Feelings.
Ralph lay there a while, but he found he couldn't rest. It was early morning, and he thought that Tapper's might be quiet, and maybe he could get a little brain food. So he took the train down to Game Central. Few people were walking around then. Walking into Tapper's, he took his usual seat at the fourth bar. On the other side were a couple more Space Marines, and one of them gave a tentative wave, then they went back to talking among themselves. Tapper walked over.
Ralph didn't want anything strong; "Just a root beer this morning. And some advice, if you've got time." His root beer arrived moments later, sliding to a stop directly in front of him, just like it had for thirty years. Tapper followed it a few seconds later, towel flipped over his shoulder. With it quiet, everything had been caught up, polished, put away, refilled, and ready for the new day.
Ralph started to talk, then thought of something else entirely; "Tapper, I was just thinking… we're about the same age. You're only a couple of years older than me. So how come you're so smart, and I'm so… dumb?" Ralph had an idea. "The bartender thing, right? Because you hear so much?"
Tapper looked at him a few seconds, squinted his eye at him, and started. "Ralph… you're the oldest friend I have left next to Q*Bert, and I can't understand him most of the time. I'm surprised I haven't been unplugged yet. I don't get a lot of players, and in the past, games that don't get a lot of quarters eventually get unplugged. Maybe the human Litwak just likes us." He scratched the side of his head, and went on; "So I'll tell you my biggest secret about how I found out so much." He pointed to the end of the third bar. "Many years ago, while cleaning the floor there, I saw that Litwak had put up a new game. But it wasn't like any other game. It had a screen, but didn't have any controls. And it sat on a shelf above the side door. And you didn't play it… it only showed pictures from games. And even that didn't look like much fun, 'cause there were hours where people sat behind a desk and talked about stuff, like rain, and other stuff like war games. There were scenes from sports games, and racing, and lots of things I had never seen before."
Ralph was completely hooked, his root beer forgotten as he gave Tapper all his attention. Tapper leaned over closer, and then went on. "It was some time, months even, before I figured out the truth. That screen was how the humans told each other things. The stuff on the screen was real humans playing sports, and racing, and killing each other!" He paused. "Remember Contra? Well, just like that. But the really hard part to understand is why they did that, because… well… humans never regenerate!"
Ralph gasped. Never? "But Tapper, we know how they get older, and bigger. Sometimes an old human never comes back. Does that mean they're…" Tapper nodded. "That right, Ralph. The players are usually the in-between humans. You know the tiny humans that get pushed around in little buggies? That's the new humans. Then they get bigger, and soon they become players. And people like us, Ralph… the old guys… are the only one who even see the arcade any more. New games, the characters don't look out the screen. The human world is just a story to them."
Ralph thought hard about that. During the days, he and Felix stood around waiting for a quarter alert. He spent a lot of hours over the years just watching the humans. He remembered players that when they first came, they had to look up at the screen, barely able to reach the joystick. He saw how the player got taller every year, until he was looking down at the screen, lanky arms easily hitting all the controls. Then one day the player stopped coming.
"Yeah, that fits in." Ralph mused. "That's how I've always wondered about humans. I know the programmers that make our code are humans. I don't know… I guess we never have to worry about that stuff. We just live our games and make the humans happy."
Tapper nodded. "Well that, in short, is how I know so much… about games, or humans, or anything else. Twenty-five years I've watched that box, because sometimes he never turns it off at night."
Ralph took a drink, suddenly thirsty. "Thanks, Tapper. I don't feel quite so stupid anymore. I think that normal is good enough for me. I don't mind everybody being smarter, or quicker than I am, I just like to know how they did."
Tapper wiped the bar in front of him. "Ralph, you've never been dumb. It's just that most of us are either living our game for the players, or we're just waiting to. Now, you've got other things to think about, like your Princess."
Ralph leaned back. "Hold on, there, Tapper. She's not my… look, she's just a kid!"
Tapper shook his head. "You've been watching the humans too long, Ralph. You watch them get older. You know when the humans get big enough to start being interested in each other more than they are us. Time isn't the same thing for us." He rubbed his chin; "Tell me, is there anything different about you from thirty years ago?"
Ralph shut his mouth. No, he was still exactly the same, when he thought about it clearly. He wasn't any bigger, or smaller, or older. "Okay, but what's that got to do with her?"
