Reviews :
Burgie : Aw I'm glad you feel that way. Thank you so much!
Snake557 : Aw, poor ol' Rancis doesn't have as many worries as he did back in Rectifying Origin. He used to be all bark and bite, but surely he's settled a bit. You'll see ^_^
Song Listened To :
Hurt Again by Julia Michaels
*Chapter 138*
In the stillness of Sugar Rush's crisp night, the gentle tap of Throttle's bare feet eased onto the soft, glossy patio, warmly lit with hanging twinkle lights and an atmosphere that hugged fireflies amidst the sweet grass below. With his hands nervously clenched inside his torn khaki's, Throttle gently pressed to Rancis's presence. His back was turned, he was leaned against the railing of the patio, his arms hugged himself as if to very secretly console, it was clear Rancis was lost in troubled thought and escaping the commotion, in the living room, was the only way to quiet the storm in his head. As non-intrusive as he could, Throttle cleared his throat and cocked an eyebrow as his glowing white gaze so gently sapped into Rancis's dark aura. Rancis's spine stiffened, he looked over his shoulder in prickled curiosity and gave Throttle a warm smile, nonetheless.
"Throttle," Rancis's deep voice chimed, he cleared his throat as well and returned his now warm gaze to the beautiful palace lot below, "I'm surprised you hadn't come out sooner. Such an introvert, as yourself, I was sure you'd be done with Orph, Penny and Wren long ago."
"I thought so too," Throttle agreed in a chuckle, though he immediately ate his words and realized just why he had so much more stamina for human interaction; Wren's extroverted coding gave him that much-needed amp of energy to socialize for far longer than he was used to. Because of this, Throttle nervously cleared his throat, again, hovered a few feet from Rancis's bigger, intimidating figure, Throttle's now agitated eyes scanned the horizon for answers, "I-I guess... I just... H-have developed a sense of-"
"Wren?" Rancis smoothly finished, he cocked an eyebrow and gave Throttle a stern look so skillfully laden inside a cheeky, boyish side eye; Throttle heaved a trembling breath and felt the confident glow of his white eyes suddenly dip in returned agitation. Rancis huffed a deep chuckle, shook his head and allowed his weathered gaze to share the horizon with Throttle's, "I don't think I've ever seen either you or Wren smile so much. It's like you both slept with hangers in your mouths. I may be only programmed to skillfully race, but I've adopted a few skills, in my time."
"... Sir," Throttle started with the touch of terror in the back of his trembling voice box, he struggled to swallow.
"You... Don't need to do that," Rancis stated in soft defeat, he shook his head and gave Throttle a gentle smile, "I know what you came out here for, and quite frankly, I was hoping you'd be brave enough."
Throttle kept his mouth shut and was well aware that anything said, here, would be on the record. He stiffened and allowed Rancis's still demeanor to climb over his quivering soul. He struggled to swallow, once again, and scanned the ground near his feet, he raised his eyebrows in humble nervousness, he somehow was surprised that his feet were still being held to the planet by gravity.
"... I meant no disrespect," Throttle so tenderly assured, the depth of his voice coat over Rancis like an apology directly from a gloomy, fluffy cloud.
"I know you didn't," Rancis warmly volleyed with a shrug, he shook his head and completed his statement through a sigh, "I think I've been so used to justifying my past, present and future, that... My children were really the only things I had control of, while they were growing up. We raised them well... I keep forgetting to acknowledge that, in their great upbringing, they've learned a thing or two, from their parents."
Throttle remained still and patiently allowed Rancis to slowly unload, like what was subconsciously promised. Rancis finally stood up straighter and rolled his long sleeves to his elbows.
"They've picked well for themselves," Rancis warmly concluded, he gave Throttle a gentle smile of approval and shrugged, "I try not to pat myself on the back very often, but... I think I'd allow myself some cockiness, here."
"You deserve it," Throttle gently agreed inside of a warm grumble of cuteness.
"I can't make these hard decisions for my kids, I just have to trust that they'll make the right decisions that best suit them," Rancis pressed warmly, the crackle of his deep voice eased in almost well-deserved defeat, the softness of his gaze assured Throttle that the challenge of raising children has softened his bitey, sharp and on-edge exterior, "I was a bit wary of Orph, for a hot minute, there, but..."
"He's a good guy," Throttle assured with a nod, his gaze glossed to the glass patio doors; both him and Rancis watched as Orph urgently flailed his hands from the living room, obviously him, Penny and Wren were inside a riveting game of charades, everyone howled with laughter, equally muffled from the closed glass.
