I sit inside Tappers, chugging down drink after drink. I scowl as the burn on my face refused to go away no matter how many times I regenerated. Stupid turbo blaster... I'll be stuck with this thing for at least a week! It wasn't very pretty either... I slouch over and sigh.
I sit up to order another root beer, but the bartender quickly stops me.
"I think you've had enough, kid." He says, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm NOT a kid." I grumble. "Just get me another root beer,"
"Drowning yourself in soda isn't going to push away whatever's bothering you, kid."
"What did I just say? I'm not a kid."
There's a short awkward silence.
"Kid-"
"Ahem."
"Jay... I hope you have a way to pay for those 12 drinks."
I stop mid-sip and set my mug down. I go digging in my pocket for what little money I had left. I drop it on the counter and quickly walk away. I stop, come back, finish off my drink, then got the heck out of there. I suddenly slam into what feels like a brick wall. The backlash knocks me on my butt. I look up and stare blankly at a pleased-looking Drake.
"Watch it, Meathead." I snap.
"Don't get mad at me because Rose blew your brains all over the tavern." He holds his hands up defensively. "Besides, you shot her first,"
"Don't remind me, it hurts just to think about it." I rub the side of my head, something that wasn't there a few minutes ago when the incident first went down.
He holds out his hand. After hesitating a few minutes, I grab his hands and he suddenly jerks me up to my feet. I hiss in pain, feeling as if he just dislocated my arm. He chuckles.
"Your arm okay, wimp?"
"What do you think, jerk." I rub my shoulder and walk away.
I suddenly freeze in my step as I see a familiar, yellow circle. And he looked pretty ticked to see me. I squeak nervously and run into the nearest game. I sit on the train and take it to the rainbow bridge. I had plenty time until the arcade opens! Hehe. Heh. And by then, Pacman will be long gone. Hehe. Hopefully.
I step off the train and decide to take a better look around the vast candy land. Just looking at this place gives me a sugar rush. Heh, see what I did there? I keep walking until I reach the main race track where they do that Random Roster thing. I could hear the sound of engines, something I still don't understand about these candy death machines.
I walk up to a bush that seemed to have little Life Savers on them. I start picking them, piling them up in my hand. Once I'm satisfied with the amount, I slide as many as I can onto my fingers. I hold my hands out in front of me and laugh at myself, wiggling my fingers as best as I could.
I walk aimlessly around Sugar Rush, eating the Life Savers off my fingers. I was pretty content, despite my laziness and lack of knowing where I was. I grimace at the yellow Life Saver and quickly take it off and throw it on the ground. I frown when I realize that that was my last piece of candy. Maybe I should've just sucked it up and ate the nasty yellow one.
My petty sadness is short-lived when I remember everything is edible, yummy candy. I spot a droopy tree supporting candy necklaces of all kinds. I turn away from the sweets, not in the mood to deal with those stupid things. Plus, they remind me of the pellets in Pacman.
I spot a nice little lollipop shaped tree and jog over to it. I grab onto it and bend it down as far as it would go. I lick it until it becomes small enough to fit the top in my mouth. Stupid lollipop being all... Big. I suddenly lose my grip on the tree and it suddenly springs back upright.
Sadly, with me still attached to it by my mouth, it didn't just knock a tooth or two out, it flung me into a candy cane forest. I cry out as I land on what I think was another person. I brush my hair out my face and then hold the side of my jaw where the candy tree decided to use as a way to fling me. I look down as a groan sounds from the other person.
"Oh shoot, I am SO sorry!" I quickly get off the other, kneeling next to him. "Are you okay? I was trying to eat one of the trees and it flung me... Sorry again!"
He was very... Flamboyant. His head was big, wearing a purple suit with coat tails. His shoes were pretty cute though, with little poof balls on them. He stands up and dusts himself off, grumbling incoherently about how things were falling off trees. A soft, red ripple courses through his small figure.
"Woah... I didn't do it." I comment wide-eyed as I stand up also.
Another glitch happens as the guy seems to just now realize my presence. He jumps back defensively, his eyes narrowed into tiny slits. I stand awkwardly, throwing my hands up. Why, universe? Why do you do things to me that cause other people to hate me?
"Your not from here, are you?" He suddenly steps forward.
"I'm not." I shrug. "Again, I'm very sorry for landing on you. I didn't think the, uh, tree would flick me like that."
"...What were you...?"
"I was eating it. Don't tell anyone." I pout.
"I won't tell anyone your trying to eat my game as long as you don't tell anyone you saw me, got it?"
"Got it." I salute, turning around and hurrying away before the arcade could open.
