Reviews :
faolan1230 : Aww, :( Wow. thank you so much. I'm really glad all you guys have rallied around me for so long, and kept me going with all the positive and lovely reviews. It really motivates me to keep going, and I'm honored to have lovely friends, such as yourself! Thank you, again!
Song Listened To :
We'll Be Alright by Travie McCoy
My Gun by Tove Lo
*Chapter 158*
"The acoustics in here are AMAZINNNNG" Wren suddenly yelled, loud in a held note of a perfect tone; the four were alive with energy inside Turbo's glow of a code room, and although the city below was twinkling against the stark, black, nighttime sky, Turbo's typically dim code room was fully lit in a bright, radiant beam of warmth.
"Flawlessly designed," Turbo's deep voice pressed into a nearby microphone, the glass of his code room nearly bevelled with the hefty loft of bass his voice provided. Turbo cocked an eyebrow and shot Berri a sweet smile, "By Queen Tessa herself."
"You think she just KNEW you were a singing, guitar playing maniac?" Berri wondered as she flicked her long blue hair over her shoulder and adjusted her favorite lime green guitar over her chest, the strap dug between her breasts in a cheeky show of flirty power she knew she so easily held over Turbo. She shot him a coy smile and shrugged her bare shoulders, "Or just plain coincidence?"
"Who knows," Turbo grumbled as he leaned away from the mic and heaved a satisfied sigh, he eyed each of his friends and gestured his hands outwards, "I've been DREAMING of a jam session like this, you guys."
"I really don't know why you didn't speak up sooner, my guy," Wren mumbled as he took his huge, over-ear headphones off and gently set them to the sound board he was comfortably lounged at. He swirled on his spin-stool and beamed Turbo a cheeky smile, "Look, I didn't want to say anything, but you know, full well, our contract is ending with Gunner."
"For User's sakes, you want ME to join you guys on stage," Turbo muttered with a wide, almost incredulous smile, though Berri raised her eyebrows in gentle, hopeful desire and side-eyed Turbo in curious wondering, though she deflated the second Turbo rolled his eyes and finally gave Wren a cheeky look of detest, "I'd be gunned down immediately."
"By Gunner? Or," Theo trailed in sarcastic curiosity.
"Hey, offer still stands, you heard it here first," Wren raised his hands, to which Theo gently set down his drum sticks and got to his feet.
"Yeah, man, you and Berri could sing together," Theo encouraged lovingly as he gestured to Berri with a sweet smile, "Or you could trade off-"
"Let's table it, Teddy," Berri stabbed with whole, agitated annoyance, though she so cleverly laced it with a sweet smile and a small shake of cute disapproval, it was clear to every man before her that she was easily masking a brewing problem, underneath her peachy skin, though she shrugged in nonchalance and gently set her guitar in a nearby stand. She took a few steps closer to all three boys and was careful not to trip over haphazardous chords strewn about, a mess that proved their jam session was entirely impromptu, "I'm getting hungry, quite frankly."
"I'm also out of coffee," Theo mumbled as he jostled around his large, empty iced cup from Sugarbucks, in which everyone urgently shot him annoyed smiles.
"Teddy, Sugarbucks is closed and that is your THIRD cold brew today," Wren stabbed with a hard laugh, to which everyone eagerly smiled, "I'm sorry, but we're cutting you off."
"Whyyy, you give them money they give you coffee," Theo playfully whined, and though Berri and Wren opened their mouths to protest, Turbo gestured to Theo and chuckled.
"C'mon, get the poor boy some more coffee," Turbo pleaded cutely, Theo's emerald eyes lit up in Turbo's direction.
"Guys, I got Turbo Black on my side, sorry, end of discussion," Theo rushed as he crossed his large wrecking arms and stood up straight, "He's the end all, I require coffee."
"Uh, sorry, THIS one is the end all," Wren staggered as he gestured his thumb in Berri's direction, "She has higher stature over Turbo."
