Reviews :

JaySketchin : Let the pranks begin! LOL

Snake557 : True, very true.

Burgie : Yeah, Throttle definitely has it easy, compared to Orph, unfortunately.


Song Listened To :

Feeling of Falling by Cheat Codes Kim Petras


*Chapter 134*

In the kind swish of her brilliant blue hair, the gentle, loving gloss of gratitude she overflowed her team's security with, sunlight glinted onto her gorgeous bare shoulders in kisses of freckles and beams through EZ Living's forever-summer leaves. Dressed in an adorable, goldenrod dress with dainty straps and an elegant flare that swished from her knees, her lazy beach sandals softly slapped against the glorious span of outdoor tiles that lined Gunner's palace of a mansion. Prepared for a lazy day with Gunner, and no one else, Berri kindly welcomed herself into Gunner's home, knowing full-well that he was to be expecting her sometime soon. With brave steps forward, Berri gingerly clutched the precious sheet music, the infamous song that she had secretly wrote for Turbo, though she'd never tell. Her eyes nervously scanned up to the sunny arches of Gunner's warm home, filled to the brim with natural light, though as she eased out of the larger, quiet foyer and down a certain corridor that lead to the home's main kitchen and living room, she furrowed her brow in tender confusion and could hear mild bickering between Bedgy and Gunner.

In a gentle, hesitant peak about the soft bend of Gunner's beige walls, she caught eyes with Bedgy's figure first, her agile like hops, on her owl talons, were cute in the bounds of gentle bobs she could afford to keep up with Gunner's urgent pacing; he was on the phone, an entirely disgruntled look on his face. Although now nervous to step out and inquire just what was going on, Berri made herself present, which was first noticed by Bedgy. Bedgy perked up a little and fluttered onto the kitchen's very large sprawl of an island and counter, easily a ten by fifteen slap of marble that was half-littered with paperwork of all sorts, a messy show of a promised lazy day now turned to work and anxiety. Bedgy's claws clacked to the marble as she nearly lost a few feathers in her urgent flapping, though before Berri could speak up, Bedgy shook her head and hooked her inquisitive grey eyes to Berri's.

"We're... Having a bit of a crisis," Bedgy muttered in nervousness, though she shrugged and gestured her beautiful wings, a little, "There's... Good and bad news."

"... What's the bad news?" Berri wondered in a grimace, and though Gunner noticed her presence and gave her a gentle wave, he returned to his glower of entire irritation and suddenly began to firmly argue with whoever was on the other end of said urgent phone call; Berri flinched and felt her heart sink in a spike of terror, the whole fact that Gunner's behavior, here, was something she didn't recognize in him, whatsoever.

"Pong pulled out for the next four shows on our tour," Bedgy stated in whole sorrow, to which Berri sagged her shoulders and slumped her fragile sheet music to her upper thigh in defeat. She gave Bedgy a look of terrified desperation, though before Berri could open her mouth and plea for a shred of hope in this situation, Bedgy shook her head and rushed to Berri's aid, "Fortunately, there are four venues in Dig Dug that have gladly picked us up."

"Oh... Phew," Berri sighed in nervous relief, though she cocked an eyebrow as Gunner's voice suddenly raised, though as the walls rattled, Gunner almost shot Berri and Bedgy a sheepish look of mild guilt before trailing closer to the mouth of the corridor Berri just entered into. Berri furrowed her brows and gave the back of Gunner's head a very displeased look of disappointment, though she finally brought her eyes back to Bedgy, "I guess... It'll be cool to poke around Dig Dug."

"Beyond the game play, it's an open-world format very similar to EZ Living, fortunately," Bedgy looked hopeful, and although Gunner's conversing calmed a bit, his tone was still unsettled and unpredictable.

"As opposed to Pong's dark and dreary atmosphere, huh," Berri wondered in soft curiosity, though she shrugged and gave Bedgy a cute smile, "I thought that game was way too old to have layers beyond the game's screen."

"No, it has a bit of cityscape behind it, but..." Bedgy trailed off in a sagging look of defeat, "They pulled out because they were worried about the amount of foot traffic in and out of their outlet. Such an old game has to really consider just the amount of power it can handle."

"They didn't think about that before signing on with us?" Berri wondered sharply, now beginning to feel the dregs of Gunner's frustration, she gestured towards where Gunner laid off to and shook her head, "Surely we're out a ton of money, right now, right? Is that why Cranky Kong, here, is about to light the house on fire?"

"Yeah, he's... Currently in the middle of damage control," Bedgy grimaced as Gunner's phone call began to wind down; he urgently continued to mutter conclusory telephone phrases, as if to hurriedly try and get off of the phone, complete with boyish, immature hand gestures of suggesting this conversation should be sped along and finished very shortly.

"Tour is in a few days," Berri started in a rise of tender nervousness, she shook her head as Bedgy cooed her a few notions of calming, though as Gunner finally got off the phone and came back to both girls, Berri's urgent gaze peered to Gunner's, and though she had her sheet music carefully tucked under her arm, she had momentarily forgotten about it, "Is everything going to be okay?"

"I'm sure it'll be fine, I have... A zillion calls to make," Gunner huffed in whole agitation, and though he had his phone unlocked and ready for his furious typing, he softly averted his gaze to the sheet music under Berri's arm and took note of said object, so to bring the topic up shortly. He shook his head and gave Berri an apologetic look, "I know you came over to relax, babe, but... I don't think it's going to happen, today."

"That's okay, is there something I can do to help out?" Berri rushed confidently as she gestured her hand to Bedgy and Gunner, himself, though she flinched the second Bedgy softly took flight across the massive room and began to head out.

"I'm going to go speak with security, real quick, about all this," Bedgy called in a flurry, "This changes everything."

