Reviews :
Romantic Sapp : LOL Probably xD I know I would, for sure. And, thank you! Much oh,
Snake557 : Thank you friend! I'm grateful for your support, seriously!
Burgie : Thank you so much. This break has definitely been needed, that is for sure! And, I appreciate your included advice, here. I may just have to put a warning at the beginning of any chapter that has even a shred of WrenxThrottle. I got a small amount of backlash for including them in my tier of couples, but I guess that's to be expected! It's no issue on my end, I appreciate everyone else being understanding :)
A/N : Hey guys! I want to thank everyone for being patient with me through the break. If my chapter view count isn't lying, then the lot of you haven't lost interest in my story, but I do sometimes worry when I see friends and reviewers come and go. I certainly miss a lot of you, and I hope everyone is doing okay! I wish FF made it easier to chat or communicate with my readers and reviewers. I do what I can through replying to reviews.
Although my week hiatus was meant for catching up on writing and powering through really stocking up on chapters, I only wrote one chapter... xD I've noticed that, with my every other day upload schedule, THAT keeps me pumping out chapters. So, although I went into this bare week thinking I was going to bust out chapters, I actually took an ENTIRE writing break and was able to catch up on other projects (like the comic), as well as sleep... I ALSO was able to take a proper step away from the story and really fine-tune the plot. I know it seems as if it just WON'T thicken, and there won't be twists or turns or suspense, or anything broadened past Berri's new little shindig with Turbo, but I promise it is coming. I love slowly building onto characters and relationships, really building a ground work. I believe in deep-rooted investments, in characters, and I really hope that doesn't discourage some of you.
I understand the story is a behemoth. Time and time again I get reviewers that message me and say they want to read my story but are intimidated by the entire heap of it and are scared to touch it, and then don't. I get it, I'd probably feel the same way. I just want to DEEPLY thank any of you that have been here since day one. Each chapter of mine gets a good few hundred views, and as the years go on, I wonder just how many of those people are ones that have been reading since the first upload of Wrecking Limits. I also REALLY applaud anyone that's able to get through the entirety of it in one fell swoop, like some of my more recent reviewers, and I'm absolutely grateful for the little community I've garnered and the friends I've made. It's humbling... And I hope that everyone... EVERYONE knows how appreciated they are.
Even though the saga has spiraled away from the couple that started it all, I hope it encourages you guys to know that the 5th story will skillfully segue RIGHT back into RalphxVanellope territory. I appreciate everyone letting me allow my imagination to just run wild, and have been enjoying it thus far! It makes my heart soar, fuels my creativity, and I never thought some silly little ramblings in a blank computer notepad would eventually just erupt into something so incredibly massive, something so incredibly dear to me.
THANK YOU. I can't say it enough. I will never be able to say it enough.
*Chapter 53*
Although the next week had come and gone, as well as Christmas Day, Sugar Rush's days and nights sped by, the atmosphere filled with easy escapes to Orion City's highest tower, the tops of piercingly white snow clouds, lazy days that included indulging in hours of lounging and near-wasting away as the end of the year finally crept upon everyone. Somehow, homework, house chores, game duties, the whole slew of work seemed to just continue to be put off until the last minute, those lazy five days after Christmas and in between New Years was a void of comfortable nothingness; Berri was thrilled that Theo, Wren and Turbo all felt the same. High up in Turbo's cozy loft, the four splayed haphazardly about his living room. His tv softly droned a game show they watched in cozy stillness with each other, and although Wren and Theo lightly bickered, Turbo softly puffed a cigarette and did some work on his main digital pad, whilst Berri did everything she could to stay awake, a very late morning nap she nearly couldn't resist, melted in Turbo's comfortable downs on his squishy couch.
Alongside Turbo's gentle, non-intrusive smoking, he made sure to keep his ceiling fan on high and to vent the air in his tower, so to make everyone happy, and although he was certain that Berri, Wren and Theo were simply indifferent about the lovely smell of his delicious cinnamon tobacco cigarettes, Turbo would occasionally catch Berri's ribcage expanding in deep breaths, every single time he exhaled a puff of smoke, and no matter how he tried to blow it in the opposite direction from his friends, he couldn't help but smile. He was well aware she was drawn to the familiarity of it all, and although it was unspoken, he still felt it to be a sweet gesture, on her part. With Berri sagged into the bend of Turbo's L shaped couch, Turbo comfortably splayed on the opposite side, and Wren and Theo entirely couched out in both of Turbo's recliners, the four were well aware this was the third day in a row that they just wasted away in Turbo's loft; eating up said void of a week between Christmas and New Years, where absolutely nothing counted.
