Reviews :
chuckiboo : Aww wow! Thank you! Seriously that means a lot. I try my hardest with it, I'm terrible at making up my own tunes, but I think it'd be really cool to hear my lyrics paired with the right melody for sure :)
faolan1230 : I CRIED YOU CRIED EVERYONE CRIED lmao! Thanks friend haha
*Chapter 185*
"Man THAT WAS- ... I-I don't even have WORDS!" Wren nearly screeched as him and his band mates now poured backstage after nearly setting the stage on fire, the surrounding crew members diligently held their marks and ushered the band back to their much larger green room, so to collect themselves and be with each other. Wren, Theo, Turbo and Berri easily poured into the room with fervor that has never before been seen by the band; what typically was a stumble into their calm green room and a shred of time to mumble and whine and attempt to relax was suddenly an explosion of all three boys firmly high fiving each other and clumsily crashing into sweaty, grappling hugs. Wren urgently shook his head, all three boys were all smiles as Berri easily soaked into the room, as well, said white-haired blondie urgently carried on through trembling words, "That show WASN'T REAL."
"You seriously STAYED the WHOLE SHOW DUDE!" Theo cried with exploding fervor, riding off of the dregs of such an electric show, Berri pushed deeper into the room with a wide grin as Turbo did everything he could to contain his widen smile and contagious laughter.
"Guys you can ABSOLUTELY blame Throttle," Turbo's voice rasped, he huffed a hard laugh as Berri easily sagged into the group hug, one of which Turbo and Theo held their larger arms about in a sway of sweaty, smiling nonsense.
"Don't blame me!" Throttle prod with a hard laugh as everyone easily poured into the large room alongside them, everyone eagerly clapped and cheered as the four band mates unwound from their clumsy, swaying group hug.
"I'm blaming you, dude," Turbo choked a laugh, and though crew, friends and family alike held tight, wide smiles amidst firm, excited cheering and clapping, it slowly settled as Zed tilted his head up and ushered Turbo a loud, cheeky notion of cute, grinning delight.
"Alright, who ultimately FORCED you out of Sugar Rush for good, my dude?" Zed wondered with a beam as they all hovered half a dozen feet in front of and about the four slightly sweaty, still panting band members; Wren did whatever he could to fix his hair whilst Berri put her hands on her hips and peered up to Turbo through forever twinkling eyes. Though Turbo opened his mouth to cutely reply, Chester popped into the door with urgency and flagged his wing.
"UH, ME, HI," Chester barked with a fang-filled grin as everyone flinched and helped Chester into the room with hard laughs.
"Chester?" Berri loudly wondered, to which Turbo rubbed the back of his head and huffed a shaky chuckle.
"If you leave me out of that, I will murder you," Wren loudly muttered as he firmly pointed up to Turbo, though Turbo largely rolled his eyes and lovingly slung his arm about Wren's shoulders.
"It was a handful of people, I mean, it all ultimately boils down to Berri, but it certainly started off with all three of my brothers and Wren," Turbo held up his fingers and counted, to which Tessa raised her eyebrows in stark shock.
"Lash included?" Tessa wondered, Turbo bobbed a nod and sighed.
"Lash included," Turbo huffed a still slightly panting laugh. He rubbed his forehead of sweat and inhaled a deep breath as his chest expanded for a full intake of air, "So, it SPARKED with Berri... Then carried with Wren, Lash, Nox and Throttle... Segued into Tatum, and thennn... Chester brought it all home."
"I threatened to throw him out of his building," Chester stated proudly as he stood a little taller, tucked his wings closer to his body and grinned in mean delight.
"Sixty-four floors high," Throttle muttered in terror.
"Why didn't I think of that," Berri muttered as she shot Turbo a playful, dirty look; he wrinkled his nose at her and, although they held in sneering delight, he finally stuck his tongue out at her in boyish tease.
"Trust me, we all wanted to," Wren muttered, though Theo softly pat Turbo's shoulder and cutely smiled in innocence.
"I supported you, Turbo," Theo's deep voice pressed in dramatic appeal, to which Wren and Berri largely gaped and began to firmly argue Theo as Turbo sagged with a wide smile and soaked it all in.
