Reviews :
Snake557 : Thank you! :D
Jay Sketchin : Aww thank you, friend. It is weird, huh. I go back and reread on occasion and sometimes it makes me well up. Time flies!
Burgie : CONGRATS! You're my 200th reviewer! THANK YOU! - Turbo definitely gets some convincing. It's not from Berri, but definitely derives from her!
CHICKENM4N : I don't really understand your review but I'm assuming it's a good thing xD
Song Listened To :
Worst Nites by Foster the People
*Chapter 50*
The next evening, Wren, Berri and Theo hulled themselves in their music studio, a sweep of familiar comfort they were now used to, and as their skill progressed, they did everything in their power to begin the very fragile, rudimentary steps to creating their first skeleton of an album. After hours of toiling, the three parted ways for the evening, a gentle agreeing that the next day to follow, the Arcade's only closed day of the week, Sunday, was going to be full of a never-ending birthday party, for Berri, that everyone was excited for. Although yawning and prepared to head home for resets, Wren was successfully roped into hanging out with Nox and Throttle, due to Nox lallygagging in the palace's kitchen and snagging Wren on the way out.
Due to Berri joining Throttle's lectures every day, her small group of boys had become fast friends with Turbo's brothers. In Wren's half-hearted attempt to go home, Nox knew full well that there was only one person in this entire Arcade that was going to spill the beans about Berri's and Turbo's innocent escapades, and he was prepared to squeeze every last ounce of information out of him, whatever Wren could afford both Throttle and Nox. Due to Turbo being extremely shelled and not one to give out personal details of his private life, just the glimpses of his old self behind closed doors, Nox almost felt bad for prying at Wren's gossipy self, though he knew it also gave Nox and Throttle more potential to hang with their other more secretive brother, anyhow; any opportunity to ease deeper into Turbo's new, secretive life was now something the lot of everyone had in mind.
"I keep telling her that if we have music prepared, we can join the battle of the bands that Academy is holding," Wren mumbled as him and Nox's coding finally settled, as they came off of Throttle's teleportation pad. Nox's golden eyes glowed on Throttle's dimly lit front porch, all ladened with piercingly white snow, glinted from Sugar Rush's full moon from above, "Would be cool to maybe catch Gunner's eye, but, I guess... I'm pretty sure every single musician at Game Central Academy has that same thought. I mean, I know Gunner is only down a guitarist and a drummer... I can play the part of band manager or something stupid."
"And just give up your music? Keys? All your mixing and stuff you do?" Nox worried gently, Wren furrowed his brow and gave Nox's eye contact a nervous look of now pondering inquisition, "I mean, don't just shove it away for a chance of being on Gunner's whole touring team..."
"...Do you hear yourself?" Wren muttered, Nox bobbed a nod and shrugged a little.
"Yeah, it sounded weird saying it, too," Nox agreed in a quip, "Would be cool to be rich and famous, I guess."
"WOULD be?" Wren grunted, "Shit, I don't care if I'm literally the band's cheerleader off on the sidelines, I'll manager the crap out of their little shindig if that's what Gunner wanted."
"Get'chu a pair of pom poms," Nox muttered with a snort of a laugh, he gently grappled for Throttle's front door knob and tenderly opened it, so to let him and Wren inside, "I guess keep us posted, on all of it... Surely you, Berri and Theo have something in the works?"
"Oh, yeah, we got a few solid pieces," Wren sighed, both him and Nox stepped inside Throttle's lovely, homey abode, the freezing wind whisked about their hair, scarves and jackets for a second before settling, upon closing Throttle's heavy front door, "It's just a matter of, well... Snipping loose ends and making everything cohesive."
"Hey, guys," Throttle eased from across his home, he hovered in his darker hallway, one that lead to a secluded area of his home, his own bedroom. He adjusted his thermostat, he wore a black t-shirt ladened with a faded, retro logo of TurboTime, grey jeans that had holes in the knees, his glowing white eyes hooked tight to what he was doing. His longer black hair was tossed in a small, messy bun higher on his head, he cleared his throat and finally strolled into the main part of his house, a mosey through his cozy living room and up into his white tiled kitchen, "What're you guys up to?"
"I just snagged Wren on the way over, hope that's cool," Nox mumbled as he came into Throttle's kitchen, as well, and as Wren was busy taking off his shoes in Throttle's mudroom, Wren finally stood up straighter and flattened out the wrinkles, of his cream colored t-shirt, over his body.