"This is a rerun," Theo mumbled in whole dismay, he swiped his larger hand over his face and lulled his eyes closed. He finally eased a croaking groan as he sagged deeper into Turbo's comfortable recliner.
"You're just now realizing this?" Wren's voice loudly croaked as he waved his hand, the four were lost in laziness.
"Guys, Berri's asleep," Turbo pressed quietly, as if to signal his two friends to keep the bickering to a minimum, so to let their princess sleep, though he cocked an eyebrow and lofted his curious gaze to sweet Berri, across the couch, to his left.
"I'm awake," Berri just barely grumbled, though she laid still with her eyes closed. She wore none other than Turbo's hoodie and her favorite white sweat pants with the grey racing stripes down the legs. She wore her new favorite beanie, in which Ace got her for Christmas; a brown and white striped boyish, baggy beanie. Although she laid still, drowned in Turbo's comfortable down comforter, in which he grabbed from his bed and graciously let her utilize, she finally grappled the forehead of her beanie and sagged it over her face in a further show of sleepiness, "I'm sort of... Going in and out."
"That's what she said," Wren muttered in a dead-pan tone, Theo blurt a loud laugh as Turbo inhaled a deep breath of his cigarette.
"SHE?" Turbo huffed a small laugh, smoke billowed out of his being.
"Real mature," Berri muttered, she threw the covers over the top of her head and attempted to now completely lay back, as if to properly insinuate she may very well take a nap, like insinuated.
"I forgot how much tv sucked during the day," Theo mumbled, he scratched his chest and lofted his gaze to Turbo's in curious banter, "We're at school all day, and then when we come home, THAT'S when the good stuff is on."
"Yeah, can we change the channel?" Wren eased in mild irritation, Turbo bobbed a nod and grunted to sit up.
"Yeah, I don't think Game Over is going to be airing anytime soon, so of course everything seems like it sucks," Turbo muttered, though just as he grappled the remote, Theo uttered a noise of urgency, as if to beg Turbo to hold off changing the channel just yet.
"Oh my User have you guys seen this commercial?" Theo blurt a hard laugh as he gestured to the tv; everyone froze, though Berri curiously peered out from the downs she was drowning in.
"I HATE this commercial," Wren barked as he flagged his hand, though Berri sat up a little as a cheesy drawl of music began to play, simple, fleeting, lightly romantic scenes began to slideshow as an introductory to said commercial, "I have it memorized. That's how many times I've seen it."
"What even is it?" Berri staggered a laugh, though as a logo swirled on the screen, it was now blatantly obvious that this was some form of a gamer dating site, deep inside the reaches of the internet; a commercial showcasing it's success rates, testimonies, and everything in between.
"It's a weird dating site, some of the testimonies are different people, though, I hope this is the one with the guy that like... Hated this chick when they first met," Wren blurt a hard laugh as he sat up in mild eagerness, though Theo urgently pointed as both boys now howled with laughter, "YES! This is it! Oh my User, listen, he like hates her. Watch watch watch."
"When I first met Thelka, man... I had no clue what to do with her," Stated the guy in the commercial; he was a crusty-looking individual, clearly a background baddy in some high-tech game on the internet, and although he looked unapproachable, he still had some handsome qualities, including his smile.
" 'She just kept, I don't know... Popping up everywhere I went, even so much as coming over unannounced,' " Theo confidently recited, alongside the commercial, as he pretended to be the guy in the equation. Theo dramatically put on a show and held his hand to his broad chest, amidst his lazy black tank, " 'I seriously thought I was going to go insane, all I wanted to do was be alone!' "
" 'I guess it was just my persistence,' " Wren now recited, in loo of the girls' lines. He pitched his voice higher, scrunched his shoulders and teasingly bat his lashes in Theo's direction; Turbo blurt a hard laugh and eagerly watched the show unfold, how cleanly Theo and Wren recited this commercial, word for word, without missing a single beat.
" 'We were both on GamerSocial, but I figured it'd be useless... How could someone like ME find someone like HER?' " Theo gasped dramatically and now clutched the chest of his shirt, though Wren wrinkled his nose and continued to play the part.