"I'm here," Turbo huffed finally as he gave Zed a sweet smile.
"Boy ARE you," Zed staggered with a wide smile as his eyes met with Bedgy and a few other crew members.
"Yeah, the show of the century, I'm not sure how it'll be topped, but..." Bedgy smiled and shrugged her wings as a few crew members began to quietly go about their next tasks, a night full of VIP tickets and back stage meet and greets were now in order, "I'm sure we'll find a way, guys. You KILLED it, I mean, I've... I've never seen such a kickass show. You all really stepped up to the plate and made it work... Especially Berri and Turbo. That was..."
"Flawless teamwork," Ace proudly pressed as he shot his baby sister and Turbo a loving smile; both Turbo and Berri bashfully peered into each other's eyes with knowing cheek.
"We're going to go out and meet up with the rest of the fam, okay?" Zed eased to Berri and crew, and as him, Tessa and Ace gave their loving hugs to all four members, Zed diligently grappled Chester's lead in silent assurance that Chester was going to be safe and sound with him. As they began to leave in cute, chattering notions of their departure, Zed waved a little and smiled back at Berri, "HEY, your grandfather has a night planned in Mario Kart, tonight, the outlet right next to this theater. You can't miss it."
"What time? We have a few other things left to do," Berri worried, Zed bobbed a nod and peered back to her with a smile.
"It's, what, two o'clock now? He has a dinner reservation at eight tonight," Zed assured, to which Berri sagged her shoulders in relief and eased a happy nod of confirmation, "Just call me when everything is said and done. It's more than enough time, I'm sure it'll be fine."
"Okay, love you guys," Berri called in sweetness as they softly called and waved back in response, and as the room began to clear, Bedgy and Throttle remained. Bedgy eased a small hop and a flutter up to a higher counter, so she could get eye level with everyone as Throttle crossed his arms and pressed deeper into the lovely, calm room just tucked inside backstage. Berri bounced on her feet a little and beamed Bedgy an eager smile, "Alright, Bedge, WHAT'S the verdict, huh? We gunna... Continue on as a core four? Turbotime squad?"
"You want... You want Turbo to remain in the band?" Bedgy smiled in twinkling, cheeky curiosity as everyone eagerly lofted their gazes for Turbo's figure; he raised his eyebrows in hot surprise, huffed a shaky chuckle and held his hand to his chest.
"Holy User, I-I... I'd be honored. My brain is STILL in Game Central Station," Turbo eased with a sighing, exasperated chuckle of sweetness, though just as Turbo was to open his mouth and ease a more positive conclusion, suddenly a familiar head poked into the gaped double doors.
"Excuse me, we need the band in the dressing rooms to prepare for the VIP meet and greets," Tatum cockily chimed, though as everyone peered their attention to her in a second of frozen uncertainty, everyone gaped in a rile of unadulterated surprise as she easily bounced into the room a giddy mess. With a glom of a group hug and a mess of apologies for everyone, excluding Tatum, being covered in sweat, Tatum beamed a blushing smile and eventually landed her gaze with Theo. He lovingly gripped her shoulder and jostled in a cute show of now not knowing what to do with himself, "Teddy, I made it! I saw the whole thing! Y-You guys were... WOW. And Turbo?!"
"Yeah, Tatum made me feel like a MASSIVE dick, earlier this morning," Turbo muttered with a wide smile as he cutely gestured to her, though Theo warmly took Tatum into a tight side hug and gave her a good squeeze; like clockwork, they both were blushingly shy about it. Turbo gently nudged Berri's arm and bobbed a nod, "She told me she was going to try and make the show a little later, too."
"I almost didn't come, but then when Berri introduced you when you came out onto the stage," Tatum huffed a cute giggle and covered her cheeks with a grin, "I threw on whatever clothes I could and came as fast as those trains would take me."
"... It's been WAY too long since I've seen you, Tate," Bedgy finally pressed in sweetness, though as Tatum dropped her shoulders in soft surprise, she quickly leaned down as both her and Bedgy tucked in for a big hug.
