Reviews :
Burgie : He's a soft boi. He eventually opens up entirely - takes a few days, but he does come around.
Jay Sketchin : Dude I need to actually get the floor plan and the layout of it all uploaded, I have it all sketched, I just need to prettify it lol. I try to avoid over explaining LOL but yeah, wouldn't it be awesome to live there omg D:
CHICKENM4N : I'm here for it tbh lol!
Snake557 : YAY it begins! Thank you :D
marinetanker97 : Indeed! Thank you so much :)
Romantic Sapp : YAY I'm glad! It is one of the ships Berri's aboard... One of. ;)
Song Listened To :
Rain by Hans Zimmer
*Chapter 38*
In the still of the night, a very comforting hug of darkness eased over Berri's soul. What typically would be a void of darkness that was bound to scare her entirely silly, she felt a strange amount of tenderness, a familiarity she craved, and from the source of just where, she was uncertain. What was usually an entire night terror filled with the paralyzing stiffness, a rigor mortis that was entirely inescapable, was now replaced with the cradle of warmth, a sense of security. Berri furrowed her brows in the laid position she was in, a snuggle of the familiarity of her bed, she knew she was asleep and having the same, terrifying nightmare she usually would, of Lash standing over her bloodied body in Sugar Rush's code room, though every second that passed of dreaded expectations not even close to being met, she finally relaxed and allowed the rest of whatever this memory, of a dream was, to be played out.
In the squint of her surroundings, Berri could see her dainty, dimly glowing fairy lights, peachy little lights that filled her bedroom with warmth, the sag of her incredible downs, she felt assured that she was safe. In the dip of confusion, the lull of masculine arms that cradled her, a source of goodness, a soul of warmth eased her into her own bed, and it wasn't until Berri's still scared expectations began to play out did she finally clench in the uptight jolt of familiar fear. In the rustle of tender stirring, the squint of her eyes beyond her fairy lights, she felt her heart surge in a rush of fear at the sight hovering over her; the same stab of those creepy, golden eyes she had come to entirely fear over the course of her life, though unlike her typical night terror she begrudgingly endured, she was suddenly washed with a sense of security as said eyes long-blinked in tenderness and began to ease away from her presence. As simple as a guardian angel looking over her, perching her in her safe haven of a bed and leaving her to have a blissful sleep. Berri could hardly believe her luck, the gloss of protection she felt, and it was with this new soak of a memory did her previous night terror of a memory now get entirely over-written with a good dream.
With a sudden, sharp inhale through her nose, Berri's eyes parted open in a jolt. As she remained frozen, her eyes met with her bedroom, sunkissed with the early morning glow of Sugar Rush's winter sun. Her eyes darted around in a bout of confusion, just how she got here and when it all happened, she began to eagerly try and fumble her confused thoughts together. With bits and pieces of the night prior coming back to her, she scrunched her face and finally began to sit up. Upon sitting up, she noticed she was comfortably draped in one of her throws, and wasn't tucked deep into her downs like what she typically would enjoy. She further furrowed her brows in confusion and realized that she, also, was still wearing her clothes from Academy, only confirming to her that she had fallen asleep somewhere and someone brought her to her bed. She beamed a sleepy, furrowed smile of whole confusion, though just before she could write it off and remain confused, she inhaled a deep inhale and halted every single movement.
She bugged her eyes in a rise of girly terror as to just what scent immediately hit her nose. The same, intoxicating musk of manly body soap mixed with the touch of cinnamon pipe tobacco, she lifted her hands and was so comfortably still draped in Turbo's hoodie. She bit her lip in a show of continued girly terror and felt her whole face heat up, the realization that she must've fallen asleep at Turbo's house, and he must've brought her back to her bedroom in time for her curfew. She sagged her hands to her lap, relished in the softness of his hoodie and sagged her shoulders in a gentle twinge of fluttering adoration and annoyance. Adoration over the incredibly sweet gesture, annoyance that Turbo had to see her bedroom in the tornado state it was in. Berri wrinkled her nose in a settling bout of cute embarrassment, she was hoping that maybe her room was previously too dark to see the strewn clothes and makeup about her vanity and work desk.
