Chapter Nine– Coconut Crème
"So how has the pie baking been going?" asked Taffyta as both she and Vanellope sat on the side of Soda Springs.
"It's been great!" the vanilla racer chirped, her smile bright and wide "I never knew so much could go into making even the SIMPLEST pies!"
"Sounds like things are going a lot better than I thought."
"Yeah, it has been…." Vanellope said, her voice softening a bit "It's been goin' a lot better than I thought."
The two fell silent for a moment, the soft spray of the rolling waves and fizzing bubbles echoing in their ears. The strawberry girl made a quick glance, noticing that Vanellope seemed to falter a bit. She was still smiling but there was something to her smile that sparked her curiosity.
"Vanellope? Is something the matter?"
"Taffy…." The girl said "Can I ask ya a question. I really, REALLY big one?"
"Er, sure." Replied Taffyta "What is it that you wanted to know?"
Vanellope rung her hands together, feeling worried as the question lay at the edge of her tongue.
"What…..what did it feel like?"
Taffya blinked, baffled by the question "What did WHAT feel like?"
"When King Candy was here…."
Taffyta felt the hair on the back of her next stand on end; why did Vanellope always come to HER for questions about the former monarch? Why did EVERYONE come to HER for questions about the man?
The strawberry racer felt a bit of sickness come to her stomach but she remained still "What about HIM?"
"When he locked up our minds..." The vanilla racer continued "Could ya actually feel somethin' weird?"
"What's THAT supposed to mean?" Taffyta said, a slight growl to her voice.
"I just wanted ta know." Said the other girl "I mean….I always felt that somethin' was off but I couldn't put my fingers on it! It was like as I dreamt, some memories kept poppin' up but I didn't know what they meant."
Taffyta's eyes began to darken. She felt as if she knew what Vanellope was implying and it was something she was not comfortable with.
Of course Vanellope wasn't the only one who felt 'weird' once the reset had happened. Of course Vanellope wasn't the only one who had odd dreams, odd reoccurrences of memories of the past, of what their lives SHOULD have been like.
But Taffyta hated being asked those questions. She hated it because people were so quick to turn it around, to act as if she had any CONTROL over what King Candy had done to the game, as if she had helped him do any of it.
Vanellope's request for her own view on what had happened might have been innocent enough but for Taffyta it was as if more salt was being poured on the wound for her. She wanted to move forward for once, not be dragged down by the arcade as was happening.
"I can tell you in truth, Vanellope…." Taffyta said, her voice rough "Yes. Yes, when the lock was reset, I DID feel lighter. My mind felt clear."
"It did?" Vanellope asked, Taffyta nodding her head "W-Wow. I just never thought we felt tha same thing."
"King Candy had us ALL under control." Taffyta growled "I wish that were something people here would actually believe."
Vanellope caught onto Taffyta's tone, sensing that she was getting angry at HER….or maybe several people.
"Hang on there, Taffy. Sounds ta me like ya don't believe ya….."
"I am NOT implying that, Vanellope." The girl said, her hands gripping her gloves.
Vanellope smirked "Oh, I get it. Still a lil sore from that joke I made 'bout executin' ya?"
Taffyta's blood began to run hot.
"Ya know it was just a joke, Taffy! A joke! It didn't mean-!"
"I GET IT VANELLOPE!" Taffyta roared, the force blowing Vanellope's hair "Hahaha. Funny joke! I got the funny joke! Your jokes are ALWAYS so funny!"
Much to her shock Vanellope ducked a bit, never seeing the strawberry racer in such a rage. At least not before the reset.
"Whoa, don't bust your brows!" Vanellope meeped "Nice ta see ya have a sense of humor but-"
Vanellope looked up; it was a little scary to see Taffyta crack so quickly when such a question was thrown towards her but given the nature of it, she realized that perhaps it was still a little bit TOO soon to go about digging up ghost from the past.
Especially ghost who had done so much to EVERYONE in Sugar Rush.
Taffyta looked down upon Vanellope, her anger ebbing only slightly.
"Urgh, sorry about that…." The girl said, sitting back down in her seat "Guess I'm tired from this place being so busy recently."
The vanilla racer rose back up, not sure if things were as fine as they seemed "Er, no problem I guess."