"Yeah, it's fine," Throttle pressed gently, he lofted his gaze over to Wren, though as Wren came into the warm, inviting light of the kitchen, Throttle raised his eyebrows in spiked surprise and felt his heart stop. Wren was now properly sporting a solid gash, which looked about a day fresh, right above his left eye, and as Wren nonchalantly eased into the kitchen and rubbed the back of his head, Throttle urgently shook his head and gestured to Wren in whole dismay, "Wren, what the heck? How did you get that awful gash? Are you okay?"
"Oh, I'm great," Wren bobbed a nod and smiled to Throttle in cheeky, boyish delight, though Throttle reeled in stun and darted a glance to Nox, who eagerly rolled his golden, glowing eyes and sagged to Throttle's island counter.
"Y-Y...Y'know you can have Tessa or Zed, o-or Ace or Vanellope to, well... Fix that for you, in the code room," Throttle pressed, though Wren scoffed a small chuckle and shrugged.
"I know, I kinda like it, though," Wren chuckled, his deep voice glossed over Throttle's worried demeanor in a weird switch up of coy delight, though Throttle still shot Nox a confused look.
"For User's sake... 'I like it, it looks sexy, I think I look like a baddy now'," Nox mocked in a voice and tone that imitated Wren, almost to a T; Throttle blurt a small, curious laugh, crossed his arms and now eyed Wren in softness, "I guess I can't blame you. Battle scars are cool."
"How'd you get it?" Throttle wondered as he froze and sarcastically peered to Wren down the bridge of his nose, as if to wonder if the story of the gash was equally as cool.
"Chester... Went chasing after a ball that Berri saturated in her exterior coding, he turned too quick and the spike on his jaw caught me right in the head," Wren muttered as he now crossed his arms and looked off, though Nox and Throttle now blurt hard laughter.
"Y-You could just tell all the boys at Academy that you got into an epic fight with Chester, and that he nearly clawed your eyes out," Nox shrugged, he pulled out his communicator and began to thumb through his messages nonchalantly.
"Don't worry, I think it's cool," Throttle bobbed a nod, narrowed his gaze and gave Wren a cheeky look of cuteness, though Wren shook his head and tried not to smile down to his feet.
"Yeah, guys, I need this, it's the only thing I have going for me, just let me have it," Wren choked a laugh as he sat down one bar stool away from Nox.
"I said it was cool... But you certainly don't need it," Throttle stated in warmth, though as the words left his mouth, he held his breath and could swear every single last ounce of blood now rushed to his face, the second Wren's bashful, though innocently curious and almost dumbfounded eyes darted straight for his, Throttle cleared his throat in a stagger of rushed nervousness and scratched the back of his head. He desperately scrounged for another topic to stab into, "Y-Y'guys hear about what happened with Berri and Turbo?"
"WHAT?" Nox wondered in smiling, eager delight, his golden eyes hooked tight to Throttle's, "Oh please tell me, please. What happened."
"For User's sake," Wren rolled his eyes and sagged his upper body onto Throttle's island in groaning annoyance.
"I guess Berri spent the night at Turbo's on her birthday," Throttle shrugged, though Nox's eyes bugged in almost horror, anger, delight, a whole slew of emotion.
"WHAT?!" Nox barked, both Wren and Throttle flinched in whole surprise.
"NOTHING happened, seriously, Berri was almost mad at me about it, earlier," Wren rushed to conclude, he waggled his hand and rolled his eyes, once more, "She's SUPER sensitive about it."
"He nearly refuses to let his own brothers over but invites a girl to stay?!" Nox urged in whole annoyance, and although Throttle felt the sting too, Throttle sagged his shoulders and gave Nox a dumbfounded look of disbelief.
"I mean, really, Nox... The guy hasn't had any form of intimacy in decades, do you really blame him?" Throttle grumbled in defense of his other younger brother, though Nox cocked an eyebrow and side-eyed Throttle in teasing, grumbling delight.
"Well, neither have you, but you still hang out with me," Nox delivered; Throttle felt that sear of heat return to his face.
"We're not talking about me, right now," Throttle stabbed, he desperately tried not to smile, though Nox shook his head in whole annoyance and urgently began to swipe through his contacts.
"Here, I'm going to end this. Let's call a reclusive Mr. Turbo Black and ask if we can come over right now," Nox chimed in scheming delight, "I'm going to bet one hundred million dollars he won't let us."
