*Chapter 77*

"You guys have fun?" Vanellope chimed as she peered over her shoulder, though her peppy smile quickly dropped as Tessa, Lickity, Oliver, Penny and Zed slowly moseyed into the kitchen with begrudged spirits, "... No good waves today?"

"Well, that was only half the problem," Zed chuckled as the five came into the warm kitchen, it was dimly lit for the closure of night, the kitchen's use for the day came to a gentle end. Taffyta and Vanellope hung behind the kitchen's island, they lazily relaxed.

"Lickity's not doing so hot," Tessa muttered nervously as she peered back at her dragon companion.

"Is she sick?" Taffyta worried as Penny and Oliver sat down at the bar stools of the kitchen. Zed lightly relaxed on the adjacent side of the counter from Penny and Oliver, as if he were at the head.

"She... She sort of had a bad run-in this morning, with someone from her past," Zed eased as he crossed his arms, he was delighted to feel Tessa worm her way closer to him. She gave off a nervous vibe, as if in the chore of wanting to comfort Lickity, she needed comfort as well.

"Her old owner sort of dragged us from the skies," Tessa explained, though she idly glanced at Zed. They held eye contact for a few, nervous, silent seconds, as if to wonder if it was okay to openly talk about the coding issue Zed had.

"Alright, I'm going to be straight with you guys," Zed said deeply as he held his gaze to Tessa. She lightly nodded before Zed inhaled a confident breath and gave his eye contact and attention to Penny, Oliver, Taffyta and especially Vanellope. Zed slumped his shoulders and lightly pierced his nervous eye contact to the counter of the kitchen island, "Dead Zed's five other racers, are my younger brothers."

"You have younger brothers?" Penny wondered loudly in surprise as her and Oliver stole excited glances to each other. Zed idly waved his hand, in a nervous demeanor.

"I-I... I didn't know they were my brothers," Zed worried as he slid his apprehension to Vanellope; she stared him down in growing concern.

"How can you not know you have five younger brothers?" Vanellope pressed as she put a hand on her hip and shifted her stance, "That's... That's huge."

"I... I have a slight issue, with my brain coding," Zed braved, "Its nothing harmful, but... It's sort of hindering my memory."

"You have a brain coding issue?" Vanellope asked darkly, as if that was the last thing she wanted to hear; Tessa swallowed nervously as the Queen, and her right hand woman, stole dominant glances to each other. Tessa lightly pushed into the conversation.

"I've done every virus scan under the sun," Tessa assured, "I'm able to delete it, bit by bit, but... It's taking so long because, the additive coding is so hooked into the brain coding, on the back of Zed's head, that it's extremely tedious work."

"You're sure it's not a virus?" Vanellope dared as she held her dominant stare to her daughter; Tessa raised her eyebrows in honest surprise.

"It's not a virus... It's just a random bit of coding that... Seemingly manifested," Tessa prod.

"That's how brain viruses come into being," Vanellope worried as she lightly glanced at Zed.

"Most of it has already been deleted," Tessa assured, "I just need to hack away at the rest."

"Why do you have to delete it? Can't Zed do it himself?" Penny honestly wondered.

"No one, in Arcade, can mess with their own brain coding, let alone, delete it... Even if it is an additive," Vanellope eased to Penny; Zed lightly shot Tessa a small, proud smile, as if to show pride in just where she got her smarts from.

"I'm in my right mind," Zed assured confidently as he gave each being in the room an honest smile, "Its just hindering my memory... I guess, Tessa ran into Dead Zed's other racers, my younger brothers, and... I guess, one of them was Lickity's old owner."

"He used to abuse Lickity," Oliver stated to Taffyta and Vanellope, "She had all sorts of scars and gashes on her snout... And he made it so her saddle was unremovable."

"You met this guy?" Vanellope dared in an annoyed tone as she gazed at Tessa, though her eyes scanned the room for Lickity's presence; she was laid nervously near Tessa's and Zed's feet.

"Met him," Tessa hissed darkly, "I nearly pummeled him into the ground... He hit Lickity over the face over a dozen times, with his whip."

