Reviews :
Burgie : Yes! I'm excited to finally write about it :D Hopefully you guys enjoy.
faolan1230 : LMAO I'm glad you guys got a laugh outta that xD I had a ton of fun writing the previous chapter. Wren is the sassy gay friend everyone needs in their life.
Song Listened To :
Myself by Bazzi
*Chapter 160*
Although not used often, Zed did whatever he could to hold occasional palace meetings inside the one stronghold the palace held its roots tight to; Sugar Rush's Great Hall shone in all of it's nighttime beauty, the glorious chandeliers twinkled against the polished, nearly mirror-like light brown tiles underneath. Zed's firm footsteps head across the massive place, he knew he was late for said meeting of the minds, though he was glad the group waited up for him. He inhaled a deep, nervous breath and in the minute walk it took to cross the incredible, majestic beauty of the palace's Great Hall, he felt hesitancy in his footsteps. A roll of nervousness the second his eyes glossed to the figureheads above him, predecessors that he still considered higher royalty, Ralph, Vanellope, Taffyta and Rancis lounged amidst the Great Hall's gorgeous sprawl of a meeting area. Amongst them was Ace, Tessa and Libby, and although Zed felt comfort wash over him, he almost tripped over his own feet the second he saw Wren amidst the group, warmly chatting with Taffyta.
"Sorry I'm late," Zed's deep voice glossed the group, a large, haphazard strew of organized chaos about the seating area's luxurious sweeps of dark cushioned couches and ottomans, a lazy sprawl of nighttime goodness underneath the Great Hall's welcoming glow.
Zed's silver coding licked about in a wig of certainty as he pressed into the skillful dome of silence Tessa had laid over the group, an easy bubble of coming and going, though no sound could be heard outside of it. Zed smiled at Tessa's handiwork and was thrilled that, if there were to be any stragglers passing through the Great Hall, their palace meeting would be confidential. Zed was thrilled all lazy conversation came to the gentle drum of a halt and all eyes were on Sugar Rush's King. Although not nearly his first or second rodeo, with these palace meetings, Zed inhaled a shaky breath and felt a wiggle of weirdness come over him with the very notion that Wren was included, here, in this rather sensitive and extremely confidential meeting. He cocked an eyebrow and tried not to seem too pushy or critical, though he gave Wren his gentle, hesitant eye contact and just barely shook his head in warm confusion.
"Wren, I... I didn't know you'd be coming to this meeting," Zed started, he huffed a nervous chuckle and confusedly glanced into Rancis's eyes for answers, "This... Conversation is sort of, well... Sensitive, it involves Berri."
"Right, and I'll be damned if I'm not the one designing Berri's wedding dress," Wren stated with great zest, a dollop of cheeky sass only really he and Taffyta could get away with; this was proven with the wide smile of approval Taffyta immediately donned.
"O-oh, he knows," Zed staggered with a widening, nervous smile, to which Ralph raised his hand a little.
"KNOWS?" Ralph choked with a small laugh, he gestured to Wren's dewy point on the map and eased a small smile, "Mr. Game Ender promised Wren a position at his right hand."
Zed raised his eyebrows in dewy, collected surprise and held his breath. As him and Wren caught eyes, he very quickly understood that this conversation was slipping away from him. He choked a small laugh and shook his head, "Well, damn. The guy moves fast."
"I don't think Turbo immediately planned on telling me about him and Berri, but..." Wren narrowed his gaze and cheekily looked off, "He kind of spoiled it when he was showing us how far along he had come with his powers. Not only did we teleport to your work room, where he called you dad, but our next few stops, after that, was Ralph's and Vanellope's cross stripe tree."
"Also dubbed, wedding ring tree," Vanellope chimed as she raised a finger, the group roused into soft laughter.
"Poor guy," Libby huffed sweetly as she held her hand to her cheek, her and Tessa shared a side-eye of cute, apologetic, bittersweet notions.
"Turbo promised to have you as his right hand man," Zed stated with a bob of a nod as he sagged his hands into his pockets, he gave Wren a sweet smile down to his sitting figure, he remained standing while everyone else eagerly looked on from their comfortable positions. He smiled into Wren's eyes, a capable young man with a whole wealth of knowledge and wit under his belt, and although his soul still held a solid about of naivety, Zed inhaled a deep breath and was well aware experience here, inside these meetings, alongside his father, was key. Zed gestured to Rancis and gave Wren a teasing smile, "Y'got the perfect mentor, for that kinda thing, bud."