"Y'might as well bet that he won't even pick up the phone," Throttle grumbled as he crossed his arms and looked off in defeated dismay, though Wren waggled his finger and shook his head at the two boys.
"I wouldn't write that all off so quickly, guys," Wren smiled in a cheeky side-eye, "He's been pretty social, with us, all week..."
"Bet," Nox blurt as he tabbed the phone icon, on Turbo's contact information, and as he put his phone on speaker phone and allowed it to ring once or twice, he cleared his throat and awaited for Turbo to pick up, or not.
"Hey bud, what's up," Turbo's deep voice relayed in tender, casual nonchalance, and although Nox and Throttle looked absolutely beside themselves, Wren cocked an eyebrow and looked off, as if to silently say 'I told you so'.
"O-Oh my User, you ACTUALLY picked up your phone," Nox loudly stabbed with a hard laugh, Wren and Throttle tried their hardest to stifle laughter, so not to make obvious that Turbo was on speaker.
"It's not that deep," Turbo grumbled, he huffed a small chuckle, the sound of his bathroom cabinet clacking closed could be heard, "What's up, y'okay?"
"Oh, I'm fine, I just was hanging out with Throttle, we heard a lot about how Berri, Wren and Theo were coming and going from your loft all week and we just thought we'd see if we could come hang with you, too," Nox wondered gently, he shrugged as Throttle nodded, Wren shook his head and slumped; both boys had differing opinions on just what should be said to Sugar Rush's biggest shy guy.
"Yeah, I'm... Slowly trying to be more social, it's hard for me, y'know how that goes," Turbo sighed, and it was with this did Wren quite enjoy secretly seeing a very relaxed, nonchalant side of Turbo, something that wasn't fully on display for Wren and Theo, just yet.
"It's fine, we just miss you, it's Saturday night and you're just at your loft all alone," Nox tip toed around it, "Sure, we're not nearly as great as maybe a certain, single, no-longer-an-adolescent, beautiful, blue haired princess, but, c'mon. We're still great."
"Stop it, it's not like that," Turbo muttered, though it was clear he was beaming, he breathed an annoyed chuckle, the shuffling on his end was softly apparent, as if he maybe was tidying up his loft, or something along those lines.
"So can we come over?" Nox wondered in cheeky, smiling delight as him, Wren and Throttle all held their breath.
"Whose 'we'?" Turbo wondered dully, as if he was slowly accepting the desire to socialize more, though he still wanted to keep tabs on just who was invited into his personal space.
"It's just me, Throttle and Wren," Nox wheezed, though Wren grit his teeth in a clench of nervous anticipation, the three boys fell silent and prayed Turbo would have a positive reaction to this.
"...Fine, door's open," Turbo stated through a soft sigh, Turbo's massive front door could be heard beveling from the wall and, indeed, opening.
As the sound of Turbo's massive, now opening front door continued to gently eke through the speakers of Nox's phone, all three boys sat in frozen, stunned silence. They dart their eyes straight for each other's gazes of whole disbelief, though as if the whole entire game was set on slow motion, all three boys immediately began to tear out of Throttle's kitchen in a flurry of unadulterated surprise. As Nox eagerly hung up the call with Turbo, all three boys shoved into Throttle's dimly lit foyer, they all clamored for the door handle in a show of grunting, laughing irritation towards each other being in the way of one another, and in the final swing of Throttle's front door, as well as the slam of it, all three boys pushed and shoved to get onto Throttle's smaller teleport pad. The holographic display slowly illuminated near Throttle's right arm, he began to fumble at the pad. All three boys stood scrunched up against each other, the mess of Throttle's and Nox's glowing eyes cascaded all over each other's chest and arms, though Wren urgently grappled Throttle's free arm and jostled him in the crazed rush all three boys were now in.
"HURRY BEFORE HE CLOSES HIS DOOR," Wren stabbed, their panting and sporadic breath heavily fogged the frigid air they stood in.
"I can't do crap with you jerking me around like that!" Throttle argued with a blurt of a loud chuckle, though Nox largely rolled his eyes and looked off.
"Oh my USER you guys are so incredibly subtle," Nox stabbed, though before Wren or Throttle could press the strange inquiry that left Nox's figure, all three boys were eagerly whisked away in a mess of red, orange and berry-crimson coding.