Tapper sighed. "See here… her game is over fifteen years old. You think she's just a kid because her code says so. You're hung up on how humans change. But those guys…" He pointed a thumb back over his shoulder. "…they've been telling stories about her. And everybody saw her come out to stop the arcade from locking you out. None of that sounds like a kid to me."
Ralph sagged in his seat, elbows on the bar, trying to take that in. Tapper continued; "So you seem to be stuck with the Princess whether you want it or not. You just have to figure out if you want it. Everything else takes care of itself. I've seen a lot since I've been plugged in, and if anyone really cares about you, it's her."
Ralph stood up. "Thanks Tapper. I don't know if I'm done fighting it yet, but… yeah, maybe I have already." He walked out to go home; shoulders more slumped than usual, lost in thought. Home. The idea hit him a bit different now that he had a place he could call his.
ooooooooooooooooooooooo
Tamora showed Vanellope into the house she had turned into an office, headquarters, and barracks. There was a desk in the living room, with the couch and chair still against one wall. The desk held bits of equipment, like a box with buttons and a speaker on it, what looked like a small game screen, and assorted small objects. Hanging from hooks on the far wall was one of those big guns she had been using in Sugar Rush. Tamora waved her to the couch, and sat down in the large chair. She didn't relax in it, but leaned forward, her arms resting on her knees, leaning in a bit.
"So, short stuff, how do you like the big world now?" She said as the shorter Vanellope had to jump up a bit to settle on the human-sized couch. She knew that the girl had never left the game before yesterday.
Vanellope wasn't sure she could answer truthfully without insulting the lady. "Well… it's sure different. And a bit scary… and smelly." She looked at Calhoun; "And nothing feels quite right. Is that normal?"
Calhoun nodded at that. "Yeah, I think there's something that draws us back to our own game. Not quite… home… but maybe safety. We can't die in our own games. It's the only place nobody can really hurt us." But there's a different kind of hurt.
Tamora looked Vanellope straight in the eyes. "Okay, Princess. I know you are itching to get to your man, so I'll cut to the chase." She paused, "I know you have feelings for Wreck-it. Heck, everybody in the arcade knows it. What I need to know is how you know what's real."
Vanellope's mouth kind of dropped open. Huh? But she's a… grown… woman! What can I do? She must have looked as confused as she felt, because Tamora's face softened a bit.
"Maybe you don't know yet.", Calhoun started, as she settled back in the chair. "Our game's only been plugged in for a week or so. But the programmers had a lot of time on their hands, and wrote stories for us. When we woke up, on that very first day, some of us thought about things before the game. Things that happened even before we were plugged in." Calhoun's eyes narrowed to slits as she remembered yet again; "I was engaged. I was getting married. His name was… Brad. During the wedding, a cybug got through the perimeter and… ate him." She still shuddered when she remembered that.
She leaned forward again. "But the last few days, I figured out it wasn't real. Something doesn't feel right about it. If I'm only a week old, how can I remember all the time we dated? And then the one big question came to me… why didn't he regenerate? It happened right across the street."
She looked at Vanellope with a face that was… pleading? "If it was real, he would have come right back before the next quarter alert, wouldn't he?" She seemed to be trying to talk herself into something she only half believed. "I checked the roster. I checked the books. I checked everything. There's no record of him at all. It's all just some… stupid fake code… somebody shoved in me."
Tamora plopped back in the chair, as if she had finally talked herself into something. She was looking upwards out the front window at the ruined church. "Now there's Felix. He's cute. And he's handy to have around in a… sticky situation. And brave. And a great kisser." She looked back down into Vanellope's eyes. "But how do I know what feelings are mine and which ones got… stuck in me?" She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. "How do I know my code just doesn't make me love anybody who passes by?"
They both sat in silence for a bit. Neither one was looking quite directly at the other, as they fought their own private demons. Then Vanellope shifted a little and cleared her throat, getting Tamora's attention.
"Wow. I can't believe I know something about that. I worried about stuff kinda just like that. I mean, Ralph's from a different game, too." She looked over at the woman, with her eyes riveted to Vanellope's face. "I don't know if it'll help, but there's more than one answer for me."