"What!" Taffyta frowned, everyone in the group stole nervous glances to each other, "That happened today?"

"Yeah... His whip back-lashed and hit me in the face, too," Tessa urged gently.

"I didn't even recognize them, when her and Lickity finally got to my place," Zed scoffed softly as he shook his head and gained a long string of eye contact with Tessa.

"Poor Lickity," Oliver mumbled as he peered around the counter to get a good look at everyone's favorite, lucky dragon.

"She got her revenge," Tessa muttered as she crossed her arms right and gave the counter underneath a dark glare, "I've never seen her spit fire, until today..."

"She breathed fire?" Penny ogled, Vanellope furrowed her eyebrows in shocked confusion.

"She killed Orph twice," Tessa eased as she remained frozen, though her eyes caught with her mother's, "I've never seen her so mad in my entire life..."

"No wonder she's in a funk," Taffyta mumbled as she crossed her arms, "Being in the presence of her old and new owner, at the same time? I'm sure it was hard... Especially going to such lengths as killing someone who caused her so much grief, in the past."

"She just needs a lot of TLC," Vanellope nodded softly, "You should keep her here, for the rest of the night, Tess... Probably shouldn't fly her anywhere."

"No, I'm not going to," Tessa nodded softly, though she nervously peered to Zed, "Dunno how this one is going to get back home, though."

"I'll walk, it's no biggie," Zed chimed kindly, yet softly to her, as if to only state it to Tessa, though Vanellope eyed the two with a knowing smirk as Tessa slumped her shoulders and gave Zed a typical, worried girlfriend frown.

"You can stay here," Vanellope dared softly, though she felt her heart dance in a giddy way as her daughter shot her a befuddled look of surprise.

"Where will he stay?" Tessa wondered in ever growing, girly curiosity. She cocked an eyebrow at her mother and knew having a boy stay in her room was out of the question.

"He can have my room," Oliver shrugged, I'll bunk with Tessa.

"Mr. I wreck things in my sleep?" Tessa grumbled to Oliver, though she shot her an annoyed gape.

"That happened once!" Oliver retorted; Penny and Taffyta stifled laughter.

"You woke up crying!" Penny giggled, though Oliver largely rolled his eyes and pierced his tested glare to his mother.

"That's nice of you to give up your room, Olly," Vanellope giggled kindly to her only son; she re-fixed her gaze to Zed with a kind smile, "You're more than welcome, here."

"... You guys sure?" Zed wondered in tender, kind apprehension. Penny giggled and scrunched her shoulders.

"Have you ever slept in a game that wasn't your own?" She wondered with a bashful smile, though Zed felt his face heat up.

"I... I haven't, actually," Zed gave her a curious smirk, as if to convey that he had never actually thought about it.

"We always do a big breakfast on Sunday closed arcade day, so if there's any day to be adventurous and leave Dead Zed, for the night, it'd be tonight," Vanellope cocked an eyebrow towards Zed as she gently unfolded herself from her relaxed stance and looked back at her sister, "Alright... Ready?"

"You guys doing the nightly check up, right now?" Tessa casually wondered as Taffyta and Vanellope began to put on their thick, racing jackets.

"Nope, Rancis and I already did that an hour ago," Vanellope smiled gently, "Your Aunt Taff and I are going on a run around Westwind."

"Speed demons," Oliver grumbled, though he gave his Aunt Taffyta a kind smile; she wrinkled her nose and stuck out her tongue lightly in a fit of banter with her nephew.

"We'll be back soon," Vanellope lightly gestured to Tessa as her and Taffyta head towards the looming garage, "I'd get Lickity situated for the night... And, Olly, clean your room. I'm sure Zed wont enjoy that mess."

"Please sleep on my dirty laundry, Zed," Oliver muttered; Zed beamed an annoyed smile and wrinkled his nose.

"Better than walking all the way back home, Zeddy-bear!" Penny chimed with a kind smile as her and Oliver slowly stood and began to lazily head towards the exit of the kitchen.

"Zeddy-bear, that's a new one," Zed raised his eyebrows in dewy surprise and glanced Tessa a bashful smile.

