Reviews :
CHICKENM4N : I'm actually really glad you said something, because I was going to do a special 50 chapter thing where you guys can vote which chapter gets put into comic form :D I'll probably be announcing that further with my next chapter. YAY!
Snake557 : Hahaha! Thank you so much, I'm so glad you're enjoying the cuteness and such :)
Burgie : T'is true! It's a neverending process for him, Berri continuously keeps throwing him curve balls throughout the whole story xD Thank you friend! I'll have proper illustrations, for Turbo's tower and etc., up soon... I have them all sketched out, I just need to detail them.
Jay Sketchin : It's okay, I'm assuming all my friends are still reading, cause my view count for each chapter hasn't wavered, but I do indeed love hearing your guys' opinions and etc.! Thank you friend!
Song Listened To :
All This Time by Fox Stevenson
*Chapter 700*
^ that's not a joke. Holy crap.
"Shut up, I don't know, I DON'T KNOW," Wren stabbed in a flustered way, he shook his head and tried his hardest to bury his face into his text conversation with Berri. Him and Theo nonchalantly eased into the Sugarbucks on Monroe, just ten minutes from Orion Tower; Berri had proper instructions on not only grabbing her and Turbo a coffee, but also following instructions on just how to get to the secretive teleportation pad just behind Orion Tower. Wren and Theo stepped off to the side, Sugarbucks had a decent amount of people in it, though it was clear they were prepping for their 'closed Arcade' hours, when business really picks up. Wren waggled his hand in Theo's face, to shoo him away, "I literally can't concentrate with your face in my LIFE, THEO."
"But you love me," Theo mumbled in a sorrowful tone of teasing cuteness, he furrowed his thick, dark green brows and desperately tried to read the conversation Wren was vigorously having with Berri, "For User's sake, is she sending you the damn Declaration of Independence or something? What even is that?"
"Instructions to Turbo's, you're distracting me," Wren pleaded in a rile of nervousness. He sharply puffed his long, razor-sharp like white hair out of his eyes and shook his head, "Go order your drink, I won't be far behind."
"Wren! Theo!" Bug chimed from behind his work area, across the store. He waved his little arm in a spike of delight, and with such, a few of the other baristas called their kind 'hello's and were eager to see their two palace-ridden friends.
"Fine, I have people that actually WANT to talk to me," Theo playfully snipped in Wren's ear, he nudged Wren's arm in a brotherly shove and quickly made his way to the counter.
"Yeah, yeah, the whole motley crew at Sugarbucks, hope you're proud of your accomplishments in life," Wren muttered as he shook his head and peered harder into his and Berri's conversation; although he was being an extra amount of sassy to Theo, he huffed a nervous sigh and had good reason, his nervousness to be welcomed into the big, bad Turbo's territory now had his stomach churning in anxious anticipation.
Songbird : Berri, your instructions literally make me want to game over. Are you actually kidding me? Holy User, Ace and everything Holy.
Blue : Just call me when you're at the tower lol
Blue : Actually, Turbo's suggesting we can just teleport you from Sugarbucks. It'll cause a scene but it's either I rattle off confusing directions to you or you'll be the center of attention for 3 seconds. As opposed to your whole entire life.
Songbird : Is he holding you hostage there or something?
Songbird : Text me what you're wearing if you need me to call Tessa
Berri : I'll tell you what I'm wearing if you tell me what YOU'RE wearing FIRST ;) ;) ;)
Wren heaved a long, silent groan of a sigh, slumped his whole arm to his side, looked off to the counter, where Theo stood, and felt his blood begin to boil, a feat that was not hard to achieve for Wren. He stewed, shook his head and finally locked his phone, his tattered, dark grey converse finally clunked on the glossy tiles of the store, and as he approached the counter, next to Theo, the three baristas, that were chatting with Theo, eagerly stated their kind hello's to Wren. Wren kindly obliged in defeat, a smile of softness he knew to convey no matter how frustrated he got, though his phone began to buzz in a few rapid-fire messages, knowing full well Berri was now spamming him.
"Wren, you look like you're worried about something, what's going on?" Bug pressed, and although Theo had briefly revealed their plans for the day, the three baristas at the counter still eagerly held their eyes to the son of Sugar Rush's first Knight.