"You guys can appoint whichever guy to have at your right hand," Rancis's voice deeply pressed in a volley of seasoned, well deserved cockiness, "But I will forever and always be the official right hand man."
"That's true. You can also have more than one, like with my two, Rancis and Turbo," Zed pointed gently and gave Rancis a kind smile full of gratitude, though he sagged his hands back into his faded grey jean's pockets and bobbed a soft nod as he eagerly held everyone's attentions, "I'm glad you guys all could make it here, to this meeting, on such short notice... And, Wren, I'm glad you're here, too. We could use your perspective on this."
"Where do we start?" Ace's soft and sweet voice chimed in, he raised his thick, dark blue eyebrows and peered to his father for guidance, "Surely, we're not worried about Turbo proving himself, any longer..."
"The kid's got a different field of legwork to travel, now," Ralph grumbled, although not particularly excited about all this, he still hovered in baited wait next to Vanellope.
"As we all know, Turbo pulled a handful of us aside, a few days ago, and very bravely asked for Berri's hand in marriage, now that they're officially together in courtship. I think that... We need to start at the root of this. We know Turbo well... He's a hermit, before he knew Berri, he didn't come down from that tower for SHIT," Zed spat with a hiss of a laugh, this caused the group to lighten with an equal fervor of laughter. Zed chuckled and held his hand to his chest, "I don't think we need to be concerned with Turbo wanting to simply be King and snatch Sugar Rush away."
"He's got a third of the code room in his possession," Tessa mumbled knowingly, she shrugged and glanced her attention in her mother's and father's direction, the only two beings here that were quiet with likely secretive worry, "He could easily wrestle it away from us, has had MANY opportunities. It's been... A long road of relinquishing trust, to him, but..."
"Every time we were proven that Turbo was genuinely here to help, it was easier to warm up to leaving him in charge of bigger, scarier things," Zed bobbed a nod in Tessa's direction, a gentle wave of agreeing between the two ultimate heads.
"I think Turbo and Berri have their own little issues to work out, but otherwise," Zed shrugged, puffed his cheeks in an act of holding his breath and finally popped it with an exhale of exasperated, sweet defeat, "I'm... Not sure if it's naive of me, but, I adore the guy. He treats Berri with a world of respect, he keeps her grounded, I never thought my own right hand man would end up potentially being my son-in-law."
"List the cons," Vanellope quietly snipped from the depths of her seemingly brewing confusion, she pierced her hazel eyes into Zed's with whole authority, something Zed knew he needed to challenge, here, as politely as he could.
"List the cons of Turbo marrying my daughter?" Zed stated with his chest, bravery he so easily exuded, and with his choice words, Vanellope eased a small, nervous smile and shrugged.
"Zed... I'm not here to make your life hard. We were wary of a bad guy marrying OUR daughter, and it all turned out splendid," Vanellope cooed, she could tell a show of arms was due to present itself eventually, she was well aware she needed to extinguish even the idea of any started fires, "I'm not worried about Turbo, my love... I don't know Turbo as well as say you, or Tessa, or especially Wren, and I know in my heart that man would treat Berri to a world of well-seasoned love."
Everyone warmly nodded, though they kept their nervous eyes gripped to Sugar Rush's previous Queen in baited wait.
"I'm worried about the lost boy he's taken under his wing," Vanellope darkly continued, "Turbo has a heart of gold. He's proven he's here for Sugar Rush, and I truly do believe that man would make a fantastic King. He already does a solid amount for the game, and it's been REALLY hard to wrap my mind around the fact that Turbo, of all people, has a shred of MY code room... But..."
Zed swallowed and furrowed his bright blue brows in tender nervousness, he was well aware this wasn't a battle for Turbo's winning colors, but more for the notion if Lash behaved himself. Zed bobbed a small nod as the group fell nervously silent, he looked down and off to the Great Hall's gorgeous, glistening tiles, Vanellope's wise, gentle voice glossed over Zed's figure like the cloak of a ghost, a chilly embrace of cold, hard truth.
"So long as him and Lash are tightly woven into each other's pasts, and apparently futures, there's going to be trouble," Vanellope cautioned, Zed finally gave her his electric blue eye contact and sighed a long, hot sigh through his nose, "Turbo needs to understand that asking to be added to Sugar Rush's small group of Princes comes with a price. It means distancing himself from gamers that could have harrowing plans for Sugar Rush."
