Reviews :

Leafy : Thank you friend! I appreciate it. Lash can stand, he just can't really touch door handles or much of anything that isn't like a counter's surface or furniture. He can't really grab anything that he could use as a weapon, nor can he open or close doors. This isn't limited to sheet music that he shouldn't be nosing through :0)

Raven : I'll add it to the list! I have plenty of unfinished pieces of deleters... I just have to finish and post them.

Faolan1230 : Thank you so much! And, I'm so happy for you! That's awesome! I'll add your request to the list, though that's not really a scene in any of these chapters. I'll see if I can get around to it, that's a rather hefty request.

marinetanker97 : Hey, CONGRATS! You're my 500th reviewer :) You've won a full painting from me, from ANY scene in this whole story. You can PM your request or write it in a review. Thank you! :D


Song Listened To :

All I Believe In by Armadou Mariam The Magic Numbers


*Chapter 137*

"Looks like y'got a little bit of muscle, there, Tee," Taffyta teased through the grit of her teeth, she desperately reserved the urge to burst out laughing as Throttle did what he could to kneed the dough on the island's lovely counters.

"Oh, come on, I'm getting it," Throttle urgently complained, he shot Taffyta a wide, snark smile and wrinkled his nose as he locked his elbows and began to kneed the dough a little bit harder. He grunted and put more of his back into it, laughter from Taffyta's and Rancis's warmly lit living room resonated to the rest of the home, Penny, Orph and Wren were inside their own riveting conversation. Throttle nervously peered over to the three, from far across the gap, and was certain that the three were laughing at him, though much to his relief, they weren't, "These are gunna be the best damn cinnamon rolls Sugar Rush ever did see."

"You can say that again," Taffyta urged, she tucked her white hair behind her ears and began to mosey to the other side of the island.

Taffyta's and Rancis's abode was just as pristine and lovely as the palace grounds itself. Clad with a pearly white kitchen and a warm living space, donned with high ceilings and crown molding, Rancis's and Taffyta's bedroom was secretly tucked away in a dim nook of an entry way, secluded and private from the main part of the house. Upon entering, the first stop was a conservative mud and laundry room, as well as the mouth of the sprawling kitchen complete with gorgeous, stainless steel appliances, a kitchen fit for all of Taffyta's baking needs. With the far end of the home swathed with a floor to ceiling glass window, that overlooked the palace grounds, warm porch lights dot their balcony; although every racer had a very similar home, corridors that hugged Sugar Rush's code room, each home was unique and special. It catered to everyone's needs in different ways, and although a kitchen was obviously standard, Taffyta's and Rancis's was definitely the crown jewel of their home. Throttle heaved a shaky chuckle and brushed his black hair from his forehead, causing flour to freckle his white nose. Nearly going cross-eyed, he huffed a breath through his nose and began to swipe at the flour, though he only made the mess worse.

"For User's sake," Taffyta barked a giggle and urgently handed Throttle a clean, dry dish rag, she shook her head and watched as he properly cleaned his face, big smile and all, "I-I just need to get the cinnamon sugar, and we can cut the individual strips out, once you're done, there."

"Where do you get your cinnamon sugar from?" Throttle lazily inquired, file and files of Sugar Rush knowledge came flooding his circuits, gifts from Wren's coding that came bursting like bubbles. Without thinking, Throttle nonchalantly pressed on with a sweet smile on his face, his eyes were fixated on the chore underneath him, "Beard Papa's? Or... More organic fields out past Stonecrest's previous spot, by the gum drop mountains?"

Taffyta furrowed her eyebrows and gently reached into the cabinet, though upon gently grabbing the billowy white packaging, which securely housed Sugar Rush's most delicious cinnamon sugar, her blue eyes glossed the adorable little logo in stunned surprise. A much smaller, family owned factory far off by said gum drop mountains, Stonecrest's secret little slice of heaven. Hard to find and even harder to come by and remember, no less, Taffyta felt her circuits gently freeze in stunned wondering. In a gentle slide of smiling suspicion, Taffyta dragged her eyes to Throttle's disposition at her kitchen island. Although he was a rather gangly, skinny individual, he pumped at the dough and showed hint of muscles in his biceps. He bit his lower lip in whole concentration and had a more confident glow about him. The gentle pierce of his eyes held purpose, delight, ones that were typically shroud in gloominess and reserved stillness, he looked alive with the sun. Taffyta cocked an eyebrow and knew exactly what was going on, here, though with a sly smile and a gentle clack of her gorgeous white cabinets, she began to bring the cinnamon sugar over to Throttle in forced nonchalance.

