Please read this before moving on, I'll put a TL;DR in bold lettering at the end, but if you have time, please read this message I have to loved ones of whom I no longer resonate with.
I want to thank those who have reached out to me to see if I was alright. I haven't truly been 'alright' my whole life, really until recently. I'm arriving to a place of happiness, and unfortunately that meant reevaluating my actions on the internet. Now that I'm writing about 'living' on the internet, life got like scarily real and I realized I need to take several steps back and reevaluate what the fuck I'm doing. With that, uploading took a back seat. Writing didn't, but uploading did.
I have over 30 chapters written of Chasing Sundogs, and am obviously still writing, but the speed at which I write has drastically changed and I am way more intentional with each chapter. Because of this, and because this story is so massive and so far removed from its source material, I've decided to stop publishing it on Fanfiction. There are many, many reasons as to why I'm not going to be uploading it here any longer, but the main, over-encompassing reason is, I've given way too much of myself away. I only subconsciously knew myself through my writing and was just hurriedly throwing it onto the internet hoping that other people would enjoy it, but forgot about myself along the way.
All to say, I will be uploading the next handful of chapters, and only those chapters, because I have unfortunately given said chapters away, to one particular individual I know is good-hearted and loves me dearly, but circumstances have proven that sometimes in an attempt to give love, advice, patience, and 'home' to friends can sometimes come at the cost of depleting your own energy, and your own self. I claim my power back by uploading said chapters to the internet and allowing everyone to have it. I have gone my whole life feeling robbed, whether people have that intention towards me or not, but it is time I claim all of my power back and gift the world the private chapters I had given away in some form of hope that it'd earn me love and friendship. (Leafs, I'm not referring to you I promise my love)
But to the few I am, I have great love for you, but it's time I move on and truly discover full discernment on just who I give these incredibly precious chapters to. For right now, it'll remain to be my husband, my co-writer. I'm not sure where I could put the whole original of it just yet, I was thinking fiction press, but even still, I'm fragile right now and am eager to hone these characters by myself - even in that, though, I fall into trouble by isolating myself, so... I guess just bear with me.
My family has never read a single sentence of this behemoth, and I don't think they ever will. It was my dream to see them enjoy it, to see them enjoy the art that went with it, it was my dream to feel finally included for the weird and wonderful person I am, but because I am not a christian, because I have seemingly 'fallen from grace' in their eyes, because they live in separateness of a christ-conscious and I do not, it is here that I have to put a boundary and understand that they are happy in their own environment, as am I. Both environments could hopefully blend one day, but for now, they will continue to live in separateness unless they somehow show otherwise in their actions, in which they are the only ones who would benefit. I'm fragile right now, and in that I have understood that surrounding myself with people who do live in separateness only uproots me. Grieving the loss of everyone in my family has been one of the most harrowing tasks I've ever had to come to grips with, but stars aligned, it's all divine timing.
I've manifested a beautiful life for myself due to this story, and it has given me the leg up in terms of escaping hell and finding joy. Religion has taught me to fear people, to be scared of sinning, to worry about my salvation. My story, moving forward, are and will be testaments of my own conscious learning, of looking within and finding the sun, of understanding that life isn't about trying to save people, life isn't about worrying if your soul is going to hell or not. We're in hell, currently, do you see what the planet has become of? This is hell, this is the stomping grounds of ruin and despair. The only way out is through, and how I choose to get through life will not include fear-mongering and separateness. I've tried my damndest to reconnect, to gladly own my mistakes, to lay arms at their feet and hope for forgiveness and proper, mature reconciliation, but since it isn't reciprocated, I have no choice but to move on with my head high. I have to take care of myself. I wish my family well, and only pray we can reconnect one day in a way that is fruitful, loving, forgiving, crowned with accountability. At the root of this issue, I see a lineage of people who do not want to be held accountable for their actions, and to that, I wash my hands of my excruciatingly painful efforts for middle ground. I hope you all are better now.
TL;DR I will be uploading a handful of new chapters over the course of the next few days, chapters I have unfortunately given away but will now be giving to the public in an act of fully reclaimed power. I rebuke any negativity brought on upon me, I apologize for any negativity I may have caused, and I am eager to move forward in life with a smile on my face and sunlight in my heart.