"Until Ralph pushed me across the finish line, and we got our memories back, I couldn't really understand my life at all." Vanellope's face went rather dark. "Just… one morning I… woke up naked in the Candy Cane Forest. I found clothes here and there. I started looking around, but when I met other people, they ran away and called the guards." She pushed some stray hair back from her face and looked at Tamora. "Then I just tried to… deal with it. I found a secret place, and I stole a few things for it, and just lived the best way I could."
She sighed; "Then… the other day, Ralph came. He didn't run, or yell… then. In fifteen years, I hadn't ever met a stranger. He was the first person who didn't accuse me of being a glitch. He talked to me like people."
She looked down at her shoes, sticking out off the cushion. "I might not have been as nice as I thought I was. At first, I was just using Ralph. I stole his medal to get into the race. I didn't care how he felt. Then I… blackmailed him into breaking into the bakery for me." She looked at Tamora with tears of memory pooling in her large hazel eyes. "But then… he smiled at me… and taught me to drive… and didn't treat me like a… glitch! Everybody chased me, or hit me, or… just hated me!"
She looked back down to her feet. "Everyone but Ralph. And when he dove into… the fire…" She was starting to choke a bit; "I felt that in all my life, that I had never felt safe… like nobody could hurt me… except with him." She sniffed and looked back into Tamora's eyes. "I think that… if I had been too late for Ralph… I'd have just jumped in with him. I need him near me. I need him to believe me."
Tamora slid off the chair onto her knees in front of the couch. She hugged Vanellope. She felt the light body shake as the Princess cried softly for several minutes. And I thought I had problems. I worry about fake things and this girl's been tortured all her life. I'm surprised she can love anyone at all. I could shoot him.
But Vanellope was made of strong, even elastic, stuff. She leaned back from Tamora's shoulder. Pushing back into the couch, she sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve. "Okay." She held up a finger between them and stared at it. "One. You think your code makes you love Felix. That parts easy. I figured it out the other day. Felix isn't part of your code at all. Your game never knew Felix, so that's your love, not the game's." Tamora's face relaxed some.
She looked up and smiled at Tamora. "But the next part could be fun." She tilted her head a bit. "Look, you kissed this Brad guy, and you thought you loved him, right?" A small nod from Tamora. Vanellope held up another finger; "Then you kissed Felix, and you think you love him!" Another nod.
Vanellope leaned forward, a grin on her face from ear to ear… "Did you kiss anybody else?"
Tamora's mouth dropped open. That's it? Wait… that's it! Always the first to action, she stood up and walked over to her desk. Pressing a button on the comm, she called; "Kohut! We need to see you for a minute!" Hearing the acknowledgement, she released the button and walked back over to the couch. "Well, this could be a bit hard to explain."
Vanellope giggled. "Want me to leave you two…" she fluttered her eyelids; "…alone?"
Tamora gave her her meanest war face, which had absolutely no effect. "No, I think I need witnesses for this. You stay right there!" There was a knock at the door.
Hearing permission to enter, Kohut walked in. The Sergeant was standing in the center of the room. Looking over to the side, he saw Vanellope on the couch. She was lying on her stomach; her elbows were together, her hands propping up her head. She had the strangest smile on her face. He stood at attention.
"At ease, Kohut." Calhoun said in a less-gruff-than-usual voice. She was pacing back and forth in front of him. He thought she was thinking very hard about what she wanted to tell him. This felt bad. A quick glance told him the Princess was still laying there, still smiling, and still staring at him.
"Kohut?" Calhoun started; "Now, I have to take a… test. I need some… assistance." A snort came from the couch. Calhoun shot Vanellope a quick sneer and looked back at him. She walked right up in front of him and stopped. "I need to try something, and I trust you more than the others. I want you to know that it is nothing personal. And if you tell the men, you'll eat 'bug stew for a month! Got it?"
Kohut was starting to shake. He knew that if the Sergeant was that upset, it must be something really horri…
Tamora placed her hands on both sides of his head, pulled herself close, then closed her eyes and kissed him, softly… for some time. Then she pulled back. She dropped a few steps back, looking downward, and brushed some imaginary dust from the front of her armor. There were strange muffled noises coming from the area of the couch, as if a face was pressed into a cushion, trying to be quiet.
"Ahem, well… that's all, Kohut." She was a bit pink in the face. "You can go now." She still couldn't look straight at him as he turned and left. Totally bewildered, he stumbled on the front step as he wandered back to his rooms.