"Have fun," Tessa called to her mother and aunt, they gave their kind goodbyes and slowly moved out of the kitchen and into the small hallway that led to their massive garage.

Tessa finally heaved a hard sigh and lightly looked down to her humbled dragon, at her feet. She was messily laid on the ground, eyes closed, snout tucked into the wrists of her large paws. Tessa gently knelt down and stroked the top of her head, near her ears. She softly scratched her fingers into Lickity's soft, warm fur. She shook her head lightly and wondered just how she could get Lickity out of this funk of hers. She lightly glanced at Zed's legs as he shifted on his feet to get a good look at Tessa and Lickity.

"She'll be okay, Tess," Zed assured, "Maybe just a good night's sleep is all she needs... Sleep always does any creature good, y'know?"

"Yeah," Tessa softly nodded and slowly stood, so not to stress Lickity out farther.

"So... You have younger brothers?" Oliver wondered softly to Zed as the four slowly began to re-situate, idle footwork that suggested hulling away in their wing of the castle.

"I... I guess so, yeah," Zed lightly shrugged, though he gave Oliver a curious, albeit apologetic glance, "Tessa met them. I really don't remember having brothers but... I take Tessa's word for it."

"There were five of them," Tessa assured softly with a nod, she was successful in getting Lickity to agree to stand and make her way towards her finally destination; her bedroom. The five slowly began to mosey out of the kitchen as Tessa carried on, "The oldest of them, Finn, seemed to be surprised Zed even uh... Had a girlfriend."

"Rude," Zed muttered, though he shot Penny a curious smile as she heaved a small, apologetic laugh. Oliver lightly trailed ahead of the group as they pushed into the Great Hall, so to quickly clean his room for Zed's stay.

"I guess... It wasn't so much the fact that they were surprised someone like you had a girlfriend," Tessa assured with a gentle shrug, "More like... How you managed to open up to other people, but didn't really have the gall to go find your brothers."

"Well, if I had an idea of what was going on, then yeah, I'd go looking for them in a heartbeat," Zed furrowed his eyebrows and gazed down to the glossy, hypnotizing tiles undertow, "All I remember is being rejected... They expressed hate towards me, for the fact that I am programmed to be unbeatable."

"There has to be deeper reason," Tessa mumbled softly as she rubbed the back of her head.

"All the more reason to delete that additive in your brain coding," Penny said softly as she shot Zed and Tessa a look of assurance.

"I got a little bit deleted this morning," Tessa heaved a hard sigh as she lightly glanced back at Lickity, who clumsily followed along, as if any more walking would surely aid to her game over.

"We can tackle it tomorrow," Zed said softly as his eyes curiously caught Tessa's. They lightly strolled into the archway that led to Penny's, Oliver's and Tessa's large bedrooms, "For now, let's just... Focus on Lickity getting some good sleep."

"I'm tired, too," Penny nodded gently, "Today's been weird, to say the least."

"Seriously," Tessa muttered, they slowed as they reached Penny's bedroom. She lightly hung in her doorway and flipped her light switch on, though Tessa continued to speak, "Hopefully tomorrow will be better."

"Is it a full moon, or something?" Penny groaned as she furrowed her eyebrows and sleepily rubbed her eyes.

"You mean in Arcade or in the real world?" Zed casually asked, though Tessa and Penny gently glued their confused gazes to him. He furrowed his eyebrows and glanced between the two girls, "...What?"

"Real world?" Tessa wondered softly, "You mean... Outside all of the cabinets?... Outside of Litwak's?"

"Yeah?" Zed prod with a widening, bashful smile, "The world? That we're on? Earth has a moon, y'know."

"Huh," Tessa raised her eyebrows and peered off into space, idly, "I guess I never really thought about that. Do you think Earth's moon would affect us itty bitty gamers?"

"I mean, it's likely," Zed shrugged, though he cleared his throat and began to feel a twinge of nervous tension come over him, as if steering away from said topic was wise. He lightly looked down to Lickity and raised his eyebrows gently, "You gunna have her stay in your room, with you?"

