first gear ; action

[sugarglitch]

[It was early morning when Vanellope woke up and found herself staring up at a dreary, overcast sky. Huh. That was weird. Cotton candy clouds were always pink, sometimes stripey and vaguely stringy - the ones up there were fluffy and boring and dreary and grey. Even more curiously, she hadn't had to nap outdoors in a long while - she had a castle now, and it was pink and sparkly and covered in sugar crystals...

She turned over and gave a surprised yelp when the world suddenly dropped several feet around her. She glitched on reflex, appearing a few feet down and landed pretty painfully on something hard and brown - a branch, she realized, when she sat up. Was it chocolate? Most trees she liked to climb were peppermint flavored. At least the one she landed on wasn't double striped! It still hurt though - way more than it should, really - was there something painful on her back? She got up, feet planted squarely on the tree branch and rubbed the back of her neck as she craned her head to check on what that ache was -

and stepped back again in surprise when she saw the minty green feathers fluttering behind her - not that there was anything there for her to step on! She'd fallen several feet down the tree before she even thought of glitching down to safety, and so was a flurry of pixels and feathers and candy bits when she was closer to the ground. Hopefully she doesn't crash into anyone! Though to be fair, landing on someone would prooobably be better than hitting the forest floor. Well, better for her, anyway.]

Owww... Talk about waking up on the wrong side of the candybar...

[Later in the afternoon, when she was somewhat settled and finally convinced that she wouldn't be going home for a while, Vanellope can be found in the middle of town! She's mostly hanging around the bakery, hovering by the window and peering inside at all the the sweet treats ( "Why are they all so freakishly tiny!" ) - but at some points can also be found glitching from shelf to shelf at the grocery, item shop or clothes store at all the things that weren't made of candy!]

Comments

[Action]

[gonnawreckit]

[He pokes at Vanellope's head. She'll get over it soon enough. But for now, finally he has someone he can explain this place to in his own terms.}

It sounds like it's a game that takes people from all different kinds of games in and traps them here. And most of the people here? They don't even have any self-awareness. Lots of them think they're customers instead of characters. And it's a really, really weird game where these scientist guys called the Malnossos? They keep us locked up in this area and run experiments or something. I think they're the bad guys? It's hard to tell. I don't even know the point of this game, there's no medals and everyone seems to spend their time just, I don't know, living. There are war levels and optional missions, too, but I think those're just bonuses.

And be careful with those wings, kid. That's your life meter.

[Action]

[sugarglitch]

[She tries to listen to everything he says, but only a few things stick out for her. War levels? Missions, scientists and a life meter...?]

What? There must be some kinda mistake! I'm not from a fighter game, I'm a racer! What am I supposed to do on those bonus levels?

[Action]

[gonnawreckit]

Nothing, duh. I'll make sure you don't have to do anything dumb like that. And in the meantime, we can find a way for you to race here.

[Action]

[sugarglitch]

[She frowns.]

Yeah but if we don't do what we're supposed to, how do we finish the game and get outta here? That's not how games work... [And she really doesn't wanna fight. This sucks.]

[Action]

[gonnawreckit]

I don't know. This game isn't like any game I've ever heard of. I don't know for sure how we... can win. But I am not going to let them make you do anything you can't do. We'll still find a way to win. We always do.

[Action]

[sugarglitch]

[When he says it like that, how can Vanellope not believe him? She smiles, confident in Ralph and believing that this is all going to work out in the end.]

Yeah. Yeah, that's right! We can't let the bad guys win, so we're just gonna have to do what we can to keep that from happening.

[Action]

[gonnawreckit]

Exactly. Don't even doubt it. So, now that we're both here, we should find some place to get you settled. There aren't exactly any hidden candy caves around here or sickeningly pick castles, after all. [Says the guy with the pink wings.]

[Action]

[sugarglitch]

I guess I could live without my castle for now. I mean, sure I'm gonna miss the rooms and the sparkly sugar crystaly cookie walls I've come to call home but what can ya do, eh? [Grins!] What do they have around here, anyway? I hope it's better than a cave and some gum wrappers!