" 'We became fast friends, due to my perseverance,' " Wren ogled, he continued to eye Theo in a playful manner, " 'I figured he finally caved and just was forced to enjoy my presence.' "
" 'Oh, it runs much deeper than that,' " Theo deepened his voice and tilted his head down, he cocked an eyebrow and playfully lofted his gaze to Wren, " 'One day I just... Looked over at her, and it was like... Magic.' "
" 'Aw, you mean that?' " Wren ogled in high pitched delight, the look of endearing surprise hung on his face, both continued the dramatic display of hilarity that ensued.
" 'Course I do... It's not every day you find yourself falling in love with your best friend,' " Theo grumbled, every single lilt in his and Wren's voice matched the commercial to a T.
" 'Are you lonely? Do you wish you had someone to hold, someone to cherish and love? Even in the deepest, darkest reaches of the internet?' " Turbo now eased in a deep voice as he mocked the narrator of the commercial; he struggled to continue on as Wren, Theo and now Berri blurt out into hard laughter, " 'Look no further... Love could be right in front of you...' "
"Marry me, Theo!" Wren shouted, everyone was now lost in laughter.
"Wow, what a ride," Berri choked as she fiddled with the thick, cozy fabric of her now favorite beanie.
"Yeah, that one is, by far, the funniest," Turbo staggered with a wide smile, he heaved a hot sigh and sat up a little, and once he finally grappled for the tv remote, he successfully clicked away and began to scan channels for something else to watch.
"I've never even seen the other ones," Berri giggled as she crossed her arms and remained cozily sagged in Turbo's blankets, though she poked her bare feet out the edges of said blankets.
"You're not missing much, that one tops them all," Turbo lofted her a cute smile, grunted in a gentle stand and croaked a hard groan as he stretched his arms over his head. He finally heaved a hard sigh, slumped his shoulders and began to slowly make his way between the couch and the coffee table, a gentle mosey to his kitchen, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry. Y'guys want me to order a pizza again?"
"Can I be the one to pick it up in the lobby this time?" Theo begged in cute, boyish delight as he sat up a little straighter.
"Dude, you're literally the coolest, I am never leaving," Wren grumbled honestly as he urgently typed away in his phone, and as Turbo brushed past him, Turbo lovingly shoved on Wren's shoulder, Wren retaliated by flagging his hand upwards and catching Turbo in a hard backhand to his lower arm. Turbo furrowed his brow and firmly ruffled Wren's hair, though just as Wren sharply sat up to retaliate, Turbo grit his teeth in a cheeky smile, scrunched his shoulders and urgently tip toed away at a quick pace. Wren glowered over his shoulder in a molten death stare of now brotherly hatred, "Turbo... I swear to User..."
"Betcha take back what you just said, huh," Turbo mumbled with a hard laugh as he eased up his tiled steps and sagged into his kitchen.
"Entirely," Wren choked as he wrinkled his nose and began to urgently tidy his straight, sleek white hair.
"Do you guys know when Game Over airs again?" Theo wondered as he eagerly watched Wren and Turbo's bickering, it was far more physically and playfully aggressive, something that both Theo and Berri were thrilled over; they knew Wren was due for some older brother treatment, anyhow.
"Yeah, they uh... Well they just accepted their contestants," Turbo stated in a knowing, mumbling tone, and it was here did Berri slowly crawl out of the comfortable downs and get off of the couch. She slowly moseyed into the kitchen, so to join Turbo as he diligently continued on, "Twelve contestants were picked over the summer, they'll start filming it all come the turn of the year."
"You know a lot about this, Bo," Berri stated in girly nonchalance, Turbo soaked to the other side of his glorious kitchen island, ladened with the gang's devices, coats, chargers, drinks and the like. Berri smiled in his direction, took off Turbo's hoodie, as well as her beanie, and gently laid it to the cold counter, she wore a cute grey tank top underneath it, one that hugged her figure nicely. She heaved a soft, sleepy sigh and began to methodically throw her hair up into a high messy bun, her cute bangs draped her forehead, "For someone who lives on top of the world, away from society, you sure know the ins and outs of Game Over."
"Oh, well... I was actually picked, as one of those twelve contestants," Turbo revealed in ironic nonchalance, though before he could softly carry on, a tender conversation that now was too quiet for Wren and Theo to hear over the television, Berri froze and peered a look of unadulterated terror in Turbo's eyes.
