Review :

Jay Sketchin : Awwww LOL! Nooo no, that... That comes with his proposal. ;]

Burgie : I'm glad you think so! YAY!

Snake557 : Dude, seriously. It's painful enough having to write it all! GAH!

chuckiboo : Wow, seriously WOW. Your review brought tears to my eyes, you have no idea how much that meant to me :( Thank you SO much.


*Chapter 87*

After about a half an hour of fun in the snow, the strange sight of seeing Turbo outdoors, let alone happily chatting with the other palace members, Berri was floored when the two were caught in a quick shlep to her tower. A hefty trudge through the snow, full of grunts and laughs and quick remarks about being slow-moving. Upon the gentle breach into Berri's tower's massive, round front door, the two did everything they could to kick the snow off of their heavy shoes before entering. Through the mess of their sweet bickering, smiles and laughs galore, they littered the side of Berri's lovely foyer with their shoes and heavy winter coats amidst convenient coat hooks. Once they were shred down to bare feet and tank tops and jeans, satisfied sighs of relief coat the small corridor they now freshly soaked down, easy comments about how warm and comforting it felt in Berri's tower, and amidst the lazy stroll to Berri's even more comfortable main room and kitchen, Turbo shrugged his hands into his jean's front pockets and briefly commented on the loveliness of it all. Amidst doing so, three voices could be heard sharply bickering in the kitchen. Although Berri and Turbo fell silent, they halted their footwork, peered hard into each other's eyes and quietly listened in on the sharp conversation happening between what sounded to be Wren, Throttle and Theo.

"Wren, it's not personal, not at all," Theo's deep, calm voice desperately tried to keep to peace, it was clear that Wren was continuously upset about the raw fact that he didn't have powers, "We can exterior swap with you any time you'd like... Literally ANY time, all you have to do is ask, and either one of us glitches will happily give that to you."

"Yeah, but then you get to go about your day with all these awesome powers, you don't have to go running to anyone once the exterior swap ceases," Wren urged, Berri furrowed her eyebrows in sadness and could hear the mild desperation in his voice, a twinge of impending emotion; Wren was never one to openly cry or become flustered in front of others.

"Wren, it's just hard because... None of us can do anything to help you, beyond that," Theo stated sadly, and it was here did Turbo heave a long, sorrowful sigh through his nose and quietly gesture for him and Berri to come out of their little hiding spot, so to further aid in the situation.

"So, what kind of activities were you planning on doing with Chester, while I'm at Academy?" Berri inquired softly and happily to Turbo, to convince the three in the kitchen that they weren't previously eavesdropping.

"To be honest with you, some of the same vocal exercises a singing coach would maybe use," Turbo blurt a chuckle as the two eased into the becoming-sunny main room, the slant of the wall and ceiling of windows, out before them, began to glisten with the impending melt of snow that the sun beat against. Turbo raised his eyebrows as him and Berri pretended to perk up at the sight of their friends in the kitchen, "Oh, hey guys. T, it's good to see you here. What are you guys up to?"

"Sulking," Wren spout, he was at least well aware that he was definitely overthinking things.

"What he said," Throttle grumbled, though the loving, teasing smile and air about himself never wavered.

"Okay, what are we sulking about? How can I help," Turbo pressed with great warmth, and as he approached Berri's kitchen island, he softly leaned his elbows and upper body to it in a comfortable sag.

Berri cocked an eyebrow and secretly ogled his masculine body in a quick glance of trying not to get caught staring. To further this notion, she eased a bit away from the kitchen island, hoisted herself up onto the swooping counter that connected with the main room and sat up on it with her legs and feet supported into the stool underneath. As if to soak into her own little world all whilst remaining inside of their conversation, she noted her spare acoustic guitar propped up against the edge of the table. She gingerly grappled the neck of it, brought it into her lap and remained still as she carefully kept herself at arms length, for this conversation. She knew she did what she could, to help Wren, earlier, and butting in with further notions about having or not having powers might not be needed. She allowed the other men, in Wren's life, to hopefully begin to wrangle him in. With Chester soundly snoozing at her feet, lightly and haphazardly splayed across the stretch of lovely grey tiles, Berri smiled down to Chester and felt the weight of the important guitar pick that was now strung around her neck. She got lost in thought as the boys carried on, though her wandering eyes couldn't help but steal a glance at Turbo's figure, every now and then.

"It's nothing new, you guys know what's wrong," Wren blurt in whole irritation, everyone was dressed in lazy, cozy clothes, their lovely tower was warm and inviting with the glints of sunshine that began to desperately try and creak through the thin layer of snow against their slanted wall of windows, "I'm just... Forever going to be salty about this. And NOW that I have a taste of just what an exterior swap is like, I mean, come ON."

