Reviews :
faolan1230 : Thank you! LOL Yeah we're really excited. And yes, Chester definitely deserves friend of the year award xD
Snake557 : Thank you!
*Chapter 181*
In gentle, quiet strums on her gorgeous, brand new, dark grey electric guitar, Berri so softly sung the few confident words of her's and Turbo's song. In an act to simply ease her nerves before such a huge show, she was glad she had gotten ready so quick. In the time to spare before hitting the stage, she sat in her large dressing room, lounged in her studio chair, with her beautiful, shiny guitar confidently draped over her lap and crossed leg, she almost was nervous for Gunner to potentially see her. How soon, and how quick, she had no clue, and although she took the risk, wore that outfit, crowned herself with that guitar, she bit her lip and wondered if she would potentially let Gunner steamroll over her, for their final show. Desperate to not think too hard on it, she continued to quietly strum away, her beautiful voice didn't dare press too loud, she sweetly sung her's and Turbo's words, knowing, full well, she was beyond eager to reconvene with Turbo tonight and lay all cards on the table.
Like clockwork, Berri inhaled a shaky breath and could hear Gunner's deep, broadened tone of a voice eagerly chatting with a few stage workers that urgently bustled about in preparation for the show. Although in a good mood, Berri could tell, in Gunner's tone, that he was anxious and on edge. She raised her blue eyebrows in delicate softness, knew she had to toss it all to the wind and not show a single shred of a care, and with her continuous, gentle strumming, she curled a sweet smile and quickly pressed on with her's and Turbo's honorable lyrics. As if timed, something she could guess at this point, Gunner tenderly knocked on her gaped, dressing room door and politely welcomed himself inside. A lovely, beautiful dressing room crowned with soft, homey floor lamps, Berri sat in front of her well-lit mirrored vanity, crowned with bright round bulbs, it kissed her peachy skin and blue hair with all the vividness Arcade had to offer, and although Gunner softened and opened his mouth to speak to her, he slowed his roll and took in her beauty, though with that, he swallowed hard and took note her outfit.
"Hey, love, we're... We're going on in a half an hour," Gunner pressed to her softly, and though he wanted to frantically wonder just why she had softened to such a gentle place of serene solitude, his heart tossed him mixed feelings. The urge to soak into her gravity and understand was now beginning to be overridden with the nervous draw of wondering just what she was singing, and how come it swayed from the stuff on their album.
"Okay, I'm all ready to go," Berri chimed a she held the strings of her guitar to silence the reverberation, she eyed Gunner in sweetness and prayed somehow, her blue, goo-goo eyes would keep him distracted long enough to where she could effortlessly get on stage without a fight.
"You, uh... Whatcha doing?" Gunner pressed, Berri could easily see him want to come unglued, though he scoffed her a sweet, apologetic smile and looked over her beautiful figure, "Berri, you're... Incredibly beautiful, you know that, right?"
"I appreciate that... I-I'm just... Fiddling with some random music, I'm trying to quell my nerves," Berri chimed gently, she lofted her fluffy blue lashes, as well as her divine, sweet eyes tight to the sheet music on the table out before her, she effortlessly turned the page and began to inspect just what said page had to offer, though she felt her face wash in hot guilt the second Gunner's sweet demeanor began to sag to authority.
"Babe, I can't... Let you go on stage looking like that," Gunner eased sorrowfully, though Berri felt her blood begin to want to boil.
"Please stop calling me that," Berri asked politely, though with the way she sat up, she exposed more of her beautiful guitar, something Gunner also cued to.
"Hey, what... Happened to the blue guitar you usually play with?" Gunner wondered in dumbfounded nervousness.
"... It was green, Gunn," Berri muttered, furthering the notion that he was too wrapped up in his own thoughts.
"C'mon, you can wear that, just... Please put this on over it," Gunner pressed kindly, and it was with said kind and patient tone did Berri soften in curiosity.
