Reviews :
chuckioo : Aww, why thank you! And, no, the way Cory proposed to me was beautiful and perfect, I wouldn't have had it any other way. ] And, although Beaux and Mara are definitely IN the story, unfortunately it's not entirely centered around them. They're in the plot, here and there, but everything centers around the main three kids, Berri, Wren and Theo. Hope this doesn't disappoint!
marinetanker97 :Hello! Why thank you, I greatly appreciate that! And yes, her encounter with him is certainly a bumbling one, to say the least! I'm excited for it, nonetheless!
Burgie : Thank you so much! YAY! I'm glad! :D
Snake557 : Aww, thank you friend! That really means a lot to me :D
Romantic Sapp : I know you're still reading Rectifying Origin, but I just wanted to properly thank you in real time, and hope you get to see this once you reach Out of the Blue! Thank you for all your support and, holy cow, for reading this saga SO quick! You're awesome!
Song Listened To :
Mess by Noah Kahan
*Chapter 24*
Through an exhausted gaze of defeat, Tessa's eyes lazily glossed to the glass of water she had poured herself a few minutes prior. The water inside bounced just barely in a jostle, reverberating bass to good music that was a lot of fun to listen to and be encompassed with for the first few days or so, though now it nearly rattled the entire King and Queen's perch, as well as the flyer's enclosure. Tessa was sure that gifting Berri a shiny electric guitar, Theo a bangin' drum set and Wren a high tech, state of the art keyboard was something they'd just tinker with for fun, prod at and play with on down times or rainy days, though the potential of a small hobby very rapidly turned into a garage band in Tessa's and Zed's common room; something that was indeed a valuable talent in of itself, though very quickly overstaying it's welcome in Tessa's, Zed's and Berri's home.
At the ripening age of about eight months in the Arcade, equal to about thirteen years old on Earth, Berri, Wren and Theo loudly hollered, banged and strung their way into the afternoon, wrecking hands beat the drums and the symbols, Berri's strengthening voice could be heard singing with all of her might, into the mic, the gorgeous and fun melodies Wren would guide the two through, it was truly unfolding into something wonderful, though Tessa's eyes dragged back to that rattling glass of water. She forgot the last day she had peace and quiet, she wondered just how many times her and Zed escaped to the code room and disabled the teleport pads, it wasn't until Tessa lofted her sleepy gaze to her husband. Both were comfortably sunk into their own work, amidst their remote aspects of the code room, though it hit Tessa like a wall; Zed was diligently at work, programming a proper tower for Berri, Wren and Theo for their up and coming first birthday, when all this time, he could so quickly make a space for their little band project.
"Hey Zed?" Tessa loudly called over the muffled noise, the tiles on the ground practically began to itch out of the grout and tremble like clay ground in an earthquake.
"What'd you say?" Zed loudly wondered as he furrowed his brow in desperate listening, he tilted his head to the side and tried his hardest to hear his wife's calls.
"I just called your name," Tessa yelled in already brimming annoyance, though she tried not to smile.
"You combed your mane?" Zed loudly barked in whole confusion, he narrowed his gaze and extended his neck, as if it'd potentially better his hearing in some way.
"I JUST CALLED YOUR NAME!" Tessa hollered, though the second she did, the music downstairs ceased. Tessa wildly looked up, threw her arms up in defeat and endured Zed's loud, incredulous laughter, "The second I start screaming...!"
"Okay so... Remind me to check our hearing coding, later tonight," Zed grumbled, the two were grateful for the break in music, "What's up?"
"I just was thinking... You're spending all your evenings coding those three kids a tower, for their first birthday, but I don't think either of us can wait three more months of this nonsense," Tessa stated in a choke of dread, "Why don't you maybe quickly make the kids a recording studio, or some form of a practice area, in the garage or something?"
"The racer's garage? On the main palace lot?" Zed wondered nervously, as if to preemptively state apprehension towards the idea, though as his intelligent hands moved their way through the tiers of silver holograms before him, he spanned open the racer's garage and took inventory of each of their incredible race cars, "I guess... That doesn't sound like a bad idea."