Such a volatile reaction wasn't expected, the once happy mood well destroyed in an instant.
But why? Why would Taffyta react in such a way? Vanellope was asking her from the heart, no prying or playing.
"I just wanted to know…."
Taffyta looked over, Vanellope turned away "WHY did you want to know?"
"I just wanted to know what it felt like because….well, after everythin' that tha Nicelanders have been tellin' me, he put them through a lotta stuff too. 'Course that was back when he was still TURBO but still, I-!"
"Even if I told you, even I told the arcade what he did to us would it really matter what I said?" Taffyta sniffed arrogantly "Would it really matter what ANY of us said?"
"Us?"
Taffyta flipped her hair daintily "He came in, he locked up our memories, he lied and we followed. We're the bad guys and we'll always be the bad guys. And you're the sweet, perfect president who was wronged by all. The end, who cares."
"Taff, that's not it." Vanellope said, becoming a little cross with Taffyta's answer and tone "There's more to it than that. There is always more to it than-!"
"No." the other racer said, looking right into Vanellope's eyes "THAT. IS. IT. We don't have our own story because we're not worthy of it. We're just the characters who were too stupid to fight back against Candy, remember? We were all too dumb which is why we're just bullies, remember?"
Vanellope had heard those terms thrown around before from outside the game. She had always kept her mouth buttoned on the subject but she had no idea that such words had wormed their way into Sugar Rush, least of all into the minds of the other racers.
In the mind of Taffyta.
"I'm not tryin' ta joke with ya on this…." Vanellope said "Like I said, I've been learnin' so much about what Turbo an' so many people have been doin' in this arcade while I was stuck here….I….I just wanna know if anyone did tha same ta ya?"
Taffyta looked over, Vanellope's eyes looking just as upset as her own. She knew when Vanellope tried to snark her way through something but this time around, things were different. Vanellope seemed to have her ears open to hear what the racers had to say but Taffyta?
Even she couldn't find the courage to really tell Vanellope everything. She knew Vanellope WANTED to listen, she would be the first person who would do so, but would it really matter what she had to say? Would anyone want to listen to her or the other racers at this point? The only thing people saw them as were Vanellope's tormentors. The fact that King Candy had messed with their code, had lied to them, had molded them into his puppets had become lost in all the fervor upon Vanellope's return. Once she had appeared, no one cared what King Candy had done, only what the other racers had done. It was if had things gone their way, they would say that the racers were the ones who turned Vanellope into a glitch, not Turbo.
Maybe it was the time she had been spending with the Nicelanders but something was starting to open up within Vanellope. She had loved the glitz and glamor that she had been given upon her return but once she saw that even she could make mistakes, that even she could fall for lies and in turn act wrongly upon them, she learned the importance of LISTENING, listening to EVERYONE no matter their role, no matter their job but most of all how easy it was for ANYONE to get pulled into a mess.
It didn't matter if Vanellope was princess, president or whatever powers she had.
She could still fall victim to a trap.
Vanellope wanted to listen to the other racers but sadly, they were not ready to open up to her.
The sun was beginning to set, the racer knew Ralph would be waiting for her.
"Taffyta?"
"What?"
The vanilla racer got up "I just want ya ta know….if somethin' is wrong, if someone is messin' with ya guys….I'm here. I'll listen. An' I'll do whatever it takes ta make it better."
Taffyta knew in her heart that Vanellope was telling the truth but another part of her was just struggling to swallow it down. Turbo had already used her before, had already made her out to be his fool.
Could Taffyta trust ANYONE again? Even Vanellope?
"If I have anything…." The strawberry girl said "If I have anything, I'll let you know."
Vanellope waved her hand weakly as she left Taffyta at Soda Springs, a grey cloud over her head as she left for Niceland. Ralph was waiting there for her as usual and she made certain to put on a smile as not to arouse his suspicious.
One friend was upset, she didn't want another to become gloomy as well.
"So Stink-Breath." She called, her voice cracking just a tad "Whoooooo-OOH! Is on the list tonight?"
"I believe we're gonna see Roy, tonight." Smiled Ralph was he led the girl into the apartments.