Berri ran her fingers through the thick blue hair on her forehead and the top of her scalp, a messy array of strands that previously had been wet from the rain, dried in Turbo's high-elevation home, and then endured an entire night of sleep. Berri heaved a soft sigh, peered down to her nightstand and was thrilled to find that not only had she been brought back to bed, though whomever it was that secured her safely in her room, be it Turbo, her mother or father, they kindly plugged her phone up. With a grateful smile, she grappled for her phone, though with the gentle flutter of curiosity in her heart, she somehow hoped she would simply have a message from Turbo; though the only thing plastered to her phone was a thousand and one messages from Wren. She heaved a hot sigh, opened her phone, tabbed past Wren's hoard of messages and snuck right into her's and Turbo's conversation. Still dead and empty from two or three nights ago, she tucked her fist into the sleeve of Turbo's larger hoodie and softly brought the loved cloth to her mouth and nose.
She took a deep inhale and immediately regret it; she knew that this incredible human smell, of his, was something she was now going to associate with pure goodness, the mysterious lock his whole home and aura radiated, the need to pry to the center of Turbo's spikey, rocky exterior, she finally stopped inhaling said comforting scent and sagged her arm into her lap. She shook her head, as if to simply state she was maybe doomed, and although she was well aware she had no navigational skills when it came to love, she knew she had the potential to be a master at crushes. A fleeting, fun thought, she was excited to messily step into this weird little bout of flirty, secretive, crushing fun she maybe found herself in. She was well aware Turbo had entirely opposite feelings for her, and was likely the farthest thing away from ever returning said cute and light hearted tendencies, though somehow she relished in the one-sided affair. She wondered if just simply being his friend would allow her to ride the crush-wave for it's likely short duration, if he'd even agree to inviting her into his life, ever again.
With a hard sigh of nervousness, Berri began to scoot off of her bed. Just as her feet hit the glossy floor underneath her, her bed croaked a little as she sat back down in a tight grimace. She quickly was reminded just what went down the day prior, the hard fact that she had regretfully told Tessa that she flat out hated her. With a tighter grimace and a look of clenched-teeth terror that crawled over her, she nervously checked her phone one more time. The sheer fact that she didn't have any messages from her mother and father made her feel a stomach-dropping sensation of fear, the whole confusion of whether or not she'd be let out of the house or not. She assumed the only way she'd find out is if she went downstairs. Berri knew her mother had school today, which gave her ample time to complain to her father and give Zed her own side of the story, though as she budged out of her bedroom and eased down her spiral staircase, her eyes glossed with the gorgeous wall clock on the opposite side of her stairwell alcove; Tessa still had an entire hour, or so, before Academy's first bell rang.
In a near stumbling mess of footsteps that halted in a show of dread, her eyes glossed down the long corridor that not only deviated to Tessa's and Zed's bedroom, but also the kitchen. Berri froze and hung in listening and waiting. She could hear the television on low in the living room, clearly a comedy channel her dad enjoyed in the mornings, the sound of clunking stove tops further indicated to Berri that Zed was alone in the kitchen. Berri bit her lip in contemplation and eyed her mother and father's massive bedroom door, which was hunkered down a few steps of their stairwell. The door hung open, sunlight flood their home, and it was with this that Berri was certain her mother was either still in bed, snoozing away, or simply getting ready for the day. As much as she wanted to breeze past Tessa's and Zed's bedroom, she sucked it up and knew she needed to go downstairs and simply acknowledge her mother's presence, to apologize for the fight that occurred.
Although she wanted to shut her eyes tight, whirl around and head back up to her bedroom, remain stubborn and refuse to talk to anyone, she heaved a hot sigh through her nose, bit the bullet, and pushed into her mother's and father's bedroom. Sat cozily in the messy downs of their love nest, Tessa was reclined in said mess, still covered up to her shoulders, she relaxed on her phone and scrolled through a few things. It was clear she was still trying to wake up, though Berri knew Tessa would have time for her, no matter what. As her feet began to want to drum to a stop, they continued on in a slow pace towards Tessa's frozen figure, and upon reaching five feet of their lovely bed, Tessa finally lifted her hand, pat the bed next to her, and without looking up, she raised her eyebrows and eased warmth from her soul.