"Well, I have an ass-ton of prep-work, for the start of the next semester, I worry day in and day out about the day that Gunner Ko starts at our Academy, Orph asked me to be one of his groomsmen in their wedding next week, which is hard cause Penny decided it was a great idea to have a lackadaisical dress code for her big day, and NOW," Wren gestured his arm to Theo in annoyance, Theo flinched and stifled a hard laugh, "My crazy niece and nephew, four thousand times removed, want to get Sugarbucks and, y'know, nonchalantly bring it to Turbo's house. TURBO."
"You wanted this too, don't make it seem like Berri, Turbo and I are the only ones," Theo and Bug choked a laugh; the other two baristas loitered nearby, though still tended to their job.
"Berri was in here yesterday, ordering his drink," Bug shrugged, "It's still hard to believe, but now that the three of you are going to go hang out with... T-Turbo..."
"It was a fun idea thinking about it, but now I'm way nervous," Wren's thumbs nervously tapped the sides of his phone, his screen was lit up with new, unread messages from Berri, "I'm literally so... So..."
"Shook," Theo exaggerated as he raised his hand and was now clearly making fun of Wren's typical lingo; Bug laughed, though Wren pointed a finger at Theo and cocked an eyebrow.
"You're not allowed to use my words," Wren muttered, though Bug heaved another small laugh, grabbed his marker and a cup that was meant for Berri's typical drink.
"I'm assuming all four of you are getting something, then?" Bug pressed kindly, he successfully scribbled down the entirety of Berri's drink, wrote her name at the top, handed the cup off and then reached for a medium sized hot cup, meant for Turbo. He cocked and eyebrow and softly smiled to Wren, "I'm going to also assume that Turbo is getting the same thing that he had yesterday? Grande Americano, cream and sugar?"
Wren furrowed his brow, peered down to his and Berri's conversation and finally bobbed a small nod of surprise, "...Yeah, exactly. Thanks, Bug."
"I'll write him a little message," Bug chimed sweetly, he shook his head and sighed, "I still find it hard to believe you guys are ACTUALLY hanging out with THE Turbo, but... Maybe one day he'll come down and visit us."
"It'll take an entire army," Theo grumbled, he shrugged and looked up to Sugarbucks' glorious, beamed ceilings, "Maybe one day... Supposedly, Berri's been able to get a drastic amount of interaction out of him, in the span of just a few days. Who knows what a few months would hold."
"We will hold our breath," Bug assured, he smiled to Wren as he handed off Turbo's cup and gestured a little, "Y'gettin' your usual, Wren?"
"Yes please... Forgive me, Bug, I'm out of sorts," Wren shook his head, softly began to step aside and began to diligently chip away at his and Berri's conversation.
"I definitely don't blame you," Bug kindly assured as Wren softly peeled himself from their conversation and situated himself near the hand-out counter, where finished drinks were rested for customers to retrieve.
Songbird : Berri, seriously, I was actually really excited for this but now I'm low-key freaking out. What are we to expect here? Is it like a dark and creepy villain lair? What is he even LIKE?
Wren huffed a hard sigh, softly glanced over his shoulder and took note of his and Theo's motorcycles outside of Sugarbucks, a busy, snowy street side with pedestrians and peddlers alike. Although his eyes hooked to his and Theo's bikes, just outside his peripheral, Orion Tower hovered over the swathe of other smaller buildings and sky scrapers below. A glistening, gorgeous, glassy white tower, Wren cocked his eyebrow and peered to the tippy-top of it. He knew he was just riled over the rest of his responsibilities, though somehow escaping to the top of the world, everyday, didn't seem like such a bad thing.
Blue : Wren, it's pretty scary, not gunna lie... it's like a dungeon in here. Seriously, black out curtains everywhere, weaponry lines the walls, I even think he has a prison cell in his garage. I can hear the screams lol
Songbird : I SAID SERIOUSLY!
Blue : Wren, the view is to die for, my own mother designed this loft for Turbo. It's like anything you'd find at the palace, just... Super cozy with a view that you absolutely can't beat. Just get here. You'll be surprised.
