Reviews :

Romantic sapp : Aww, yeah that's true. Turbo may be a recluse, but he definitely is not a push over.

Snake557 : Aw, friend! No you haven't said anything wrong at all! I miss seeing your reviews. I hope you're doing alright :) I know you said you were busy with school.


*Chapter 113*

Days away from their very first concert inside EZ Living, Berri eased into the small section of dressing rooms the crew was given. Alongside a few outfits that were laid out for her, simply for dress rehearsals and fittings, she eyed her book bag, the one she had previously been taking to Academy. Although she promised herself, her family, and everyone important to her that she'd go back to Academy after touring, she felt a hard twinge of sadness come over her. How she missed snuggling into Turbo's hoodies, in her freezing classrooms. The select few classmates she really got along with, the wise teachers she sought knowledge from, the hour lunch break she got to enjoy with her group of self-programmed family, she sagged her shoulders and felt her heart ache in longing. As she eased for her bag, she held her breath and knew that she needed to clean her bag out for good. As hard as it'd be to get rid of loved school notebooks and the drop off of topics she had suddenly abandoned, she was well aware that going on tour with stark images of old, good memories, like such, would only take her out of her headspace. With great hesitancy, she tucked her long, straight blue hair behind her ears and reached for her bag.

Softly, she began to pull out the old, loved spiral notebooks that were nearly filled to the brim, they were stuffed with a few loose sheets of assignments and other scraps she had stuffed into the void that was her adorable sling bag, though in the fumble of mess, some papers slid out of her notebook. In a jolt of surprise, she raised her eyebrows and peered to the slop that gingerly floated to the ground with a feathery thud. Although she was prepared to see just a mess of now forgotten topics of school work, she felt her heart jump in remembrance, the very things she'd be caught doing, whilst not paying attention in class; songwriting. She furrowed her eyebrows and huffed a soft giggle of surprise as she reached down and picked up the few pieces of paper she nearly forgot about, a beautiful, fun song she had begun writing about a month ago, a secret love song in which swiftly reminded her why it was so ferociously tucked away in her notes; it was a love song for Turbo. Berri sagged, sat back on the couch her bag was on and hoped to User no one came by her dressing room anytime soon. She hummed the soft melody of the messy sheet music she had conjured, lovely memories of her easier days with just her and Turbo came rushing back to her, and although she knew she likely shouldn't try and bother Gunner with adding any more music to their line-up, she bit her lip and wondered just what this scenario would look like, in a perfect world.

Due to playing a whole skew of different, exciting, powerful songs alongside Gunner, Wren and Theo, she heaved a shaky sigh and felt her heart grow further sore for this lovely sheet music in her hands. A tune she nearly forgot, one she had practiced until her fingers nearly bled, she pondered potentially showing Turbo before she left, though she shook her head and thumbed to the end of the song; it was unfinished. With the sheet music in her lap, she wondered just how she could get away with practicing this song, how she could perfect it and one day play it for Turbo in private. She furrowed her eyebrows in further contemplation the second she could hear Wren's fingers pounding away on his keyboard, the chorus to one of their opening songs, he was busy making sure he had everything down to a T. It was clear he was busy, though due to the lack of drums or singing, Berri was confident Wren was practicing alone. Berri raised her eyebrows in coy scheming, grappled the sheet music, stood with purpose and eagerly swiped her beautiful acoustic guitar before heading out into the long, maze-like hallway. In search for Wren, she finally came to a backstage area, where Wren was set up and diligently studying his own sheet music, and although it looked as if Theo and Gunner would be joining him shortly, Berri swooped in to Wren's gravity and hoped to catch him in these moments of solitude.

"Wren, can you help me out real quick?" Berri stated as she shuffled across the backstage, Wren looked up from his sheet music, though his arms were crossed, as if he was deep in contemplation.

"What's up?" He huffed gently, he adjusted his thick black glasses and narrowed his gaze to assess his younger niece; she looked nervous, a bashfully cute smile that graced her cheeks, with her acoustic guitar saddled lazily over her back, haphazardly, she delicately began to hand Wren a few pages of her own sheet music, sheet music she looked as if she was wary to hand over.

"I, uh... I need you to sing these lines for me, I want to practice this, just really quick," Berri stated quietly, nearly as if she didn't want anyone else backstage to know this was, indeed, her very own music. Although hesitant about it, she handed Wren the sheet music; he cocked an eyebrow and glossed his sassy gaze over the scribbles of delicate sheet music.

