridor. They scrambled for just who was Minty's next door neighbor, the palace courtyard being on the other side of her wing, though the second the name hit Nox's brain, he softened his facial expression, peered to Minty in growing, cheeky delight and remained with his hands in his jean pockets, his posture frozen. He just barely tilted his head in a boyish side-eye, to Minty, and allowed his smile to grow in curious cuteness.
"... Malarkey?" Nox pressed warmly, to which Koko snapped her fingers in knowing, as if Nox had answered her question, for her, of just who lived next door to Minty.
"Mr. Malarkey," Minty stated through a long, annoyed sigh as her bashful eyes glossed her kitchen island, though Koko blurt a girly laugh of delight and gestured her hands in encouragement.
"W-Well, why don't you tell him how you feel? Why has nothing ever progressed between you two? You guys are always seen together, I mean... Anywhere in the palace you are, he is," Koko rushed, as if she was now excited to potentially get Minty a date, though she frowned once Minty shook her head and shrugged.
"I mean... Swizzle pursued me, a few years ago, but I... Rather harshly shut it down," Minty stated in whole regret, "I was just scared, w-we had always sort of liked each other, but I knew it'd eventually lead to swapping, and... The idea of losing my coding to someone else, for the rest of my coded life, just terrifies me."
"I'm not going to lie, here, it terrified me, too," Nox admitted as he glanced to Koko, who bobbed an equally as agreeing nod, as if her and Nox had had this conversation previously, "It's pretty nerve-wracking knowing your coding is meshed with someone else's for the rest of time, but... I guess we have the luxury of now four Users on our lot... As much of a slap to the face that'd be to Swizzle, you could always reverse it if you guys didn't end up staying together."
"But, on the other hand," Koko started as she waggled her finger in Minty's direction with a look of kind cheek, "If you've noticed... Every single partner, on this lot, hasn't split up. You practically consume the other person's coding, you BECOME the other person, internally. It takes a great deal of love to want to have your coding in someone else's hands for an eternity, but... To then be trusted with theirs, and have that mutual love be realized through the both of you? There's nothing quite like it."
"You won't want to reverse a bond so great," Nox smiled in assurance, the hope in Minty's eyes began to come back, "I mean... You pushed Swizzle away strictly because you were scared? You really like him, don't you."
Minty frowned and peered to Nox in such a way that showed a now overflowing amount of teary desperation, as if her best friend had very rapidly become something much greater over time, and due to her stubbornness, she had just grown accustomed to stifling every last ounce of desire, every urge she ever had, due to not being fully educated. She shook her head, as if to disagree with Nox's statement, though she narrowed her teary eyes and huffed a small, nervous giggle.
"I love him," Minty confessed quietly, to which Koko now stepped about Nox and closed the gap between her and Minty.
"Minty, this is GREAT," Koko hissed quietly in a show of girly excitement, having felt bad for being so snippy towards Minty, she was thrilled that all Minty's mean front consisted of was fear. Koko gently put her hand on Minty's shoulder and tilted her head the second Minty looked down in teary dejectedness, "You're literally surrounded by dozens of people who can help you overcome this fear you have... Er... Objection?"
"Fear," Minty corrected with a small shrug, she nervously glanced to Koko's eyes and was glad that her fiery, protective side had softened, "He asked me to be his girlfriend YEARS ago, but... Ever since I shut it down, we just are now best friends, but... Sometimes he tries to flirt with me and I just shut down and don't know how to handle it."
"He's trying to make the move and take the reins," Nox chuckled as he shook his head, "It's clear he's confident about it all, I'd say you should just enjoy."
"Nox is right," Koko assured with a nod, "It's definitely not something the whole of Arcade is entirely gung-ho about, but... I mean, look at the Arcade's Academies. Those places are full of faux-codes. They all came from swappers."
"I don't think anyone has sought Ace out, yet, for a code reversal," Nox looked off in contemplation, though Koko shook her head.
"I don't think really anyone, besides the people on this lot, know that Ace is a User anyhow," Koko volleyed, to which Nox shrugged and returned his attention to Minty.
"I'm glad we could at least get to the bottom of this, I know Vanellope's been stewing on this issue for a long time, now," Nox urged quietly, Minty guiltily looked off.
"Yeah, I... Caused her and Taffyta a lot of trouble, in the past," Minty confessed in gentle sorrow, she shook her head and furrowed her brow, "I didn't mean to be so nasty about it, I just... Was jealous. I had a suitor right at my feet but didn't want to let him in because, well... I was scared."
"Have you discussed this with Swizzle? What was your excuse for pushing him away?" Koko pressed, "If you don't mind me asking."
"I didn't give him a straight answer, and for whatever reason, he respected it nonetheless... He hasn't outwardly pursued me since, which, if I'm being honest..." Minty trailed off in now nearly smiling annoyance, though Nox blurt a laugh.
"Has only made your side of this situation worse," Nox continued to softly laugh, to which Koko stifled a small giggle alongside Minty's now wide and bashful smiling eye roll.
"It's whatever... I just thought I'd at least fill you in on exactly what was going on," Minty sighed as they all calmed down, "Just please don't tell anyone... I-I'm going to try and work up the courage to talk to Swizzle about all of this, I'm just not positive how or when."
"Well... We hope that when you do, things go smoothly," Koko shrugged, "Sorry for, well... Coming at you, like that. I'm just protective of Nox, and his older brothers... That includes Lash."
Minty froze and peered hard into Koko's eyes, a roll of gentle surprise, and although nearly every racer on the lot was wary of Turbo and up in arms about Lash, Minty froze and wondered if Koko's depth, her shared coding with Nox, could potentially reveal some things.