How quickly Berri wanted to rip the reigns out from Gunner's hands now slowed to a pause, she watched as Gunner cautiously pressed to her hanging outfit rack and began to patiently rummage the options given. Berri sat up a little straighter, cranked her neck to watch him before she finally got out of her seat, set her guitar down and picked up her sheet music for safe keeping. She tenderly folded it down it's already creased, vertical folds and crossed her lovely dressing room. A few people urgently rushed down the hallway in a loud fit of bickering conversing, though otherwise the place leveled. She eyed Gunner in curiosity as he pulled out a normal black over shirt for her to wear. He peered to her softly and did everything he could to at least try to seem accommodating, though with their joined eye contact, Berri could see it was forced.
"Please?" Gunner warmly asked, and with such, Berri sagged her shoulders in defeat and took the cute, black short-sleeved shawl from him. With stewing hesitancy, she caved and shrugged it over her shoulders, over her ensemble. Gunner bobbed a nod and put his hands on his hips, "There. Perfect. You look great!"
"Thanks," Berri muttered, she tried not to come across too annoyed, she nodded softly and looked back down to her folded sheet music, "I'm ready to go. I'm just waiting for my dad to come back to the stadium."
"Perfect, I think I have a few cousins in the crowd," Gunner half-heartidly chuckled and looked off. Gunner furrowed his eyebrows in soft confusion and shook his head, "Wait, I just... Thought about this. If your parents and the rest of your family are here, whose running the game?"
"Oh, it's... On an auto-pilot, it'll be fine," Berri staggered, how desperately she wanted to boast the news that Turbo was running the game, though this immediately would make clear that Turbo was, indeed, not going to be present; something she didn't want to think about. In grasping at anything and anyone else to talk about, she messily carried on without thinking, "I think Tatum said she'd be coming later, but I really don't know."
"... Tatum," Gunner staggered in a now sharp reversal, though with the utter of Sama's real name from Gunner's mouth, Berri held her breath and sharply felt her pupils tighten in a draw of unmitigated, immediate terror, "You mean like... My EX GIRLFRIEND, Tatum?"
Berri inhaled a trembling breath, shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, she desperately began to try and grasp for words, for excuses, anything to quell Gunner's now fiery determination, though she knew she had absolutely doomed herself, here.
"Y-You really think I'm on the whitelist?" Turbo pressed quietly to Chester, they both confidently strut down Arcadia Station; the crowd, near the amphitheater was unreal.
"Yeah, that's what Wren said, I'm assuming that's right," Chester pressed, his beautiful long legs stride proudly next to Turbo as he held Chester's lead with an easy tug.
As both boys rounded the grand scheme of things and hovered closer to the amphitheater's sides and edges, Turbo's eyes intelligently scanned for back entrances, any place that security would be hovering. With luck, Turbo spotted a nook that bevelled into the side of the building, the arena of crowd goers could be heard from outside the high archways of Midnight Moon Theatre. Although Turbo was easily noticed as he pressed down the massive, swallowing station, he didn't stop to allow people to inquire about him. He did everything he could to remain nonchalant and normal, though as he got within twenty feet of said small group of security, he could see the men mumble into their ear pieces and glance in Turbo's direction. Certainly a formidable sight, a crowned bad guy with a huge, winged-wolf beast on a thick lead, Turbo huffed a silent chuckle to himself and nonchalantly looked off, though he continued his and Chester's direct path for said security guards.
"Do I just storm them and tell them who I am?" Turbo whispered to Chester, who flattened his ears and grimaced an annoyed smile.
"Yeah, Turbo, barrel them down and take no prisoners," Chester volleyed sarcastically, Turbo rolled his eyes and looked off in shy uncertainty as Chester barked a silent laugh and flattened his ears tighter, "Treat them like you're a kind stranger. Don't be pushy. Don't blow this."
"Great," Turbo huffed silently, though as he cautiously approached security, they stood their ground and gestured out to Turbo and Chester.
"Can we help you?" The main guard loudly pressed, a firm tactic to prove to Turbo that he wouldn't back down for anything, "The line starts over at the front of the theatre. The band won't be coming in or out of this door, so do not hover for autographs or pictures."
"I'm not here for an autograph," Turbo stated confidently, and as he got a little closer, he could see the three other security guards' faces wash white with ghostly realization, they sagged their shoulders and took a few hesitant steps away as said single security guard was left in Turbo's path. Turbo gently hovered a few inches of height over this now dwindling security guard, he peered up into Turbo's confidently glowing eyes with a swathe of cold realization that finally hit him. Turbo smiled and tried to remain cool, though he'd be lying if he didn't admit to himself that this was the hugest ego stroke of his whole life, "My name's on the whitelist. I'm here to see Berri."