"We know what Lash is capable of," Ace's deep voice pressed in a wary tone, he cocked an eyebrow and glanced to his mother, "He... He'll just... Delete people, without thinking twice."
Tessa huffed a long sigh through her nose and lulled her eyes closed; it was here did Vanellope skillfully lay a reality check over the group, something they definitely needed.
"So, what do we suggest, then," Zed started in a second wind of confidence. He bobbed a nod, inhaled a deep breath and glossed his energetic eyes about the group. He knew he was the core of this kingdom's success, which started with just who he passed responsibility off to, "I can instruct Turbo to keep his relationship with Lash separate from his work, or... We can... Very easily keep Lash on this dumbed down vow of rights, he has, and let him loose."
"Neither is wise, dad," Libby chimed in with warm urgency as she raised her little hand and inhaled a shaky breath; everyone raised their eyebrows and softly peered to Libby in sharp curiosity, to which she diligently carried on the second she had Zed's full, concerned eye contact, "Lash is the resentful type... You isolate him, or dumb him down, and he will eventually turn on you. He's the kind of individual that, unfortunately, needs to be nurtured through his struggles and his... Fumbling inability to come to grips with reality. Leave him in the dust, and, well..."
"... C'mon, you saw how he handled Turbo always winning," Rancis's grumbly voice ushered in lazy, knowing, nonchalance.
"That guy does not like to be labelled an afterthought," Vanellope urged through a nervous giggle as she shrugged, she fixed her black hair in a tuck behind her cute ears, and though she gave Zed a toothy, youthful smile, her eyes sharply stabbed his with Queenly caution, "I'm warning you, Zed... I've been around the track more times than anyone, here, 'cept maybe Libby..."
"If there's any beings here that have the sharpest intuition, here, when it comes to Lash, it's Libby, mom and Wren," Tessa wisely appointed, though Zed furrowed his eyebrows in warm confusion and peered to Wren in a stark switch up of genuine bewilderment.
"Hi, currently swimming in TurboTime coding and a wealth of knowledge, how yah doin'," Wren stated in a sassy tone as he waggled his fingers.
"Boy, just give us the information," Taffyta stifled a small laugh and nudged Wren's shoulder.
"I... Can't speak from experience, and I obviously don't know Lash personally, but from the memories and decades of information Throttle has given to me, I... I think Libby is right," Wren warmly navigated with a great deal of dolloped maturity, a card he was very smart with, something he pulled out in times of detriment, something that immediately held the attention of the crowd he was in, "Aunt Vanellope is right to be worried, that guy is a bit of a wild card, but Libby is right when it comes to handling him. He shouldn't be left for isolation, or left to his own devices... He's the last person we should try to forget about. Telling Turbo to distance himself from Lash will only make Turbo sad, and Lash vengeful."
"He's already got the shortest fuse of anyone in this entire Arcade," Ace muttered through the grit of his teeth.
"I was just recently with him and Turbo," Wren laid his hand to his broad chest and shook his head, "He's... WILDLY misunderstood. Turbo did himself a service by attempting to come to grips with himself, in all those lost years. Lash took the hit, Lash is the one dealing with the largest amount of grief and emotional trauma."
"Lash did what he could to protect Turbo, he hid him away," Libby pressed softly, almost pleadingly, "He had to be strong for Turbo... I'm sure all those stuffed emotions messes with one's psyche."
"Although Lash is tricky to navigate, I can see that spark of honesty in his eyes," Wren stated in warm honesty, he long blinked and remained soft as Zed's shivering orbs held tight to Turbo's future go-to guy, someone Zed now had to quickly appoint as well, even if it was just a mental exercise for now, "It's going to take a lot of coddling... But we CAN'T push him away. It will surely be Sugar Rush's eventual downfall."
"It's probably what Lash wants, though," Zed challenged nervously, "For Turbo to marry into royalty, the palace gains a new King eventually, and once Turbo has his hand in EVERYTHING, there's Lash... Whispering in his ear."
"Then you don't know Turbo like I do," Wren gently defended as he shook his head, "I know Turbo would NEVER betray you guys. I know he'd make sure Lash was kept a safe distance away, but not to the point where he's shut out. Lash needs to feel important, and, I'm sorry... But after thirty years of maybe NOT feeling important, shouldn't we be catering to him?"
"Catering to him?" Vanellope furrowed her eyebrows, though she flinched the second Wren stabbed his almost authoritative eyes straight into his aunt's, something that had Vanellope reeling.
"That man deleted my mother and unborn sister," Ace hurried to defend, the group began to show signs of getting unforgiving and riled.