"Oh yeah, I always get the best stuff... I mean, Beard Papa OBVIOUSLY makes some good ingredients for sweets, but," Taffyta shrugged and heaved a gentle sigh as she stood within a few feet of Throttle, she patiently waited for him to finish what he was doing, "There's also this really good place just across the sugar sea, uhg... User... WHAT is it called again..."

"Is it near Snowcap Lookout?" Throttle continued on, not even aware that this random Sugar Rush knowledge just so happened to be sitting on his brain stem, just waiting to be used, so generously gifted to him from Wren's sunny coding, Throttle shrugged and heaved a soft chuckle as he continued on, "I mean, obviously... It'd be probably in that same little town, there, but that definitely is really hidden away. Snowcap Lookout is on that secluded Northern ridge of that... Main island inside Sugar Sea, right?"

Taffyta cocked an eyebrow and gingerly crossed her arms, though as Throttle's firm gaze down into his craft eagerly soaked into an aimless show of entire dread, self-discovery, Throttle heaved a shaky breath and allowed his elbows to lazily buckle into a show of now reclusive terror. With messy, flour-covered hands, he stood up straight, removed himself from the crest of the island and urgently peered down into Taffyta's suspecting gaze, he could feel his heart nearly stop at the dead realization that he had so subtly and so sneakily given himself away without even thinking about it. Throttle gestured to himself, careful to not get flour on his shirt, and though he failed, he urgently peered about the kitchen and began to silently stammer on words, he grasped at the beginning of maybe three or four different sentences before Taffyta blurt a gentle, silent giggle and shook her head at him.

"Had a craving for peanut butter, there, didja?" Taffyta stated dully, though her scheming, cute grin of delight held the aura, in the kitchen, at a warm temperature.

Throttle sagged his shoulders, heaved a long sigh through his nose and looked off in entire defeat. He shook his head, finally, and peered back to Taffyta in a pleading way.

"W-We came over tonight to eventually tell you and Rancis, I-I... I wasn't wanting to keep something like this from you two," Throttle begged nervously, he urgently peered into Taffyta's scheming eyes and felt terror plague him, "I-I guess I just... I was going to... For User's sake."

"Therrre's the Throttle I previously knew," Taffyta blurt a soft laugh, although she wanted to jump for joy and show Throttle just how exciting this was, she stifled her feelings and allowed the air to calm between the two. She tilted her head in gentle understanding and peered into Throttle's nervous eyes, he was frozen in his spot, "I was wondering why you seemed so sure of yourself, all night. I mean, I typically would've had to show you how to do this, at least five times, before you gained the confidence to do it yourself. Let alone get your hands dirty, like such."

"Y'caught me," Throttle stated through a shaky sigh as he bashfully peered off, his face was nearly beet red, though he jolted in surprise as Taffyta warmly raveled Throttle's mid-section into a tight, loving hug. Throttle raises his eyebrows in surprise and gently peered down to the top of Taffyta's head, and although he wanted to return the hug, he refrained due to his hands being covered in sticky flour. He opened his mouth and stumbled on a few more words, "Y-You're not mad? I... I'm really sorry I didn't really consult you or Rancis, first."

"Hey, to be frank, it's really none of our business," Taffyta eased a small chuckle, and though she slowly peeled from Throttle's inviting aura, she remained close and peered her gentle eyes up to Throttle's wavering, fragile yet beaming soul, a ray of sunshine Taffyta was more than familiar with, "It's... Something Rancis has sort of struggled with, and, though it's nice to know just who our kid's coding is permanently going to, it's not our decision to make."

"I-I know, I just... Didn't want you two to think we were being disrespectful," Throttle worried softly, he frowned and shook his head, "I-It... Just all happened so fast, and... Well..."