"He is," Rancis blurt a raspy chuckle and watched as everyone had a grand time from something so simple, though Rancis gently dragged his eyes to Throttle's still disposition and was able to sneak a good glance into his soul, as his eyes were averted. Throttle's tall, gangly figure stood tall and confident, the sap of wisdom and hurt in his eyes was enough to assure Rancis that he had both feet on the ground. Rancis bobbed a small nod and looked down to his feet in welcomed defeat, "And so are you."
Throttle raised his eyebrows a little and felt his heart begin to thud in almost concern. As him and Rancis grabbed eyes, Throttle nearly reeled at just how easy this all was. He wondered if Rancis's now softened heart, towards his children's choices in life, somehow had Throttle squeaking by with so much ease. He almost felt bad for the huge chore that Orph had to go through, and though he was well aware there was nowhere to go but up, from here, he knew not to take this for granted, or take this acceptance for full license. Throttle sagged his shoulders and looked down with humility.
"I'm honored you feel that way," Throttle eased, he returned his gaze to Rancis's confident, fatherly stare, "I promise to take good care of Wren. I won't let you down."
"No, I know you won't," Rancis's crackly voice assured in warmth, he bobbed a nod and looked out to Sugar Rush's delicious, still palace grounds, "The pros and cons of sinking your teeth into the royal family, and it's extended branches, are that you have a sea of camaraderie... Or, a sea of warriors that will go to the ends of Arcade to right wrongs."
Throttle held his breath and was well aware just what Rancis was insinuating, here. A skipped chapter of asking permission, Throttle was certain he had now jumped straight into the part where begging for forgiveness was nipping at his heels, something he was sure he skirted right by, though Rancis's dark stare pierced his soul like a black sword dipped in venom.
"You dodged me once," Rancis darkly pressed, though he held a cheeky air about himself, as if desperate to make clear to Throttle that he wasn't a threat, yet anyways, "We Fluggerbutters hold tight to tradition. If you want that man as your husband, you have to go through what Orph and I had to go through. You can't, and won't, side step me, there. Understand?"
"Yes, sir," Throttle meeped nervously, he bobbed a nod and felt as if he had now entered a chapter tangled in vines and thorns, the sun was nowhere to be found. He swallowed hard and almost felt scared, now, to ask questions, yet he somehow mustered the courage, "Y-You mean... Th-the taffy trees...?"
"Is that a conversation you'd like to have now?" Rancis wondered, sure of himself, he puffed his chest a little and gave Throttle an uncertain side-eye, "Are you prepared to ask Wren to marry you not days after swapping codes?"
"Oh, no, sir, I-I... I'm..." Throttle felt every ounce of new, garnered confidence now sap right out of the soles of his feet; Rancis shook his head and eased a gentle chuckle.
"Both of you boys have a LOT to learn about each other," Rancis assured with a nod, "Spend your time with Wren's coding. Really get to know him. You have the advantage of so many Arcade years over him, but he is still a doughy, cute little dude with fresh eyes and rosy cheeks. He needs you..."
"... And I need him," Throttle gently assured, he looked off and felt his veins tremble.
"You've saddled each other with this brand new, seemingly permanent commitment," Rancis eased, he eyed Throttle with understanding, "You boys can do what you will with it, for however long, but the second marriage is upon you, I better be the first person you hit up."
"Yes, sir," Throttle urgently agreed in the softness of his nervous breath, he peered to Rancis in concealed terror and was well aware that Rancis's original warm front was likely used simply to lure Throttle in and make him feel welcomed.
"You've slipped around me once," Rancis darkly pressed, still coyly laden with his boyish, cheeky demeanor, "Don't let it happen again, please. I've loosened my fist, but I'd like the respect of communication when it comes to my children. You've seen eons more of this Arcade than I have, but this is something only a parent would understand. Please do not run through my red lights."
"It won't happen again," Throttle assured gently, he shrugged and nervously looked down, "I-I doubt you want my excuses."
"I'd like to hear one," Rancis almost cockily pressed, to which Throttle raised his eyebrows in poised terror.
"W-Well, I... W-We... Just got swept into it, and..." Throttle felt his face heat up, "I-If I'm being honest, I didn't think about anyone but Wren and I. I consulted Turbo for the logistics of it all, but otherwise..."
"And he's not going to stop you and make you come talk to me, first, I get it," Rancis blurt a soft laugh and shrugged, "It happened with Penny and Orph. Granted, that's a different situation, I still am sensitive to being side-stepped."
"Sir, if I'm being honest," Throttle felt bravery flood him, he softened his gaze to Rancis and was praying that he would be susceptible to criticism, here, "You're hard to approach. I don't think it was the first thing I thought of, because, well... You're very intimidating. You've earned that, as a parent, but... You're gaining family. Are you not?"