"Yeah, not for long," Theo muttered through the grit of his teeth, to which Berri gaped in whole annoyance; before she could loudly retort in full, Turbo flagged his arms and blurt a hard chuckle as he stepped deeper into their circle.
"Alright, alright, why don't we... I don't know..." Turbo looked about in quick contemplation and shrugged, "Get some coffee and something to eat at Kiki-Market, come back, maybe go for a swim, jam out some more..."
"Kiki-Market, I forgot all about that place," Wren cooed in soft surprise as he lit up, to which Theo furrowed his brow in confusion.
"The one by the palace closes at ten... It's almost midnight," Theo mumbled, though Turbo cocked an eyebrow and waggled his finger.
"There's one off Tamiami Trail that's open twenty four seven," Turbo rushed in sly knowing as he beamed Theo a cute smile, "Guys, this is my city. Anything you want. It's yours."
"Alright, well then why don't we leave now, and YOU drive us there," Wren started, though Turbo snapped his fingers.
"Done," Turbo cutely concluded.
"... In your Lumos," Wren finished with a sneaky smile and a side-eye; Berri and Theo raised their eyebrows in anticipation and watched as Turbo's demeanor sank.
"... Undone," Turbo retracted, to which Berri and Theo blurt out into hard laughter, though Wren sagged his shoulders in irritation.
"I was MEANING to ask you about that," Theo pointed in Turbo's direction.
"Yeah, same," Berri chimed in sweet, girly annoyance with a shoulder shrug to boot. She gave Turbo a knowing look and shook her head, "You're suddenly best friends with everyone in town and somehow forget to tell us you own one of the most luxurious, fastest, street-legal sports car in Arcade? Y'just... Kinda forgot about it, then?"
"I call shot gun," Wren called, to which Berri and Theo gaped and loudly began to argue him.
"HOLD IT," Turbo shouted as he held up his hands.
"He's my boyfriend," Berri muttered to Wren through the grit of her teeth.
"Yeah well he's my code-brother," Wren stabbed back.
"Just take me, leave these idiots here," Theo complained, all in good fun, he wildly flagged his hand in Berri's and Wren's direction and shook his head, "Easy!"
"Here's an easier solution," Turbo shrugged, "Sorry, not happening. I value the interior too much to let you monkeys inside of it. Sans Berri."
"WHAT?" Wren shrieked, to which Berri perked up and fluttered her eyelashes in Wren's direction; she topped it with a cute kiss she blew in Wren's direction, the final nail in the coffin, "Oh, kiss my ass, princess."
"So why don't you and I just go?" Berri cued in cute seductive girliness, she shrugged and knew her taunting only made Theo and Wren more uncomfortable, "Maybe get lost on the way home?"
"Barf," Theo bellowed.
"I will call Zed right now and... I'll..." Wren faltered on a threat, to which Berri ogled him in sarcastic terror.
"Oh NO, not my father! O-Or you'll WHAT?" She begged in further dripping sarcasm as she cupped her hands together, she quickly dropped it and shot Wren a dirty look of playfulness, "You could so much as tell him Turbo has me skinny dipping upstairs and he'd mute your notifications without blinking."
"On THAT note," Turbo squeaked as he raised his eyebrows and held two thumbs up, "We'll take my normal car! Congrats, you all get to keep your lives."
"Normal car," Wren spat in irritation as Theo eagerly tailed Turbo like a puppy, they all eventually moseyed to the glowing, readied teleport pad, "Oh, look at me, I'm Turbo, I'm secretly filthy rich and have a car for every occasion."
"List 'em," Turbo's deep voice dared as everyone piled onto the teleport pad, though as they were quickly whisked away and crammed into the smaller hallway of Turbo's main house, they softly squirmed in pushes and shoves before finally coming to normality.
