Reviews :
Nikki Firesong : LOL! Yeah Berri... Definitely is Tessa's daughter. More is expanded on the subject matter, this chapter is a bit fluffier, so to balance the drama lol.
marinetanker97 : Thank you so much! I try to weave each story together seamlessly, even if it includes instances from two or three stories prior.
Snake557 : Thank you so much!
Song Listened To :
The Blinded Forest by Gareth Coker
*Chapter 126*
After extensive research, hours of heavy, seething pacing, the crop circles she broodingly carved into the thickets of her bedroom rug was only the beginning. Berri's now dry and poofy hair was awry atop her head, though a dainty show of cuteness she didn't ever dare show anyone, ever since the look of mild disdain Gunner had gifted her. Knowing full well that she had abandoned her items back at the recreational hall, long before she left the pool party for said explosive palace meeting, she bit her lip and hovered over her teleportation pad, in her bedroom. It so gingerly blipped a few silver options, and although this teleportation pad was not nearly as heavy duty or advanced as the main pad, or even the pad inside her mother's and father's home, she still could easily navigate about the palace. Highlighted near the top, underneath Turbo's shining, glimmering name, was the title of the recreational hall, where she had left her hoodie and bag of pool side toiletries and essentials; things she hardly got to use due to abandoning the hangout so early in.
Knowing that likely no one of concern would be inside the recreational hall at this hour, which was nearing one in the morning, she bravely eased her finger into the holographic, glowing recreational hall button and was easily zipped away. Although a building's length away from simply walking, she furrowed her brow in determination and was sure to be in and out in merely seconds flat. Upon entering the still, dim recreational hall, she widened her eyes and did everything she could to ease her pupils into the darker surroundings. The only lights casted across the near-mirror like reflections of the marble tiles were the few little kitchen and stove lights that warmly illuminated the place. Although only dregs of said smaller lights were casted into the larger living area, off deeper in the main, massive room, Berri inhaled a deep breath and began to make a b-line straight for her stuff, which was left untouched on the recliner she had previously seen it on. With a skip and a hop, she easily clutched her bag, ripped her hoodie off the armrest of the recliner and whirled around. In the urgent, silent, ballet-like hover she swiftly accomplished back to the teleportation pad, still hot, glowing and waiting for her escape, Berri suddenly heard a tender voice from the kitchen, a voice that startled and soothed her shocked, baited figure all in one go.
"Your highness," Her velvety voice so tenderly and deeply cooed, Berri halted her silent, bare footwork and peered her nearly terrified eyes straight for the being inside the depths of the kitchen.
Stood with her arms crossed in tenderness, Tessa hovered near the kitchen island and deep inside the bend of the glossy counters, all that twinkled with said soft kitchen lights. Berri's eyes hooked tight to her mother's, hazel orbs that held in a sheer amount of wisdom, a swathe of growth, of lessons learned, of life lived, Tessa's posture read entire stillness, as if absolutely nothing, furthermore, could rock her from her confident stance. Berri heaved a shaky breath and nearly felt the urge to shoot her mother a dirty look and press on, though somehow, she felt a string of camaraderie tie the two. As princess to her Queen, Berri held her breath and bookmarked said dirty look. Instead, she eased Tessa a knowing look of forlorn concern, as if she knew her actions, against Lash, were likely a bit overdone. Berri sagged her shoulders and eased out of her sneaky, tender-footed escape posture, and instead she gently began to skulk in Tessa's direction. Tessa's warm smile proved that she was thrilled that nasty, teenaged looks weren't lofted her way, both women more than ready to set foot into a more mature mother-daughter relationship. Tessa heaved a gentle chuckle and side eyed her daughter as she neared the round of the island, and with a tender shlep of Berri's things to the nearby barstool, Berri nearly eased a shy smile down to the island's glossy counter.
"Your Majesty," Berri replied in a reversal of warmth, something that had Tessa silent for a second, as if to wonder just what realm she was in; Tessa eventually huffed another chuckle and shook her head.
"I knew you'd eventually come back for your things... Those were some big statements you ushered, tonight," Tessa pressed tenderly, although she was sure that Berri could easily shell up and become thorny, due to the hot subject of Turbo, Tessa was further surprised to see Berri bob a nervous nod.
"I... Maybe could have avoided letting my wrecking do the talking," Berri mumbled in gentle sorrow, though she flinched as Tessa blurt a soft laugh.
"Ohh, I remember those days," Tessa eased with a loving grin, her eyes smiled with the show of her teeth as her and Berri relaxed in each other's presence, "I still struggle with it, but... You'll learn to curb the need to deck anyone that says something snide or mean, in your direction."