"Pretty darn great, ain't it," Turbo huffed with an exhale, clearly a simple statement, though Berri raised her eyebrows in sweet knowing and bashfully peered down to the glistening strings of her acoustic guitar.

"A little TOO great," Wren argued, though Throttle shook his head in gentle shushing and eased his masculine hand to Wren's broad shoulder out of love.

"Easy, it's okay... Not every single gamer in this Arcade has powers," Throttle gently assured, and although Wren was up in arms, he sagged amidst Throttle's loving touch and peered up into Throttle's eyes with a mildly pitiful look of despair, "Quite frankly, the majority of gamers in this Arcade are powerless... It's typically only gamers that are User made and have main roles in their game, y'know? The ones that get quarter alerts. That's a very small amount."

"Congrats, you're apart of the majority," Theo grunted with a small laugh as he crossed his arms, he stood on the same side of the island as Wren and Throttle, though was tucked into the bend of the kitchen, near the sink.

"I just want cool powers, it can't be too much to ask," Wren rushed, though everyone perked up the second Berri so tenderly began to strum one of Archived Chaos's old, popular tunes. Typically an upbeat melody, she slowed it down for the tenderness of this moment; Theo blurt out into soft laughter as Berri shot Theo a knowing smirk, said song's lyrics matched this situation almost perfectly, something that Wren cued to in whole entire irritation, "I swear to User, Berri, NOT. NOW."

"You say you don't feel right in your own skin," Berri began to lovingly sing, her voice glossed the group like honey, though Theo choked out harder laughter as everyone peered to Berri with widening smiles, especially Turbo. Berri desperately tried to hold back laughter as her singing only made Wren's glower deepen and further steep into temporary hatred, "Something's awry, time slugs by, baby I know you're hurtin'."

"YOU'LL be 'hurtin' here, shortly, if you don't shut up," Wren barked, though it was entirely clear he was trying not to laugh, as well; everyone easily began to howl with laughter as Berri continued to strum Archived Chaos's loving, dainty, romantic little tune.

"The way you try and hide your smile, the shy disregard of my compliments, so easily given, baby please believe when I say," Berri's sweet voice carried on amidst her beautiful vibrato mixed with a healthy amount of stifled laughter.

"That I suck, maybe?" Wren completed, though he winced the second both Berri and Theo expanded their chest cavities with a huge inhale, readied breaths to suddenly belt the chorus of said love song.

"I dooon't want you to change a THIIINNNG," Both Berri and Theo loudly began to shout, outside of normal singing voices, though before they could even think about carrying on, everyone, excluding Wren, crumpled into hard, bent-over laughter.

"Please put this remix on whatever album you guys debut next," Turbo huffed through a stagger of wheezing laughter as he stood up straight, tried to breath and wiped his eyes; Throttle easily was lost in laughter, as well, though his unwavering, loving grip on Wren's shoulder never faltered.

"Aww, the poor baby," Throttle's voice grumbled to a soft chuckle as he jostled Wren's shoulder, though before long, he slowly and playfully wrapped his long, gangly arms about Wren's head and squeezed him into his chest and collar bone, "C'mon, grumpy, we're just having some fun. Powers aren't what make any of us great."

"Yeah, easy for you to say, you didn't grow up with faux-siblings that had powers they constantly utilized," Wren muttered, though Throttle furrowed his brow sharply, shot Turbo a cheeky, annoyed grin, shook his head and gently unraveled Wren from his warm grip.

"What are you talking about? I'm the only one, of my brothers, that DOESN'T have powers," Throttle choked a laugh, though before he could open his mouth and continue on, Berri's tender strumming suddenly vibrated in a nasty, surprised shake of an off-tune chord as her spine stiffened.

"...WHAT?" Berri blurt in whole surprise, she tried her damndest not to turn bright red in hot knowing, though she was sure it was written all over her face the second Turbo shut his eyes tight, grimaced through clenched teeth and stiffened his shoulders in a scrunch into his head, as if to prepare himself for the verbal ass-whooping Berri was about to deliver, "Bo, y-you... You have gamer powers?"

"And the Arcade's best ice-breaker goes toooo," Turbo softened, stood up a little and waggled his hand, "Throttle! Come on down and receive your grand prize of one punch to the face."

"YES, what I've always wanted," Throttle hissed teasingly, though in Berri's outburst, Chester's lazy demeanor perked up, and the second he noticed Turbo in his presence, his clumsy, bumbling body did everything it could to stand to correction.