As soon as the door shut, Vanellope sat up, laughing so hard her sides hurt. "WOW! Planted one right on him! And his face!" Then she calmed a little, remembering why this was necessary. She looked up at the straight-faced woman; "Well? Anything?"
Tamora looked at her. Then broke into a huge, radiant smile… the first one Vanellope had ever seen. Tamora reached down, grabbed Vanellope by the sides and swung her around in a circle. Then she put her down, leaned over, and touched a finger to the tip of Vanellope's nose. "Nothing. Not… a… thing. You were absolutely correct. It's Felix, and just Felix."
Vanellope couldn't resist. "Are you really sure? There's a lot of guys out there. I could just line 'em up and you could…" She was interrupted by Tamora shoving her backwards onto the couch with a flop. "Oh no, you don't, young lady! I'll never be able to look Kohut in the face again as it is."
She looked at Vanellope. The guilt she had felt since… well, since they had been plugged in dropped off of her like a heavy pack. She owed her sanity to the only person who understood the code. She straightened up. "Well, how can I thank you?" She asked Vanellope as the Princess stood up. "Whatever you need, anytime." This debt would be hard to repay.
Vanellope looked up at her as she brushed off her arm; "I don't need much." She thought for a minute. "What I really need, I don't think you can just hand me, or shoot for me." She looked up into the blue-eyed Sergeant's face; "I just want Ralph. Now that both of us have this love stuff figured out, what about the guys? Ralph's sure going to be stubborn about this."
Tamora grabbed up her gear for them to leave. "I'm pretty sure I can convince Felix. I just don't know how you walk up to a man in cold blood and tell him he's getting married."
Vanellope laughed. "Well, you need to make sure I know how that works." She stopped. "Tamora? What's a VIP?"
Tamora hustled her out the door. "Very Important Princess." She said without the slightest hesitation as they stepped out onto the road.
"Just one more thing, then." Vanellope stopped and faced Tamora. "What exactly is a…" She wiggled her fingers and gave the Sergeant an exaggerated wink. "…thing? They all say I've got one going with Ralph."
Anybody still watching would have been amazed at the two women, both with pink faces and laughing loudly, as Tamora explained her rather R-rated version of what a… thing was, while they walked back to the elevator.
ooooooooooooooooooooooo
It was getting on mid-morning when Ralph got off the train. As he walked back to his new house, he saw Felix pacing in front of the doors. Felix saw him and stopped. He was holding a small flat box.
"Hey, buddy. Nobody was home." Felix acted fine, but there was a worried look about him. Ralph thought he didn't quite look as neat and chipper as usual. "Just out for some air.", Ralph said. "Care to come in? And don't feel like you have to hang around waiting. You built it, so you're always welcome here." They went inside and Felix put the box down on the only table there so far. The biggest dining table they could find in the dump did make a decent coffee table for Ralph.
"I've got a nice, fresh pie here, and I thought we'd have some and talk a little." Felix dug around in the restored cabinets and found a few plates and pieces of silverware. Having a feeling Felix didn't just want to hang out and have a snack, Ralph sat on the couch as Felix shoved a plate in front of him. Since luxuries from Niceland were never thrown away, he wasn't going to waste this. He reached for the fork. The taste was incredible.
In an unusually good mood, he asked; "Well, Felix, I'm sure you didn't just come by to feed me. Do you have girl problems, too?" That last part just slipped out. Ralph shut his mouth.
Felix was standing at the other end of the table, with his hands holding the edge. "Is is that obvious?" He asked. "Well, yes I guess it is." He started pacing and using the clipped voice he uses when he gets excited; "And yes, I am… I mean do. I mean… she's smart, and beautiful, and strong. But she shoots things for a game, Ralph! What would she want with me?"
Ralph started to say; "But…"
Felix was oblivious to anyone at that moment. He went on; "And she's the bravest person in the arcade. She stood, and fought, and it wasn't even her game!" He wound down a bit. "I just don't see how she could be happy around me at all."
Ralph tried to get the idea in his mind straight. He had never really had to use higher concepts before, so he didn't have it organized yet.