"Mom, how... How could you have just sat back and listened to everything that asshole was saying?" Berri hissed in bewildered, eye-narrowed nervousness as she shook her head, though Tessa eased tighter into Berri's presence, around the bend of the island, and was eager to feel the natural, deep waves of Berri's irresistibly blue ocean of hair. Although Tessa was well aware she could restrain herself, she allowed her larger hand to lovingly tuck Berri's messy hair behind her ear, whilst failing due to just how poofy and thick it was. Berri long-blinked in tenderness and allowed her mother's doting presence, "H-He... He called you a bitch like twice, I just... Why wasn't dad throwing the first swings?"
"Well, you were closest to Lash," Tessa blurt a gentler laugh and continued to lovingly tend to Berri's hair, "I had to eventually hold your dad back, but... Bear, that 'asshole' isn't thinking. I mean... Put yourself in his shoes."
"I... I couldn't even begin to imagine doing that," Berri stabbed in irritation, though Tessa cocked an eyebrow at her and gently shrugged.
"It's a part of being in charge, hun... You have to take yourself out of the equation, no matter what," Tessa urged gently, the two held close eye contact, "Lash has been through a lifetime of hurt, far deeper than we imagine. Hurt people hurt people... You have to understand that everything he says is his own version of self defense."
"You weren't hurt by anything he said?" Berri wondered in further, whispering surprise.
"Well, no... Cause none of it is true," Tessa shrugged, she eased a gentle laugh and finally released the urge to dote on Berri's lovely hair, "I saved his life because I saw goodness in him. Yeah, I shoved him in purgatory, and... Maybe it was my mistake to keep him there for this long, but... Now we know we can unbubble him and have it not go entirely wrong. I know that he's grateful he was spared. He's just upset because, well... He was in a massive time-out, and you know... That's never fun."
"I hated it," Berri mumbled, Tessa eased a small laugh and shook her head.
"Ohh, both you kids hated it, you'd give me dirty looks until the end of time, but... You came out of it alive," Tessa huffed with a smile, "You learned, you grew, it humbled you. I saved Lash because I saw the good buried deep. I saved Lash because I, too, love Turbo... Maybe, erm... Not in the way YOU do, but-"
"M-mom," Berri staggered with a nervous huff as she bashfully looked down to her hands, she shook her head and wanted to press on, "Th-that..."
"Wasn't just for show, Berri," Tessa urged quietly, a stern bite to her voice, she shook her head gently and gave Berri a sneaky, smiling side-eye, "Everyone in that room promised to keep what you said a secret, but... That was huge. Even after you left, Turbo still looked shellshocked."
"Yeah, right after we both promised to just strictly be friends," Berri muttered, her voice trembled, as if she was on the verge of tears, though just as Tessa opened her mouth to usher in some promising advice, the teleportation pad suddenly hummed to life, causing both girls to urgently peer over and see just who was on their way.
"It's not like I asked him to stupidly rearrange to User-damned game for my sake," Turbo stabbed in quiet irritation as him and Rancis firmly stepped off the pad and began to head for the deeper end of the rec hall. Turbo gestured outwards as both men lazily looked down, near their firm steps, "You think I would've allowed that had I known they were simply after me?"
"No, you'd probably just leave everything the way it was and just use a forcefield," Rancis barked in stumped irritation, "I mean, right? That's logical."
"Yeah, Lash is anything but," Turbo mumbled in annoyance, "He's sort of an all or nothing kind of guy..."
"O-Oh, sorry ladies," Rancis blurt in stumbling concern, though the second Rancis cued to the two not being alone, he firmly nudged Turbo's lower arm and halted their rush in attempts to reach the other end of the larger recreational hall.
"Quite alright," Tessa eased warmly as they came to a boot-scuffing halt, though it was here did Tessa see Turbo very nervously hook eyes with Berri, a reeling show of unadulterated surprise, as if he maybe was certain he wouldn't be seeing her anytime soon. Tessa eased Rancis a concerned, almost uncertain smile, and as he just barely shrugged and shot Tessa a look as if to question just what to do now in this sticky situation, Tessa cleared her throat and tried to maneuver this situation with as much delicacy as possible, "Rancis, I was just going to text you. You have Lash still bubbled, right?"
"Yes, ma'am, the code room is on a strict lock down while his code box is still out," Rancis rushed to assure, though as Tessa stepped around Berri and pressed closer to Rancis, she gingerly gave Turbo a small smile and pat his shoulder.
"Turbo, take the night off. You've been through enough tonight," Tessa instructed gently, though Turbo huffed a stagger of a noise and gestured to Rancis in mild concern.
"Y-Your Majesty," Turbo warmly pleaded, as if he was now entirely out of sorts with the raw fact that Tessa was skillfully leaving him and Berri all alone, in her's and Rancis's impending departure, "W-we were going to do that rework of the infrastructure of Lash's code box-"
"Rancis and I have it covered, Bo," Tessa cooed with a small laugh as Rancis hesitantly began to turn to follow his Queen, he shot Turbo a knowing look and gently shrugged, though he shot Berri a concerned smile and gingerly waved. The second Tessa's and Rancis's feet hit the teleport pad, Tessa eased a small giggle and gestured to Berri in a great amount of cheek, "She won't bite, love."