Berri huffed a noise, as if to carry on, though as Turbo stood and softly faced Berri, so to assure her that he was eventually going to tell her, Chester suddenly waggled his whole body in a firm shake, eased a grumble of a delighted noise, fumbled to cross the glossy tiles and finally eased his snout and sleepy demeanor into Turbi's center, like how he always greet his now new and favorite caretaker. Turbo grunted, huffed a chuckle, firmly rubbed the top of Chester's head and welcomed his massive, puppy-dog demeanor into his bubble, once and for all. With Chester's head hung low, Turbo was able to peek his golden eyes through the gorgeous, dark orange mane of a mohawk along Chester's spine, and into Berri's mildly disappointed and equally as excited eye contact. She slumped her guitar in her lap and gave him a look as if to ask just when he was going to tell her such awesome information.

"WELL?" Berri barked, Turbo flinched and now began to grow extremely bashful; not only had he never really gotten in touch with his true gamer powers, he felt a frog collect in his throat at all the ideas and insinuations that came rushing to him.

"I'll bet you can fly," Theo eased, calming the tension; Wren finally blurt a laugh, albeit meanly.

"He actually turns into a giraffe," Throttle stated with such sureness, to which Berri wildly furrowed her eyebrows.

"Yeah, y'caught me," Turbo grunted in further embarrassed irritation, he heaved a soft, shaky sigh the second Chester gave back in to his sleepiness and now laid right at Turbo's feet in whole comfort. Turbo sagged his side against the island's counter and leaned the upper half of the right side of his body over it, so to properly face Berri, "S-Sorry Bear, don't be upset with me..."

"I-I'm not upset, I'm just... Th-that's AWESOME, I wish I'd have known sooner," Berri cued in gentle, girly disappointment, with a small shrug.

"Dropped the ball, there, Boob," Throttle grumbled playfully, this had Wren now easing up a little as he showed a genuine grin, all eyes held to Turbo and Berri, in which Wren was glad the attention was off of him.

"I-It's nothing, Bear, I... I actually have massively lost touch with my gamer power," Turbo eased in softness, and although the whole group held a playful air, they laid off due to the now serious and bittersweet vibe Turbo was radiating, "I-I... I try not to get too wrapped up in it, anymore. My raw powers almost killed everyone, back when we were saving Sugar Rush. It was so quick, and so simple, and I'm sure everyone moved on, but... It still scarred me, to this day."

"Wait, when?" Throttle pressed in pure curiosity as he scrunched his face and peered to Turbo, Turbo lofted his shy, golden eyes to his big brother in sorrowful defeat.

"...Wh-when we... Lash teleported us away from The End, and, I tried to get us back, but," Turbo slowly pressed on, hoping Throttle would remember and he wouldn't have to explain the entirety of it; he was thankful Throttle sagged his shoulders, nodded and peered to Berri in aimless defeat.

"Ohhh yeah, I remember you telling me," Throttle concluded, to which Turbo gave Wren a soft look of boyish cheek.

"Having powers isn't all that grand, sometimes, Wren," Turbo's deep, masculine voice glossed over Wren, who now seriously peered to Turbo in vigilant listening, "My raw powers almost killed everyone, for good, cause I was careless."

"Raw powers? What... What do you mean?" Berri now carefully pressed on, she felt her heart begin to surge in confusion, the light idea of Turbo just having a simple power to the heavy idea that said powers nearly murdered everyone, she now knew to tread as lightly as she could.

"Well, when Libby reversed our coding, I now only had MY powers, as opposed to my own powers mixed with her glitching skills," Turbo delicately explained, he was glad Berri peered to him openly and seemed receptive of it all, "It's... It's something foreign to me, because, well... I was trapped with the glitching skills for so long."

"So your OWN powers are now brand new to you," Theo encouraged, he always brought a positive air to any conversation, "Well, that's fine, I mean... You can still practice them, can't you?"

"I can, I'm just nervous to," Turbo shrugged, and although everyone really wanted to know just what his powers were, right off the bat, Turbo softly eased his knowing eye contact to Berri's, gave her a warm nod of affirmation and eased her a conclusion, one of which he was praying she'd be patient for, furthermore than she already had afforded him, "I-I'd be willing to show you, at some point, Bear... It's... Still new to me."

"Weird, coming from you," Wren sighed gently, he knew every good thing in life came with a negative, and with that notion, he sat in Turbo's wise, experienced presence in final contentment.

"You have no idea," Turbo grumbled, and although he bashfully looked away, he could feel Berri's curious, prying demeanor practically burn a hole through the back of his skull.