"They don't sound half bad," Tessa grumbled into her hand as she heaved a hard sigh and enjoyed the small shred of silence they knew not to take for granted, "Maybe if we upgrade their setup, they'll really hone this skill... And we'll be able to relax in our home with peace and quiet."
"Noble of you to let them use the common room, though," Zed shrugged, he diligently began to go right to work on the racer's massive, underground garage.
"I guess I didn't anticipate the structural integrity of the separation to the common room and our living room to be so lousy," Tessa rushed with a small giggle, "Didn't think their little hobby would evolve like this... They need a proper spot."
"Well, thankfully, extending a small portion of the garage and adding a sound proof room and a few mics won't take me but fifteen minutes," Zed now furrowed his brow in confusion, at himself, and began to work on his little project, "...Weird that we didn't think of this prior."
"I think we didn't think of this prior simply because we thought said small 'I want a guitar' phase would, well... Be just that," Tessa shrugged, she wistfully looked off and lulled her eyes closed, "I guess all those times singing Berri to sleep really stuck with her."
"You never sung Ace to sleep, did you?" Zed wondered, his incredible blue eyes glanced to his wife in longing tenderness as Tessa stood up straighter, lofted her messy mane of auburn hair into a ponytail and arched her back, she was beautifully and comfortably slouched in a snug, black t-shirt.
"No... I mean, for the first two weeks of his life I was really going through a dark time... No pun intended," Tessa choked a small laugh, Zed's gentle eyes just barely glanced to the circuit board burn marks on her temples and over her eyes, faint marks of honor she proudly displayed, "Ace really relied on all those exterior swaps, remember? I was a much different woman, raising Berri..."
"You were happier," Zed bobbed a nod and peered back to his work, though not without eyeing his wife up and down in a subtle show of cheeky admiration, "You didn't have Sugar Rush, when you raised Ace. Methinks all those exterior swaps weren't strictly just for his benefit."
"No, I definitely used it as a crutch, where I could," Tessa sighed in annoyance to herself, though she shook her head and fell into a state of gentle peace, "It was easier, now... I had the energy to sing, more."
"It's good... I love your singing voice," Zed eyed her in a sneaky way, knowing full well Tessa was never caught singing in front of anyone, if she could help it, "Don't think I didn't eavesdrop on all those nights where it was your turn to put Berri to bed."
"Yeah, yeah," Tessa muttered in a pursed look of trying to force back a smile, she gently sauntered out of the kitchen and perked up the second the teleportation pad gently hummed with life; she gently motioned to Zed and gave him a look of coy girliness, "Y'gunna tell the kids now?"
"I guess I could, huh," Zed lulled his shoulders into a lazy shrug, his hands meticulously continued on with his small chore, setting aside his much larger chore, of building a new tower for the lot.
"Mom, can I borrow your nail clippers?" Berri stated in a huff of adolescent frustration, alongside an eye-roll and a gentle glower down to her nails.
Berri, although still considered a child and a minor, stood at the proud, exact height as her mother, as it were. Five foot five and still holding about four months more of growing to do, Tessa was certain her cute, lithe though curvy figure would easily span about two or three inches over her, height that Berri and Ace certainly got from their father. Wearing a tattered grey t-shirt and sparkly lounging leggings, clad in tints of blue and teal, all three kids looked as if they were thrilled to be let off the leash, a zone of comfort they knew not to get way too comfortable in, due to starting Academy in the next four months.
"Yeah you can, everything okay?" Tessa prod tenderly, Wren and Theo comfortably came sauntering in behind Berri with boyish looks of change in scenery; from banging on drums and keys and singing their hearts out, to the calm stillness of the King's and Queen's abode.
"Nails, nails, nails," Theo teased; a strapping, hefty guy that very easily boasted all of Oliver's and Ralph's genes, though his facial features were softer and easier, extraordinarily vivid emerald eyes, his mother's tender details proudly showed through on his masculine face. His hair was nearly black, though just a tint of dark green could be seen in the right lighting. Theo easily towered over Tessa and Berri, Tessa was certain he, too, had a lot more growing left to do even still. Theo blurt a chuckle and nudged Berri's little arm, he was dressed in comfy brown sweats and a black Dead Zed t-shirt, his gap-tooth smile was a sure-fire sign he was Ralph's kin, "How's those callouses?"