"Hmmm. Felix, I think..." Ralph said quietly. He had Felix's attention then. "Look, I've been in that game. You were too. It's a… wreck. Everything's dark, and smashed, and shot up, and chewed up… I mean… did you ever think that she likes you maybe because you fix things? Maybe… a guy that doesn't destroy everything might be… appealing to someone like her."
Ralph tried to explain as Felix's mouth opened, but no words came out. His eyes were drifting. "Look at me. In the Princess's game, I helped build something. Something that worked. It made me really think about it and how… happy she… I mean, it made me."
Ralph leaned towards Felix; "Maybe she hangs around smashed stuff so much every day that fixing things makes her happy? And nobody can fix it like you can."
He looked down at his feet; "I just wish my problem was so simple."
Now Felix looked confused. He scratched his head; "Ralph, I don't see any problem. That Miss Vanellope just as much as told the entire arcade that you belong to her." He pointed a finger at Ralph; "The only problem you have with her is you!" Felix smiled at Ralph; "Or is the problem really that you can't stop thinking of her as a kid? We've been through this already, friend."
Ralph slumped down on the couch. "I know. And I've been through it a hundred times. Tapper even set me straight. But that just won't go away. And what would people think, seeing a Bad Guy with a… Princess?!"
Felix grinned; "Well, nothing more that they think already, you know. If you're worried about your reputation, you can stop. You don't have one anymore. But… now that's a good thing."
Both of them sat there for a minute figuring out how that last sentence worked out.
Ralph looked up; "Felix, she makes me smile… and not… angry all the time. But she's Princess now, and I'm still just dumb old… me."
Felix walked over, and put a hand on Ralph's arm. "Look buddy, our code is the old kind. Sometimes it's hard for us to keep up with things. But for Miss Tamora, I'm sure going to try my best."
Ralph gave a small smile to Felix; "Yeah, I guess all we can do is try. It's just that she's so… bouncy… and smart… and all Princessey and stuff. I've always done just one thing. I just feel so… outdated, like I can't think fast enough for her."
Felix nodded in agreement. He sighed; "Well, we can't just give up, no matter how different the games get." He looked up; "Well, I'll go now, but don't you worry. I think she loves you, and even if you think you're stupid, she knows what's right enough for both of you."
Ralph watched him leave. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out if he felt better or worse. He walked over to the bed. There was some time to think before going out to meet her.
ooooooooooooooooooooooo
As they left the Hero's Duty gate, they got a few stares from the people going about their day off. Vanellope saw Duncan, sitting on the bench, with a fairly large group of people asking him rapid-fire questions about Turbo, Sugar Rush, the Princess, Ralph, Calhoun… he was considerably overwhelmed.
"Well, I don't know this Turbo guy…" "No, she hasn't ever left the…" "We take care of the…" He looked relieved as the group shushed and parted for Vanellope and Calhoun.
Vanellope saw the confused look on Duncan's face and held his hand. "Look, you can go back if you want. I'll either be with Tamora or Ralph… or both. I'll be fine, really."
Duncan eyed the tall, armed woman, then his Princess. Everybody, including Vanellope herself, seemed more capable than him to make sure she was safe. "Well… if you're… really sure…"
Calhoun broke in; "Not a problem, sweet thing. We'll make sure she gets home safe and sound." For the benefit of the crowd, she added in a slightly louder voice; "And I really don't want to think about what Wreck-it would do if the Princess had any… accident."
Duncan practically sprinted towards the Sugar Rush gate as the women turned to walk off. A few steps away, Vanellope looked up at Tamora with a raised eyebrow. "Ummm, did you just try to scare them?"
Tamora turned and knelt down, looking Vanellope straight on; "Just covering the angles, sugar queen." She looked around, seemingly casually; "Almost everyone here is nice, and behaves themselves. Almost. But after what you went through with this Turbo guy, we can't ever forget that somewhere there's always somebody that's happy being the Bad Guy. Someone who'll try to take advantage of you or your game." She stood up. "All I did was plant an idea. You have friends. You have trouble, and they know now that the most dangerous group of armed men in the history of the arcade will be there." She smiled down; "And if that isn't enough, there's the biggest, strongest, angriest person around that will tear this place down if you get hurt. That should make that kind think."
Vanellope hadn't really thought about the fact that many games had Bad Guys. She knew Turbo had been truly evil, but she thought everyone was more like Ralph; a Bad Guy in name only. The idea that there could be more like Turbo made her heart speed up a notch. "I didn't think… okay, Tamora, I'll be careful."