"Haven't we been over all of this?" Wren argued with fervor, something Rancis now cued to in the form of a cocked eyebrow and a side-eye of almost smiling, scheming surprise.
"How do we know he can even be trusted?" Zed stated firmly, though everyone largely flinched the second Wren sharply stood up.
Everyone urgently fell silent in a quick quip of held breath as Wren firmly dug his now full-challenge gaze straight into Zed's, and although he was well aware the King had the high ground no matter what, Wren still furrowed his brow and gave Zed a look of almost pleading urgency.
"Why don't you ask the man you assigned to your right hand?" Wren darkly wondered, his figure stood strong, he gently shook his head as Zed raised his eyebrows in soft, sorrowful surprise, as if to collect his thoughts in bewildered nervousness, "You can trust Turbo and his judgement, right?"
"Wholly," Zed's deep voice concluded in soft defeat as he looked down a little, and although he stood his ground and exuded Sugar Rush's power, Wren gently took a step closer to Zed and sassily narrowed his gaze.
"Then, end of discussion," Wren softly ended above a whisper, though in the roll of eye contact that strung in a molten string of eventual disconnect, Wren firmly stepped away, eased out of Tessa's confidential, silver coded bubble of silence and confidently began to leave the group behind.
Zed raised his eyebrows and held his breath, and although he typically wasn't fond of being challenged, like such, he sagged his shoulders and exhaled a long, hot sigh of exasperated bewilderment. He softly peered to the dewy, prickled group about him, still frozen with Wren's outburst. Much more used to a cute, bubbly, sassy version of Wren, seeing a stronghold of walls and king's men come flying out of Wren's disposition was an almost delightful switch up of blossoming maturity, no matter if Zed's authority was mildly trampled on in the aftermath. Zed nervously peered to Rancis, a very important figurehead in the palace, still the top dog when it came to overseeing the safety of the group, Rancis bobbed Zed a small nod and heaved a chuckle, the first noise to come out of the group, once and for all.
"Well? You heard the man," Rancis barked a continued laugh, he grunted to a lazy stand and stretched, "What should we do for dinner?"
"Really?" Vanellope complained, to which Rancis turned around and began to show the same fervor that Wren was delivering, something that everyone now cautiously cued to.
"Hey, hey, I see where everyone's coming from," Rancis held his hands up, though he gave Vanellope a coy look of cute cheek and shook his head, "But, Wren's right. Zed can honestly say that he WHOLLY trusts Turbo and his judgement, all signs point North. End of discussion. There's not much to go with beyond that."
"I guess... It's just hard, we don't know Turbo all too well," Ralph mumbled as him and Vanellope caught eyes in well-deserved nervousness.
"Well, take it from me, I'm with the guy every single day," Rancis laid his hand on his chest and shrugged, "Not only that, but... So is Wren, whether it be physically or through close contact through the phone. Whenever I'm with Turbo, Wren's name is mentioned at least a dozen times. They're good buds... I think outside of Berri and Turbo's brothers, Wren is probably the closest to him."
"I trust that to be true, Turbo just needs to be more present" Vanellope eased as she crossed her arms and shrugged, to which Tessa also slowly stood and stretched in a lazy show of the group beginning to dissipate.
"I agree with you," Tessa mumbled, "The boy's come around a LOT more than he used to, but... I think that's maybe something that needs to be discussed with him."
"Zed, Rancis, Ace and I have a private meeting with him, this Sunday, about all of this," Ralph bobbed a nod and heaved a tired, raspy sigh as Vanellope honed her eyes to him for reassurance, "We'll iron everything out with him, them."
"Hot seat time," Rancis chimed as he rubbed his hands together in scheming eagerness, "I love me some good hazing."
"Boy don't you," Zed muttered as he side eyed Rancis with a nervous smile, "I remember our little pow-wow before I became King."
"Poor Zeddy boy now has a different perspective," Rancis grunted as he eased into Zed's presence, firmly pat the broad of Zed's chest and gave him a firm lug of a side hug both men adhered to with smiles and huffs of laughter, "Also pretty cool that my son has the ability to leave the King of Sugar Rush thwarted and speechless."
"I'm humble enough to admit defeat, Ranc," Zed mumbled in mild annoyance as the group began to stand and nervously chatter a bit, "Probably should... Clear the air with him, huh."
"Leave Wren alone for twenty four hours, trust me," Taffyta warned with a small giggle, "I learned that the hard way."