"Welcome to the family, Tee," Taffyta stated low, in great warmth, the twinkle in her eye proved to Throttle that she was entirely floored with this installment, though continued to keep a low profile for the sake of Penny and Orph in the living room, she cocked an eyebrow and noticed Rancis was all by his lonesome on the balcony, far beyond the living room.

"Thank you," Throttle eased through a sigh and a small smile, "I... Didn't plan any of this, you know. I-I don't want you to think that just because I basically named Wren meant that I like... Cl-claimed him, or something."

"No, that thought never crossed my mind," Taffyta wrinkled her nose and gave Throttle a warm, sneaky smile and side-eye, "Though, now that you say something..."

"C'mon," Throttle complained with a pleading smile, "That's not the case."

"I'm teasing," Taffyta giggled, she swat at Throttle's shoulder and gently peered to the chatty group in the living room, "You should tell Penny and Orph. They'll be thrilled."

"I-I thought I was lucky gaining my brothers back," Throttle huffed with a new sense of purpose, he expanded his chest and softened with Taffyta's encouraging words, though as he brought his attention back to her and continued on, his confidence began to slip, "I-It's nice to have family, to feel as if you belong."

"Yes, well," Taffyta sighed and nervously glossed her eyes beyond the living room, though she finally brought her sharp and cheekily nervous gaze back to Throttle's, "The hardest part is yet to come. Rancis is a tough cookie, my love."

Throttle held his breath and shot his piercing, pixel-cubed gaze across the way with nervousness. He was well aware Rancis was likely going to be the one and only to stir a commotion and potentially drill Throttle over the raw facts of just what would happen to him if he were to mess up his relationship with Wren, though somehow the fact that he was harboring Wren's coding, permanently, still wasn't enough to shake the fear from his fresh circuits. Throttle flinched the second Taffyta lovingly pat Throttle's upper back, as if to kindly remind Throttle to get a move on; she handed him said clean dish towel and gestured to the lonely soul beyond the bickering nonsense in the living room.

"Like a band-aid, babe," Taffyta mumbled with a girly, knowing smile.


LashedOut : Your highness

LashedOut : GAH fuck you don't like that. Uh... Berri, sorry.

LashedOut : Am I doing this right? These aren't drafts or anything, are they?

LashedOut : I'm... I'm in a weird plane of purgatory, one where the phone that Zed gave me actually works.

LashedOut : It didn't work yesterday. Longest 24 hours of my life.

LashedOut : Turbo got it to work. That guy knows everything.

Frozen for nearly thirty seconds straight, Berri cocked in eyebrow in horrified surprise and watched as Lash's little messages continued to gently vibrate her phone. She finally opened her message app and saw the conversation as a whole, and although she was well aware this was likely Lash's way of reaching out and attempting to rebuild bridges that were so badly burned and destroyed, Berri felt a weird, second wave of hatred climb over her. The weird way Lash kept inquiring about Gunner, the almost digging trait that Lash contained, Berri was certain Lash was strictly put on Arcade to unearth dirt on everyone and use it as potential black mail. She grit her teeth, and just as she went to put Lash's messages on mute and lock her phone, one last message came through.

LashedOut : Look, I'm just messaging you to apologize. I shouldn't have been asking you about your boyfriend when turbotastic-loverboy has very obvious feelings for you. I guess you could say it was insensitive of me. I was more the brawn behind any operation Turbo and I had. You can clearly see that Turbo was the brains. So, yeah. Sorry.

Berri sagged her shoulders and softened a little, and although she desperately wanted to continue through the motion of indefinitely muting Lash and locking her phone for the evening, she heaved a long sigh through her nose and peered about her tower's dim, still kitchen and living area. Low ground lamps, that were merely on timers and strictly on for the sake of seeing in the dark, cast shadows from nearby houseplants onto the walls. Warm, dim lighting that only was about as bright as a few candles flickered in the dark, though somehow inviting atmosphere, her heart began to gently thud in uncertainty. A strange bout of camaraderie, with Lash, suddenly began to stir in the depths of her heart. A common denominator they both had for one certain individual, how distanced they both were to each other, Berri bit her lip and wondered if there was a shred of an opportunity to confide in TurboTime's most estranged good guy gone bad and back again. In the motion of heading outside to reset her tower's teleportation pad, she eased down the foyer's corridor and swung open her massive front door.