As I step off the train into Game Central Station, I freeze as a familiar 8-bit sound pings behind me. I squeak and look back at an angry PAC-MAN. I run through the station, yelling loudly for help. I jump onto a bench and then onto a kiosk that's always reminding others not to die outside their game.
"Look, look, I know your mad and all!" I hold my hand in front of my defensively. "But that's no reason to be mad! ...Wait..."
I get settled on top of the kiosk, hugging my knees and waiting for Pacman to leave. I look around and spot that guy from yesterday. What was his name? Jet, right?
"Jet! Hey Jet!" I wave my hand in the air to get his attention. "Please help me? I'll owe you!"
He looks confused, pointing at himself as if asking if I meant him. I nod frantically and wave him over. He starts walking over confusedly when I suddenly tell him to stop. I leap off the kiosk and cling to him for dear life. He stands there awkwardly, hands at his sides.
"Uh... Hello?"
"Run!" I squeal as Pacman starts in his pursuit again.
After some hesitation, Jet takes off. He weaves like an expert through characters and goes into a game entrance. He hops on a shiny, white train shaped like a bullet, a red stripe going across the sides. As the train goes through the seemingly endless cord, Jet clears his throat.
"Oh!" I slide into the seat next to him. "Thanks, Jet! You. Are. A life saver!"
"I'm not Jet." He gives me a blank look.
"What?"
"I'm Set, his twin brother."
"...Eh?"
"The TurboTwins? From Turbo time 2?"
"Well I know the game..."
He rolls his eyes as light shines into the tunnel. The sound of engines roar to life and various buildings were all over the place. This place was just as big as Sugar Rush! It had more of a retro theme and not a... Candy, sugary theme.
"Hey Jet-"
He shoots me a pretty scary look. Maybe it's because he looks so serious all the time.
"Set."
"What?" He mutters, hopping off the train.
I follow suit, "This is a racing game, right? Are there other avatars? What kind of tracks are there?"
"Yes."
"..."
He doesn't seem like the very talkative type, that's for sure. His racing attire was the same as Jet's, except his helmet with spikes in a Mohawk formation.
We go into a random building and find 3 or 4 more others. There was a girl in a yellow racing suit, another boy in a green racing suit, someone who's gender is currently a mystery in purple, and lastly, a guy in a white suit with red stripes. Oh, and Jet too.
"Hi Jet!" I wave.
"Jay-G? What're you doing here?" Jet looks up with his usual toothy smile.
"Set had to save me from Pacman." I say.
He laughs and the guy in the white suit comes up to me. He looked just as happy and bright-eyed as Jet. He holds out his hand for me to shake.
"Hi, I'm Turbo! Welcome to Turbotime 2."
I shake his hand,"Hey Turbo, I'm Jay-G, but call me Jay."
"That's Daytona." Jet points to the girl in yellow. "That's Pit." He points to the one in green. "That's Nitro." He points to the one in purple. "And you've pretty much met everyone else,"
"Okay, lemme see if I've got this..." I point to each consecutive person. "Turbo, Nitro, Jet, Set, Daytona, Pit."
"That's right!" Turbo gives me a thumbs up.
"No." Set interrupts, pointing to the spikes on his helmet. "Set." He points to his brother. "Jet. Get it right,"
"Oh. Sorry." I mumble. "Hey what time is it? I should start headed towards my game."
"That's right, you should head back to your game." Nitro comments with a dismissive wave of his/her hand.
"Wouldn't want you to be late! Thanks for visiting, come again!" Turbo waves excitedly.
"Don't say that. That's like inviting her to come back." Pit scowls.
"But I am inviting her to come back, it's the right thing to do!"
"But I don't want her to come back. She creeps me out."
"Hey, um, I'm right here ya know?" I butt into their conversation.
"Don't mind Pit, he's just grumpy." Daytona shrugs, filing her nails. "See ya later, Jay."
"Bye, guys." I start heading back to the train.
They were an odd bunch. I wonder how well they get along? Most likely better than my group.
Oooh, I just can't wait any longer! The arcade'll close soon, she'll be in the game, and no one can even stop me cause they don't see it coming! I can end it all right here, right now! But I don't want to get the game unplugged before I get the chance to have some fun... Now how much more longer? This is taking longer than expected. Maybe I'm just being impatient... AHHH THIS IS TAKING SO LONG!
Deep breaths. Right now. Deep, slow breaths. Don't freak out. Freaking out will not do you any good. The arcade will close for the night and I will have plenty of time to get ready. The players will love me. I am the rightful avatar. No one can replace me. At least not forever.
Review please :3