"Alright, got drinks for Berri, Wren, Theo, annnd... Turbo," The older barista, on the bar, rattled off as she gently set each drink down. She eyed Turbo's cup, messily splayed with a cute message from Bug, though she gently smiled to Wren and Theo, "Tell that old baddy not to be a stranger, now."
"Kinda hard when he's still considered a stranger, to us," Wren mumbled in nervousness as he tucked his phone into his cozy black winter coat.
He shook his head, softly reached for his steamy, frothy hot drink and took a decent sized sip before arranging the four drinks close to each other. He set down his materializer, pressed the center of it and successfully secured the mainframe of all four drinks into his small device. Theo finally strolled up, after finally paying Bug and stepping out of the way of another customer that had gotten in line, though he jostled his bike helmet underneath his arm and stood in tender conclusion alongside Wren. Theo peered down into Wren's eyes, a playfully hurt look of cheeky sass was what Theo successfully delivered, though Wren rolled his eyes and heaved a hard sigh.
"Look, I'm sorry, Theo, I don't know why I'm so nervous," Wren muttered, Theo shrugged as him and Wren began to peel from the counter and head to the cafe's exit.
"I get it, we've only ever seen Turbo maybe twice in our lives, and we were children," Theo grumbled, though both men peered over their shoulders, waved goodbye to their friends and thanked them for their service, though as Sugar Rush's cold, sweet winter wind hit them dead on, they both scrunched their shoulders and grimaced in a hurried hustle to their bikes. Theo staggered to carry on, his breath fogged before him as he shot Wren a knowing smile, "I mean, I guess we're good friends with Throttle and Nox... Maybe Turbo is similar to them? They are brothers, after all."
"Good point," Wren bobbed a nod, grabbed his helmet and peered down to his own bike. As Theo gently situated his helmet over his head and mounted his bike, Wren gestured to Turbo's tower, a handful of city blocks off, "Just follow me... Berri said to tell her once we were at his tower. I guess there's a secret entrance that Turbo uses, I think it's one of the only ways to get to his place."
"Cool," Theo staggered with a boyish smile behind the tinted guard of his helmet, he bobbed a nod and gently illuminated his gloved hand with his own emerald green coding. His bike loudly roared with life as Wren also turned the ignition to his bike, though Theo loudly called over the now fog of a rumbling mess their beautifully crafted bikes created, "To Turbo's!"
"Say it louder, Theo, the people in Game Central Station didn't hear you," Wren loudly snipped over the idle grumbles of their bikes, though as Theo let out a hearty laugh, both boys softly eased into traffic and began to route to their dreaded destination.
"Wren's literally more of a wreck than the wrecking abilities my coding even harbors," Berri muttered down to her phone.
"Why, what's going on?" Turbo wondered in tender nonchalance; both him and Berri sat comfortably on his larger couch, and although they were a decent distance apart for sprawling, comfortable purposes, they still had their elbows dug into the same, large couch pillow, of about four, that lined Turbo's luxurious, red, cotton-soft couch.
"He thinks he's going to walk into a villain's lair, or something," Berri muttered as she shook her head, Turbo's lazy arm and hand only flexed to push the up-arrow button on his remote, he thumbed through a few channels on his decent-sized flat screen television, it hung on a mount and was angled in the direction of the couch; Berri flinched the second a blurt of a chuckle escaped Turbo's figure, something that was still foreign for her to hear.
"I should draw the blinds and turn all the lights off," Turbo rushed in muttering, scheming delight; Berri peered up from her phone and cued to his barely blossoming, boyish personality, and as she peaked a cute, girly smile, she hung in anticipated wait as he carried on, "Standing in the corner, wearing a black cloak, just maniacally laughing."
"... I'd literally pay you to make that happen," Berri easily beamed a wide smile, held her eyes tight to Turbo's figure and was thrilled to seem him at least ease up, he opened up nicely, as if he most certainly had it in him, though doing so was difficult, "Just hang upside down from the ceiling."
"I could pretend to delete you as they walk in," Turbo bobbed a nod and stabbed his creepy, unwavering gaze straight into her soul, and it was here did she flinch in the familair squeeze of panic.