"... Really?" Minty pressed in tender disbelief, Koko bobbed a nod and glanced to Nox in a loving manner.
"Well, yeah. When Nox and I swapped, I obtained blips of all his precious memories and feelings he has for all of his older brothers," Koko laid her hand to her chest and smiled warmly, "All of these TurboTime boys are simply misunderstood... But they're all incredible, in their own right, and deserve our attention. Very hypocritical of me to care for Nox's outcasted feelings and let Turbo, Lash and Throttle just dangle in the wind."
"I guess I just don't understand cause I don't know that depth, that you do," Minty stated in a lilt of defeat, though as the room fell silent, Koko gently glanced down to Minty's hands and felt an idea come to the forefront of her mind.
"Well... Why don't I just show you, then?" Koko pressed warmly as she held her hand out, and although Minty peered to her hand in honest confusion, once the idea of it all hit her skin, she bashfully peered into Koko's eyes in a push of rising surprise.
"Y-You mean..." Minty staggered in a now very visible show of nervousness, something Koko cued to.
"Exterior swap," Koko chimed kindly, she shook her head and narrowed her gaze in a roll of royal sweetness, "I'm the daughter of a glitch, remember?"
"I-I saw Nox and Ace do this, yesterday, but... I didn't know you could really do it with someone who wasn't a glitch," Minty staggered, as if she was potentially trying to grasp for faltering excuses as to why they shouldn't follow through with this.
"As long as a glitch can tab in to their own exterior coding, exterior swaps can be done with anyone," Koko assured, and as she began to reach for Minty's hand in slow, apprehensive wondering, she kept her glitching abilities at bay until she got Minty's permission, "What do yah say?"
Minty nervously lifted her hand and allowed hers and Koko's grip to gently come together, amidst no amount of coding, just yet. Minty began to feel her heart rate accelerate in nervousness, strictly for the unknown, though she glanced into Nox's eyes and felt a strange peace. So many people on this lot had followed through with this nonsense, she knew it was safe, though she gripped Koko's hand in a last-minute spike of fear and nervously bit her lip. Amidst her rushing thoughts, she finally bobbed Koko a nod and bravely braced for whatever was to come.
With as much ease as Koko could, she allowed hers and Nox's incredible, berry-crimson honeycombs to swarm her palms, and with as much ease as simply opening a door, Minty's coding took like wildfire, as if she had been hoping to just be eased of this struggle, to put every single last one of her worries to rest. Minty gasped a small inhale, stiffened her spine and nervously began to pant through her nose as a weird wave of new coding soaked over hers, like a loving hand on her shoulder, a kind smile in her direction, just tiers and tiers of Nox's ancient coding mixed with Koko's fresh self-programmed coding, Minty's brain had a hay-day with all the information lofted at her, all at once.
Minty felt humility practically take her legs out from underneath her, and in the sweep of it all, she gripped Koko's hand and adjusted to everything that was lofted her way. A sheer amount of warmth, of love and an infinite amount of Koko's and Nox's shared, coded DNA eased into every single dusty nook and cranny of Minty's coding, causing the two girls to have a shared show of nearly neon-orange coding sprawled up their arms. A mess of glitch lines and honeycombs, Minty took in every single aspect of their love, their shared interests and behaviors all properly put on display, every single flash of Nox's memories from TurboTime, glimpses of Turbo from thirty years ago, an entire organized mess of nothing but family, Minty could swear the tears forming in her eyes were absolutely unstoppable.
"You're not just sharing your coding with another person and that's the end of it," Koko's voice was now on surround sound, in Minty's ears. Minty flinched as the tears rolled down her cheeks, a release of every single last worry ever laid on her, she squeezed Koko's larger hand in mild desperation, as if letting go would rocket her off of the planet, "You're sharing their memories, their grief, their happiness, flaws and traits alike. It's not just a union of circuits... You take everything you're made of and intertwine it with the one person you adore the most."
Minty was at a loss for words, soaked in every single last inch of assurance that this wasn't scary or wrong, that this territory was only for the brave and the strong of heart, and every single last thought put into this permanent action was beyond worth it. Koko huffed a small laugh and figured that she should probably unleash Minty, lest she'd be entirely overwhelmed. Koko softly ceased their exterior swap, and once Minty was released, she cupped her hands to her mouth in shock and sat in silence, nearly trembling at the final release of worries that had been haunting her for years. Nox and Koko both huffed apologetic chuckles, and before any words could be conveyed, Koko lovingly scooped Minty into a hug. With arms wrapped tight about Minty's shoulders, both girls soaked into each other for a moment of tender loving care.
"See? Not so scary," Koko assured, "You can thank my mom for starting this trend... If anything, they'd be able to give you the most information, about all of this."
"I don't think I'm comfortable telling Vanellope everything I told you guys," Minty meeped in gentle humility as she wiped her eyes. She inhaled a refreshed breath of air and shook her head with a bashful smile, "I-I don't even know how to deal with it, myself, just yet."
"It's fine... You can always message one of us if you have questions," Nox assured, to which Koko's eyes lit up.
"Or boy advice, I'm good at that," Koko proudly nodded, to which Nox rolled his eyes and bashfully looked off, amidst a nearly annoyed smile.
"She's not wrong, had me hook, line and sinker on the first day we met," Nox mumbled in only teasing dismay; both Koko and Minty laughed amidst the loving relief.
"I'd love that," Minty sighed as she looked down to her feet in a slew of rising gratitude, "I don't know where to start, but... Guess better late than never."