The she looked up at the next gate; "Can we try this game? I heard about it. It's safe." Calhoun looked up. Tapper's. "Okay, your Highness. All this yakking has made me thirsty, anyway."
ooooooooooooooooooooooo
(Author's interlude)
Not spoilers, but to explain why some characters think and act as they do, and what they know, I need to throw in a bit of the history of video games and their evolution.
Really, if you don't like technical stuff, you can skip this section. But, there's some insight into the characters here.
When video games got started, the parts were very expensive. Personal computers were not available to anyone but large companies and millionaires. In 1982, the year of Ralph and Felix's game, most computers were the size of a small cabinet. Small ones like the Radio Shack TRS-80, the Commodore 64, and the Apple IIc were just getting started, and they were horribly expensive and limited by today's standard.
The late '70s saw the 1st and 2nd generation games. These were one color, and had limited movement; usually just a left/right, and a 'fire' button. Battle Zone, Space Invaders, Pong… all had limited processors, and not much graphics to speak of. Now I call the first few generations "static" games. Games like Pac Man, Fix-it Felix, Jr., Donkey Kong… The entire game is played on one screen. That's how Ralph and Felix watch the players, and can see the arcade, and have knowledge of a larger world. Their whole life is spent on that one screen. Their code wouldn't have to be very complicated, or take much memory, because in those games, a character would only do a few different things.
The early to mid 80's, with 16-bit processors becoming available, and better graphics, brought on the 3rd generation rush. Games had multiple moving objects. Joust, Time Pilot, Centipede… are some examples. Color and movement were getting better. Some of these games were good enough to have a world larger than the screen. Think of RoadBlasters, where the world comes up in front of you as you drive, or did before Turbo ruined it. The players' controls hadn't gotten too fancy yet, but the 'Bad Guys' were starting to get better at targeting. There was more action going on at once. You had to think more to live.
Skip ahead a bit. An official poster for Litwak's arcade has "The 1997 Game of the Year… Sugar Rush." This is how we know Vanellope is 15 years old. Also, Sugar Rush is typical of a 4th generation game. The use of 32-bit processors, 24-bit graphics, and more memory could allow very large worlds in a game. There were still some limitations to compromise though. Although beautiful, and very detailed, most of Sugar Rush is static. Just displaying a forest, or a mountain, is less work. The processor 'horsepower' is saved mostly for the racers in their karts, keeping the movement smooth.
This "open world" concept of Sugar Rush explains a lot. Sugar Rush game play does not sit static in front of a screen. It is a 'point-of-view' game. The cameramen are focused on the karts chosen by the players and the track in front of them, which is projected on the screen elsewhere. The game characters never see out a screen at all. This is why King Candy / Turbo was the only one who knew who Ralph was. They were once next to each other. The racers and Vanellope knew about the players, but had never seen the arcade. Even the Avatars of the day were in front of cameras. Since Vanellope had never raced, she had never been an Avatar, and never got to look out. Racers talking would have been her only external information. Personally, I always wondered how she knew she was "West of the Whack-a-Mole". Writer's glitch?
Now we go forward to 2012. Hero's Duty gets plugged in. This would be the latest 64-bit, multi-core processors, with separate memory on 64-bit graphics. Everything moves! Hundreds and hundreds of cybugs at once, many characters running and shooting together, and characters that react to the actions or movement of the players. Calhoun, like most 5th or 6th generation characters, must watch the players' movements, and react accordingly. This would make for a very "smart" character.
This history is really condensed, and I leave out some branches, or short-lived experiments, like Laser Disc games, such as Dragon's Lair.
What my goal was is for you to understand how Felix and Ralph have long knowledge of players and humans, plus now, an idea of their own "morality", or limited code. Also, this is why Vanellope never knew any characters outside her game, or had ever seen the arcade.
We now return you to your regularly interrupted story. Darn! We missed them taking the train to Tapper's.
ooooooooooooooooooooooo
As they walked down the hallway into Tapper's, a sudden thought occurred to Tamora. Touching Vanellope's shoulder, she said; "Hey, you've never been in another game besides mine before, have you?" Vanellope looked up and shook her head.