"Yeah," Tessa breathed through an exhale as she peered down to Lickity in growing curiosity, though Penny lightly waved to the two and said her goodnights. Tessa, Zed and Lickity gently pushed past Oliver's room and moseyed into hers, "She usually will sleep on my floor, but... Do you think I should lay a blanket down, or something?"

"Maybe, it might make her feel more comfortable," Zed gently shrugged, though he hung in Tessa's dark doorway in a wash of nervousness that spilled over him.

Tessa and Lickity slowly pushed inside, though he flinched once she lightly hovered her hand near the wall, next to her door. Her glorious, unique-looking chandelier, over head, lightly turned on, a slow, gradual process of illuminating her room, without the sudden, harshness of a normal light turning on. Zed raised his eyebrows in kind surprise and let his eyes meet Tessa's room for the first time. It was warm and still, though the sheer view of Starkrem, in the far, scenic distance, made a breath catch in his throat. He lightly scanned her quirky room and crossed his arms. A sophisticated, organized mess of everything Sugar Rush, tomboy status and girly charms alike. Her walls were a gentle cream, though the pops of excited colors, around her room, put even the coldest of souls at a warm ease. Zed slumped his shoulders gently and felt as if he was suddenly relearning everything there was to know about Tessa. He let a curious smile sprawl his face as he finally gave his attention to said wrecker; she lightly began to shut her long curtains, which were on a pully system, it dragged all the way across the windowed wall of her room.

"Wow," Zed eased tenderly, "Your room... It's so cool."

"Cool," Tessa scoffed with a grunt as she finally closed her stark white curtains, though she was thankful they were black-outs, "Sorry, I-I didn't realize I'd have company... I would have cleaned, a bit."

"No, don't be sorry," Zed chuckled softly, he continued to let his eyes soak into his new surroundings, "You have so many awesome things. So much to look at."

"I love my room," Tessa said bashfully as she lightly began to unravel her tight, messy braid, "Sort of like my sanctuary."

"I don't blame you," Zed smiled as his eyes got lost in the beautiful drapery over Tessa's bed. He opened his mouth to continue on, though he largely flinched as Oliver bumbled into the room with a large blanket crumpled to his chest.

"Alright, I'm movin' in!" Oliver grunted as he largely shoved his comfortable downs to Tessa's un-made bed, though it still looked relatively tidy.

"Olly," Tessa mumbled in dull annoyance, "Why can't we just share my blanket?"

"Because, you hog them," Oliver prod, though he glanced Zed a curious smile and pressed on, "You also talk in your sleep, so this should be fun."

"I do not!" Tessa argued as her face turned beet red, she nervously glanced at Zed.

"Yeah y'do," Oliver beamed her a playful smile, "If I do recall that one time, you fell asleep during breakfast the other Sunday, you wouldn't stop mumbling about Zed's-"

"HO-kay Oliver!" Tessa waved her hand about in hard annoyance as she largely took a few steps closer to him, "Can'yah not?"

"You guys crack me up," Zed chuckled as he looked down, though he tried his hardest to hide his bashful grin and beet red cheeks.

"I'll get you situated in Oliver's room," Tessa urged gently as she lightly gripped Zed's upper arm and moved towards her bedroom door; he lightly followed her, though he shot a playful glare to Oliver. Oliver shot him an equally as bumbling, playful grin.

"Too bad you can't cuddle with your Zeddy-bear, tonight," Oliver called teasingly; Tessa harshly furrowed her eyebrows and shot Oliver a death glare through her doorway.

"Oliver," Tessa muttered in angry annoyance, though she flinched once Zed lightly slipped his hand into hers.

"Let him tease us," Zed said in a soothing tone as they slowly pushed towards Oliver's open doorway, "He's just jealous," he lightly called back to Tessa's room.

"I heard that," Oliver barked; Tessa beamed and breathed a soft, bashful laugh, as did Zed, though she gripped his hand a little harder, as if to thank him for rolling with the punches.

"Though, if said cuddle-session is in order," Zed prod in a curious, deep tone with a gentle shrug, his blue eyes captured hers in a bashful stare, "I'm only one room over."