As Wren, Throttle and Nox eased onto Turbo's teleportation pad, they arrived just in time to see Turbo's massive, sliding door ever so slowly come to an entire open. Although they were previously in a jolting, frantic sugar rush, they finally eased off of Turbo's teleportation pad and now approached his home with slow, silent hesitancy. Nox was the first one to ease inside, with Throttle and Wren slinking inside after him. In a slow crawl of wandering eyes, bubbling demeanors of disbelief, neither three of the boys had so easily been welcomed into the lion's den, like such. Just as the three eased deeper into his opened front foyer area, Turbo came slowly sauntering from his dim hallway. He was shirtless, the glow of his eyes were angled down as he trudged out of his hallway. As his bare feet stepped into the light, it was clear he had just been working out due to the sweat that dripped from the crown of his head to his bare upper body, he wore his favorite, lazy pair of faded red sweats that cuffed at his grey ankles. Alongside the drape of a small white towel on the left side of his broad, masculine collar and shoulder, he finally cocked an eyebrow at Nox and nearly tried not to look to annoyed; Nox dramatically bent his knees a little, spread his hands out and spoke in a deep, narrative voice of full-on teasing.
"The ever so elusive Turbo Black... Perched at the top of the world, untouched by even his own flesh and blood," Nox's voice dragged, though Throttle and Wren finally sagged to a stop and eagerly watched the show unfold. Nox obnoxiously carried on as Turbo cocked an eyebrow, eyed Nox in full, teasing dismay, brushed past him and lazily slunk to his larger fridge, about a half a dozen feet from Nox's still theatrical pose and narrative gestures, "We're here in the wild Sugar Rush blue, never before seen footage of Arcade's most mysterious shadow of a bad guy, from lore to reality... Just what will he do now..."
"Drink water," Turbo muttered, his deep voice practically croaked it, and as he came out of his fridge with a frosty, glass bottle of water, he finally shot Nox a gentle, annoyed smile, shook his head and began to eagerly glug-down water.
"Then... What's THIS?" Nox hissed dramatically, his golden eyes bugged to a nearly-scary show of glowing delight, though Turbo flinched, he furrowed his eyebrows and peered hard into his little brother's eyes, as if to wonder when he'd drop the act, "Would you look at that... A rare, blue haired beauty... Finds herself inching closer and closer to the hole of Turbo's dark, mysterious den..."
"Don't... Do this," Turbo huffed in now entire irritation as he rolled his eyes and began to ease closer to his island, though he set his bottle down and moved into his living room with purpose. Nox eagerly shoved his hands to the cold counter of Turbo's kitchen island as Throttle and Wren sagged into its vicinity, as well; both boys watched the show unfold with stifled laughter.
"She strolls in... Will she come back out unscathed?" Nox gasped and clapped his hands to the sides of his head, "Will she be eaten? Tortured? Or... Maybe... Just maybe..."
Turbo cocked an eyebrow, bent over, grappled his television's remote, and in a gentle click, he shut the whole of it off. He slumped his remote to his couch, and as he stood still and defeated in the living room, he just accepted that Nox wasn't going to shut up. He barely eased a smile, how much he truly loved his brothers, especially Nox's funny antics, he knew he couldn't stay irritated at him for long. It was in this instance of whole brotherly camaraderie, even from Wren's new presence, did Turbo secretly feel happy that he allowed them to come over.
"She'll be whisked away for a secret night of PASSION," Nox urged as he grappled his own upper arms, he twisted a little and threw his head back in a dramatic show, now something to which Throttle and Wren eagerly laughed at, having not done nearly the same thing to Berri a few days prior. Nox continued on in a lilt of excitement, "Innocent palace princess gets a glimpse of the dark side whilst our spiraling lone wolf finally gets his. Turns out... Red was a killer strike all those years ago, but... Blue looks good on you, my friend."
"You've lost your mind, dude," Turbo grumbled as he finally sagged up the few steps of his living room and joined all three boys in the kitchen, once more. To further conclude his warm findings, he gently eased his hand underneath the island's counter and hit said secretive button to close his front door, "Berri and I are just friends... Did you rehearse all that or something? What the heck."
"You can thank me hanging out with Wren," Nox mumbled as he rubbed his forehead and now wrinkled his nose in irritation towards himself; said poses and stances now put a weird crick in his neck.
"I'm Wren," Wren mumbled as he lifted his hand a little, though as Turbo glossed his eyes to his new friend, he furrowed his brow in whole surprise and gently motioned to the gash above Wren's left eye.