"Don't remind me," Berri grunted, she shook her head, her messy blue bun, atop her head, fluttered with stray fly-aways.
"I'll go get the clippers, give me a second," Tessa giggled, she gently high-fived Wren as he sauntered in, a clumsy stumble of trying to adjust his white sock on his foot, "Sup dude."
"Hey Tess," Wren wobbled and grunted a small chuckle of uncertainty as he finally stood up straight and eased into Berri's and Theo's vicinity, "Whatcha workin' on, Zed?"
"Dad and his projects," Berri eased into her father's vicinity, their shoulders scrunched into a small side hug, excluding arms.
"You guys having fun down there?" Zed prod, he eyed his nephew with a cheeky smile, in which Theo volleyed him a nearly apologetic grin.
"Ho yeah... Sorry for the noise, then, I guess, uncle Zed," Theo stated tenderly; both him and Wren were well on their way through puberty, making their tender voice crackles a delight to hear, here and there.
"It's no issue," Zed shrugged, he smiled and eyed his project, though as he opened his mouth to surprise the three with the castle's new installment, Wren gestured to Berri in inquiring tenderness.
"You still deciding on what to call that last number?" Wren prod, Berri rolled her eyes and heaved a hard, long sigh as she slumped further into her father's side; he finally caved and wrapped his bare, masculine arm around his daughter's tender shoulders.
"I don't know," Berri mumbled in despair, "I keep referring to Archived Chaos's last album, and all those song names... I keep blurring the lines."
"We're not Archived Chaos," Wren grunted as he crossed his arms, he smiled a toothy smile that very easily mocked Taffyta's sass, "Penny's going to go see them in December, by the way."
"I KNOW," Berri choked in further despair, Theo laughed at her expense and made himself comfortable at the kitchen island, across from Zed and Berri.
"What's so great about this band, anyhow? The music? Or... Maybe something more?" Zed began to tease, Berri's face turned bright red.
"Wouldn't happen to be a Mr. Gunner Ko, would it?" Theo muttered, he side-eyed his cousin, to which Berri now sagged into Zed's arm and rolled her eyes in further embarrassment.
"I can't blame you, Bear, he is pretty cute," Wren bobbed a nod and shrugged, "Out of our league? Entirely. Maybe one day we can go to their concert."
"They lost their drummer, recently," Zed stated, to which Theo, Wren and Berri nodded, as if maybe Zed wasn't up to speed on the latest musical news.
"He got kicked out, dunno why," Theo chuckled and shook his head, "He was an amateur anyways. Couldn't hold a beat to save his life."
"You'd have him beat any day, T," Berri encouraged, Wren nodded in nonchalance, as if it weren't even a question.
"Alright kids, your dude here has a surprise for yah," Zed grunted as he gently finalized his plans, closed them out and relished in the look of fascinated glee each kid's eyes held once the holograms vanished in silver snakes of glitch lines and mini-lightning flashes.
"Surprise?" Berri wondered delicately as she sat up straighter, though she hooked eyes with her mother as Tessa came back with the nail clippers, like promised.
"You're gunna love it," Tessa whispered in encouragement as she handed the fingernail clippers over to Berri; she eagerly went to work on her own nails, biting her tongue in concentration all the while.
"Is it the tower?" Wren's handsome blue eyes lit up in entire delight, he clapped his hands together and peered up to Zed in a show of plea, though Zed gently pat Wren's shoulder and began to ease in the direction of the teleportation pad, in hopes that everyone would follow him.
"Not quite yet," Zed apologetically smiled, the three kids eagerly trailed behind Zed's powerful demeanor, like puppy dogs. Tessa giggled and followed the crew in tow, her arms crossed, her attentive eyes watched the cute, unfolding situation, "I'm having major deja vu."
"When Nox, Ace and Libby were tailing you for THEIR tower?" Tessa questioned, Zed blurt a laugh and pointed to Tessa, as if to state that she nailed it.
"Ah, good times," Zed grunted as everyone eagerly piled onto the teleportation pad, "Alright, family, y'ready?"