"Bedgy," Tatum huffed in sweet, nostalgic delight as they squeezed, though Tatum grit her teeth and gave Bedgy a nervous look, she easily lofted said look to all four band members about her, "Gunner's not... Around, is he?"
"No, he's... He's gone back to EZ Living, he left as soon as he could," Bedgy stated with a hard, long annoyed sigh as she eyed Berri and Turbo, "I guess... Some flare of an argument came up and..."
"User, it all happened so fast," Berri mumbled, though she pleadingly gave Tatum a look of sorrow and shook her head, "Tatum, I'm sorry... I accidentally spilled to Gunner that you've been staying with us and he got... SO pissed."
"He put hands on Berri," Turbo muttered through the clench of his teeth in annoyance, to which Tatum gaped and covered her mouth in a spike of a shocked gasp.
"He did NOT," Tatum hissed as she urgently peered to Berri, though Turbo shook his head as Berri rolled her eyes and covered her forehead.
"He just grabbed my shoulder and shook me a little, but... Turbo had also arrived JUST in time to witness such a thing, annnnd..." Berri gently waggled her hand in Turbo's direction lazily, to which Turbo proudly beamed Tatum a protective grin with the pop of his prominent canines.
"I handed him his ass!" Turbo stated with a proud, cute smile, and although it was a sensitive subject, everyone blurt out into stark laughter, including Bedgy.
"Yeah, it got... Ugly, quick," Bedgy muttered through a sighing chuckle, she shook her head and peered to her brood about her, a collective group she either previously, currently or was due to taking care of, "He... He said he was just taking his hiatus now, abandoned the show, and head back to EZ Living without hardly telling anyone. I really have no idea what this is going to do for his reputation, and I... Really don't know how this is going to affect his friendship with all you guys."
"Safe to say it's over," Tatum muttered regretfully, she gave Berri a soft, sad frown and shook her head, "Bear, I'm... Really sorry that I-"
"This is NOT your fault," Berri firmly assured as she lovingly held Tatum's hand with a squeeze.
"No, he could've handled the conversation so much better," Turbo rushed to confirm, as well.
"And, I don't know, maybe NOT abandon us," Wren mumbled in irritation, though Berri lulled her eyes closed and sagged her shoulders, "Can you imagine if maybe Berri didn't bravely rise to the occasion and Turbo didn't show up?"
"I'm sure WHATEVER has happened, I'm positive at least I haven't heard the last of him," Berri grumbled, though Turbo raised his eyebrows and looked down in muttering, seething reservedness.
"He's brave if he thinks that's wise," Turbo huffed under his breath.
"Either way... You guys absolutely rocked," Bedgy huffed with a cute smile, "I've never seen a more electrified crowd. Be prepared for all of press's questions, especially you, Turbo, I know you're entirely unexperienced with this."
"We'll take care of him," Theo mumbled in warm affirmation with a nod, he gestured to Berri, Wren and even Tatum and Bedgy, "We have the best of the best, here. There's really no better people for Turbo to be surrounded by."
"Which brings me to my next point, the VIP meet and greet..." Bedgy nervously trailed off as everyone slowly began to find places to sit; like clockwork, everyone sat close, though all six beings easily paired off. Wren with Throttle, Berri with Turbo, and now Theo with Tatum, Bedgy eyed the group in sweet delight and ruffled her feathers with assurance of said cuteness as all six pairs of eyes held tight to her in warm, calm listening, "Now... People paid good money to meet Berri, Wren, Theo and Gunner... We've refunded the people that were here to specifically and privately meet Gunner, and we've combined it into a band-wide meet and greet. Is this something you'd be comfortable with, Turbo? Or no?"
"You can say no," Berri lovingly assured as she peered to Turbo directly to her left, rested slouched into the couch they sat on, though she was sat a bit more forward than him. She eased him a sweet, grateful smile and rested her hand to Turbo's thigh, cloaked in his ripped, worn and loved light grey motorcycle jeans, "You've done more than enough today, so if you really don't feel comfortable with it, you CAN say no."
"I mean, I've come THIS far," Turbo huffed a confident chuckle and gave Berri a glowing smile, how many times she's seen his cute canines within the last hour was more times than she could count in her entire life. Turbo shrugged his masculine shoulders and gave Bedgy an assured grin, "It'd be silly of me to stop here. I'm on board with everything. As long as I have my family."