Upon stepping into Sugar Rush's clean, spring time air, her bare feet sank into the cold stepping stones that were in the process of being overgrown by sweet grass. As she approached her teleportation pad, she suddenly flinched in surprise as it warmly lit up and materialized an individual, right before her. She tucked her arms to her chest, took a step or two backwards and huffed a small noise to let this individual know that she was present. It being nighttime, the only light present was that of her small tower's porch light, the fireflies about the palace grounds and the stars above. Her heart jolted in uncertain surprise the second Turbo stepped off the pad, though he flinched in whole surprise and stabbed his surprised, golden eyes tight to Berri's disposition. He clutched his chest and let out a hard, shaky groan of a chuckle, to which Berri scrunched her shoulders and easily blurt an apologetic giggle.

"Guh, for User's sake, Bear, you scared the shit out of me," Turbo hissed as he scrunched his eyes closed and shook his head, as if to regain himself; Berri blurt a louder laugh and shook her head in further apology as Turbo peeled open his eyes and inhaled a refreshed breath, "What's going on? Whatcha doing out here?"

"I just was coming out here to reset the pad," Berri chimed in gentle conclusion as she gestured to the dimly glowing pad behind Turbo, she tucked her hair behind her ears and inhaled a long, trembling breath of trying to collect herself, "It... Was being a little problematic, earlier, and refused to send Wren and Throttle to the palace's main port."

"Oh, really?" Turbo wondered softly as he turned around and peered down to the now powered off pad, him and Berri stood side by side amidst the lovely, twinkling fire flies, "Well... I guess let me know if it gives you any more trouble, I can look into it."

"Will do," Berri bobbed a nod and inhaled a small breath, she looked about the palace's dim, lovely lot, all twinkled with fire flies, like stars that hovered and bobbed about the cool grass. The skies were clear and dark, void of the moon, though the glinting glow of the fireflies, as well as Turbo's familiar golden glowing eyes, gave Berri a sense of peace. She crossed her arms and now eyed Turbo in tender, reserved wondering, "You, uh... You come to our pad for any particular reason?"

"Oh, I... I-I was just... Going to return this to you," Turbo stated as delicately as he could, and as he pulled Berri's still folded sheet music from his back pocket, Berri's whole posture went as stiff as a board, as flush and as white as a ghost. Turbo rushed to carry on, to ease her now trembling, embarrassed worries, "I-I DIDN'T open it, I promise, I... I figured it was private."

"It is, thank you," Berri urged in concealed terror as she gently, though swiftly, snatched the sheet music from Turbo's hand. She urgently held it close to her chest and peered up into Turbo's eyes in whole nervousness; she assumed Turbo was telling the truth, though she felt her heart race and was now unsure just what to believe, "I'm... I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Turbo staggered with a nervous smile and a shrug, he shook his head and opened his mouth to continue, though Berri softly back-stepped away from him in a creeping, agitated kind of way.

"Gunner messaged me earlier, and... I guess our tour got bumped up, due to switching venues," Berri rushed to continue, she held her sheet music tight to her and peered to Turbo in soft apology, "We leave, well... First thing tomorrow."

"Oh, User," Turbo mumbled in sharp surprise as held his hand out for Berri, as if to silently beg her to return to him, he frowned and sagged his shoulders, "I... I had a surprise for you, I was going to show you the improvement of my powers, tomorrow... Man."

"Y-you've been practicing?" Berri wondered in poised surprise as she halted her footwork and kept about half a dozen feet from Turbo's still disposition.

"Yeah, of course," Turbo pleaded with a small smile, though he sighed and looked down to his feet. His glowing eyes honed in on a few fireflies by his feet, "I guess I can show you when you come back home. How long are you going to be gone?"

"Just a week," Berri shrugged, she gave Turbo a kind smile and remained still, "Sorry, I... I was in the middle of packing, Wren just texted me and reminded me to come hard-reset the pad before him and Throttle came home."