"Yes, I can't contain myself, let's hurry," Wren snipped as he gestured his hands in entire impatience and excitement, and once Tessa was on the teleportation pad, Zed easily zipped the crew into thin air, coded information that teleported clear across Sugar Rush's Palace lot and onto the humming teleportation pad of the Sugar Rush's racer's garage.
Upon easing into the change in atmosphere from Berri's comfortable home to Sugar Rush's massive, underground garage, the crew of five stood still in adjusting on the teleportation pad. A massive stretch of about the length of two basketball courts, a swoop of low ceilings and slick, glossy concrete mapped the entirety of the garage. Warm lights lined the ceiling in a beveled, futuristic sense, the flawless, clean white ceiling and walls sung with stillness and purity. Each and every single racer's incredible beast of a car sat in cold, quiet wait underneath the calming, white garage lights. A well lit warehouse of sleeping race cars, it also held a small section off of the entrance that housed a proper workout area full of weights and exercise equipment. Zed cocked an eyebrow and peered just beyond said exercise area, to a prominent white door he had just programmed, leading straight into the kid's new sound studio.
"Y'see that door, there?" Zed pressed; he knew the kids knew the palace lot like the backs of their hands, so any new door in their vicinity was brand new territory unexplored, and they knew it. Berri furrowed her eyebrows in a rise of surprise, and as all three kids shot each other looks of cute, smiling uncertainty, they peered back up to Zed in readiness and held their breath as Zed continued, "Go see what's behind it."
In a solid second of a huff of silence, Theo and Berri suddenly came alive with their own coding and zipped off in a mess of proper form, glitch-hopping at it's finest. Once Berri's silver coding and Theo's lime green coding finally zipped away from Tessa and Zed, they realized one kid was left standing; likely the sassiest of them all.
"Oh, no! Go right ahead, it's totally fine that y'all have weird superpowers and I have to use my lowly little legs to get me to my destination, you freaks!" Wren only teased, though his adorable, bellowing voice filled the garage with an overflow of attitude as his hunched, agitated posture began to begrudgingly stomp in the direction Berri and Theo took off in; Tessa and Zed held in suspended disbelief before loudly howling with laughter at their adorable cousin.
"You have the skill of a swordsman on your side, Wren," Tessa blurt through a giggle as she waggled her hand, her and Zed followed after Wren in crumpling laughter, "Berri and Theo wouldn't know what to do if they were handed swords."
"You hold on to that and say it to me in instances like these, Tess, I'll need it," Wren demanded as he waggled his finger and shot his older cousin a wide, cheeky, boyish grin.
"Dad, you've got to be kidding me!" Berri cried in entire disbelief as her and Theo eagerly assessed their cool, cozy new recording and singing studio. She gawked at the specs her father had easily implemented, a sound-proof booth and a recording side Berri was absolutely certain they'd utilize, "I-I can't believe this!"
"A new place for you guys to play and sing and be loud, to your heart's content," Tessa assured with a wide smile, she crossed her arms and leaned against the opened door's frame, her and Zed proudly peered in to the grateful kids that quickly rushed about the studio, quietly and eagerly gawking at all of the details and tech specs.
"Alright guys, you're allowed to utilize this studio whenever you'd like, but it has a ten p.m. curfew, understood?" Zed instructed, he eyed his daughter and hoped that she wouldn't protest; although her bedtime was about an hour later, he clenched his teeth in dismay to see her begin to want to so badly protest.
"But, dad," Berri started, though she raised her eyebrows in prickled surprise the second Tessa's motherly gaze stabbed into hers with whole authority; with such, Berri sagged and bobbed a nod, "Yes, sir."
"Look, there's even a spot for me!" Theo urged as he dragged Wren and Berri back into ogling their new, futuristic, cozy space.
"Oh, whoops," Zed grumbled, his phone gently buzzed a noise as a reminder that he had an unread message he didn't know about. Zed furrowed his brow and peered down to his phone in curiosity, though he cocked an eyebrow and gave Tessa a cute smile of prickled surprise, "Odd... Turbo messaged me fifteen minutes ago."
"What'd he say?" Tessa wondered, the sound of Wren's, Berri's and Theo's excited notions soaked into their ears, Zed unlocked his phone and squinted into the brightness, he read Turbo's text aloud.