[Action]

[gonnawreckit]

Wow, kid, you really know your way inside and out of that place. [She must have really taken up home there after King Candy was ousted. But hey, that's what she deserved.] A lot better! There's a whole bunch of houses and apartments that you can just move right into if they're empty. So I hear. Like looking for an empty save file. Maybe we could even find a room near other brats who can keep you busy.

[Action]

[sugarglitch]

Other brats? What other brats? [Peering around for the first time and realizing - oh, there's a whole village out there woah.]

How many people are in this place?

[Action]

[gonnawreckit]

Um, about a buttload and a half.

[Action]

[sugarglitch]

Dependin' on how big a butt we're talking, that could be a lotta people. Like, are we saying your butt big, or...

[Action]

[gonnawreckit]

[He sighs.]

Maybe closer to half of that. There's... a lot, okay?

[Action]

[sugarglitch]

Okaayyy. [glitching up and over so that she's sitting on his shoulder, then!] That mean you an' me are gonna be roomies then, Jumbo?

[Action]

[gonnawreckit]

[He blinks and looks over at her. Wow, that's really under control.]

That's a good one. Putting up with me is one thing, but you don't wanna live with me. But hey, I got my own stump already. I'm set. We just gotta get you a room somewhere. Dumb kids love having their own rooms.

[Action]

[sugarglitch]

[She gives him a funny look.]

A stump? What are ya, a stupidhead? You got your pick of all these empty houses an' rooms an' you're going for a stump?

[Action]

[gonnawreckit]

Hey! I'll have you know, a stump's all I've had to live at for years! It's not much, and this one doesn't have nearly as much garbage, but... [He huffs and drops himself down to a sitting position.] Aw, who am I kidding? I hate it! I just... with the way things were going back home, I figured it was what I deserved.

[Action]

[sugarglitch]

[Eyeroll! Are they talking about that again.]

Well, you deserve a whole lot better, so you better get used to some fine living. Also, there's no way I'm sleeping on a stump. So [Glitching so that she's sitting on top of his head! And then grabbing a fistful of his hair, plus pointing in the direction of the village.] Onwards, my stinky steed!

[Action]

[gonnawreckit]

But... I... Y'know!

[There really is no need to point in arguing with this kid. He might as well accept that he's some kind of hero. And then she's right there, tugging on his hair.] Agh! [At least she's now behind his face, so he doesn't have to pretend that the hair-pulling is the reason his eyes are now slightly watery.]

Fine! All boogery brats keep their hands in the vehicle and OFF OF MY HAIR at all times! The Wreck-It Express is now departing!

[And he's charging to the village as quickly as he can.]

[Action]

[sugarglitch]

Good thing I'm not one'a those boogery brats, huh? [Because now she has two fistfuls of his hair. Like a steering wheel, you know.]

D'you even know where we're going, Captain Stinkbrain? Or are we gonna have to stop for directions.

[Action]

[gonnawreckit]

You kidding? You're the boogeriest!

[And he grunts as she pulls on her hair. Perhap making sure that some particularly weak branches are in Vanellope's path on her level.]

And - of course I know where I'm going! I live here now!

[Action]

[sugarglitch]

[Ducking really quickly then! Her reaction time's gotten loads better than he saw her last after all!]

Hey, you lived in a stump til just before now!

[Action]

[gonnawreckit]

First of all, In lived against the stump. There's a difference! And secondly, I still alive around the village, I have to know how to get around!

[Action]

[sugarglitch]

Alright, alright already. Just move your molasses, we're going way too slow!

[Action]

[gonnawreckit]

Well sor-ry I'm not as fast as your sugary little karts! But you want fast? I'll show you fast!

[He begins slapping his hands against the ground similarly to the way he did when propelling Vanellope's kart, and in this way he begins going forward in bounds.]