"Y-You... You can delete people?" Berri staggered as she furrowed her brow and tried to lilt her voice in a show of playfulness, though she peered hard into Turbo's near-villainous gaze, the stark cut of sunshine, they now sat in, muted any amount of golden glow his eyes had to offer, showing a more stark, matte yellow that harbored the void of creepy, black, square pupils, an unnatural gaze she begged herself to stop being scared of.
"... Yes, your mother and father entrusted me with nearly the whole of code room administrator abilities," Turbo's honest words and voice now wavered in a cheeky show of fear, as if he maybe revealed too much, though he inhaled a shaky breath and knew to hold his eyes tight to Berri, an agreement they came to, so to help squeeze the fear out of her, for good, "Can I delete people? Yes. Will I? No."
"Comforting," Berri bobbed a sarcastic nod and bravely held to Turbo's gaze, though he finally was the one to look away as he continued to mindlessly thumb through channels, "They must reaaaallly like you, to give you that power."
"It's power they know I won't abuse," Turbo shrugged his masculine shoulders, though he flinched as Berri's phone began to tinker a cute tune, a sign that she was getting a phone call.
"Hey," Berri eased softly after she tucked her phone to her ear. Her beautiful eyes aimlessly glossed across Turbo's living room as Wren's voice could be heard telling Berri that him and Theo were finally stationed inside the alcove, at the back of the tower; with this, Turbo grunted, softly got up and began to cross his home. Berri tensed to get up and join him, their bare feet eased up his carpeted steps, into his dining room, and to the secretive garage door that was so hidden and flush with his white walls, it was nearly invisible. Berri huffed a small chuckle, amidst Wren's ramblings and interrupted him, "Y-You're in the right spot, just hold on, stay there."
Turbo gently tapped once, on the wall, next to the larger garage side-door, and upon doing so, a faint, red holographic display appeared. Berri gingerly tabbed her phone, to end her's and Wren's call, and as she eagerly watched Turbo's hand work it's magic, she noticed the intelligent, massive teleportation pad, on the ground floor, had successfully read just who was on his pad, what kind of vehicles they were on, as well as a reading on Wren's and Theo's coded vitals. Berri huffed a small chuckle as Turbo gestured to Wren's heart rate, which was through the roof.
"A Mr. Wren Eddie Fluggerbutter, died at the age of one," Turbo muttered with a sneaky smile over his shoulder, his eyes glanced down into Berri's with a knowing smirk and a shake of his head, "Cause of death?"
"Heart attack," Both him and Berri concluded, and as they shared a tender bout of sweet laughter, Berri bit her lip and was floored with how easy this all seemed; she prayed that the second Wren's and Theo's presences were added to her's and Turbo's dynamic, that it'd only get better, from here.
Turbo's strong hand firmly tabbed at a few holographic options, and as he hit a very definitive 'teleport' button, he gently shooed away the digital display and opened his garage's side door. Upon opening the door, and the whole concrete flooring, of his garage, came to life with the red glow of Turbo's coding, the garage's luminescent overhead lights flickered on. In the short seconds of a headlong gaze, Berri had yet another good, long, ogling glance at Turbo's incredible motorcycle, at the far end of the otherwise empty garage, her vision was suddenly cloud with Wren's orange and Theo's olive green coding. As their figures, as well as their loudly rumbling bikes came into being, Berri bit her lip in anticipation as her and Turbo now leaned in his garage's side door, on respective door frames. Turbo crossed his arms and peered to the two as they shuffled to turn off their bikes and remove their helmets, and though Berri was absolutely certain Turbo would shy away from this instance, he breathed a nervous chuckle and shook his head.
"ONE of you guys is as cool as a cucumber, whilst the other one has a spike in heart rate that I don't think I've ever witnessed," Turbo gently joked, though Theo beamed a wide smile and ruffled his lovely, though now fluffy and wrinkled dark green hair.
"Am I the cucumber in this equation?" Theo's deep voice grumbled, his smile practically matched Ralph's to a T.
"Your hair color proves to be so," Berri giggled, though Wren finally took off his helmet and nervously peered straight into Turbo's soul, as if it was absolutely mind blowing that he was now in this situation.