"'Bike's up and running, man. I'll be over shortly to show you the finished product and return your tools to you. Thanks again, man'," Zed quoted Turbo's text, he gave Tessa a warm look of tender relief, "Well, good... I'm glad he's keeping busy, in that perch of his. He'll probably be here, any minute."
"Whose coming?" Wren wondered in gentle curiosity, all three kids tenderly settled and peered to the King and Queen.
"Turbo, he's coming to show us his new motorcycle-" Zed grunted a small noise and was startled to feel Berri nearly lunge into his center, her arms wrapped tight about Zed's lower chest. Zed chuckled, held the back of Berri's head and sweetly peered down to her. She rested the side of her head into her father's chest and squeezed him tight as he tenderly continued on, "What's going on, Bear?"
"Thanks, daddy," Berri mumbled in blissful, content glee as she closed her eyes and squeezed him harder, though Zed chuckled and leaned down to softly kiss her forehead, he hovered over her skin and cheekily whispered a retort.
"This was your mother's idea," He concluded, he stood up straight and gently tilted his head to Tessa, and with a gentle sag, Berri unglued herself from Zed's figure and beamed Tessa a bashful, girly smile.
"Noooo, I'm just chopped liver, it's fine," Tessa teased with narrowed eyes, a shrug and a girly smile, though Berri easily flopped into her mother's arms and rested her chin on Tessa's collar and upper chest.
"Thanks mommy," Berri corrected as she squeezed her arms about Tessa's center, to which Tessa sighed and hugged her arms tight about Berri's head.
"Anything for you, sweet girl," Tessa sighed, she, too, gave Berri's forehead a firm smooch, though before Theo and Wren could properly thank Tessa and Zed for their brand new studio, the garage came alive with the sound of a core-shaking, earth shattering grumble of an engine.
In a tense sense of knowing and curiosity, everyone eagerly piled out of the kid's new studio and eagerly peered down the stretch of the garage's runway, each racer's car was parked neatly on the left side of said runway. The garage's narrow road lead down a single tunnel, out of the garage, and exited out onto the hillside, just outside of Sugar Rush's Palace lot. In the stretch of Turbo's bike grumbling down said double-lane corridor, Berri nervously clamored her being tight to Tessa's side, like a shy child. She peered out from the back of Tessa's shoulder as she scrunched behind her mother, Turbo's incredible bike came into view, in which all the boys cooed and went crazy for. In a slow roll, Turbo's incredible bike eased to a gentle stop, and as his heavy racing boots tenderly rested to the concrete undertoe, he powered down the bike with a simple shove of his thumb to the center of the bike's body.
"I'll be damned," Zed choked as he put his hands on his hips and admired Turbo's beautifully crafted bike, though Zed cocked an eyebrow and gently gestured back to the kids near his side, "Don't repeat that."
"Language," Tessa reminded as she rolled her eyes and lulled them closed at the same time.
"I didn't expect a crowd," Turbo's deep, crackly voice gently coat the group in a strange sense of mystery and comfort, of warmth and coldness, all in one weird ironic twist of rising curiosity.
Berri shrunk a little further as Turbo took off his white and red helmet, he shook his head and in the seconds Turbo had his creepy eyes closed, Berri relished in the anticipated wait. The slump of fear she always was sat in anytime Nox or Throttle lofted their eye contact her way, it was something she desperately struggled to get used to. In a gloss of hypnotizing, golden glow, Turbo's gaze stabbed to Zed's with a knowing, shy smile as he gestured to his bike, though with the unexpected company, Turbo looked reserved as his eyes gently landed on Wren, Theo and then to Berri. Berri sagged tighter behind her mother, held her breath in fear and tried her very hardest not to let the imprint of Turbo's incredibly creepy eyes be burned into her retinas for good.
"Bear," Tessa choked a small giggle, and although she began to ease away from Berri, so to get her to come out from her hiding spot, Berri skillfully kept tight to Tessa's body, cueing Tessa to take this bout of perceived silliness as a serious need. Tessa softened and stood still for Berri, even tenderly reaching her hand down and resting her larger fingertips on the side of Berri's thigh, so to silently soak comfort into her second born, to reassure her that she was in good and safe company.