"Anythin' I should know 'bout him?" Vanellope asked, noticing the color leeching out of Ralph's face.
"UH."
"…..Ralph?"
"All I'm gonna say is this…." The big man said as he carefully knocked on the door "Just do what he says. It'll save EVERYONE from headaches."
That didn't sound too good.
"Hold on, I'll be there in a second!" called a somewhat worried voice from the other side of the door. There were a few loud clanks and tumbles heard, several locks creaking loudly.
"Geeze, I think the man has more locks on his front door than we have on our golden coin reserve!"
"Vanellope, shhhh."
The door finally opened and before the two stood a rather nervous looking Nicelander in a finely pressed grey suit.
"Ah, right on time."
In fact, mostly EVERYTHING about the man was grey; his eyes were grey, his remaining hair was grey. Vanellope peeked over his shoulder, seeing that his entire apartment was a mixture of soft blues and grey.
NICELANDER ROY: GREY.
"I am SO sorry!" the man apologized quickly, brushing off a few strands of unseen lint from the nearby lamp stand "I was preparing myself for tonight's meeting but I was so worried! I was worried if the ingredients were fresh enough, or if I had the right milk or-!"
"Mr. Roy, it's okay!" Ralph said, wondering if he and Vanellope would EVER get invited in "I can bet that you'll do find in teachin' us-!"
"DON'T COME IN YET!"
Both guest stopped in their tracks, Ralph posed PERFECTLY STILL with one foot in the air.
"Sorry, but no shoes on the carpet." Roy panted "It's just….it's just something I have to follow."
"O-oh…." Said Vanellope, kneeling down and taking off her shoes "Is this better?"
"Mmm, hold on." The Nicelander said as he ran out of view for a moment, only to come back a few seconds later with some large rags and strings "Better safe than sorry…."
Vanellope let out a squeak as Roy stooped down and dusted off her stockings.
"Hey! I'm sure those things are clean! I have like a million pairs an' they're always-!"
"Ralph?"
The big man looked down confused "Yeah?"
"Just lift up your foot for s second…." Roy said.
"Er, sure…."
Much to Ralph's surprise as soon as he lifted his right foot up, Roy tied the giant's foot with one of the clothes as if to create a makeshift sock for the man.
"AH!"
"And now the left."
Ralph as shaking a bit from being unbalanced but he did what he was told, Roy repeating the action to his left foot. With Ralph's feet now covered it seemed like everything was perfect.
"Aah…." The Nicelander sighed "Well, step one is done!"
"Step ONE?" Vanellope said, a brow arching "How many step do we hafta do before we get ta pie?!"
Roy didn't answer the girl as he had already made his way into his study, a few more things clinking and clanking around him.
"Don't worry you two! We'll get started once everything is perfect!"
Vanellope was starting to feel a bit skeptical about THIS session.
"Okay, when ya said that Roy had his quirks about him, I didn't think ya meant it like this!"
"Give the guy a break, kiddo." Ralph said, rubbing the back of his neck "It's not like this is somethin' we can make him stop doin' in a snap. He's always….he's always been kinda funny when it comes ta things like this."
Vanellope looked around, the muted drab colors already starting to get to her.
"Alight. But if he makes us dress in haz-mat suits just ta bake-!"
The girl looked over, noticing a few large books on the coffee table.
"Oh, what's this?"
"Hey now, don't start goin' through things ya know ya shouldn't!" warned Ralph "Ya know how NEL reacted when I looked at her sketchbooks without askin'!"
"It's not like I'm gonna STEAL it, big guy!" Vanellope pouted "Sides, everyone knows tha rule! If it's out on the coffee table, that means everyone is welcome to it!"
"I'm sure that rule is bull but-"
Vanellope carefully walked over towards the large book on the table, noticing that it was aligned PERFECTLY with so many things on the table.
NICELANDER ROY; SYMMETRICAL.
"I wonder what this is?" the girl through to herself, opening up the book to find….
"Pictures?" said Ralph.
Vanellope looked back, surprised so see her friend standing over her "I thought ya said it wasn't a good idea ta put your nose in everythin'?"
"If he gets mad, I'm just gonna say that YA enticed me ta do it."