"Forgive me, it's just much," Wren spat, and although he was entirely agitated, he blurt a chuckle as both him and Theo dismounted their powered off, parked bikes, "Y'got secret teleportation pads, y'got everyone in Sugarbucks giving looks of like, ohh... Turbo... Wow, hope you survive."
"Oh, that's not even true," Theo barked, he sagged his helmet to the seat of his bike and began to take of his thick riding jacket. He slumped his gear over the top of his helmet, straightened his shirt and began to softly approach both Turbo and Berri, "More like... When's that guy gunna come down here and order a coffee for himself?"
"Don't hold your breath," Turbo muttered with a smile as Theo confidently approached, his larger wrecking hand was extended for a proper handshake.
"Theo. Though... We've probably already met, I was likely three-fourths my height now, and was probably, well..." Theo trailed off as Turbo firmly shook hands, though they held in suspended, hand-holding stillness as Theo looked off and searched for what he was going to say next, "I don't know... Upset that my bedtime was seven o'clock."
"Turbo," His deep voice eased as they finally unhanded each other, he smiled to Theo and bobbed a nod, "Stuff of nightmares, professional game jumper, Arcade's biggest recluse... Y'know."
"Here for it," Theo confirmed with a nod and a smile as Turbo warmly stepped aside and allowed Theo to ease through the garage's side door; Theo and Berri began to softly bicker in cute quips of sarcastic, sibling-like greetings.
In the struggle to unzip his jacket, loft it over his helmet and the seat of his bike, Wren finally straightened out his cream colored shirt. He wore faded and lightly torn blue jeans and had a look that nearly washed him clean of any blood in his face. He cleared his throat, tapped both his back pockets for his phone and materializer and softly approached both Turbo and Berri as Theo hovered softly behind them. Turbo inhaled a deep breath, rested his back to his opened garage's side door, cocked an eyebrow and gave Wren an almost knowing smile, as if he was very well aware that Wren was likely scared, though with the slew of cheeky eye contact lofted his way, from Berri, Turbo and now Theo, Wren rolled his eyes, looked off and brushed his chest a little, an anxious show of straightening his already straightened out t-shirt.
"...C'mon, I don't bite," Turbo pressed with a smile he was beginning to want to reserve, though as Wren's almost dominant, nervous, dark blue gaze hooked to Turbo's, Berri blurt a small laugh and gently pat her knees.
"Cmon, boy! C'meeeere," Berri cooed softly, she began to make quiet, obnoxious kissy noises at him; Turbo cocked an eyebrow and peered to her out of the corner of his eye in a roll of teasing surprise. Berri finally stopped what she was doing and beamed Wren a soft, excited smile, "You got my regular, right?"
"Yeah, and I'm about to dump it all over you, quite frankly," Wren stabbed with a widening smile as he finally eased into their gravity, and with a tender show of submission, Turbo outreached his hand for a brotherly handshake.
"Turbo," He introduced; he knew he, of all people, really didn't need an introduction, and the fact that he's likely met Wren and Theo maybe once or twice in their childhood, though he still was thrilled that Wren jumped aboard and tenderly gripped Turbo's hand in a proper handshake.
"Wren," Wren breathed in a conclusive sigh, he finally sagged his shoulders and glanced to Berri's and Theo's patiently giddy demeanors, stood next to and behind Turbo, "Thanks for having us over... Hope it's not too much trouble."
"If it was honestly too much trouble, I wouldn't be allowing this," Turbo assured, and although he looked to be entirely nervous to have a new crew of brand new friends in his private domain, it was becoming clear to Berri that his reasoning might be due to the fact that they were fresh new faces, and not the faces of people who have seen his struggles, have seen his worst sides. She wondered just what this would eventually look like, knowing full well that any normal, solid friendship wasn't just all smiles and laughs. Berri crossed her arms and softly eyed Turbo with a smile as him and Wren finally eased out of their handshake, Turbo's gentle, rasp of a voice carried on, "Wanna see my villainous lair? Complete with booby traps?"
"Oh, yes, please put me out of my misery," Wren muttered as he clutched his chest, shot Berri an annoyed, almost smiling look of anticipation.