"Holy smokes, that thing is LOUD," Theo beamed an excited smile; both him and Wren weren't phased by Throttle's, Nox's or Turbo's creepy, pixel-cubed pupils and glowing stare.
"Fast, too," Turbo gently added, he stood and eased off of his bike; a beautiful white and red beast, cloaked with the streamline, futuristic touch of sleekness, though it still held that old, rugged charm; it suit Turbo well. Although Turbo simply wanted to dude-out with Zed, he switched gears and now knew to cater to the two impressionable pair of eyes that held tight to him in boyish glee, "Hey, guys... Built it myself, y'like?"
"DO we?" Wren chuckled, he gestured his hand to the gorgeous bike and scoffed a cute noise of disbelief, "It's awesome!"
"Thank you," Turbo eased, he felt his interior want so badly to hop back on the bike and shy away, though he tried his very hardest to cater to Sugar Rush's next generation, "Wren, is it?"
"That's me! Wren Eddie," Wren bobbed a nod and waved his hand a little as Turbo smiled, bobbed a nod and switched his attention to Theo.
"Edward," Zed's deep voice teased, an inside joke him and Wren had; Wren wrinkled his nose and shot his cousin-in-law a playful, snotty smile.
"Annnd... You're Oliver's and Emery's son," Turbo pointed lazily, waggled his wrist and desperately tried to reach for the name, in which Theo confidently bobbed a nod and crossed his arms.
"Theo!" He proclaimed proudly, a Ralph-riddled smile to boot; Turbo chuckled and narrowed his gaze tight to Zed's.
"This is weird, man, it's like little versions of everyone I know," Turbo rushed quietly, Tessa and Zed loudly laughed at Turbo's cute notions, though Tessa could feel Berri's whole demeanor shriveling as Turbo's kind gaze finally lofted to Tessa, and the trembling being behind her, "And, uh..."
"Ms. Berri Kalivar, as you know," Tessa instructed kindly, she only gingerly tried to move out of the way, and to avoid further embarrassing herself, Berri finally allowed Tessa to barely reveal her, "You remember Turbo... It's been awhile, I think, you were only four months old, or so, the last time you saw Turbo."
"Hi," Berri quietly and nervously eased, her shivering eye contact held tight on Turbo's, once and for all, the golden glow was strangely warm and welcoming, though it was clear Turbo's entire soul was heavily guarded behind high walls, no matter how sweet and gentle his smile was.
"Your highness," Turbo's deep, crackly voice glossed over the group as he bobbed Berri a polite nod, he knew not to push the attention on her, due to her body language and the warning flags she was most certainly figuratively waving around.
"Your eyes," Tessa only mouthed to Turbo, she shrugged and gently rolled her eyes, not in due annoyance to Berri but rather the solid fact that Turbo potentially wasn't around enough to hopefully help quell this fear of Berri's; something Tessa didn't hold against anyone, though Turbo sighed and bobbed a nod of understanding, knowing full well there wasn't anything he could do about his scary gaze, anyways.
"Well, I have your tools in my materializer," Turbo sighed as he gently pulled out the small black, square pad, he gestured his hand to Zed and cocked an eyebrow, "Want me to leave 'er here for the night? Let you have a spin?"
"Man, would you?" Zed gawked in excitement as both men, as well as Wren and Theo in tender, boyish eavesdropping, began to excitedly swarm Turbo's wonderful, new bike.
"Sure, you helped me get her made, after all," Turbo's masculine shoulders shrugged through his loved, thick, brown leather jacket.
Berri's inquisitive, nervous gaze held tight to Turbo's disposition, his back turned. She knew this stranger was a recluse, and wasn't talked about much, though his sweet demeanor and the ability to watch his unique shyness slowly thaw, over time, was intriguing to Berri. She furrowed her brow, gently glanced up to her mother and wondered just why said recluse didn't live on the palace lot, like everyone else. Tender questions finally raised in Berri's heart, wonder as to why someone so gentle and kind excluded himself from the fun of family and gathering. She held tight to Tessa's side and mulled over the new thoughts in her mind, Sugar Rush's second Knight somehow protecting from afar made her curiosity run wild. She wondered just what was so good about living off of the palace lot, and if he potentially knew something that the rest of the Sugar Rush crew didn't.