"Fair enough…." Snorted Vanellope "But look at all these pictures."
It was still a little odd for Ralph to see the things that the Nicelanders had collected and kept over all the years. For so long, he had expected them to hold the same things, to live the same way, and to just be copies of each other but as the pie sessions had taught him, all the Nicelanders had their own stories.
As well as their own problems.
The pictures looked old in Vanellope's eyes, the snapshots a bit faded but they were all lined up perfectly within the plastic coverings of the book. Roy's curly and meticulous handwriting was a little hard for Vanellope to read, the girl not used to such displays of cursive.
"Geeze, what does it say?"
"I think it says 'Opening day'…." Ralph said.
"Oh, so you can translate this secrete code? I was startin' ta think I needed a special ring an' some sort of glasses or somethin'!"
Ralph looked around, already feeling nervous for when the Nicelander would make his return and catch them in the act but as he looked down upon the photo album he could not help but become sucked into the photos that he saw. All the Nicelanders had their own photo books and it was each one that Ralph wanted to see. He wanted to see them because he really did want to see what things looked like from a Nicelander's point of view. He had never thought it would come to such a turn but as things had been happening….
"Scoot over…." Ralph said, taking the album as carefully as he could in his hands "I'll read what I can."
Vanellope turned the page, more faded pictures showing up.
"There's Ms. Lucy an' Mr. Tony…." Vanellope said "An' Felix too!"
"Yeah…." The man said, a little smile on his face "Heh, now I'm startin' ta 'member all that stuff! I think out of all of us, Felix was the most excited ta get started with work! He just couldn't BELIEVE what powers he ha-!"
"Ralph!"
"What, WHAT?" the man asked as he looked down.
"Is….is that YOU?!"
"Wait, WHAT?"
Ralph looked closer at the photo….and it was true.
He WAS in the album.
And not just in the background, a figure who haplessly wandered on frame as the Nicelanders went about other things.
Ralph was in the photos….with Felix AND the Nicelanders.
The man could not believe what he was seeing. When were these photos taken? WHO had taken them?
Considering that in most of the photos Roy was out of frame, HE must have been the mysterious photographer.
"Ralph….do ya remember this?" Vanellope asked as she looked up at her friend, curiosity written all over her face. Ralph thought hard, he thought back as far as he could.
What was the first day like again? What was that first YEAR like?
"I…."
The man could remember so little. It was so long ago….but the pictures were right there in front of him, their story playing out before his eyes.
He WAS with the Nicelanders and Felix, he was with them as if there was nothing odd about a bad guy conversing with his fellow game mates. Of course, Ralph was looking about sheepishly but he was still standing with the little people.
"Golly…." The man gulped "It really has been a long time, hasn't it?"
What had happened? What had happened that would cause such a drastic turn within the game?
Ralph had blocked everything out but now he was trying all he could to remember. He WANTED to remember, if only to know the real reason why he and the Nicelanders would split apart if they had no trouble from the start.
"There's gotta be more!" Ralph said, turning the pages quickly "There's gotta be more in this!"
"Hey, watch out!" Vanellope meeped, nearly falling on her face "Ya almost took me out there, big guy!"
"Sorry but I have to know what these pictures mean!"
"Ralph!" Vanellope shouted, though she made certain not to arouse Roy's attention "First ya don't want me ta look at this thing an' now you're on the verge of RIPPIN' it!"
"No I'm not!" the man said, trying to hold the book away from Vanellope's reach but she glitched up to him, her little hands grasping onto the opposite side.
"Yes, you are!" she growled "Put it back before we get into trouble!"
"We're not gonna get into trouble if ya just let me have it!" Ralph fought back, pulling back hard.
"RALPH! Stop, you're gonna-!"
"Is there a problem?" said Roy, exiting his room just in time-
*RIIIIIIP!*
Just in time to see the book rip in two, each end held tightly within Ralph and Vanellope's grasp.
Everyone fell silent, the two guest going white as ghost as pictures fluttered through the air like snow. Roy said nothing, looking at the two as they tumbled to the ground, the remains of his photo album hitting the floor loudly as more photos became scattered about. Ralph was the first to look up, gasping loudly as a picture hit him in the face.
One with Felix standing with Roy.