"C'mere," Tessa's motherly voice soothed, a relaxing, positive sign that Berri was in the clear and wasn't going to get her head ripped off.
Berri bashfully pushed onto Tessa's and Zed's bed, she cozily sat next to Tessa, though enough so that she was still facing her. Berri crossed her legs, sagged into herself and heaved a hot sigh of remorse. She shook her head and almost felt the urge to well up encompass her being.
"Mom, I don't hate you," Berri begged in a tone above a whisper, though much to Berri's surprise, Tessa huffed a silent chuckle, locked her phone and set it aside.
"I know you don't," Tessa sighed, her eyes curiously glossed the hoodie that Berri was wearing. She furrowed her brows in now bubbling excitement and let her larger fingers grapple the ends of the hoodie's sleeve, "Stealin' Turbo's clothes already, aren't we? What next, his heart?"
"H-How... Did you know this was Turbo's?" Berri grunted in a bashful display of nervous smiles, though as Tessa yanked a little harder on the sleeve, she revealed the side of it; Turbo's name and racing logo was confidently plastered down the side of the sleeve, albeit faded. Berri raised her eyebrows in dewy, plucked cuteness and bobbed a nod, "Nevermind, then."
"He also was the one that brought you back home, and it was freezing cold," Tessa shrugged as she unhanded Berri's sleeve and sat up a little more. She sleepily rubbed her eye and gave her daughter a sly, loving smile, "Very kind of him to loan you this hoodie."
"It smells nice," Berri admitted with a cheeky smile, Tessa blurt a laugh and rubbed her face a little harder.
"Ohh, I remember the days I'd steal your father's zip ups to go to Academy," Tessa bobbed a nod and reminisced in the memories, "I hope Turbo knows he's never going to get this thing back."
"I'll give it back," Berri grunted with an annoyed smile and rolled eyes.
"You guys have a good talk yesterday?" Tessa inquired, it was at this point that Tessa was surprised Turbo even allowed it, though with the dewy look of further blushed maturity on Berri's face, Tessa side-eyed her daughter and could smell a bit of a crush unfolding, "I'd assume that, in loo of his hoodie being given to you and him carrying you bridal style, up to your bedroom, like the White Knight he is, that it went, uh... VERY well."
"Mom," Berri now complained, she shook her head and knew that even her own little embers of crushing fantasies wouldn't go that far into detail, "It's not like that. I was a wreck yesterday. I mean I interrupted his whole evening, I felt so terrible. I'm sure he was just being nice."
"What did you interrupt him doing?" Tessa wondered in whole curiosity, as if poking into Turbo's personal life was something she never really got a glimpse into, and having an inside set of eyes was now something she was prepared to live up.
"He was all cozied out on his couch with a pipe of tobacco, a cup of coffee and a book, mom, like seriously," Berri stated in entire dismay, she shook her head and closed her eyes as Tessa blurt out into laughter, "I mean, I might as well have just... Burst into his bedroom in the middle of the night and started glitching around the room."
"Yeah, both are on par with each other, the poor thing probably had NO idea what to do with you," Tessa was lost in laughter, the silent wheezing kind, though Berri's cheeks were hot red with embarrassment as she looked off, "Ohhh, it's fine, baby. He seemingly warmed up to you eventually, huh."
"Yeah, he made me a cup of tea and told me everything," Berri sighed and looked down to the thick, loved sleeves of Turbo's hoodie, "I... I would've never said all those things, in my last hour class, if I knew everything Turbo's past consisted of..."
"Well... I'm glad you did, Bear," Tessa shrugged, she finally sighed and collected herself from her previously laughter, "It creates conversation. I encourage you to keep sticking up for Turbo. Keep doing what you can to show him in a new light. This is a new era, for Sugar Rush, and for the Arcade. I think it's beautiful what you've opened up... Maybe could've gone about it without pissing your teacher off and getting suspended, buuuut..."
"Yeah, surprisingly Turbo wasn't mad about it, though," Berri shrugged, her cute, girly, bashful eyes honed tight to Tessa's in a tender shred of hoped secrecy, "He took the burden off of me entirely... He's really sweet."
Tessa side-eyed Berri in a switch of conversation, she huffed a small giggle and waggled her finger a little, in Berri's direction.