"I've got my going out and driving car for doing nothing but going out and driving," Wren continued on in a pompous voice of full on brotherly teasing, everyone slowly sauntered into Turbo's warmly lit kitchen and began to lazily put on their shoes and light jackets, over their comfortable sweats and lazy clothes; an aura each person so easily donned. Wren upped the sass and pretended to flex his arm muscles, "I've got my MAN car for PICKING UP CHICKS."
"Man car," Turbo repeated dully, though he huffed a soft laugh as everyone eventually piled into Turbo's garage.
"I've got ten motorcycles, each a different color for my many moods," Wren spat in further irritation, all in good fun; Turbo's garage lights gently flickered on with a hum, and although Turbo's small garage was empty, Berri cocked an eyebrow and softly shot the back of Turbo's head a suspecting look, knowing, full well, all of Wren's sarcastic banter, about limitless vehicles, was probably not far from the truth.
"I have three," Turbo mumbled cutely, he desperately tried to remain humble, every single last shred of secrets he held on to were now beginning to unravel before his eyes; he hovered near the wall shared with the garage's side door, and with such, he cued a single screen and began to sort through a few options.
"I've got my Lumos... Or DO I?" Wren choked with a wide smile as he eyed Berri and Theo, all three beings hugged the wall Turbo was on due to uncertainty; they were well aware Turbo was going to simply materialize in whichever vehicle he chose, something that would require a wide berth, "Maybe it's all just RUSE."
"Yes, it's all fake," Turbo mumbled with a small nod, "I just have one go-kart we'll have to pile in. Turbotastic."
The group loudly laughed at Turbo's infectious humor. Berri cocked an eyebrow and softly let Wren carry on in banter, though as she gently slid her gaze to Turbo's positioning and kept quiet, she held her breath and watched as Turbo sifted through a few options, on the smaller screen he hovered near. His fierce, golden eyes hooked to what he was doing in full concentration, though he skillfully kept up with Wren's quips with cute little mumbles and small nods, his plump, dark grey lips curled into a few handsome, cheeky smiles as Wren loudly pressed on. Berri hovered with baited breath, and just as she landed her eyes on the screen Turbo was on, she could see him sift through the few options of vehicles he had; her heart leaped clear out of her chest the second he scrolled past a smaller, gridded image of his gorgeous sports car, the infamous Lumos that was a hot topic. She averted her eyes back to Turbo and felt her heart thud, she wondered when she could bravely ask for a ride in it, if that were to be an option on another night where they were alone. Berri diligently tucked the idea away and promised herself she'd cough up the courage to ask Turbo about it, sometime in the future.
Everyone largely flinched the second Turbo easily materialized a vehicle square in the center of his humble garage, a buzz of electricity that easily popped the gorgeous beast of a machine into existence, and although it wasn't the fantasized-about Lumos, it still was a sleek, beautiful, expensive-looking black car that held tight to the ground. Dangerously fast looking, crowned with gorgeous, glassy grey headlights and a tint that was nearly as black as the car itself, everyone raised their eyebrows in unadulterated surprise and choked into shocked silence. Berri bugged her eyes and clutched her chest in a spike of bewilderment and quickly looked back at Turbo, though he raised his eyebrows in almost dewy, nervous surprise.
"... Not good enough?" Turbo worried innocently, though everyone choked surprised laughter.
"Not GOOD enough?" Theo barked, "How much is Uncle Zed paying you?!"
"See why I don't like talking about it?" Turbo pressed in now rising, bashful irritation, though everyone almost apprehensively pushed closer to the pristine, seemingly untouched vehicle, "I don't want to be treated differently because of it. I spoil myself with cars, my hobby and, what used to be my livelihood. Otherwise, I do what I can to live within my means."
"Wow, Bo, this is incredible," Berri chimed in soft, unmitigated surprise as she eased closer to the car's wide splay of an engine bay, her fingers delicately traced the sleek, aerodynamic curves of the hood as she looked down to her reflection in the flawless paint job, "You deserve these things, though... You work hard for it. Guys, my dad doesn't pay Turbo for nothing."