All this aside, if I do decide to post this original story and continue uploading anywhere, you will certainly be able to know by following my new Instagram - Theraselke.q
***IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT NAME CHANGES***
Due to this change, I have re-written Favor's Game and Chasing Sundogs to exclude any Wreck-It Ralph motifs, names or themes. This story will continue to be a Tron/WIR/HTTYD inspired story, with obvious themes of the internet and reference to pop-culture, but I have changed a few names in these chapters and will list them as such! I've moved a few of the Turbotime's boys names to be their middle names, so I apologize if this is confusing, but it is all a part of my journey!
Nox is the only person I wont be renaming because my beautiful friend Leafy actually named him once upon a time! I'm keeping Nox's name to honor her.
Lash/Whiplash is Keiran
Turbo is Cassius
Throttle is Lucien
There will still be a handful of name changes in the saga, such as Gideon's parents, The Fluggerbutters, Tessa, as well as an additional kiddo I don't think I've properly hinted at, all of these people will remain in the story, they will just be getting a tiny bit of an appearance/name change and nothing more. Their root character will still be the same and such.
I might upload another AN with the next chapter to include anything I may have missed, but for the most part, enjoy these next handfuls of chapters.
Blessings!
*Chapter 19*
A scuffle of bare feet, gentle murmuring amidst the group, Wren nervously lead the charge from the stairwell that lead from Cassius's loft and into his kitchen. The next morning, said typically sunny solace high above Orion City was usually kissed with a pristine skyline, a stark punch of cotton candy clouds, the glistening image of Sugar Rush's palace high on the horizon, though was dreadfully replaced with dreary winter rain. Wren's blue eyes glossed Cassius's muted home, a loft that was currently well lived in due to Turbotime's game cabinet being a rather hefty stretch of a distance across Litwak's brand new, massive Emporium. Wren swallowed hard and felt every being behind him slowly trail in near-silent apprehension. Berri, Cassius, Theo, Tatum, Gunner, Taya and Lucien all began to make their way into Cassius's now cozily lit kitchen, and as Wren did what he could to not become entirely overwhelmed with the beginning inches of leaping into this conversation at hand, to nervously and shyly reveal that he had glitching powers now, a huge feat in of itself, Wren tossed his eyes to Lucien's and held his breath.
Handsome, sheet white skin that pebbled to warm speckles of fleshy pinks near his nose, cheeks and joints, Lucien's lovely white eyes held tight to Wren's in readied anticipation. Even though Wren had told Lucien of his own upgrade, even with Lucien's full support and eagerness to defend in this potentially sticky conversation, Wren still felt as if he was a fish out of water. Wren looked down to his chest as he rested his lower back to one of the counters in Cassius's big kitchen. The group began to lazily lean and sit as well, though centered their attention and body language in Wren's direction. Wren picked his fingers and assessed everyone inside of the brimming feeling of his own coding eagerly doing what it could to not bounce away in a haphazard show of uneducated glitch-hopping he was certain was about to consume him whole. He sucked in a trembling breath and only just began to feel even remotely centered the second Lucien could sense Wren slipping away, thus easing his hand to Wren's lower back in a subtle swing of silent, loving camaraderie.
"Guys, I... I have something to reveal about myself, I guess, for lack of better words," Wren gestured to his chest, heaved a shaky breath, tidied his white-blond hair and squeezed his eyes shut in the heart-racing thuds of doing what he could to not only get this information out of his body, but in a way that was cohesive and clean.
"I-Is everything okay?" Berri staggered nervously, her and Cassius caught eyes in a mild swing of dread.
"It's those fucking tacos we had last night, I'm telling you," Gunner muttered jokingly; this successfully got a wide, shy smile and a chuckle out of Wren's figure.
"I um... I just wanted your guy's support, because I went through something really traumatic last night, and it changed me," Wren began to stagger on his words, he rubbed his forehead and began to nervously look everyone in the eye as his own eyes began to well with tears. Lucien's frown broadened, his physical doting began to become a bit more animated, it wasn't until this little show of unravelling did jokes suddenly fall to the wayside. Although Lucien had it under control, Berri sat stiff and looked as if she was about to dive to Wren's side and comfort him, as well, "Y-You guys know I've obviously been hit really hard with this whole ordeal, with Gideon, and Callum. My whole family has nearly fallen apart."