"OH NO!"
"AH! I'M SORRY!"
Both Wrecker and racer sprang to their feet, going after photos like chickens reaching for grain.
"I-I didn't mean for things ta go like this!" said Vanellope, hoping she wouldn't step on any wayward photo that ended up under her feet "I-I just wanted ta-!"
"It was an accident, it was an accident!" asid Ralph "Sorry sir, I got too nosy with tha pictures!"
Roy continued to stand before the two, awestruck at what he was witnessing. He looked back at the tattered remains of the book.
It was ruined, it was destroyed. All his perfectly aligned pictures; the time it had taken to put them in order, to create a story with the years that had passed and gone by.
WRECKED.
The man gulped, wringing his hands together. Ralph and Vanellope continued their mad dash before him, knocking over a few things here and there in his neatly laid apartment.
"Oh please oh PLEASE, I hope I didn't lose anythin'!" said Vanellope.
"Careful with the prints, Ralph! Careful!" said Ralph.
"Guys?"
"O-Okay, did this one have a tear BEFORE or AFTER I got it?!"
"Guys."
"Was there a double of this one?! I think there was!"
"GUYS!"
It was such a strange thing, to hear Roy raise his voice in such a way. Ralph was used to being yelled at by GENE but never ROY!
He HAD to be in trouble now.
"S-Sir?"
The photos finally landed on the ground, the Nicelander in grey the only calm head in the apartment. He stood up straight, taking a deep calming breath as he looked around. His apartment was a mess alright but he knew things would not get any better if he….
"I can't panic with this….."
If he had reacted in a way that Ralph was much more familiar with.
Ralph looked over at the tiny man, watching as he slowly walked to the middle of the mess. He kneeled down, picking up pictures so calmly and carefully. If anything, it was that action that made the two feel even more nervous. Had they upset the man so much that he was refusing to talk to them? Someone had to say something.
"A-ah, sir?" Vanellope said, a small shiver going through her "I…."
Roy looked up at Vanellope.
She knew those eyes.
Only a while ago, TAFFYTA had given her the same look. It was a look of something aching right to the very core of a person's code. Vanellope wasn't able to help break through with Taffyta.
"Oh, great…."
What made her think she could do the same with Roy?
But to both their surprise, Roy seemed calm. This wasn't the man that Ralph was used to seeing, so panicky and worried at the slightest thing.
"Sir?"
"It's alright kids…." The man said, his voice soft "There's no reason for you to get yourselves in a tizzy over this…."
Ralph and Vanellope looked at each other, watching the man clean up the album and place the remains back onto the table. Even with the two halves of the book, Roy placed them neatly in alignment as if they had been there the entire time. And the photos.
"I don't think there's a single one missing…."
Split into two perfectly symmetrical piles right before their eyes.
Roy had his way with things, even when they were wrecked.
Ralph couldn't help but feel horrible as he watched the little man make his way into the kitchen, saying nothing as if the album hadn't been touched at all.
"Geeze sir…." The wrecker groaned "I…I didn't mean to roughhouse with your things like that."
"Yeah, me neither…." Vanellope echoed "Guess s'what I get for not askin'."
His back still towards the two, Roy couldn't help but feel a bit awkward.
What was he supposed to do now? It wasn't as if he had the nerve to tell the two how he was really feeling about the sudden action. He HATED when people messed with his things, when something was forced out of place and put into disarray before him.
He had a system, a system that made his life tolerable.
Roy had expected things to get a little messy with the two, he knew what was going to happen when he invited Ralph into his home. The man wasn't that foolish to think that his pristine place of rest would end up as clean as it was when the lessons ended.
But he hadn't expected of all things to get wrecked, of all things to get torn, was that book.
"What do I do, what do I do?!" he thought to himself. He was doing well enough to play fine on the OUTSIDE but inside the man was a mess.
"Mr. Roy?" Ralph said, walking carefully towards the man "Is everything alright?"
Roy nervously jumped a bit as Ralph stood over him. A grin was forced on his face but he held out his hands before him.
"E-Everything is fine young man! I-I'm just getting the ingredients we need to make our pie!"
Vanellope wasn't so sure; the tone that Roy was using was one that didn't give her any reassurance. She knew the man was upset.