Rancis softened and looked down in a sag of the sting, he sunk his hands into his pockets and finally bobbed a nod of understanding. He peered his humble eyes into Throttle and allowed the sting to turn into a lesson, he was well aware he had an air of dominance over the lot of everyone, on palace grounds, being at Zed's right hand. He looked off and allowed Throttle's comforting silence to assure to Rancis that Throttle was not here to now rapid-fire attack Rancis's short comings and insecurities.
"Taffyta tells me that, all the time," Rancis mumbled, "She always tells me to ease up. You know my past... You know it's been hard for me. Lash and Turbo took advantage of me and my coding. I've only just recently felt as if I could fully forgive Turbo, for that. I do have walls I need to just let come down, for good, you're... Not wrong."
"I entirely understand," Throttle assured with a small nod, he looked down to his hands and inhaled a deep breath, "I knew that going into all of this. I was aware there'd be soreness, somewhere. I'm just... Glad we could reach an understanding."
"Just keep me in mind, that's all I ask," Rancis stated in warm conclusion, and with the weight lifted, he gently reached his hand for a handshake and finally eked genuine warmth, "Welcome to the family, Tee. We're happy to have you."
"Thank you," Throttle softly pressed as he hurried to gently shake Rancis's strong hand, they gripped in a hold of understanding and smiled into each others eyes, and it was here to Throttle feel the figurative sunshine beam down on him, through the thinning of thorns, "I won't let you down."
Although Berri's blue eyes pierced the lovely, sunny sands of Dig Dug's adorably pixelated horizons, far off, she felt the gloom deep inside her heart. Through a heavy, dry sigh, she glossed her eyes to her phone, void of new messages. She felt a weird drape come over her shoulders, their luxurious tour bus pressed on in eager anticipation to arrive to their very first venue, inside Dig Dug. Somehow, the cheeriness of the sandy, beachy atmosphere mocked her, a sunny plow of joy and happiness that was ready to just drown her confused soul with every ounce of happiness it had to offer, somehow the prospect of previously sinking into Pong's dark atmosphere was something she deeply missed, even having never been before. She narrowed her annoyed glower through the blinding light, she tucked her fists into her black hoodie and held onto gloom for as long as she possibly could; that is until a particularly sunny individual plopped down across from her, at the table she sat at.
"You look like you could use a friend," Throttle pressed gently, the glisten of his glowing eyes looked healthier and happier; he wore a cozy pull over, laden with grey plaids and frayed draw strings. Berri's soft, dreary eyes peered to Throttle in a show of concealed desperation, and with this, Throttle froze and halted any of his energetic, sudden movements. Amidst the hover of contemplation, he finally took a slow stand, from his heavily plopped down position, and like a ghost, he drifted to Berri's side of the table and so softly lowered to a sit right next to Sugar Rush's princess. With great ease, his arm came about the tops of her shoulders and, with no hesitation in his movements, he tucked Berri into a soft side hug, "Welp... I'm glad my intuition didn't steer me wrong."
"Thank Wren for it, I guess," Berri mumbled into the side of Throttle's chest; she snuck a smile as she could feel Throttle's spine go stiff in discovery, she eased a groggy giggle into his warm plaids and lulled her eyes closed. Throttle sagged in smiling, annoyed defeat and squeezed Berri a little closer, "You guys aren't subtle... I was going to wait for one of you boys to give away the other, so I could congratulate you, but... I'm tired of waiting. Congratulations."
"Thank you," Throttle warmly concluded as he eased off of Berri's figure, though he hovered close, he knew, full well, her spirit was down, "We can talk about that later... Are... Are you okay?"
"I'm not really sure," Berri mumbled, the bus picked up speed as it kept course with the double-laned traffic amidst the sunny, sandy nothingness of Dig Dug's interior world, the energy of the game began to almost force her deeper into her shell, something unlike herself, she grimaced and knew that bottling everything wasn't wise, "I guess I was really looking forward to touring Pong. It's probably the only game, in our Arcade, that's closest to Tron's atmosphere."
"Dark and gloomy," Throttle bobbed a nod; deeper inside the tour bus, Gunner, Theo and Wren could be heard loudly laughing about something. Throttle's and Berri's warm, soft conversation remained tight in their little bubble of platonic, intimate love, "You seem like you're craving it, right now. I'm sure this sand and sun is jarring, then."
"It is," Berri sighed.
"How come you're wanting to get as close as you can to Tron's atmosphere?" Throttle innocently wondered, though the anxious twiddling in Berri's fingers slowly gained.
"N-No reason, I just..." Berri shook her head and shelled off, though her glassy blue eyes began to lightly well with tears, cuing Throttle to freeze in nervous anticipation, "Throttle, have... Have you ever craved something you've never had?"