"Y-You... You what?" Berri huffed in a cold breath of building fear; Turbo halted his footwork, cocked an eyebrow and now nervously gave her his golden eye contact.
"Y-Yeah, I... I signed up earlier in the spring," Turbo gestured his hand behind him, as if to insinuate months that had passed, he began to now feel a roll of dread crawl over his skin, he was well aware he had some explaining to do, though with the now building look of sheer terror in Berri's eyes, he hoped he could get the words out fast enough, words he knew would immediately quell her worries.
"Turbo, you... You're one of the twelve contestants on Game Over?" Berri staggered in a scared, trembling tone of whole worry, Wren and Theo loudly began to chatter in the living room, leaving Berri to curtly stop Turbo dead in his tracks in gentle privacy, "You know that... ELEVEN of those contestants don't come out of that mess alive, right?"
"I-I know Berri, I have a ticket, but it doesn't mean-" Turbo was gently interrupted.
"So, you're... You're going to leave next week and we just... Lose the hope of ever seeing you ever again?" Berri staggered in horror, though her tone began to dribble to a hurt vibe of defensiveness, as if maybe their new and budding friendship was maybe something Turbo was ready to throw away.
"Berri," Turbo eased with a nonchalant smile as he lulled his eyes closed, and although he went to reach his hand out to lovingly hold her upper arm and calm her down, he flinched in whole surprise as she ripped her body language about a foot or two away from him. Turbo halted his movement, peered to her in a roll of now whole uncertainty and raised his eyebrows in boyish, dewy bewilderment. He shook his head just barely and softened as much as he could, "Berri, please let me explain."
Just as Berri opened her mouth to continue blindly arguing Turbo, she flinched in surprise as her phone, in her pocket, began to chime a cute tune to signify that she was getting a phone call. Berri shoved her hand into her pocket, peered down to her phone in confusion and, before Turbo could politely ask who it was, she slid her thumb on the display and swiftly tucked the phone to her ear.
"Hi dad," Berri eased in a neutral tone as she looked off, though Turbo froze and held his breath as she basically put their now heated conversation on pause.
"Hey, babe, surprise... Your mother and I are done with your guys' tower!" Zed stated in cute delight, he warmly carried on, "We were thinking that maybe you, Wren and Theo could meet up near the recreational hall in about an hour or two... You guys up for it?"
"Oh, yeah, I... I actually am at Turbo's right now, but I was just leaving," Berri stated in a side-swipe of a stab at Turbo, an inadvertent show of dominance she held over Turbo, an unfair advantage; Turbo furrowed his eyebrows in a spike of now being cut right at the knees, he shook his head and frowned at her with a gesture to his own broad chest, as if to express that he wanted to explain himself before she just up and left.
"Oh, okay, well tell Wren and Theo to meet up with us later, then," Zed eased kindly, "It's whatever you guys want to do... Sorry it's so late after Christmas, AND your birthday."
"It's okay, dad, thank you," Berri eased in a loving tone as she finally pushed forth a gentle smile down to her feet, "I'll be home soon. Love you."
"Love you, Bear," Zed concluded with great warmth, though Berri's nervous gaze and demeanor finally came back to the surface of her icy eyes as she hung up the call with Zed.
"I guess I'll be heading out now," Berri instructed, and although Turbo now wanted to jump up on his island and obnoxiously state that he wanted to desperately explain himself, he felt eons of old memories come back to him, memories of when him and Libby would get into spats, memories of just how he would wrangle in such a wild, untamed beauty, how he could possibly ease calm into her soul; he tenderly reached his hand out, so to attempt to hold her arm once more.
"Berriiii," Turbo eased in a lilt of conclusive knowing as he dared to give her an apologetic smile, though he flinched once more the second she ripped her body language away from him, once again. He now entirely froze his movements and was well aware his third strike would likely result in a louder backlash due to Berri potentially feeling backed into a corner. He largely flinched the second she leaned in, slid her hand underneath his island's counter and cued Turbo's front door. As Turbo turned around and peered his attention towards his now opening front door, this cued both Wren's and Theo's now startled and curious attention. Turbo huffed a nervous noise and turned back to face Berri, though he flinched in whole confusion as she had successfully wormed around him and marched towards his front door. Turbo whirled around in hot surprise, held his arms out and shook his head in now desperate confusion, "You're really not going to let me explain myself?"