"We're here for you, Wren," Cassius hummed in loving concern as Taya and Tatum bobbed hurried nods; Theo crossed his arms and eyed Wren in nervous suspicion.
"What do you mean it 'changed' you?" Theo worried as him and Lucien cautiously caught eyes, though Wren looked down and looked as if he wasn't excited to be revealing the news that he was now a glitch, the news that his coding was now a little bit unhinged, a status in coding that isn't technically normal.
"I, uh... It wasn't a planned thing, Gideon just came over to have a chat and hopefully get my perspective on Callum's betrayal, and what that means for my family," Wren now outwardly began to cry in a grimace of tears streaming his cheeks. It was here did Berri firmly come to a stand and hug Wren's free side, with Lucien on his left, "We hashed through a lot of crap weighing me down, and... Gideon has taken me on as his first student."
"What!" Berri gawked with a huff of smiling shock, to which Wren only barely brightened with a glimmer of shy, teary hope.
"Wait, what does that mean? What do you mean you changed?" Cassius hurriedly asked, to which Wren lifted his left hand a little, cued his and Lucien's blood-orange coding and waggled his fingers about a little.
"I can glitch," Wren staggered with a cute, teary smile, to which Berri loudly gasped, cupped her mouth with her hands and looked to be entirely floored, as did everyone else.
"Whoa, wait! So can anyone accomplish this?" Gunner hurried excitedly, Taya looked on in a swathe of equal curiosity.
"I-I think so, I mean... Who am I? We just endured an exterior swap, and... User, he took me to like this lucid space where we existed inside of our coding, like a physical place you could go," Wren rushed, "I always knew it was possible, and I know some of the glitches on the palace lot are able to achieve that, but-"
"So, you just somehow fell into his exterior swap and he waved a magic wand and suddenly you're a glitch like us?" Theo wondered dryly, his tone held light and airy, though as Berri drew eyes to him, she furrowed in a frozen, held breath of now nervous confusion.
"Ted," Tatum mumbled in mild offense, for Wren's fragile feelings and confession; Theo's face sloped to mild defensiveness.
"N-No, no, I think it's great! I'm just... Confused, I guess," Theo murmured nervously, he rubbed the back of his head and suddenly looked to be acting as if he should likely put his foot in his mouth.
"I-I didn't just fall into an exterior swap with him, I was... Having a moment of weakness and he gave me a hug," Wren shyly murmured through his tears as he rubbed his arm, to which Berri and Lucien stood close and now nervously held tight eyes to Theo's square on the grid, as did nearly everyone, "And, there was no magic wand waving, Teddy, I just... Battled some demons, unhinged my expectations of life, and... I guess everyone can achieve this, I'm living proof."
"User, Gideon really did it," Cassius huffed in a breath of awestruck terror, "H-He can just... Appoint glitches and other Users?"
"And, he's basically an internet demi-god?" Gunner wondered in sarcastic plainness as he waggled his hand, Taya cupped her face gently for the real, genuine emphasis Gunner was putting on his intentions with what he was saying, "Y-You think... Being a glitch is demonized for a reason?"
"On top of code swapping and code education?" Berri added nervously, to which Lucien heaved a long sigh and bobbed a nod.
"Even though this is a big deal for Wren and this isn't something any of us should take lightly, this is most definitely a much larger deal for all of society," Lucien cautioned as he peered to Berri, and then Cassius, "Me, Tessa, and all of the Users now have a direct source to just what it means to unlock your coding."
"To do WHAT with?" Theo argued, everyone now furrowed their brows and peered to Theo in hot confusion, "I'm a glitch and it makes no difference. What, you just are more in touch with the universe or whatever?"
"It's not so much that, it's more like having an easier time connecting to yourself, connecting with others," Wren looked down to his palms and then peered to Berri in sweet, nostalgic tenderness, "All those exterior swaps as children, for comfort... Coding is language, it's a language I want to be fluent in. There's currently only one being that we know of that's fluent in that language, and it's Gideon."