"Y-Your... Name...?" He staggered in now shaking realization as he held a clipboard out in front of him, and though he began nosing through it to correct where the list started, Turbo's firm, grey finger halted his movements as he pulled the clipboard down in stern authority.
"Turbo Black," Turbo pressed, as if these security guards thought that never in their wildest dreams would Turbo actually show up.
"Y-Yes sir, do you... Have a form of I.D.?" His voice quaked, though he jolted as the two other security guards, that were brave enough, came up and began to urgently nudge the security guard in Turbo's path.
"That's him, dumbass," One hissed as he grappled his arm.
"King Zed's Advisor," The other hurried to get in quietly, in which all three men nervously stepped aside.
"Sorry, Sir," The main security guard cleared his throat, grappled the side door's handle and urgently thrusted it open for Turbo's gained entrance, "Down the long hall, fourth corridor on your right, Berri's dressing room is the second door on the left, has her name on it. Can't miss it."
"Thank you, kindly," Turbo eased with a cocky smile as he gently tugged Chester's lead and encouraged him to come inside, with him.
"That one guy peed himself," Chester muttered as the door finally sagged closed, though Turbo wildly furrowed his eyebrows and shot Chester an incredulous look of unadulterated, grinning shock.
"WHAT?" Turbo hissed with a soft, hearty laugh, to which Chester bobbed a serious nod alongside a fang-filled smile.
"Not lying, I can smell everything," Chester muttered, "Not particularly my favorite sense in the world."
"Hoookay, we're here, Chester, I can't believe we made it," Turbo hissed after a few moments of gentle silence between both boys. Although the corridor they traversed was very long, crew members and staff could be seen here and there, making sure they were all hitting their marks and getting everything ready for the huge, impending show. Turbo gripped Chester's lead and wondered just when he'd see someone he knew, his heart was practically climbing out of his throat, "Th-That station was... HUGE."
"Just please promise me your next chore will be fixing my eye sight," Chester muttered in irritation, "I'm glad I'm here, too, dude, but you're really giving me hardcore FOMO with all this explaining and oogling, you're doing."
"I promise, it's next on my list," Turbo diligently assured as he lovingly pat the side of Chester's neck, though as he eased in and out of much larger common areas of the backstage maze he pressed down, he flinched in surprise the second he saw Ace. Turbo halted his footwork, caught eyes with Berri's older brother and felt his heart dip in delighted terror with the sheer, neck-breaking speeds Ace double took on Turbo's figure.
"You've GOT to be KIDDING ME!" Ace blurt in whole entire, riled boyish delight. Turbo beamed a sheepish smile and was now entirely relieved to see someone he knew. Ace hurried over to Turbo and continued on, "Y-You MADE IT!"
"I'm here, man," Turbo staggered with a nervous laugh and a wide, bashful grin as both boys eagerly collided for a huge, brotherly hug full of firm pats to each other's shoulders, "Where's Berri?"
"She's in her dressing room!" Ace urged, and as Turbo collected just where Ace had come from, he took note that he was quietly situated in a rest area, of sorts, littered with tables of finger foods and drinks. Although Turbo was quickly due to taking absolutely everything in and was totally sure his head would hit the pillow very hard tonight, he inhaled a shaky breath as both boys now eagerly began to press down the long corridor Turbo was previously trekking down. Ace warmly took Chester's lead from Turbo's grip and relieved Turbo of his duties, knowing full well he had another more important chore ahead of him. Ace's large hand gave Chester a few good pats as both boys greet each other with kindness, "Hey, Chessy, fancy seeing you here?"
"I FLEW Turbo here," Chester stated proudly, though Ace beamed and gave Turbo a wide, incredulous grin.
"Are there any other surprises I should know about?" Ace pressed as their quick footwork eased down the never-ending, tiled corridor, though Turbo cocked an eyebrow and gave Ace a knowing look.
"I have the ring with me, man," Turbo staggered quietly in trembling delight, to which Ace gripped Turbo's upper arm and jostled him.