"Dude, you get in a fight with a weed whacker, or something?" Turbo staggered a small laugh, though Wren largely rolled his eyes as Throttle and Nox burst into hard laughter.
"WHY. Why can't anyone assume I did something cool?" Wren stabbed, "I was sword fighting with my dad."
"You... Literally, the FIRST thing you told us was that you dared Orph to let his whip fly as close to your face as he could, without scathing you," Throttle rushed, though Nox waggled his hand and shook his head in further irritation.
"You THEN said that Chester's jaw spike caught you when Berri threw his ball," Nox barked, though Turbo crossed his masculine arms and cocked a suspecting eyebrow at Wren.
"Y'all'll never know," Wren garbled in whole cheek, he lulled his eyes closed and beamed a sassy closed-mouth grin.
"My money's on the Chester story," Throttle mumbled, though Nox shook his head and eyed Wren in annoyance.
"I'd be willing to bet that NONE of those stories are true," Nox barked, though Turbo finally eased a small, caring smile towards Wren and disregarded his brother's banter.
"Would you like me to fix it in my code room, Wren?" Turbo pressed warmly, to which Wren eased and softened his stance.
"No, thank you, I... I like it," Wren bobbed a nod, to which Turbo nodded in agreeing and huffed a small chuckle.
"Battle scars, I understand," Turbo agreed in tender conclusion, though Wren perked up and now shot his even sassier jolt of eye contact to Throttle and Nox, as if to express that he was floored he had camaraderie, for once.
"SEE? Turbo gets me," Wren stabbed, to which Turbo continued to nod.
"Y'trying to impress a guy at Academy or something?" Turbo pressed in sincere cheekiness, he figured if he could get the heat off of the topic that revolved around him and Berri, he'd do whatever he could.
"No, not anyone in particular," Wren shrugged, "Just makes me feel cool."
"In a sea of average Joes, y'have BATTLE WREN," Nox stated dramatically, though just as he jolted to get into another dramatic pose, he immediately winced and dropped the act as he grappled the back of his neck, "Wow, yeah, not doing that anymore. Ow."
"You're diverting," Throttle grumbled to Turbo, with a cheeky smile; his still disposition was wise and teasing, his eyes held tight to Turbo's in hot knowing, as the eldest brother, he easily claimed reign over the younger men in the group.
"...From?" Turbo played dumb, his tone returned to dull, bashful annoyance.
"We heard about how Berri stayed the night here, on her birthday," Throttle eased with a now sneaky, smiling side-eye, "I'm genuinely surprised she's not here, right now, anyways."
"Wonder where you heard that from," Turbo grumbled, he dragged his eyes to Wren in teasing knowing, and although he desperately wanted to hold onto annoyance, he tried his very hardest not to be too hard on these guys before him; he was well aware they loved him, and had his best interest at heart.
"Yeah, I wonder, maybe her best friend?" Wren stabbed with a wide grin, furrowed brows, he gestured to his chest and volleyed the sass right back to Turbo, "Y'better get used to it, my dude. Berri's like a sister to me."
"Really, though, what's going on?" Nox now pressed in a slope of wanting to divert the tone to a more tender approach, he could easily tell that Turbo was becoming agitated, the stiffness of his posture made clear that he was nearly about to shell away for good, thus making the press of the topic moot, "I'm not trying to tease you, I just... Want to know so I can congratulate you? Or?"
"We're just friends, guys. She came over for some drinks, we had a few good laughs, and she fell asleep on my recliner," Turbo gestured to the very recliner she fell asleep on, two days prior, "Zed came over the next morning and NEARLY deleted my ass."
"What!" Nox stabbed with a hearty laugh, though Wren bugged his eyes and bobbed a hard nod.
"Berri told me all about it... He nearly barelled down your front door," Wren now beamed, to which Throttle and Nox urgently peered to Turbo in a rise of entire excitement.
"It's really not that big of a deal. It was just misunderstanding and miscommunication," Turbo shook his head, and although his words were flat and nonchalant, Throttle eyed his younger brother in tender suspicion and could see a whole world of conflicting, bubbling, brewing storm clouds inside his head. Turbo heaved a sharp sigh and gently gripped the towel on his shoulder, and as he swiped it off of his body, he eyed the group in tender defeat, "It's... Just kind of one of those things. Moths that chase flames always get burned."