"So, what does that mean for the rest of us, then?" Theo dared, Tatum now crossed her arms and shot Theo a look of tepid frustration, "Because I'm a glitch, can I just waltz up to Gideon and ask to be his student?"
"I-I mean, yeah, Teddy," Wren staggered in a lilt of teary worry as he gestured his hands in defenseless nuetrality, "I'm positive Gideon would at least let you know what steps to take, I think everyone's journey is a little different."
"Journey to WHAT!" Theo raised his voice, Tatum now put her hands on her hips and snapped Theo out of his tirade.
"Dude! Wren's literally crying and has just gone through something intense, and you're being so accusatory for no reason," Tatum plead in hot annoyance, though this fortunately had Theo sagging his shoulders in disarm.
"I-I'm sorry, I'm just beginning to feel the burn from the potential to special treatment," Theo muttered as him and Wren caught eyes; it was here did Wren and Lucien now get a very odd vibe from Theo, as if his stance was a little less supportive than anyone thought, "I know Uncle Rancis surely won't be thrilled to hear any of this."
"Mine or my father's journey in this isn't any of your business, Theo," Wren braved as he clenched his fists, ultimately shutting Theo up, much to his chagrin, "It isn't special treatment, I just want to truly know the depths of the coded language, what that means for gamer abilities, for memories, communication, healing traumas, leading a fulfilling life. If it's available to everyone, why are you getting so upset?"
"I'm not upset, I guess I'm just on edge a little, I'm sorry," Theo murmured nervously, everyone held their attention tight to Theo as being the odd outlier here, the disagreeing party to show odd opposition for Wren's innocent happenstance.
"How come?" Tatum patiently wondered, though her tone was still mildly stern and irritated.
"Because, I know one of the main reasons Gideon is even leveling up and literally rocketing himself away from Sugar Rush, and everything his home consisted of, is because he holds resentment towards my own mother and father, to name a few," Theo argued in rising frustration as he gestured to his chest, "I now have to move to this magical, sunny utopia that he somehow appointed himself as leader over EVERYONE? Like, Gideon just has control over the entire internet?"
"Is that true?" Berri gawked nervously, Lucien raised his eyebrows, looked down and bobbed a nod.
"Yep... Sundog is pure lore, with its opposite being even deeper, scarier lore," Lucien murmured, "Wren and I did some research last night, we discovered that The Sundog's location is unknown to gamers that aren't Users... It's said that Light Users gatekeep The Sundog because they're protecting something. No Sundog resident even has the binary written in them to willingly cause mass harm, premeditated ill-will. A unified place of raw goodness that anyone can access, surely."
"But, we can just upgrade ourselves to Users if our coding is special enough?" Theo stabbed, though Berri finally rose from the dead.
"We don't know, Theo, that's the beauty of this whole journey, we're going to be able to learn as we go. Gideon has just afforded us a ticket to not only ALL of these questions answered, but the internet's stages," Berri begged in whole frustration as her and Theo held eyes. She felt confusion plague her, why Theo was suddenly acting so strange made her skin begin to crawl with panic, "Surely you'd be grateful to Uncle Gideon for all of this, I mean... He's doing us a massive favor, making such a nice, huge home for us to relax in, the safety of The Sundog, we have a harmonious place we can return to after long touring dates."
"I'm shocked you're not pissing with excitement, my guy," Cassius muttered darkly in confusion, Gunner grunted a noise to heftily agree.
"My parents are involved on the opposite end of it," Theo snapped, Wren stiffened.
"What, and mine aren't?" Wren stabbed, Theo flinched and shot Wren a grimacing glower of almost frustrated concern, "I also have a little brother in the ring and a relationship with my big sister hanging in the balance. You really want to have a dick measuring contest right now?"
"Yeah, I'd win," Theo meanly muttered, everyone now largely shot Theo looks of hot concern.
"Theodore," Tatum sternly stabbed in hot frustration.
"C'mon, Ted, what's gotten into you? I know this is difficult to navigate, but we're all here for each other," Cassius complained, "Today's the day Gideon's gunna collect us and we get to move into our new places. This is extremely exciting, and there's apparently a lot to learn."
"It is a lot to swallow, all at once," Taya sweetly murmured as she tucked her long black hair behind her ears, Tatum began to look like she was en-route to panicking in an attempt to keep Theo's seams intact.