Tamora smiled; "Then let's make it fun. Close your eyes a second. I want you to see something." Vanellope put her hands over her eyes, resisting by a tiny margin the urge to peek, as Tamora guided her around the corner, and close to the second bar. "Okay, take a look."
Vanellope dropped her hands, opened her eyes, and… just stared. Still as stone, she looked out for the first time at the arcade through Tapper's screen. Rows of games, colors, flashing lights… And off to one side he saw the cabinet of Sugar Rush. She jumped on top of the bar to get a better look, which earned her a frown from Tapper, which slowly turned into a grin as Vanellope looked at the daylight coming through the arcade windows, with cars driving by in the background.
She turned around slowly and looked at Tamora. In a whisper she asked; "That's the world? The real world?" Tamora nodded to her as she spun back around, now looking here and there for something. "Where's Ralph?", She asked.
Tamora grabbed her by the waist and lifted her back down. She pointed off to the side. "His game is over beside this one. You can't see it from here. Don't worry." She pointed to a couple of stools. "Park it a minute. This seems to be the guy to ask about anything."
They sat down as Tapper stood in front of them. Tamora looked at him; "We're tired, thirsty, we got man problems, and business to take care of. What do you recommend?"
Looking from one face to the other, he rubbed his chin; "How about a nice, cool, very mild white wine? Keep the head clear." Tamora nodded, and Tapper wandered off.
He came back momentarily and put two glasses in front of them. Vanellope's was more colorful than Tamora's. She looked questioningly at him. He shrugged; "You're just getting used to new things. I mixed yours with just a bit of juice. A fairly large bit, I'll admit."
They sipped. It tasted strange to Vanellope. Sweet, but just a background hint of tart. In a land where everything is candy and sugar, anything else would be exotic. "Wow. There's just so much out here. I might never have gotten to see it."
Tamora looked at her. "I guess it's okay how things turned out. When Wreck-it flew out with that cybug I thought it was Game Over for Sugar Rush." Tamora looked down; "I'm not proud about the fact that I was about to blow the tunnel to protect the arcade. I hope you can forgive that."
Vanellope was taken by surprise with that one. She reached out and put her hand on the Sergeant's. "I've had so much go wrong for so long, I just learned to keep going. I always wished that somehow, everything would finally make sense. And now it does." Tamora's eyes shifted around to look into hers. Vanellope went on; "Right now the world's right again. Everything got… goofy… for a while, but the important thing is that it worked out."
She looked back out the screen to the arcade. "I'm free now, and no matter how strange everything went, it ended up like this. There's nothing to forgive anymore."
Tapper was very still nearby, afraid to interrupt. Vanellope looked at him. "Sir? Tell me about my Ralph." He walked over and filled their glasses again from a couple of pitchers. "Well, your Highness, not much to tell, even after thirty years. Quiet sort. Only been the last few weeks he's gotten restless at all." He looked at Vanellope. "Lately, he's been obsessed with time."
Vanellope tilted her head. "Time? Like age?"
Tapper nodded as Vanellope took a sip of her juic… uh, wine, her eyes locked on his face. "You've never seen the world before, but us old games have been here a long, long time. Ralph was restless because his game was thirty years old, and he was tired of people running and hiding from him." Vanellope frowned. She could identify with that, and it wasn't a pleasant feeling.
Tapper tried something she could grasp; "Hey, on the day you were plugged in, there were people driving carts, right? Well the humans can't even drive until they're sixteen years old. New games don't see time like us. Every day is just a day, and they don't see anything change. Tapper waved an arm to the screen; "Only our games still have those."
Tapper leaned over the bar on his elbows, talking to Vanellope quietly. Tamora leaned over some to listen in. "That's what his problem is with you." Tapper continued, "He looks at you and sees a ten year old player. He just can't get the fact you're a fifteen year old girl. He hasn't changed in thirty years, but he's going to wait until you grow up." He stood up a little straighter; "And now that you're a Princess, he figures you don't need him anymore."
Not need… why that dumb… "But… "Vanellope sighed; "How can I fight that?" They were all quiet for a minute while Vanellope looked for a loophole, a way to battle this war about age… or the lack of it.
"Excuse me, please"
Everybody jumped a bit. Vanellope looked around… and stared into a large, hairy, muscular chest. Turning a bit red, she averted her eyes downward. Oops, wrong way. She looked up into a bearded, concerned face.