"No, it's fine, I'll... I'll leave you to it," Turbo gently assured as he inhaled a shaky breath and began to step back to the teleportation pad, though as it illuminated with his presence, Berri sagged her shoulders and looked off in contemplative nervousness. Turbo gently gestured his hand in aimless uncertainty and carried on, "Just... Lemme know when you get back home, and we can have a get together, or something. I-It can exclude Lash, if that makes you more comfortable."

"... I'll think about it," Berri assured with a smile, she could feel her phone buzz in her pocket; she knew Lash's ears were likely ringing.

"Bye, Bear," Turbo concluded warmly as the teleport pad's holographic display flickered awake, though before Turbo could press his finger into his destination, Berri's soft footsteps pressed forward with confidence and sought out one final goodbye-hug.

With certainty, Berri was quick to wrap her arms around Turbo's center, her face found the comfortable nook between the center of Turbo's broad chest. Without being obvious, she inhaled a deep, long breath through her nose, of Turbo's human scent. She fluttered her eyes closed in secretive desire and sagged deeper into his embrace as his strong arms came about her shoulders. He huffed a small, quiet chuckle and was well aware the illuminated teleport pad made so the two were hugging in near-broad daylight, out in the open; anyone catching glances out their windows would, without a doubt, see the sight of the both of them, and although this typically would make Turbo entirely uncomfortable, he sagged his disposition and tugged her deeper into his chest and embrace. He smiled down into the crown of her head and, with eyes lulled closed and a sneaky inhale for himself, he eased a secretive, prolonged kiss to the top of her head.

"Be careful, out there," Turbo gently pressed in conclusory warning, a sweet gesture of care, he squeezed her little shoulders in a tug of his strong, capable arms, "Promise?"

"Promise," Berri sighed, the two peeled from each other in a slow-motion drag of regret, though Berri smiled up into Turbo's eyes and finally began to step away.

"You know where to find me, lest your tour becomes too much to handle," Turbo assured with a nod, Berri beamed down to her feet and tucked her hair behind her ears.

"You'd be my first stop," Berri warmly affirmed, and with such, Turbo returned his attention to the teleport pad's holographic display.

"See yah, Blue," Turbo concluded warmly, and with a whisk, his hot red coding was off in a flash.

As the teleportation pad dimmed and powered down, Berri exhaled a long sigh, turned to head back to her tower, clutched her sheet music and quickly pulled her phone out of her pocket. She raised her eyebrows and peered down to the message Lash had sent.

LashedOut : Hopefully Turbo returned that sheet music of yours like he swore he would.

Berri huffed a small giggle, shook her head and was quick to reply.

Blue : He did, and... Thanks for everything you said. It's gunna be hard to forget everything you've done to me, my family, and my future kingdom, but... I forgive you.

LashedOut : Oh, good, User.

LashedOut : Look, I did a lot of shit, but I just wanted, well... idk.

Blue : Everything we all have now? Everything we have been fighting for?

LashedOut : Why don't you just... Tell me everything I've done that has upset you and we'll just go down the line and I'll explain myself. I'm not tired. I can do this for hours. I mean I did with Nox and Throttle and Turbo, and, well, clearly you're important, here

Berri blurt a small laugh and welcomed herself back into her home, and a she locked the main door and pressed deeper into her warm abode, she thumbed back to Lash's rapid-fire messages; she was well aware he had absolutely nothing else to do but to just text people.

Berri : You want me to tell you everything that you've done to piss me off? Really?

LashedOut : yeah yeah, just get it out.

Berri : Do you have two weeks?

LashedOut : VERY funny. I mean, yes, I do, so... Get typin' toots.

Berri eased yet another laugh and teleported herself to her bedroom; upon easing into her warm room, she furrowed her eyebrows at herself and was shocked that Lash was getting this much of a positive reaction out of her. She peered down to her phone in curious wondering, a strange spark of a friendship that was as easy as ever, the dynamic of all of the TurboTime boys was something she meshed well with, she fingered her lip and wondered if she should at least attempt to turn over this new leaf with Sugar Rush's previously hugest enemy. Although she knew to keep her guard up, she was thrilled to find that she felt the urge to continue the conversation with Lash, a potential safe spot with the one person that previously knew Turbo better than anyone in Arcade; she knew to tread lightly, though somehow, the promise of a beautiful friendship easily presented itself to her in the strangest way possible.