"Uh-oh, someone's got a crushy-crush," Tessa whispered in teasing, she was floored that Berri only smiled down to her hands and didn't even try to deny it.
"Mom, please," Berri quietly demanded, though she shook her head and peered into her mother's eyes, "Maybe I can just be his friend, for winter break. Seems like he needs it."
"A winter break fling? You'll go back to Academy and he'll change the waypoints of his teleportation pad," Tessa choked a hard laugh, to which Berri rolled her eyes and didn't even try to deny Tessa's words.
"You're probably right," Berri laughed alongside her mother, though she peered to Tessa in girly desperation and shrugged, "Don't tell anyone, mom, it's not serious. I just like the challenge of getting him to open up."
"Your first task should be getting him to leave that tower of his," Tessa bobbed a nod and gestured her hand a little, "The second I won Sugar Rush back, his ONE request was the highest perch over the city, where he can finally rest and be alone."
"Then I was born," Berri blurt, both girls were lost in laughter, though in a gentle tug, Tessa eased Berri into her motherly arms and gave her a big hug, one that Berri gladly sunk into.
"Oh, I love you, Bear," Tessa sighed into the top of Berri's head; she snuggled into Tessa's arms and lulled her eyes closed in tender bliss.
"I love you too, mom," Berri mumbled, though she furrowed her brow in a rise of concern, "Mom, I'm... Not house-bound, am I?"
"No, bub, you're not, but I DO have one condition for you," Tessa stated, her warm breath coat the top of Berri's head. She gave Berri's skull a firm few kisses, as well as a final tug of a squeeze around Berri's shoulders, "Since you're going to be home until a week after New Year's, you're to meet up with Throttle every morning."
"Oh, sure... How come?" Berri wondered in a pluck of confusion, she furrowed her brow and sat up and out of Tessa's embrace.
"Since Beaux and Mara can't attend Academy, Throttle has kindly volunteered to homeschool them," Tessa's voice lilted in humbled cuteness, Berri bobbed a nod and knew where this is going, "You'll tag along with them, in Throttle's home, for the time you're out of Academy. Listen good... Turbo's not the only wise ol' owl in this game. Throttle was my teacher for a semester, or two, while we were in End of Line Academy."
"Really?" Berri wondered in girly cuteness, Tessa bobbed a nod and sighed.
"Yeah, he's insanely smart. I've prepped him for your arrival, why don't you go over there a little early so you can reconvene with him, on the whole Turbo situation," Tessa instructed, "He'll probably have some gems of info to tell you, about Turbo, that Turbo probably didn't mention."
"What great lengths the poor dude will go for a full swathe of privacy," Berri rolled her eyes, both women laughed in tender agreeing.
Blue : Hey man, I guess while I'm suspended, I'm going to be hanging out with Beaux and Mara for Throttle's lessons. I didn't know they were starting school a few months early like this? Do they know they're Users yet?
User : No, they don't... We've just explained to them that they'll be homeschooled. We're going to tell them that they're Users after the holidays, so please don't spoil anything while you're with them.
Blue : I won't, I promise. I just wanted to touch base.
User : Sorry you got suspended, Bear... Dad told me, yesterday. Don't beat yourself up about it, tho. It's about time the Arcade knows of Turbo. He's a cool dude, it's really killing Nox and Throttle to see Turbo so reclusive, so it's cool that maybe you're the one to spearhead all of this. So thank you.
Blue : Don't thank me, thank mom and dad literally keeping everything from me. But I guess it's cool. I hung out with him all night, he's such a clam.
User : Who, Turbo?
Blue : Yeah! I sort of... Well... Barged in on his quiet evening, but whatever. His house is so freaking cool.
User : Holy User, wait 'till Nox hears this. I hope Turbo doesn't give me an excuse to go all big brother on him.
Blue : We're just acquaintances, you weirdo. Must you and Nox be attached at the hip?
User : Apparently you're well on your way to being attached to a TurboTime guy's hip, as well. Contagious, eh?