"I'm not saying this to boast or anything, I-I'm literally terrified," Wren staggered tearfully, somehow coming unglued with Gideon, the night prior, now was a continuous pattern being repeated, of coding and emotions becoming mildly unleashed in opened floodgates of running through the motions.
"Ted, I mean this is a great opportunity for us glitches to support Wren and help him get comfortable in his new ability," Berri cooed nervously, Cassius eyed Wren and Lucien and sighed through his harrowing statement.
"Both Wren and Tee endured upgrades, what with telekenisies and now glitching?" Cassius peered to his big brother and furrowed his brow in smiling confusion, "Wait a second, does that mean that you're a glitch as well, Tee?"
"W-well... Wren's coding just switched over last night and we've yet to swap, so," Lucien shrugged with a small, nervous chuckle, "Guess we'll see."
"What, and then you'll also be Gideon's student?" Theo mumbled, it was clear he was still in fight mode.
"No, Theo, it would just mean I have glitching abilities," Lucien now firmly gestured to Wren as Wren cued his coding, "Wren is now coded to be Gideon's student, he's coded to prepare for his own upgrade to being a User, in the future."
"So why don't the rest of us get that opportunity!" Theo demanded in frustration, everyone now largely gestured to him in outward pushback.
"YOU CAN!" Everyone loudly urged, Theo sagged in on himself and looked about in frustrated detest.
"Seriously just... Waltz up to Gideon and ask? It's THAT easy?" Theo stabbed, for some reason, he was now looking as if he had been poorly handling all of the new changes this whole time and was only now showing his true colors for this whole ordeal.
"I mean, sure Ted, you should try," Tatum shrugged, though she gently pushed on his chest, "Hey... Take it easy, Theo, you're getting so worked up for no reason. Just... Have a chat with Gideon, it's going to be okay."
"Congratulations, Wren," Cassius sweetly ushered in Wren's direction, to which everyone eagerly joined; everyone but Theo.
"Can you teach me the things Gideon teaches you?" Berri sweetly whispered into Wren's shoulder, to which Wren humbly softened and gave Berri a tender loving little smirk of knowing as she cutely carried on amidst the now aimless chatter about the group, in Theo's direction, "I'm too scared to ask Gideon myself, but maybe if I just get cliff-notes from you, I can work my way up to asking him."
"Of course," Wren issued lovingly with a nod, "I'm sure Gideon will be able to sniff that out though, any level of telephone you and I play with each other, in reference to anything Gideon teaches me, will surely wind up with him just approaching you anyways, so I guess that'd work in your favor."
"Who else have you told about this?" Berri wondered happily, Wren sighed and looked about the group as he stood close with Lucien and Berri.
"Well, just you guys, but," Wren trailed off and nervously eyed Theo, "I'm now wondering if there are certain people I should've kept this info from..."
"Maybe he's just cranky," Berri whispered, "It's been an intense few days for everyone, I'm sure once the dust settles, everything will be better."
"Here's hoping," Wren worried, he peered to Theo in a hit of cold confusion, what was once his band mate and one of his best friends was now so quickly waning due to the odd, one in a million chance of a switch up everyone's lives took. Wren clung to Berri's words like a lifeline, though it was here did Wren now feel the itch to tuck away and give Gideon a call.
Methodical, thumping purring of an idling race car, the softest heaves of snores, Gideon squinted his eyes amidst the tickle of sunlight through the trees above him. Although long gone, a thing of the past, waking up was still an intense trigger for him, due to the Game Over experience, and with this, Gideon felt his spine go to immediately tense into the action of helping him instinctually get to his feet. Having only flinched, he halted all movement the second he could feel the potential to stir and disturb more bodies lazily cuddled with and near-on top if him. Gideon sucked in a sharp almost-growl of a purr, slightly choked with the startled cold-fire of an engine and immediately felt his core relax. He squeezed his eyes shut once his groggy golden eyes landed on the side of Kepa's sweet face, asleep in pure bliss, and though he had closed his eyes and slumped back to where he was sleeping, said millisecond of a visual scan was enough time to give him all of the information his brain needed to remind him that he was entirely safe.