Bedgy narrowed her eyes and gave Turbo a cute, suspicious smile, though as the silence hung for longer than natural, everyone began to ease into sweet, knowing laughter as Turbo sagged and bashfully peered to Berri in dolloped uncertainty.
"Berri, you didn't tell me how much of a softy he was," Bedgy mumbled as everyone now cooed into a bigger swathe of laughter, "I only met him that one night, briefly, but wow. Alright, Turbo."
"I'm scary," Turbo whined as he furrowed his eyebrows and gave Berri a pleading frown, "Please tell them. I'm an Arcade nightmare."
"You're terrifying," Berri's womanly voice cooed down to him with a mix of sweet certainty and dull, playful annoyance.
"Not no more, you're not," Theo huffed a loud chuckle, and as everyone calmed into easy laughter and smiles, Bedgy bobbed a nod and gave Turbo a smile of affirmation.
"Great, well... You guys have about forty five minutes to freshen up before hand," Bedgy started with a nod, "We'll be down the B corridor, third door on the right. Please be like ten minutes early. We'll start lining people up maybe five minutes prior, once everyone is situated."
"Done," Berri assured with a nod, and as Bedgy eased everyone her calm parting notions in a flit of grey feathers that flurried out the double doors, everyone began to groan to a collective stand and stretching few grunts of post-show stretching to just now feeling the weight of exhaustion.
"I'm sad I can't be included like how I used to," Tatum complained lightly, though she still held a cute smile.
"You ABSOLUTELY can be included, stop," Berri rushed to affirm as she gently squeezed her arm, "Sure, you can't... Join in THIS meet and greet, but surely the future of our band will need you."
"Hell yeah," Theo encouraged as Wren, Throttle and Turbo all easily bobbed sweet nods of encouragement.
"Thanks, guys," Tatum eased in smiling humility as everyone began to causally mosey out of their green room and more in the direction of their dressing rooms, so to freshen up and prepare for up close and personal encounters with die-hard fans.
"Tell us, Turbo, are you sad your coding WON'T be red tomorrow morning?" Wren nosed, he pretended to hold a microphone tight to Turbo's face, in which he flinched and shot Wren a wildly irritated look of smiling embarrassment. Wren yanked the microphone back to himself as he and Turbo walked side-by-side. With Berri on Turbo's other side and Theo, Throttle and Tatum now loosely straggling ahead and behind, Turbo opened his mouth to answer in annoyance, though Wren firmly carried on in a pushy reporter-like voice, "Are you SURE this stunt wasn't just to ultimately get some, at the end of the day?"
"Oh, yeah, ALL I think about is sex," Turbo muttered dully, everyone howled with laughter at his cold sarcasm, he held his hand to his chest and then gestured down to Berri, who loosely walked at his right, "I've penciled Berri in for tonight and, uh... I guess we'll see what tomorrow looks like. I'm an ASSHOLE."
"Dude, stop being so nosey," Theo mumbled cutely in Wren's direction with a smile, Berri furrowed her eyebrows and bobbed Theo a cute nod.
"THANK you, Teddy," Berri muttered.
"Everyone's thinking it," Wren eased in sly cuteness, and though Berri rolled her eyes and looked off, she felt proverbial glue begin to sag her and Turbo together, "Tell me, your Highness, are you WILLING to put out, tonight? After Turbo went to such GREAT LENGTHS FOR-"
"WREN I swear to USER," Berri firmly grappled her hand over Wren's fist, which was daintily shoved in Berri's face in loo of a pretend microphone, and as Berri stumbled ahead of Turbo and began to playfully wrestle Wren away from the conversation in muttering, blushing irritation, Turbo crossed his arms and heaved a long, satisfied sigh as their louder bickering continued on.
"Y'think he's on to something?" Turbo cutely wondered to only Throttle as he cocked an eyebrow and caught eyes with his big brother, though Throttle rolled his eyes and, through a cheeky side-eye, he pat Turbo's shoulder and shook his head.
"Easy, tiger," Throttle huffed under his breath.