"I don't even have words," Ace huffed with an incredulous smile as Turbo bobbed an eager nod and looked ahead, determined to fill this gap. Ace shook his head in bewildered, floored delight, "Berri's going to FREAK out once she sees you."
"I'm pretty sure my heartbeat isn't even a beat any longer," Turbo staggered as he caught eyes with Ace in knowing, smiling understanding, he seemingly glowed, "It's like a hummingbird's wings, at this point."
"He's been silently panicking this entire time," Chester blurt a laugh, though as the two eased to the glowing, deemed bend of said fourth corridor on the right, as Turbo was instructed, a pair of three individuals suddenly rounded the corner, causing everyone to come to an immediate halt in the intersection.
"...OH MY GOD!" Wren freely shouted in whole, unadulterated surprise, Turbo beamed a wide grin and gestured to his chest.
"I made it!" Turbo blurt, to which Theo and Throttle gaped and began to loudly chime in on the chaos, as well.
"Holy shit, dude!" Theo urged as everyone now immediately began to glom on to Turbo in a boyish rile of exploding excitement, something Turbo held on to, the very emotion he was reaching for, the one thing keeping him going.
"I can't even believe you're here!" Wren shouted with a hearty laugh as both boys quickly grappled each other into a firm hug, and with such, Turbo spun once and messily brought Wren back to his feet. Turbo finally pulled away from Wren a grinning mess, though he firmly gripped Wren's upper arms and peered down into Wren's eyes, the electricity in the place was unfathomable, "Dude, you got past security? You came ALL the way from Sugar Rush?"
"You left the game!" Throttle staggered with a wide laugh and grin of disbelief as all six boys riled in excited, exploding fervor.
"Hell yeah I did," Turbo huffed shakily as he continued to keep Wren gripped in his hands, he heavily panted and peered down into Wren's eyes with golden, glowing pride, brighter than the sun. He long-blinked in dumbfounded, delirious delight and desperately shook his head, "Where's Berri?"
Wren inhaled a short breath and opened his mouth to reply, though as their panting was softly overridden with another pang of a voice, everyone fell silent in gentle dread. Turbo softly panted through his grin as he pierced his eyes tight to Wren's in the happiest of smiles, though the second said other voice began to become a bit clearer, Turbo raised his eyebrows in soft, collected surprise and held his breath to listen in amidst the sag of his smile. The sound of sharp, urgent arguing from a few doors down the hall, behind Turbo, Gunner could be heard delivering his worst, and though Turbo prayed maybe Berri wasn't on the receiving end, his heart jolted in urgent, protective rage the second he could hear Berri's sweet, nervous voice loudly press on in defensive arguing back in Gunner's corner. Turbo held his breath and felt the wave of emotion suddenly crash into his heart, like a tidal wave of raw color, Turbo firmly peered his golden gaze into Wren's, unwavering, and as he slowly began to draw his eyebrows into a deep furrow, the grey hairs began to show an orange glisten, from his eyes, instead of the lovely gold just on display seconds prior.
Wren held his breath and felt his stomach drop in a sudden spike of terror as Turbo held his firm grip tight to his upper arms. As if the bright, cheery, sunny room about Turbo suddenly turned black in a bevelled, tunnel vision of nothing but the haunting sight before him, Wren easily witnessed Turbo's furrow boast the dip of gold, to hot orange, to the reddest of reds his eyes could ever produce. Wren huffed a shaky breath and felt his soul leave his body the second Turbo's deathly, evil glower easily coupled with the terrifying, livid narrow of his pupils, like the slits of a viper now ready to kill, Wren felt every single last breath of life leave his body. Tight in Turbo's clutches, Gunner's and Berri's loud arguing got a bit more aggressive, and as Turbo finally dragged his haunting, terrifyingly narrowed pupils and glowing red gaze over his shoulder, all five boys froze in poised horror as to just where Turbo's beaming red gaze was going to take him, a rabbit hole of deathly desire, a moment Turbo had only fantasized about, until now.
A/N: *HYPERVENTALATING* I drew the last scene of Turbo with his infamous red gaze, on my IG! Username Vyntastic - check it out!