In annoyance over his triggers, stuff he was wondering how he'd ever be able to help, he squeezed his eyes shut harder and slumped deeper into the position he was previously in, which he was now understanding was slouched against Keiran's upper chest and left collar bone. With his head in said place, he animated his limbs and blindly took note that Kepa was snuggled with her whole back tucked deep into Gideon's front, with Mara's back tucked deep into Keiran's front. Both men, including the heap of Novus's fluffy body, wings and tail, Gideon understood he and his small crew had amassed an unspoken dog-pile, one of which included likely the most soundest sleep all five of them had ever had. Gideon sighed hard through his nose, through the trill of his intense, almost-growling purring, and with such gentle stir of animation and wake, Keiran also sucked in a huge breath through his nose, slowly and peacefully went to stir, but also stopped himself the second he realized he, too, was intensely mushed into the cuddle puddle of the century.
Gideon fluttered his sleepy, golden eyes open and allowed his eyes to endure his incredibly beautiful surroundings. Safely cocooned in the huge openness of the belly of their home tree, tiny flutters of sunshine began to make their way down upon the two, and though Gideon took note of the sunlight and just what time of the day the atmosphere felt like, he furrowed his eyebrows in sleepy, delighted confusion, tossed his gaze up and over not only Keiran's shoulder, but Novus's belly, in which all four beings were rested against, and took surprising note that the Sundog had received a dusting of magical, pristine, golden snow overnight. Although Gideon could feel the bite of cold on his nose, he shifted his body, once more, and realized that not only Novus had his wings and tail entangled amidst the group for comfort and warmth. Gideon and Kepa eagerly cocooned not only each other, but everyone else, and though the notion of going inside was entirely possible, Gideon eased a peaceful, sleepy smirk, sagged his face and cheek deeper into Keiran's broad shoulder and let out the hugest sigh his massive chest could afford. Upon doing so, he gingerly allowed his fingers to find the top of Mara's head, give a few pats and then source Kepa's head for a bit more of a romantic caress against her warm cheek.
Due to Gideon's gentle jolt of awakening, Keiran was also silently awake. Gideon fluttered his eyes in the intense, almost bizarre feeling that was now coming over him, it was a strange feeling he had never totally felt before, it was an embrace of platonic, familial tenderness he had been craving this entire time. Due to Keiran being silently awake, he grunted a sleepy sigh through his nose, trailed with a small groan, and cutely held his hand to the back of Gideon's head in the grip of slowly scrunching his fingers over and over, to Gideon's scalp. Such a fragile show of unmasked brotherhood, a type of touch Gideon had no clue he needed, unflinching willingness to be raw and vulnerable and loving to one another, Gideon melted into Keiran's touch and was entirely floored that he had now totally understood what it mean to be a part of a family unit. Keiran and his overseeing, older brother tendencies, was simply expressing to Gideon that he was awake and their group likely shouldn't snooze for too much longer due to the crawl and brightening of sunlight on the Sundog, to signify time passing. Gideon grumbled as Keiran's silent request, shook his head, pressed his ear and the side of his head firmly over Keiran's chest and now smartly snuggled into the two women before him who were also eager to keep snoozing.
"Your phone is about to ring," Mara's womanly voice croaked above a tired whisper, though before everyone could allow the silence to prove her wrong, Gideon's phone began to clip little nudges of vibration in his pocket.
"Dude," Keiran started tiredly as he heaved a croak of a silent groan, cupped his forehead and was proving to everyone that he had only been awake for a minute or two, and was already entirely exhausted by all of these weird, cognizant changes the five had been thrusted into. Keiran choked a silent, tired laugh as Novus's ears perked to the sound, in his sleep, Kepa began to sleepily giggle into Mara's shoulder as Keiran carried on, of whom she was snuggled up into between both men, "Are we all gunna be able to start mind reading and shit now?"
"It's Wren," Mara added, Kepa blurt a bit of a louder laugh as Gideon finally huffed the last of his growling purring, groaned a hard noise of playful annoyance and began to rummage for his phone, in his pocket, which was unfortunately buried underneath his, Kepa's and Novus's mess of weaving tails and wings.
"If it really is Wren, I literally will throw myself off of the whole entire Sundog, straight into the depths of the internet, I'll do it," Keiran threatened in playfulness.