"Thank you," Turbo pressed warmly as he sagged his hands into the pockets of his favorite lazy sweats, he felt his heart begin to thud in nervousness, the raw fact that he has never once had passengers, save for Lash the one or two times they went out together.
"Again, I call shotgun, losers," Wren stabbed in a playfully mean tone as he began to press closer to the car, though Turbo stiffened and felt the whole desire to make clear just who was in charge of this adventure.
For the raw fact of wanting to cater to his friends, the desire to cater to the most important person in the group quickly overrode his desire to be entirely liked. Although lackadaisical for nearly everything in his life, he knew this predicament was his own doing, and the urge to keep an air of respect, all around, sat at the forefront of Turbo's every single move. Turbo hovered in frozen silence and immediately set an air upon the place, so palpable, everyone softly peered their curious attention to Turbo in hovering, expectant wait and allowed a twinge of delighted worry to soak the garage's still air.
"Wren, I think we should give the front seat to the lady present," Turbo's deep voice almost playfully lofted in Wren's direction in a wave of soft seriousness, something that halted Wren in his tracks.
"Fine," Wren sighed in innocent defeat as he slowly moseyed about the car and passed the front passenger seat door; he hovered by the back passenger seat's door and bashfully peered to everyone in a show of almost cute, embarrassed defeat.
"Aw, Wren, you can have it on the way home," Berri staggered in a warm, encouraging tone, to which Turbo bobbed a nod and peered to her, as if to suggest the decision was hers entirely.
"Why, so Turbo can hold my hand instead of yours?" Wren stabbed with a revived laugh, Berri sagged her shoulders and glossed her aimless gaze across the garage in a slump of irritation.
"Or thigh," Theo muttered, Berri gaped and felt her face get hot, though she flinched the second Turbo gingerly took her hand in his and began to slowly lead her to the front seat, about the engine of Turbo's glorious vehicle.
"C'monnn, let's hurry and get some goodies so we can come back and continue hanging out, I don't want this night to end," Turbo mumbled cutely as he came upon the door, gently opened it in a wide swing and politely let Berri inside, "Your Highness."
Berri raised her eyebrows in bashful surprise and carefully let herself into the car with a sit, and once she was entirely inside, Turbo softly shut her door and inhaled a deep, confident breath. He jolted the second he caught eyes with Wren, who expectantly awaited for his door to be opened, as well; his arms tightly crossed his chest, he cocked a blonde eyebrow and shot Turbo a cheeky smile alongside a shrug. Turbo grunted an irritated noise, firmly opened Wren's door, behind Berri's, and largely jostled Wren's shoulder about, which easily got a loud chuckle out of him whilst wiping the sassy look clean from his face. Turbo playfully grit his teeth and huffed Wren a loud, annoyed notion of tease.
"GET in the car, you freak house," Turbo stabbed, though he trailed with a chuckle as he shut Wren's door, upon seeing it was clear; Turbo was glad Theo let himself in, behind the driver's seat, and with swift footwork, Turbo finally made it to the driver's side and hopped in, "Alright, my dudes, we value the interior of this car, as well, so let's... Play nice."
"Wowww, leather interior, hand stitched craftsmanship, limousine tint, dim interior cup holder lights, even a screen on the back of the headrests," Wren listed, he waggled his eyebrows and tried to peer to Theo in the dark, only catching the splash of the garage light on his green hair and peachy skin of his face, "Whatcha got up there, Bear, a space ship?"
"Yes, a space ship and a whole entire Skittles machine," Berri quipped playfully, though she flinched in surprise the second Turbo simply pressed a button on the gorgeous, futuristic dash and the engine roared to life.
"OH, Skittles, put that on the list," Theo hissed in excitement.