"Hello, Princess." The large man bowed; "I am Zangief. I know Ralph. And this is Sorceress." He indicated a tall, exotic woman standing next to him. "We would ask you about Ralph. About Turbo still alive."
Vanellope was barely listening. She was staring at the Sorceress. Tall, with blue skin, long blue-black hair, and wearing a long red dress that clung to her like a thin layer of frosting. There was quite a bit to notice.
Then it hit Vanellope with the full force of just what 'grown up' implied. She swung back around and pointed to Tamora accusingly; "Wait! That's not all metal suit, is it? That's… girl!"
Tamora was taken by surprise for once. "She's really been locked away too long, hasn't she?" she thought. She shook her head slightly.
Vanellope slumped down; "Then I might as well go home now. I knew I was made to look like a child. I hoped I would get bigger… so Ralph… and everybody wouldn't have to look down at me so much." She sat up and waved an arm at the Sorceress; "But I'm never ever going to get all… curvy… and beautiful!" She turned to Tamora; "And you! You're brand new! But Felix doesn't have a problem with looking at you! And kissing you… and…"
She looked down, her anger melting away with her dream; "I give up. I get it now." She looked at the Sorceress. "Is that why you're here? Do you want my Ralph? You haven't opened your mouth." The Sorceress shook her head slightly.
"Sorceress not talk too much.", Zangief said. "We are just wanting to thank you." He moved his arm, pointing to himself and the Sorceress; "In our game, we are Bad Guy, too. We know Ralph is not bad." Zangief tried to say it the way he felt it; "Ralph go do good things, right? Gets to be Hero. Save Princess. Kill Turbo. This help all of us. Maybe people not be afraid so much." He looked into Vanellope's face; "Ralph do good for more than just you. We help if we can. Anything Princess want… we try to do. Respect you. You not a child. We see this. You are Princess. BE Princess!" He leaned over; "And yes, you are beautiful. We see you in gown. Verrrry beautiful. Ralph just slow like me. Take time to understand."
Zangief's serious face and what he told her caused a spark of hope to flicker again. She hadn't understood fully how the events of the past few days affected everyone in the arcade. But here were people who knew Ralph. If they didn't have a problem with 'the child Princess', maybe there was a chance. She smiled at Zangief; "Thank you. Both of you." The Sorceress smiled.
Zangief sat next to Vanellope. "Now. Tell what Ralph did, please." Tapper brought a round of drinks, and for medical purposes, the Princess's might not have had as much juice mixed in as before.
ooooooooooooooooooooooo
During the next hour or so, Vanellope, with Tamora filling in some, told the story of Sugar Rush. The place was getting quite packed, since people who usually just came in for a quick drink stayed, mesmerized, to listen about the cybug horde, Turbo, The battle at the Finish Line, freeing the Princess, and Ralph. Finally, all the details were known and the questions answered. People wandered off to their own seats, or to go about their business, everyone talking about this or that part of the story. Vanellope felt a bit drained. Zangief stood up; "Thank you. Thank you many times. We leave you alone now." The Sorceress glided over, and leaned close to Vanellope's face. Vanellope wasn't sure if the tall blue woman was whispering to her, or somehow talking directly to her brain. "You can do this." The Sorceress 'said', their eyes locked together; "He is yours. I can feel it. You will just have to make up his mind for him. Do not despair." She reached up with a blue hand and touched Vanellope's cheek. The touch was cool. The whisper in her head continued; "It's not always perfect. I see, but sometimes I don't know. Years ago I saw the fall of King Candy. I thought it was bad. I told nobody. I was mistaken. But I see you and Ralph, together. That much is true." Then she and Zangief left. Vanellope noticed for the first time that it looked like the Sorceress's feet didn't quite touch the floor.
"Strange woman." Vanellope muttered as she turned to face Tamora. "Well? Time to go cause some trouble?" she said to the Sergeant. "I've probably held you up too long from your… thing." She ducked as Tamora made a half-hearted swipe at the top of her head.
Tamora stood up while Vanellope hopped down from her stool. "Yep. Let's do this. Because if we wait for them to figure it out, we'll be sitting here 'til Tapper runs dry."
Vanellope took one last look at the real world of the arcade, then the two of them walked towards the train.
ooooooooooooooooooooooo