"Y'got a parachute my guy?" Gideon grumbled as he waggled the screen of his phone above his head, so to show Keiran, who was snuggled a little higher up the side of Novus's belly.
"Fuck," Keiran muttered, Kepa erupted into giggling as Mara closed her eyes, hugged Kepa's shoulders and beamed a sleepy, humble little smirk of full knowing.
"Don't ask how I know all the things, all of the sudden," Mara whispered nervously, "These brand new User powers are... Something else."
"Hey, dude," Gideon hummed softly as he answered the phone, grunted to just barely sit up and sleepily looked down at the spot he had been in all night; a cocoon of Novus's wings, the softest body-pillow of Novus's dense fur, he only now fully shivered upon being introduced to the cold, snowy morning air.
"Hey, uh... Sorry I'm calling you, but I needed to talk to you immediately," Wren worried in mild disappointment, cueing to Gideon that nothing here was a full emergency, so he sagged and lulled his eyes closed in patient readiness.
"Of course, just remember, no names, no locations," Gideon's deep, tired voice politely cautioned, one by one, Gideon's lovely cuddle-pile began to sit up, rub their eyes, softly murmur cute morning greetings to one another and promise to bookmark deeper conversations to be had, simply about Novus's, Mara's and Keiran's intense upgrade to rainbow coding, the night prior.
"So, I told uh... Your sister the news, I told her and Blue," Wren murmured nervously, Gideon furrowed his eyebrows and now caught eyes with each of his teammates. With love, Gideon rested his hand to Novus's snout and began to rub, and before Wren could carry on, Gideon put Wren on speaker so the rest of the important people here, directly involved, could listen, "They took it just fine, though, I also told my uh... Group unit. There's one person that didn't take it well at all."
"Your dad?" Gideon pawed, Wren sighed and sounded like he had been crying.
"Someone in the band?" Kepa whispered, quiet enough so Wren couldn't hear.
"No, not my dad, have yet to tell him," Wren staggered, "It's... It's your brother's son."
Gideon furrowed his brow, the group hurriedly caught eyes in the silent, jaw-snap shut of furrowed, wide-eyed confusion; Kepa flattened her ears for emphasis as Gideon dart his eyes between all four of his incredibly unique, determined group of family tight before him. Although his heart wanted to eagerly swing away from Wren's issue and just continue pouring love into the four before him, he raised his eyebrows, sloped his hand to his forehead, let out a huge, fogged sigh and lulled his already-exhausted eyes shut.
"Did he give any tangible reason that you can, well... Dance around explaining?" Gideon frowned, he hurriedly considered Theo in this mess and now was riding on pure confusion, a whole road block to discerning just what the heck this was all about.
"He's the last person I'd consider having an issue with this," Mara murmured confusedly.
"Was he like, mad at you?" Kepa stammered in equal, prodding confusion.
"Yeah," Wren urged, he carried on, though his deep voice began to crackle with the onset of emotion to come, "A-And now, I have NO confidence to tell my parents, like..."
"Alright, so what we're going to do here is this," Gideon started patiently as he closed his eyes and gestured his hand a little, as if to insinuate that he was cutting all conversation about this at the quick because he had a pressing idea, "I'm going to go speak to... The people I need to speak to about getting you here right now, okay? I'll come getcha, and you can talk with all five of us about this first. We'll come up with a game plan and brain storm. Sound like a plan?"
"Yes, please," Wren whispered shakily, Kepa continued to keep her ears flat in a show of sadness and tsked a noise down to her lap in a swing of showing that she now felt poorly for Wren.
"Give me five minutes," Gideon huffed, his hot breath fogged before him, he casted his gaze across his brand new sand box, an incredibly gorgeous swathe of golden-white scenery now absolutely kissed in the freshest dew and snow, like sparkling diamonds that showcased The Sundog's main city, as well as it's own proper send and receive station. Gideon knew today was the day to code the band, as well as any new members, to The Sundog, though he rubbed the skin above the piercing between his eyes and began to feel his stomach turn at the very idea that all of his previous inclinations, from the night prior, was coming true. Gideon bobbed a small nod, eyed his group of intent onlookers and sighed, once more, "We'll get this ironed out. This is going to require bravery, on all of our parts. Can you give your all here?"