"...What if Berri's not a flame?" Throttle so tenderly interjected after a few moments of silence between the four men, it was here did Turbo freeze and peer his nervous, curious eyes tight to his older brother, someone who had been such a valuable teacher in his life, even if it did ultimately cultivate the demise of TurboTime. Throttle shrugged, looked off and knew that he needed to revisit said coaching lessons, and although the switch from racing to life lessons was a weird gear to shift into, he still managed to do so with grace. He smiled into Turbo's eyes, his deep voice glossed over Turbo's soul in warm knowing, "What if Berri's a light? A beautiful lantern encased in glass... Something that won't hurt you?"
Wren and Nox softly peered to Throttle in soft understanding that he was here to gloss Turbo with knowledge even a little past Turbo's speed, Throttle smiled down to Turbo's counter and shook his head, he knew this was likely to be difficult for Turbo to swallow with three pairs of eyes tight to his lonely figure.
"You've been single, alone... For SO long, Turbo," Throttle's deep voice croaked in tender desperation, "Loosen up. Stop holding good things at arms length. Stop kidding yourself. So you and Berri have a... THING. Whatever that thing is, there is absolutely no shame."
"You must've said 'we're just friends' like three times, now," Wren's gentle voice glossed, "It's okay if you don't believe those words, because no one inside Sugar Rush believes it, either."
"It's something Berri keeps adamantly demanding, as well," Throttle chuckled, to which Nox bobbed a firm nod and eyed his older brother in a gentle slew of rising, boyish delight, as if this was good news for Turbo.
"Guys... I... Really don't want to talk about this," Turbo staggered, though he looked as if he desperately did want to speak on it. He nervously gestured to Wren and opened his mouth to continue, though Wren held his hands up in tender honesty and diligently cut him off.
"Hey, I understand this is a man's conversation..." Wren dropped every last ounce of sass, for this instance. He shook his head and eyed Turbo tenderly, "None of this will get back to Berri. I may not have brothers, but I understand this is serious. I promise I won't say anything."
All four men now hung in suspended silence; Turbo peered hard into Wren's eyes, as if to waver on the balancing line of wondering if he could trust Wren or not. After a few moments, Turbo finally exhaled a long sigh through his nose, looked down, bobbed a nod and allowed defeat to hit his skin. He long blinked down to his kitchen island and gently peeled back another fold of his heart, for others to see, something he was absolutely terrified to do, though he knew he was simply beating a dead horse, here. He bashfully glanced to Throttle, Nox and then Wren, and in a further show of delightful defeat, he shrugged and barely looked as if he wanted to smile.
"I... I guess I just don't know where to start," Turbo admitted in warmth, something that glossed his entire tower in relief; in the near physical sag of all three boys that honed their whole attention to Turbo, they glanced their knowing gazes to each other and now were excited to hopefully guide Turbo through this weirdly delightful predicament.
"...You could start by going to her birthday party, tomorrow," Wren shrugged, the air at the island was serious, still and patient; a brotherly show of support.
Turbo frowned and felt his heart begin to thud in apprehension, for multitudinous different reasons. He looked down to his hands and, although he so desperately wanted to shake his head and immediately deny that he'd be there, he froze and knew these three boys likely wouldn't take no for an answer.
"Yeah, Turbo, I can sense your wariness... The entire lot of Sugar Rush racers will be there... Dead Zed's racers will be there, Calhoun, Felix, Ralph, literally EVERYONE will be there," Throttle's deep voice eased, he crossed his arms and looked down to Turbo's kitchen island, though he cocked an eyebrow and was thrilled to finally garner Turbo's eye contact, which was now beginning to glow with a gentle prickle of new purpose, "But, so will we... And so will Berri. You want to celebrate her, don't you?"
"You went above and beyond for the last fifteen minutes of her actual birthday," Wren shrugged, "Show up... Turbo, I PROMISE you... That will make her entire night."
"Year," Nox blurt with a smile.
"Life," Throttle one-upped, everyone chuckled in knowing as Turbo heaved a shaky sigh and bobbed another nervous nod. Throttle smiled to his brother, "Y'gotta come out of the shadows, eventually... You want to be that moth in the dark, chasing that light that you want? Y'gotta come out of your hiding spot. It's the only way."
Turbo bobbed a gentle nod of final, nearly terrified agreeing, and it was here did everyone begin to liven with coos of excited assurance, towards him.