"... YOU wrote this, Bear?" Wren wondered with a gentle lilt and a loving, curious smile to boot, though Berri shook her head and huffed an agitated sigh.

"It's... Just something silly I whipped up, I imagine someone on the baritone or bass end of the spectrum singing it," Berri rushed messily, bashfully. She could tell by the look of rising, sassy glee in Wren's eye that he was about to unload on her.

"Well, you know I'm not baritone or bass... And neither is Gunner," Wren grumbled as he raised his eyebrows and looked over the sheet music for a minute, though he squinted and beamed a curious smile into the papers, "Bear, you... You actually WROTE this? When were you going to tell Gunner?"

"I was going to surprise him with it, once it was all finished, but I have to practice it, so please help me," Berri suddenly rushed as she sloped her guitar over her front and took the position, and although she was expecting Wren to set the sheet music on his keyboard and begin sight-reading the nonsense, he cocked an eyebrow and gave her a loving, teasing smile.

"... These lyrics don't sound like a love song directed at Gunner, of all people," Wren stated coyly, though the look of gentle inquisition in his eyes told Berri that he was a safe spot for any impending confessions to be had, "You, uh... SURE Turbo's not supposed to sing this song with you? Or some other imaginary guy that maybe would fit this bill?"

"You think Bo's going to get his sorry ass out of Orion City, get on a stage in front of thousands and sing a song with me?" Berri choked, though she grimaced as a small crowd of stage crew began to bustle on by the two. She sunk into herself and quieted her conversation, "Not only would Turbo whole-heartidly disagree, I'm pretty sure Gunner would have my head."

"Hmm, well..." Wren shook his head and gave Berri a floored look of total delight, he gently splayed the sheet music on his keyboard, like Berri had been wanting, and gently placed his fingers over the proper keys, "Methinks you should stop messing around and just admit this song isn't meant for Gunner's eyes..."

"I just... Want to practice it, is all," Berri started to show signs of becoming flustered, she shook her head and heaved a shaky breath of regret. She long-blinked in a rise of sorrow and looked off, as if maybe she was certain that just practicing this song in secrecy would've been better. How desperately she had been trying to keep the idea of her and Turbo under wraps, now quickly back-fired on her with the look of frozen-solid suspicion in Wren's eyes. Berri nervously gripped the neck of her guitar and bashfully started to carry on, her demeanor visibly shrunk, "I-It's... I-I want to sort of surprise Gunner with it, maybe I can sing it at the end of one of our shows, y'know?"

Wren furrowed his eyebrows and peered down at the lyrics, gently written, ladened with love and urgency, Wren felt his heart sag in understanding. Although he was typically one to bark teasing notions at Berri, he finally peeled his eyes from the soft lyrics and peered to Berri in a roll of warmth. Berri's nervous, agitated blue eyes held tight to Wren's, as if to promise that this maybe stayed between them, and although she had already done herself a disservice by opening up to Theo, however trustworthy he was, the look of regret in her eye was palpable. Wren was certain she was back tracking, and although he wanted to pounce on her and get answers, he read the lyrics and could easily see where Berri's heart was. In a roll of further tenderness, Wren gently eased the sheet music to his keyboard, cleared his throat and cocked an eyebrow down to the mess of chicken scratch before him.

"'Here and Now' by a Ms. Berri Schweetz Kalivar," Wren delivered smoothly, he paused for a second and peered to Berri in cheeky delight, his eyes merely glanced to the pick around her neck, the one that read the same exact words as the title of her adorable love song.

"...Y-You think Gunner would let me sing it?" Berri nearly whispered in almost defeated urgency, as if she had maybe a shred of hope, the only thing she could hold onto; Wren choked a quiet chuckle, shook his head and looked down.

"... No, I don't think he'd let you, Bub," Wren mumbled in soft apology, he peered to Berri in soft desperation, "I-It wouldn't hurt to ask, but I don't think it's wise to spring this on him in the middle of a show... E-Especially with THESE kinds of lyrics."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Berri frowned in genuine concern, Wren picked up the sheet music in tenderness and waved it around a little.

"Berri... These are the prettiest, most thoughtful lyrics," Wren stated in warm confidence, he shook his head and scanned the page for a minute, "Bear, any fan of Gunner's would know, from a million miles away, that he didn't write this. Not only the fact that he didn't WRITE this, but the fact that this song doesn't fit Archived Chaos' genre, nor... Is this song even FOR Gunner. This is such a world of difference, and... Well..."