"Y-Your Majesty," Turbo staggered in nervous conclusion as both Tessa and Rancis were off, and in the painful stillness of Turbo's now alone presence with the love of his life, he glossed his nervous, golden eyes to the glints of marble tiles underneath his feet; in a gentle drag, he finally peered back to Berri in still rolling, heightened emotion.
Stood frozen in delicate surprise, Berri looked equally as confused and shocked as Turbo did, as if Tessa so skillfully wriggled her way out of this perfect situation, neither beings felt as if they could even be mad. Berri long-blinked in Turbo's direction in poised maturity, she wore a comfortable black t-shirt and faded, dark green sweats that hugged her bare ankles. Her beautiful, thick blue hair waved down her back and shoulders in a show of raw, natural beauty, the way the light cast about Berri's face, Turbo felt his breath catch, his heart stop. He was certain that this fragile moment of truth could either strengthen their promise of just remaining friends, or shatter it entirely. He held his breath and, for the life of him, he could not decide whether or not he should take the plunge, confess his feelings right back to her, simply brush it off and painfully continue on, Turbo gently turned to face her, and upon apprehensively sinking into her gravity, Berri beamed a bashful smile to her feet and shook her head.
"I may not bite, but I clearly will swing," Berri's voice shook, Turbo eagerly cued to her and now noticed a very rare, shy and nervous side of Berri, one that didn't arise often; Turbo furrowed his brow and slowed his roll, he took in every single last ounce of this rare and newfound show of emotion she emit.
"I don't blame you, I would've swung, too," Turbo's deep voice croaked, he pressed closer to her and wondered just how close he could get without her firmly reminding him of his lousy friends-only boundary.
"T-Turbo, I'm... I'm so..." Berri heaved a shaky breath and looked off, in the glow of Turbo's golden eyes, he could easily see big tears well in her darting gaze. It was here that said show of shy nervousness was a fragile front, something to thinly veil the fact that she was about to melt into a pool of sorrow. Turbo felt his heart race in anticipation, and although he bit his lip and fought himself on this uneven ground they kept side-stepping, he dared to press closer to her and was well aware she needed some tender loving care, no matter their status. Berri hiccuped a sweet noise of nervousness as she tried to collect herself, she carried on in high-pitched cuteness, "I-I... I did and said a lot that just... P-Probably confused you, and..."
"It's okay, Berri," Turbo huffed in conclusion, he shook his head and gave her a gentlemanly smile, and although he stood a foot from her, he still kept his hands to himself, for this small amount of biding time, though she now tearfully carried on, cascades of droplets that gathered at her chin as her demeanor crumpled.
"I-I couldn't let him keep saying those awful things about you, and... I-I didn't want you to... F-Find out that way," Berri eased in now full on tears that rolled down her cheeks, though she sagged in Turbo's warm grasp as his loving, gentle, masculine hands so carefully cupped both of her cheeks.
"You've done more for my emotional wellbeing than anyone in this Arcade has ever done," Turbo gently assured, and as the two hovered tight in their golden glow, Turbo hovered over her face in a swathe of combined, warm breath, the half-moon gaze of their twinkling string of enchantment, Turbo felt bittersweet sorrow sting his heart as he just barely hung on to the words he so desperately wanted to return to Berri, full heartedly, "You... You made me believe in love, again. That's something I never thought I'd ever get back..."
"You deserve it," Berri squeaked in teary, crumpling sorrow, and though she wanted to remind Turbo of their pact, this fragile moment, frozen in time, felt similar to a small cheat-day of a romance-fasting diet. Berri staggered a noise and tried to compose herself, though she sagged her hands to the broad of Turbo's lower chest and was well aware she was now sending him a whole swathe of green-light signals, "I don't care what happens, I'll... I-I'll always protect you. Even if it is from your own brother."
"He's just a dumbass, he always says mean stuff like that," Turbo assured through a soft, warm laugh into Berri's face, in which she beamed a nervous smile and relished in his closeness, the insane, intimate proximity they had, Berri lulled her eyes closed in gentle, nervous wait, as if to signal to Turbo that she was allowing her fragile guard to come down, this one last time. Turbo long-blinked in nervous, heart racing anticipatory readiness, fully aware that this was only going to further confuse the two, only going to further allow more cheats to happen, though his strong thumbs gingerly stroked her cheeks and wiped her tears away as he continued on in a whisper of a conclusion, "You were really brave, tonight, and... I-I'm not sure what I could do to show my utmost gratitude."