"How about I come over before the party... I can make sure you look solid, and we can arrive together," Nox shrugged, to which Turbo bobbed another hesitant nod of agreeing, "That way you don't have to show up alone."
"I'd... I'd appreciate that," Turbo staggered in nervousness as he softly lofted his eyes to Wren, who, again, held his hand to his heart and softly nodded in honesty.
"I won't say a word," Wren promised, "I would join Nox, but... I promised Tessa I'd help set up."
"Me, as well," Throttle agreed gently, though he gave Turbo a knowing smile and shrugged, "Good things happen to those who step out of their comfort zone, Bo... I know it seems impossible, and it seems like the whole of Arcade is against you, but... I don't think you understand just how lucky you are, in this situation."
"...Why?" Turbo pressed softly.
"You have Wreck-It Ralph's granddaughter as an advocate, Sugar Rush's princess, and not to mention, Tessa's daughter," Throttle cleared his throat and cocked an eyebrow, "Which, need I remind you, has successfully scored herself a position in Game Central Academy's administrative team."
"She did?" Turbo wondered in a gentle spark of new energy, he shook his head in now smiling surprise and felt bad that he wasn't aware, "Wh-why isn't it more obvious?"
"Because it happened right before Berri's birthday," Throttle shrugged, "I'm positive she doesn't want to steal Berri's thunder. It'll be hyped about probably closer to Christmas or New Years."
"Wow," Turbo staggered, and although Throttle's words glossed him in confidence, he softly looked down in continued heart-thudding anticipation.
"Berri unknowingly has her hands in nearly every avenue of Arcade," Throttle concluded gently, "She's adamant about you segueing back in to Arcade life as easily as she can, I'd catch that train, my friend... You could easily do it yourself, but the mental cost and the time would be far greater."
"She really cares about you, dude," Wren stated in seriousness, to which Turbo bobbed another nod and finally smiled down to his kitchen island.
"I care about her, too," Turbo warmly admitted in the softest tone of fragile secrecy, though Nox firmly pat Turbo's upper arm and cocked an eyebrow.
"Then I'll be over to make sure you don't get cold feet," Nox chuckled, everyone finally smiled amidst his teasing warmth, and before Turbo could even think about an excuse to get out of such a tense situation, he caved and knew no one would even allow it.
"I'll be here," Turbo mumbled, though he held his breath and knew that statement only set him up for failure; he shut his eyes tight and knew as such the second he saw Wren cock an eyebrow in his peripheral.
"Ohhh where else?" Wren blurt, and as everyone eased into knowing laughter, Turbo could swear his coding was about to crawl right out of his pores with anxiety-ridden anticipation.
A/N :
Alright guys, it's that time again... Chapter 50!
And as I said prior, instead of a 50 chapter sketch dump, I will be allowing my readers to submit their votes for ONE chapter to be entirely put into comic form, fully colored, shading, dialog, the whole shebang! So far, Chapter 46 has the most votes (the chapter where Turbo surprises Berri with the cupcake) - I'll be counting votes still, if anyone wants to see another chapter drawn. But like I said, so far 46 is winning with 9 votes, so it's looking as if that may very well be the chapter that will be drawn. BUT I'd still like to give everyone a chance to have their voice heard!
*BELOW THIS LINE I WILL BE PUTTING SPOILERS AND THINGS TO ANTICIPATE COMING UP*
*DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE SPOILED*
***SPOILERS***
***SPOILERS***
- Turbo writes Berri a song
- Turbo gets a New Year's 'kiss'! First one in literal decades
- Berri bumps into Gunner at Academy and he delightfully gets dragged onto palace grounds, and due to the hype, Berri cancels her plans to hang out with Turbo, much to Turbo's dismay/he mopes and tries distances himself from Berri cause he's never had to deal with something like this before
- Turbo gets to upstage the whole lot of Sugar Rush racers with all of his car and racing knowledge due to a malfunction before game day
- Berri, Wren and Theo come in and out of EZ Living far too many times for anyone's comfort, due to faux-code deletion - Gunner proposes a plan to keep them safe.
- Turbo finally goes to Sugarbucks with everyone! Baby steps to try and win Berri over. I've drawn fanart for this scene, titled 'I'm With the Band' on my deviantART. I'll reannounce said fanart once that chapter is live, in the future.
- Berri eventually juggles a weird, forbidden, triangular romance with both Turbo and Gunner. Only one special boi will win the heart of the princess. :]