"Y-You mean like..." Throttle trailed off and looked about in guessing, genuine concern, though the second he locked eyes with Berri's, he realized this was her begging to be prod, begging to be pried open like a book, he froze and peered into her shelled exterior. He held his breath and remained silent with her, for a few moments. Almost as if she was trying to telepathically convey something to him, begging him to just guess what was on her mind, and with as much bravery as he could, he long-blinked in the continued solitude of their fragile conversation and so tenderly carried on, "...Turbo?"
Berri looked down, and in the motion, a few tears quickly dot the glossy table they sat at. Throttle heaved a shaky sigh and looked out to Dig Dug's lovely atmosphere, which now began to show promises of an ocean, on the horizon, which included fluffy palm trees. Throttle lulled his eyes closed in realization and shook his head, as if to state that enough was enough, he reopened his eyes and gingerly tucked his finger underneath Berri's chin.
"Babe, he knows your pain... I assure you he feels the same way," Throttle quietly urged, "Why wait any longer? Why torture yourself, at this point?"
"It's between the greater of two evils," Berri complained, she sniffled and rubbed her nose a little. She wiped her eyes, though her glassy eyes promised more tears, "Either I'm with a guy I don't love who literally has it all, or... I'm with a guy I love that..."
"... Turbo DOES have it all, and you know it," Throttle bravely stepped in, he inhaled a trembling breath and felt bad for being bold, though he cocked an eyebrow at her and gave her a cheeky smile; he knew that he'd back his younger brother, at all costs, especially over something that could potentially be so beautiful, "He maybe needs a push and a shove, but... Bear, you have control over this."
"Throttle, please... Please don't tell anyone, but," Berri trailed off and checked her surroundings, just to make sure they were the only ones around, "I'm... I'm thinking of taking a break from Gunner."
"Really?" Throttle pressed in a weird lull of excitement and sorrow; he was well aware the two had worked hard to get to where they were, and even though it gave room for Berri to collect herself and move on, he knew it would bring his precious friend pain. Something he didn't want for anyone.
"I just... Don't know when would be a good time," Berri trailed off, to which Throttle shrugged and looked off.
"There will never be a good time," Throttle assured nervously, he tucked some of Berri's messy blue hair behind her ear and tilted his head down, so to catch her line of sight. He warmly peered into her soul and shrugged, "You... You seem confused, Bear. Methinks maybe you should just be single, for a little while."
"I've considered," Berri mumbled, she looked exhausted. She bobbed a nod and gently shrugged, "I just don't want to cause drama on tour. Maybe... I'll hold on for a few more days and see how it goes, but..."
"You're going to have to sit him down, sooner or later," Throttle eased, he tried to be a safe point of interest, for Berri, a neutral ground. He knew he was biased towards Turbo, and would do anything to make it so the two were glued together, for good, though he could see Berri's husk of a figure, he was well aware she needed to likely shell away and be alone for a little while, no matter how selfishly he wanted her and Turbo to be whisked away forever, "I know whatever choice you make, it will be the right one. And, I'm always here for you."
"Thanks, Tee," Berri mumbled, her voice was nasally and stopped up, she inhaled a reviving breath through her mouth and finally gave Throttle a meek, teary smile, "I'm... I'm really glad you come on our tours with us, now. It's nice to have someone disconnected from the stage, someone to download with, y'know?"
"I'll be your rock," Throttle assured with a nod, and with such, Berri eagerly sagged into Throttle's warm side hug, once more, though Throttle did whatever he could to squeeze Berri into a fuller embrace. He tucked his chin to the top of her head and watched the sun and sand whisk by, outside, the highway of brightly colored cars that eased in and out of lanes, he tightly held Berri to him and allowed her to nuzzle her warm face into his collar for comfort, "... Turbo would look good on you, though. Just saying."
"NO boy would look good on me, right now, Tee, I'm over it," Berri muttered through a teary giggle, "Why do you boys suck."
"Oh, I can't relate, I'm so sorry," Throttle blurt a soft laugh, though he squeezed Berri a little tighter and smiled the widest, sweetest smile into her blue hair.
"I'm really happy for you and Wren," Berri warmly assured into the base of Throttle's shoulder, she sagged into his familiar self and, with eyes closed, she promised herself that she could just remain here forever, in Throttle's brotherly comfort. She shook her head and felt as if being in Throttle's shoes were worlds away, "I'm sure it's a magical feeling, huh."
"It's unlike anything," Throttle humbly assured, he knew not to get way too ahead of himself, here, so not to seem as if he was rubbing dirt in Berri's gaping wound, "This isn't about me, though... This is about you."
"It's okay, Tee," Berri mumbled with a smile, "One day, maybe I'll be able to relate."
"... It better be because of Turbo's coding," Throttle sneakily muttered, to which Berri blurt an annoyed laugh and followed it with an exhausted sigh.
"Let's put a pin in it," Berri sweetly mumbled.