"Yeah," Wren affirmed, and though he sniffled and sounded distraught, his deep voice was stern.
"Just know, whatever confusion or hurt you're feeling right now is totally valid," Gideon gently assured, to which Wren grimaced a small, tight inhale and sounded as if he had removed his phone from his ear to stifle a small hiccup of a cry. Gideon squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, "You're safe, Wren, don't you worry. Be ready in five, okay?"
"Okay," Wren meeped, Kepa clutched her sternum and frowned the largest frown her heart could possibly afford.
Gideon ended the call, fogged a sigh and glossed his group who sat slumped though alert and ready for anything, their eyes held tight to the one individual they took intuitive cues from.
"Exodus," Gideon hummed in regret, he bobbed a knowing nod as Kepa sagged and looked off in defeated nervousness, "It's our job to keep all the seams in tact, here."
"We can't control people's decisions, though," Kepa gently argued.
"What do we do if said family exodus is inevitable?" Keiran prod in rising nervousness.
"Yeah, like... My parents are still back home," Novus worried.
"Are we not going to be able to come and go?" Mara staggered, Gideon inhaled a thick breath and felt the weirdest sensation to audibly shush the group, though in the odd reversal his brain took, a spill of all sorts of beautiful green and blue speckles of glitch lines and pixels flickered in a tiny light show of a sudden press of physically-felt frequency out into the air; this immediately halted everyone's nervous stammering in their tracks.
"... Say that again," Kepa whispered to Gideon in a huff of sweet, curious discovery.
Gideon furrowed his brow, lifted his tail, thumped it back down to the soft, lovely wood they had been resting on and prepared to allow the sensation to shush come back to the base of his throat. Just like last time, instead of letting it out of his mouth, the pebbling and spines of his tail gently illuminated with his core coding, a beautiful, marbled mix of green and blue coding swirled about like stardust in the cosmic waters, the sudden, fluttery mix of humming frequency that was energetically put out into the air, once more, had everyone strangely sagging in full relax. Gideon raised his eyebrows, rubbed his temple, huffed a small cough into the bend of his arm and hiccuped as the swirly coding, all along his arm, cutely blipped to his and Kepa's original turquoise coloring, the true base color of his rainbow coding.
"You basically just told us to shut up with your coding," Keiran muttered with a small choke of a laugh.
"No, I told you guys to calm down with my coding," Gideon grumbled as he cheekily eyed Keiran, "That was odd... I'm learning a lot about Kepa's father, in all of this."
"Hey, rattling typically was only a tool used for courting," Kepa shrugged in full confusion, proving to Gideon that even this was beyond her father's species of dragon gargoyle, "Rattling to politely reassure your friends to calm down? No, unheard of."
"Frequency," Mara snipped with a nod, she eyed Gideon's phone and began to feel as if her User-antennas were not only brand new, but entirely upgraded, "It's how I could tell your phone was about to ring, and... the hum of frequency your phone picked up on to receive Wren's phone call."
"How did you know it was Wren?" Novus wondered in gawking delight.
"The numbers, the frequency of his phone number hit my coding and I just knew," Mara stated in low, bewildered confusion of herself, she rubbed her temple and firmly caught eyes with Gideon, "Uncle Gideon... Novus, Keiran and I can now totally testify for you and Kepa. We can vouch for all of this."
"With Wren now on the way," Kepa murmured in equal bewilderment.
"If Wren's being honest and Theo really didn't take this news well," Mara nervously shook her head and stabbed her eyes into Kepa's, Keiran's and Novus's for emphasis before returning to Gideon's, "Exodus is right. Cause if Theo's pissy due to jealousy? Or maybe him and his nuclear family gossip? Who knows what Uncle Oliver will think, and so on and so forth."
"It already was real, but now it's, like..." Keiran staggered nervously as he waggled his hand outward, "REAL."
"Let's get Wren on our page, let's beat Theo to telling Rancis, let's get this swiftly under control, because if not you guys," Mara gestured her finger for further emphasis and now further exaggerated the bug of her eyes to firmly prove her point, "The Sundog has what could technically be classified as an undocumented portal to a place that non-Users can see, can access..."
"Let's move," Keiran snipped.