"I-I'm glad Dig Dug picked us up, I'm sure that'll be fun," Berri stated confidently, though Gunner aimlessly nodded as he began to urgently type away, to whom, Berri had no clue.

"Yeah, it's... Similar to EZ Living, lots of sand, lots of cool beaches," Gunner pressed in disinterest, though he glowered his phone down and only glanced in Berri's direction, "Dammit, this... Isn't what we need just days before heading out."

"Seriously, I can... Help out, in any way," Berri urged gently, she tried to ease her disposition so to bring settle to the both of them, she gently stepped closer to Gunner and reached a soft hand for his, "I'm positive my parents could even help figure something out."

"They don't even like me, I doubt that'd go over well," Gunner muttered in irritated defeat, though Berri halted her movement for his hand and furrowed her eyebrows.

"... Don't like you?" Berri pressed in a gentle rise of now brewing agitation, though Gunner shot her an apologetic look and sagged his shoulders.

"I-I'm sorry baby, I'm just stressed out," Gunner eased nervously, and although he looked over Berri's adorable, beautiful outfit in a subtly eyeing way, he skipped over any complimentary phrases and sagged right into the sheet music under her arm, "What's... What's that?"

"Oh, it's... Some of my music," Berri pressed as carefully as she could, she knew the topic of singing any of her songs, on stage, were touchy, so she tip toed around the idea and prayed Gunner would at least be open to hearing what she had to say. She bravely began to unravel her sheet music, the love song she had secretly wrote for Turbo, though she gave Gunner her warm eye contact and smiled in whole innocence, "I... I figured maybe after we settle everything with Dig Dug and Pong, we can head to the studio and I can show you what I have, so far."

"... What are your intentions, here, Bear?" Gunner prod softly and carefully, he sagged his shoulders, and although he gave her his full attention it was authoritative, parental, disapproving.

"To... Show you some of my own talent, to maybe bounce ideas off of one another?" Berri stated in a tone that was becoming strong and sharp, she furrowed her eyebrows and almost dared to give Gunner a dirty look, "I just want to hang out with you and create with you. Is that too much to ask?"

"No, Bear, no... I'm really sorry, I'm just... So on edge," Gunner stated in nervous defeat as he only barely glanced down to her sheet music, gentle pieces of paper she had begun to fold back up and tuck into her safety, "Can we maybe do this tomorrow? I don't want the prospect of new music, right in the middle of touring, and this whole issue with Pong. It's just too much to wrap my mind around."

"... I understand," Berri bobbed a nod in soft disappointment, though she concealed her heart just a little more and gave him a wary look of becoming resentful. Gunner pleadingly looked into her eyes and gestured to his phone as he began to slowly step away.

"I'm going to go make a few calls, now, Bear... You can hang here, you're always welcome, you know that," Gunner assured as kindly as he could, he began to dial a certain number and step away for good as Berri remained motionless at his kitchen island, "I'll come back and check on you in a few minutes. Maybe we can do dinner, later. I can have a runner go get pizza from that one shop on the pier, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember," Berri stated in now cold defeat with a small nod and a fake, little smile she was certain Gunner could sense wasn't genuine.

"Love you, be back soon," Gunner pressed sweetly, and although Berri wasn't on the terminology of returning the dreaded L word back to Gunner, he vanished before she could even have the opportunity to reply, had that been her desire.

Berri looked across Gunner's sunny, lovely home and held her breath in the sting. The more time went on, the more instances arose, the more difficult scenarios came about, assured Berri she had definitely made the wrong choice. She exhaled a shaky breath and nervously re-opened her sheet music. A burning, fun love song to the one man she was desperate for, though she would never reveal the extent of it to anyone, she furrowed her eyebrows and could feel the split beginning to impose on their plans. She finally peered to the empty archway, where Gunner had escaped to, and wondered just what kind of damage she'd end up doing if she broke up with Gunner mid-tour. She inhaled a shaky breath and contemplated her next move, just what kind of sincere apology would arise from Gunner, if any at all. She knew this was a difficult time for the band, though with the prospects of fresh, new venues lined up on the horizon, she felt the nagging feeling that maybe the guy she had prematurely fallen for wasn't up to her maturity level. As she began to softly and quietly sneak out of Gunner's house, so to return back to Sugar Rush, she tightly concealed the action of reaching out to the one individual she was well aware would easily meet her where she was at; she promised herself that escaping back to her tower, for a day of silence and self care, was the new plan on the horizon, and if Gunner wanted anything to do with it, he'd have to stick his neck out.

Upon teleporting to Sugar Rush's palace's main teleportation pad, she heaved an annoyed sigh and pressed into her mother's and father's quiet, pristine palace. With the prospects of game day currently happening, she was well aware the palace's kitchen was likely either vacant or only briefly holding a few straggling souls, here and there. As Sugar Rush's spring time was in full swing, the sun was high and warm in beams of lovely light into the palace's kitchen. Berri's plan was to nose about the palace's main fridge, a hot spot for shared goodies and delicious treats brought in potluck style every time the royal family had massive get-togethers, though as she sagged into the kitchen, she felt her pupils tighten at the raw sight of the two bodies near the kitchen's main, large hearth. Turbo's deep voice so tenderly and patiently explained to Lash just where everyone lived, just how life around here worked, just who cooked the best meals right at the very hearth they hovered over, and though Berri held her breath and was certain she could back-step and leave the kitchen without being seen, she gently gave the back of Lash's head a nervous look, from across the way, and wondered silently to herself; if Turbo could trust this incredibly misunderstood being, Berri felt as if she had no choice but to trust Lash as well. The itching desire to get inside of his mind and pick at his brain overrode the desire to slink back into the shadows.