"I can still hear you!" Oliver called, in a deeper, more protective tone than prior.

Tessa groaned and largely slumped her shoulders. As if eager to push farther away from Oliver, she lightly budged Zed into Oliver's room. She looked about and was thrilled to find it was actually a lot cleaner than she thought. In a similar fashion to Tessa's, Oliver's walls were a gentle cream except one, calm grey accent wall. His large bed, housed in a large, masculine dark-wood frame, was billowed with cozy cream blankets that looked as if he attempted to make his bed, though gave up half way through. His room had a bit of a view of Starkrem as well, though not as brilliant as Tessa's view. His bathroom light, from across the room, illuminated his bedroom, as did a dim night stand light near his bed. Oliver's room held true to the simplicity of his nature, though he still had a few trinkets here and there, much like Tessa's bedroom.

"Will... Will you be okay in here?" Tessa wondered softly to him as he finally pressed farther into Oliver's warm, calm room.

"Of course," Zed suddenly heaved through a hard, though silent yawn. He finally exhaled the rest of his long yawn and shook his head, with heavy eyes, "I-I didn't really realize how exhausted I was."

"It's been such a weird day," Tessa muttered as she crossed her arms nervously.

Zed lightly gave her his full attention, he briefly assessed her. She held her arms close to her body in a rigid sort of routine, as if she was used to gaining comfort purely from herself. Zed knew this was his cue; he knew the two were just now beginning to be comfortable with giving physical, assuring love to each other, though he wondered why every single hug continued to feel like the first. He lightly drew his hands from his pockets and, as if the two were on a pully system, which lines fed directly to each other, he reached his tender grip out to her and stepped close; upon his action, she easily slumped her shoulders and let her aura welcome his with more than enough gratitude. He scoffed a small noise of knowing delight and, as warmly as he could, he wrapped Tessa in his strong arms. She easily slumped into his body and rested her head on his shoulder. She dared to push her face into his neck, though she felt her heart smile as he squeezed her to him, with no hesitation. As tenderly as he could, he began to just barely sway her back and forth, a lulling treatment he knew would ease her soul.

"... I'm sorry," Zed mumbled on her shoulder as he finally furrowed his eyebrows and shut his eyes tight.

"What for?" Tessa warmly eased into his strong neck; the dark blue scrufflies on his chin, that slowly invaded his neck, tickled her cheeks and nose.

"I guess... If it weren't for my unintentional ignorance... Lickity probably wouldn't be in this mental turmoil," Zed said through a long, exhausted sigh, "I'd probably be on good terms with my brothers, too."

"It's not your fault, Zed," Tessa assured gently, "I can't wait to get that coding all deleted... I'm sure it'll open a lot of doors."

"That's what I'm afraid for," Zed muttered, he squeezed Tessa tighter as he could feel her arms finally come around his warm center, "I just want everything to be back to normal. I'm tired of not remembering anything."

"If I gauge it correctly, I should get all of it deleted in as little as a month," Tessa's tired voice croaked into his hot skin, "I wish it wasn't so tedious... Whatever the crap that coding is, it's hooked in deep. Good news, is, it's not spreading or anything."

"Thank User for that," Zed said through a long sigh, though his eyes lulled closed.

"You didn't cause Lickity to be upset," Tessa assured, "...You have no control over Orph's free will. I'm just glad I got outta there before Lickity set the jungle on fire."

"She's had the hardest day, out of all of us," Zed said sorrowfully, though the two gingerly pulled away from each other, "You gunna be okay with her, tonight?"

"Oh yeah, I'm sure she's already asleep for the night," Tessa gestured towards the wall that her's and Oliver's room shared.

"I'm sorry, for this mess," Zed said seriously as he peered into her eyes, his soul was coated with nervous care, "I-I'll make it up to you, once we get this coding issue figured out."

"Oh, I'm so certain you will, I still have ears, y'know!" Oliver called from the room over; Zed largely slumped his shoulders and felt his face burn up.

"I didn't mean it like that!" Zed defended bashfully.