"D-do ya want me ta call Felix?" the girl suggested, walking towards the Nicelander "He can fix your book up, Lickety-Split!"
"M-Maybe later…." Stammered Roy "I-I know he's probably busy! I wouldn't want to impede on his evening!"
"I'm sure I saw Felix not too long ago talkin' with one of the ladies…." Ralph said, hoping that he could get things repaired as quickly as possible "Let's go out there and find him before-!"
"Young man, it's quite alright!" Roy panted, his cheeks turning red the more nervous he became "Felix doesn't need to come rushing towards me for EVERY little thing! Programmers know he's done that for us long enough!"
The two guests looked down at the cowering Nicelander. True, of all the little people Roy did seem to have to confide in Felix more often than the others but to see him turn down Felix's help like this? It was starting to remind the big man of some of the other reactions he had gotten from the group.
They had all stated they wanted to stop depending on Felix so much but in so many of the cases Ralph had seen, they were starting to turn down LEGIT things that Felix was well-suited for fixing, things he would have done without a second thought or annoyance.
Something was going on but was it in Ralph's right to ask?
Roy dabbed his sweaty brow with a handkerchief, letting out an eight-bit puff of air. What a way the night had begun.
"Oooh, I shouldn't behave in such a manner as this." He said as he turned towards the ice-box, wanting nothing more than to change the subject but as he looked through, he noticed something important wasn't there.
"Oh, PIXELS!"
"Excuse me, sir?"
Roy continued to search through the fridge, the two seeing a small pout on his face.
"I knew if I kept this up, I would forget something. All this worry and I forgot the eggs? What is wrong with me?"
"So….no pie?" Vanellope frowned sadly "An' ta thinks, I LIKE coconut."
"Ah, do not worry young lady. You'll get a chance to bake."
"So you're gonna make an EGGLESS pie?"
Roy adjusted his bow-tie, looking up at Ralph "You know where we have to go."
Vanellope blinked "Stink-Breath?"
Ralph couldn't help but grin, his mind sparking as he knew where the three would soon be going.
"Hey kid…" the man asked "Wanna know WHY Nicelander pie taste so fresh?"
The group found themselves outside but Roy lead them towards the back end of the apartments, far from the spying eyes of any player.
"Say, where are we goin'?" the girl asked "Ya two have been so hush about it! Like it's some portal or somethin'!"
"I can't promise it'll be that fantastic…." Roy smiled "But if you like chicks…."
*PEEP PEEP PEEP PEEP!*
Vanellope rounded the corner only to stop and let out a gasp, her eyes wide and bright.
*PEEP PEEP PEEP PEEP!*
High pitched peeps, clucking.
"Ch-chickens?!" Vanellope stuttered, unable to keep her excitement down "YOU GUYS HAVE CHICKENS?!"
"Like I said…." Ralph smirked "These guys go outta their way to make sure their pie is FRESH."
Roy bent down, carefully reaching in to check for eggs "It's okay girls. You don't have to worry about falling bricks or windows. We're just here for a few eggs."
Vanellope couldn't hold still as she looked upon the chubby, tiny chickens and their even smaller chicks, the yellow things looking like blobby balls of yellow fluff.
"AAAAAH!" she squealed "There are so many of them! So cute!"
"Here." Roy said, taking hold of Vanellope's hand and placing one of the chicks in it. The racer was speechless as she held the creature in her hand. It was as soft as a marshmallow but even smaller, like so many of the Nicelander things.
*PEEP!*
"So ducks, cats, chickens…." The girl smirked, trying her best to play coy "Ya gotta zoo or somethin' here? What else has Ralphie been hidin' from me?"
Roy inspected the eggs, making sure the ones that were chosen were perfect for the lesson.
"No, no….this one is too light. The yolk hasn't had long to settle…."
Had the man heard her? He seemed to be lost in his concentration.
"Uh, Mr. Roy?"
The Nicelander still did not respond, looking this way and that for the right eggs. If it wasn't good in his eye, it went back into the coop and the next would was pulled out.
"Hmmm, right weight. Shell color is good."
"Roy?"
Roy jolted that time, Ralph's voice the thing needed to snap him back to reality.