"Just one," Berri whispered, almost mouthed in silence, she fluttered her eyes open and was now a blushing, nearly smiling mess, and although the two were swathed in exhaustion and confusion from the chaos that previously ensued, Turbo blurt a silent chuckle on Berri's face and just barely shook his head, certain the two were a safe spot for each other's worries.
"As your friend, and loyal subject, I'm going to have to ensure that explicit, clearly given, concise consent and permission is stated and requested," Turbo droned on in the monotony of red tape the two now had to messily dance around, though Berri lulled her eyes closed and whispered a small plea.
"One last kiss," Berri quietly and shyly requested, she shook her head and silently pressed on in a quick rush of dainty nervousness, "A-As friends, clearly."
"Just friends," Turbo silently assured, though as he lulled his eyes closed, he warmly cupped Berri's face with a little more fervor and tucked in for what he was certain would be the last kiss Berri could even barely afford him.
Like a dying breath, the two melted into a gentle head-tilt of glimmering romance, a very clear show of an unending love that only was half verbally expressed, though with the way Turbo passionately hovered over Berri's needy figure, the deep inhale of her sweet scent, the furrow of his brows in a rise of bittersweet sorrow, Berri was entirely certain the two could easily cave in on each other and just agree to carry on in the trudges of secret romance, everything on the table, no matter how sticky of a mess it would eventually become. With the gentle stir of their hands, the scoop of Turbo's arms that now desperately tried to crawl about Berri's back in a cradle of passion, Berri did everything to keep her hands from raveling Turbo's neck as their kiss quickly intensified, though as quickly as it sparked with fire, the two eagerly sought to cut it to the quick. With a gentle smack of their lips, the exhale of warm, soft breaths on each other's faces, they finally pulled apart in a throat-clearing type of way, the unglue of romance that so desperately wanted to take hold. Turbo cleared his throat, tried to pry his eyes from the back of his skull and bashfully rubbed the back of his head, the two daintily caught strings of coy, nervous eye contact as Berri gingerly began to tidy her hair.
"Y-You, uh..." Berri heaved a shaky breath and smiled a bashful grin down to her feet, "I-I'm... Glad you got to see your brother again, even... Through the mess, y'know."
"Yeah, me too," Turbo sighed, he, too, looked delightfully out of sorts as he desperately straightened his shirt and cleared his throat, once more. He finally gave Berri a gentle smile and bobbed her a nod, "Th-that... Wrecking move, you did, was out of this world. H-How did you even accomplish that?"
"I-I... Wish I could tell you, I was just so angry," Berri mumbled in melting delight, though she tried to contain herself amidst the gentle allowance of love she was glad they afforded each other, she felt it nice that it didn't harbor any guilt, this time around; although they were smart to now entirely dodge any romance talk, Turbo side-eyed her in smiling curiosity and shrugged.
"... D-Did you really mean what you said, back there?" Turbo pressed sweetly, though Berri coyly walled up and gave him a confused smile.
"Back where?" Berri wondered in dark cheek, though Turbo furrowed his brow and began to grow flustered.
"I-In... The code room, when you... Y-You told Lash that you, well... Love..." Turbo desperately stepped into his words, though he halted the second Berri shook her head and shrugged.
"I made clear that said conversation wasn't to leave the code room," Berri sneakily and quietly demanded, and though she was serious in her words, she gave Turbo a cheeky look of mild victory, to which Turbo sagged his shoulders and exhaled a faltered, irritated breath.
"Your highness," Turbo eased in smiling, annoyed defeat.
"So," Berri chirped in collected cuteness, though she still sniffled from the tears she shed previously, "You... Have plans to unbubble Lash anytime again? Certainly Nox and Throttle want to see him."
"Yeah, I... I was going to tell Nox and Throttle the news, tonight," Turbo sighed, he looked off and shrugged, "Zed said I could unbubble Lash tomorrow, as long as he's there with us four Turbotime boys... I-It's gunna be weird."
"Wish I could be there for it, but..." Berri bobbed a nod of understanding and sagged her shoulders, "I'm sure Lash hates my guts..."
"I wouldn't say hates," Turbo choked a small laughed, "Scared of, is more like it."
Berri gave Turbo a warm smile of understanding, and as the two hovered in a gentle bout of silence, an easy, non-verbal conversation they always had on repeat, Berri bobbed a small nod and bashfully looked down to her feet in warm conclusion. She finally gave Turbo her shimmering eye contact and narrowed her gaze in a show of overflowing, bittersweet understanding.
"Thank you," Berri's womanly voice coat Turbo's ears with goodness as she pressed into her show of gratitude, "For... Everything. For understanding, for... Going back on your word, for even just a few seconds."
"Don't mention it," Turbo's deep voice concluded, though as him and Berri cheekily caught eyes, Berri held her breath and understood that this was simply a kind gesture and a firm statement, all in one easy loft of his velvety voice.