Berri sagged into the comfortable, large seat and inhaled a deep, shaky breath. She raised an eyebrow and softly peered to Turbo as he skillfully pressed a few buttons, he exhaled a satisfied breath, to which Berri took note of the sly, anticipatory curl of his lips which broadened into a smaller smile that crowned his handsome face. His golden eyes intelligently glossed his dash and gages, all splayed with the same gorgeous, golden light his eyes emanated, Berri held her breath and felt her heart begin to pound with a rush of excitement she knew she had to desperately conceal. Although she was well aware she didn't know Turbo as well as she would like to, she continued to secretly peer to him in the sweep of exhilarating thoughts and feelings, knowing full well that this was all a lesson in looking for the sheer fact that Turbo was not verbally going to talk himself up. All in humble actions, Berri flinched in further, soft surprise as Turbo inhaled a deep breath and skillfully used his incredible gamer powers to warp the gang to the small alcove of an entrance at the very bottom of his tower, a familiar back alley Berri was beginning to enjoy being in.
"Alright my guys, and my lovely lady, I got three rules," Turbo's deep voice pressed, Berri eased a knowing smile and eyed Turbo as she relished in all of this lovely confidence he radiated, she gladly soaked in all of it, knowing full well that she would happily drown in it if need be, "Rule number one... If you shit your pants in my car, you're responsible for cleaning it up."
"... Wait WHAT?" Wren huffed nervously, though Theo howled with laughter as Turbo skillfully shifted gears and eased on the gas. With the tight turn out of the deep, dark alcove, he carefully eased into the dimly lit alley way behind his building and in between the neighboring sky scraper.
"Rule number two," Turbo listed confidently, his lovely, golden glowing eyes softly glanced into Berri's eyes in a show of coy, seductive goodness, though tame enough for Wren and Theo to easily miss; Berri could swear her heart was in her throat as Turbo pressed a little harder on the gas and shifted the manual transmission to correction once, "You have TWO, count 'em, TWO designated 'oh shit' handles nearby. Source them, hold them, love them, know them well."
"I-I don't like where this is going, let me out, LET ME OUT," Wren barked sarcastically, though Berri suddenly blurt a hard laugh the second both her and Turbo could hear Wren and Theo scrounging for said handles in the backseat, aptly placed above each of their windows and in the nook of their respective door handles.
"It was nice knowing you, Wren," Theo dramatically whined through a soft laugh, and though Berri joined in, she flinched in gentle surprise the second Turbo skillfully rolled to the gape of the alley way and stopped in preparation to melt into the city's still hectic, nighttime traffic.
"What's rule number three?" Wren squeaked in playful terror as Turbo eased the car to a stop.
Patiently awaiting a gap in the stillness, Turbo warmly sagged his hand from the idly shaking ball of his stick shift to the gentle curve of Berri's lower left thigh, just above her knee. In poised stillness, Berri raised her eyebrow and softly glanced her gaze down to her lap as her heart urgently did what it could to climb up her throat and out of her body. She tightly held her breath and relished in the feeling of Turbo's broad, strong, masculine hand that so tenderly and bravely held her knee, an idle show of giving just a kiss of love in a situation where his hand was temporarily free. In the fifteen seconds he hovered in a gentle show of love, Berri adamantly allowed his boldness, though just as she was maybe about to ease her hand on top of his and assure that said physical touch was desired, he softly removed his hand, firmly grappled the gear shift, pushed on the clutch and finally began to ease out into cleared traffic. Berri could practically see the glower of a scheming smile from the light emanating his eyes, alone.
"Don't forget to breathe," Turbo sneakily mumbled with a cute smile, and although Berri was prepared for his speed-demon tendencies and braced herself accordingly, she was floored that Wren and Theo now had a legitimate back seat to this nonsense. Turbo's deep voice pressed a warm, reverberating conclusion before the engine of his incredible car took over, "Enjoy your flight."