Berri bugged her eyes in the gentle checkmate her bother laid on her. She scoffed an annoyed noise and finally looked up from her walking, her winter boots crunched on the freshly fallen snow, from the night prior. Sugar Rush's first winter, December snow, she was well aware it wouldn't let up until about the middle of March. She knew she wasn't complaining, though she was eager to eventually see the summer sun and enjoy the beach, once more. She strolled from her's, Tessa's and Zed's cozy tower, tucked away in the flyer's enclosure. Although she was certain the flyers don't use their enclosure in the winter, she knew full well they'd likely be romping in the snowy fields of the palace lot. As Berri came out of the peak of the canopy-shroud enclosure, Sugar Rush's beaming, morning sun glinted across the white land in a crisp, cold setting of strange renewal, just what the game's first snow did to everyone's spirits, a small taste of Christmas to come.
Berri beamed an excited smile and was happy to see, just as she assumed would happen, all the flyers in the field taking what would be a normal dust bath, though this time it was in the snow. She was excited to see Chester romping around with the rest of his pack, they soaked up the cool feelings the snow gave their warm feathers and fur. Berri inhaled a sharp, deep breath, tucked her fingers into her mouth, and let out a very loud, high pitched whistle meant for Chester. With a jolt of excitement, Chester's massive, rolling figure immediately climbed to a stand, and in a snow-filled burst of a lunge, he began to take off in Berri's direction. Berri burst into laughter as she began to cross the snowy field, Chester nearly plowed straight into her, snow-storm and all. Berri held out her hands, Chester's bumbling demeanor was adorable and puppy-like, his turquoise tongue dangled out of his mouth as he panted, Berri's hands finally stroked up and down Chester's snout and face as her snow boots pushed on through the snowy field.
"This is your first snow, huh bud!" Berri stated in a cutesy tone, Chester huffed a hard breath of agreeing, one that fogged the air, though Berri was almost shy to find Chester finally tucked his tongue back into his mouth and began to vigorously sniffle at the hoodie that Berri was still wearing, which was Turbo's. Berri rolled her eyes and huffed a fogged giggle, "For User's sake, Chester, not you too."
Chester's snout went to town in hard sniffles deep into the hood of Turbo's zip up, so much so that Chester's hot breath began to tickle the back of Berri's neck. She blurt a hard laugh, took a few running steps away from Chester and was now annoyed to find his strong, sturdy paws clumsily kept up with her. His insanely loud sniffling, deep into the cloth of Turbo's hoodie, didn't let up. Berri rolled her eyes, once more, and just let it happen; she knew Chester relied on his other senses to get a good reading on people, though she was hoping maybe this could mean she could introduce Turbo to Chester, eventually, and have it go smoothly. Berri's phone chimed in cuteness, cueing her to a notification, and just as she raised her phone and was prepared to read another one of Ace's sent messages, she felt her heart stop in a spark of girly surprise, the hard fact that it wasn't Ace texting her.
Black : Your highness. Upon bringing you back to the palace, I went to plug up your phone but realized you left your charger at my house. I gave you mine, because I had it on my person when I dropped you off. I have yours. They're identical, so I guess it doesn't matter, but if you would like to trade, just let me know. I'll be home all day."
Berri felt a wide smile broaden her face, and just when she thought she couldn't smile wider, it kept going. She huffed a soft laugh, one of which fogged her surroundings. She shook her head and peered ahead, she was half way to Throttle's house, she was dead center in the snowy fields of Sugar Rush's palace. She bit her lip with another giggle and began to urgently type away, even though her fingers were now becoming numb from the cold.
Blue : As opposed to being anywhere else? Sir Black?
Berri blurt another silent laugh and was thrilled Chester now laid off the sniffling; she knew she'd likely have to sit Turbo down and explain to him that he definitely didn't need to continue on with the 'your highness' trend, lest she use the whole 'Sir' prefix, in retaliation.
Black : You're hilarious.
Berri's toothy grin began to become cold in Sugar Rush's frigid air, though she locked her phone and tucked her hands warmly into Turbo's front coat pockets. She looked up to Sugar Rush's wild blue and felt her heart thump in another drum of excitement. She was looking forward to having a chat with Throttle, and learning a thing or two, though she knew she'd be eagle-eyeing the clock for the second she could escape to the home of Orion City's keeper, the loft on top of the world, something she never thought she'd ever be doing during her supposed first week at Academy.