"It's... Fine, Wren, I just..." Berri staggered her words and was now used to feeling thwarted, though Wren shook his head and narrowed his gaze.

"This song is for Turbo, Bear," Wren completed warmly, he looked as if this sentiment was extremely bittersweet, "I'm not stupid... This is a love song for Turbo. Here and now? That's your guys' thing, your own inside joke... Sentiment. Although it'd be so awesome to see you play and sing this on stage, it just... Would be such a shame this incredible work of art goes to Gunner."

With her gaze aimlessly on her feet, she felt her skin prickle with Wren's words. With raised eyebrows, Berri peered up into Wren's eyes in soft, startled understanding. Wren urgently peered to her and softly shook his head, as if he was forevermore going to show his fierce loyalty to their first, original foursome, one that included Turbo and excluded Gunner. Wren huffed a shaky breath, looked off and grinned a nervous smile as he continued on.

"Ah, screw it, Bear... It wouldn't just be a shame, it'd be a crime. If you don't give this song to Turbo, it'd, well..." Wren adjusted his glasses on his nose and sighed in mild defeat, "I know I wouldn't be the only one disappointed."

"M-My goal was to play it on stage, to Gunner, but..." Berri grimaced and was thrilled their conversation was on the down low. She shrugged and gave Wren a nervous look of almost regretful scheming, "Hope to User that... Turbo maybe would catch the show on tv, and... He'd hear."

"I think that's something you need to play FOR him, in person, Bear," Wren cautioned, Berri sighed and looked off in rising dismay.

"If he ever leaves the game, then maybe," Berri muttered, "I wanted it to be a production, y'know... Complete with you and Theo."

"Is that why you want me to practice this with you?" Wren wondered tenderly, he scanned the lyrics in a lazy fashion, a silent form of admiring.

"Yeah," Berri sighed in defeat as she sagged her shoulders, "I-I... I know we already have all of our original songs to worry about, as well as... Deleters from other stations, and... Not to mention, getting too close to the wifi router."

"... Wait, what does the router have to do with anything?" Wren wondered nervously, Berri's eyes pierced his with knowledge.

"Well, my dad got wind that the router is plugged in to Arcadia Station," Berri warned in softness, "I-I'm nervous for our last show, because, well... It's LITERALLY one outlet away from where the deleters are coming from."

"Well, if Turbo isn't a hot topic for the tour in it's entirety, then I don't know who is," Wren mumbled, he gently splayed Berri's sheet music and prepared, once more, to maybe begin picking at it on his keyboard, "We have thirteen shows to practice this song, then, Bear... Maybe just debut it at the very end, our concert inside Arcadia will be our final, so in order to maybe not jeopardize the rest of the tour, we should maybe reveal it THERE."

"I thought you said I should play it to Turbo and Turbo only?" Berri wondered in mild confusion, though Wren shook his head and gestured his hands out to the sheet music.

"Well, clearly the only way you're going to play this to Turbo AND do it in an arena is by hoping that Turbo catches our last show, on tv, by some stroke of User," Wren rushed with a soft chuckle, he gestured to his chest and shook his head, "CLEARLY you and I need to have a heart to heart, shortly, but... If you want to do this, we have to do this fast, and secretly."

Berri smiled in softness and felt her heart begin to race in excitement, she was well aware Wren was the first to call anyone out on their shit, though she was also aware he was one of her rides or die. She scoffed a small laugh, scuffed her foot on the concrete underneath her and gently gripped the neck of her guitar.

"I can always count on you, Wren," Berri chimed warmly, "I appreciate your help... I hope Gunner won't be too upset."

"Well, maybe just ask if you can sing it at Arcadia, then," Wren shrugged, "The worst that can happen is he'd say no... But, then when Arcadia comes, we can just surprise the pants off of him and he won't know what hit him. The crowd will go nuts, we'll maybe get signed for more arenas and more games, Turbo will hopefully see it... It's a win win win."

"We have two months to really perfect this song, before Arcadia," Berri staggered nervously, "Y'think we can make it in time?"

"Considering we're going to be WITH Gunner for the next two to three months straight, I'd... Venture to say we'll make it by the skin of our teeth," Wren warned in gentle apprehension, though the twinkle in his eye proved to Berri that he was on board for the wild ride, "But that's what makes life interesting, then, I guess."