"There's nothing left to explain, what's done is done," Berri mumbled in concise irritation as she continued to keep her back turned to him, and just before she slipped out his front door, she shot him a look of dejected sorrow over her shoulder and shook her head, "I'll talk to you later, Turbo."
Turbo huffed a staggered breath, a falter of desperately trying to scrounge up words to keep her from leaving, though once her figure vanished out of his massive, gaping entrance, the sound of the zipping, electrifying buzz of the teleportation pad could easily be heard just seconds after. Turbo slapped his arms to his sides, shook his head and now urgently peered into the living room. Wren was now up and urgently making his way into the kitchen, with Theo now grunting to get to a stand so to follow Wren's idea.
"What the heck just happened?" Wren blurt in confusion, though Turbo sagged his shoulders and eyed both boys in a spike of nervousness; he knew he had a good explanation to this mess, though he was further worried that the last two tangible beings of his friends would quickly turn heel, as well.
"I literally was trying to explain myself and she wouldn't even let me talk," Turbo blurt in frustration; it was here did Wren cock an eyebrow and peer to Turbo in a rise of curiosity. Wren knew, full well, that every single TurboTime boy had not only the magical touch of a gentle glow of eyesight, though the mild set back of a proverbial moodring said eyes harbored, a glimpse of just what each boy was feeling without even having to ask. Wren could see Turbo begin to get worked up, he wondered if he'd get the chance to see just what Turbo's eyes did, in this instance. Still glowing a bright gold, Turbo shook his head and furrowed his brow in further agitation as he flung his arm towards the gape of his front door, "I-I... I made the mistake of signing up for a one-way trip to game-over-ville, a long time ago, and before I could tell Berri that I'm not ATTENDING any longer, she stormed out."
"Berri," Theo huffed with a knowing chuckle, he shook his head and gave Turbo an apologetic smile, "Something you should know about my baby cousin is... She's still working out a few kinks in her mainframe. She is, simultaneously, one of the most understanding individuals I know, though... Also, the most stubborn."
"The poor girl is coded with Ralph's AND Tessa's coding," Wren shook his head and crossed his arms, and it was here did he feel disappointed with the downswing of Turbo's eventual anger, it very swiftly eased right into defeat, golden eyes and all. Wren wondered just exactly what would make Turbo molten red mad, if anything; he carried on, nonetheless, "She has a bad habit of drawing her own conclusions and shutting out new information... Just give her a few hours, she'll be approachable shortly."
"She'll realize she maybe tapped out too quick and come back all puppy-dog eyed, like... 'sorry I ran off, please take me back'," Theo teasingly mocked in a high pitch voice as he cupped his hands together and bat his eyes.
"What... One-way trip to game-over-ville are you even talking about, anyways?" Wren tenderly wondered as he narrowed his gaze and side-eyed Turbo in a brotherly show of care and mild authority, Turbo heaved a hard sigh through his nose and looked down to his matte grey tiles.
"Just that... Game Over," Turbo muttered, to which Wren and Theo raised their eyebrows in a prickle of nervous surprise; Theo bobbed a nod and smiled down to his hands in understanding.
"She doesn't want to lose you," Theo's deep voice lovingly finalized, he gave Turbo a knowing smile and eased another nod of further understanding, his gaze narrowed to sweet delight, "Leave her be for now, but... Don't let her stay away for too long. As odd as it seems, this is her weird way of saying that she really cares about you."
"This is her way of wanting you to chase after her and show her that YOU care, too, and blah blah blah," Wren waggled his hands and rolled his eyes, as if he had experience with this brash side of Berri, "You'll go back and say sorry and she'll fall all over you and apologize as well, and she'll want an explanation and say she maybe overreacted, yada yada."
"How many times have you gone through this?" Turbo wondered with a gentle chuckle of mild relief as he sagged his large, masculine hands to the cold, dark marble of his island's counter.
"Bo, we grew up with Sugar Rush's most fiery princess, the fieriest to ever grace the Arcade. Theo and I have been through her notions enough times to make more than solid wingmen, my dude," Wren's deep voice encouraged as he crossed his arms, and as him and Turbo lofted a slew of unwavering, brotherly eye contact of understanding, Turbo bobbed a nod and logged said information away for a rainy day; dutifully noted.