"Oh, did you say something?"
"Heh, I don't think ya hafta go THAT far for us!" Vanellope smiled as she put the chick back into the coop "I'm sure any egg is just as good as another."
The Nicelander gave the girl a grave look, as if he could not believe what she had just told him.
"YOUNG LADY….." he said, his voice sounding deep and strong "When making pie, you cannot settle for mediocrity! You cannot settle for just ANY ingredient at any grade!"
Maybe a nerve had been struck. Whatever the explanation, Roy looked SERIOUS.
The man stood up, his eggs in his basket as he led the two back towards the apartments.
"I was hoping that the previous lessons had rubbed off on you." The man said, looking back only once "That you would take into account the time and effort that goes into the preparation of the PERFECT Nicelander pie!"
"We have sir, we have!" Vanellope said, trying her best to keep up "I didn't mean that ta sound like I-! We-! You just throw ANYTHING inta a pie tin!"
"You're darn right I don't!" Roy said sternly, the tone coming off as a bit of a surprise towards Ralph who was so used to seeing Roy so worried and paranoid.
It always threw both off when Nicelanders behaved in any way other than 'silly'.
There seemed to be a bit of a pout on Roy's face as he marched his way down the halls "I've bet you've been talking to DON, haven't you?"
"Considerin' we already baked with him, yes?"
"I love him. He's family…." The man said as he opened the door to his apartment "But programmers, I'm willing to BET he went off on MY methods again, didn't he?"
"Would it make you feel any better if we said NO?" Ralph grinned painfully.
Don DID say a lot of things during their session with him, MANY THINGS.
But for the grace of all things good, the sailor seemed to purposely have left out a lot of details on his older cousin and perhaps for good reason. Now ROy was starting to get upset, more upset than he looked when his photo album was ripped in two.
"He's just like everyone else!" the man huffed, dropping a few of the ingredients on the counter rather roughly "Why does EVERYONE here have to behave like they live in BARNS? Do they not understand the steps I have to take in order to ensure that my pie comes out palatable for everyone? For FELIX?!"
Roy turned on his heels, eyes closed and finger up.
"There are so many things you have to take into consideration! Things that the others do not realize are of great importance!"
"Er, such as WHAT?" said Ralph, moving out of the way before Roy trampled on his toes.
"ONE, the weight of the pie! It cannot be too heavy otherwise it would slow down Felix's reaction time while in gameplay! TWO, the pie cannot be lop-sided in anyway thus preventing an even distribution for Felix to consume it! THREE, the pie has to have the correct amount of ingredients and nutritional value! It cannot contain dairy per Felix's intolerance to milk! It must not be too fattening or have too many calories, or else it would cause Felix's reaction time to become sluggish! IT MUST-!"
"Hey, slow down!" Vanellope said, stepping in front of the man "WOW! Felix wasn't kiddin' when he said ya guys take pie so seriously!"
"It's what I have to do." Roy nodded "It is my responsibility young lady, my JOB. I must ensure that everything is right, that everything is perfect."
"Felix hasn't complained a bit, so I'm sure it's safe to say that he's think ya guy are doin' alright!" smiled Ralph but Roy wasn't too sure. He knew that the two were being polite about it but POLITENESS couldn't cover up the fact that Roy had to make sure that EVERYTHING was covered.
He had to make sure that his pie was one hundred percent pixel perfect.
"If you think it's that easy…." The Nicelander said, a little glint in his eyes "Let us being."
Perhaps setting up a challenge with Roy wasn't the best of ideas.
In no time at all, Roy had prepared the counter, making sure that everything was centered and leveled.
"No young lady!" the man scolded "You have to make sure everything is even!"
"I was sure I had that right…." Vanellope said, looking down at the dough she had just rolled.
"Here, this is what you can do." Roy said as he moved alongside Vanellope, taking some wax paper and placing it over the pile "You see that?"
Vanellope and Ralph looked as best they could to find the fault that Roy could apparently see.
"Noooot really?"
"There are air bubbles in the dough!" the man corrected "You can tell just by how uneven the dough is."
"Ah, ya might have better vision than I do…." Vanellope said, rubbing her eyes "Cuz I can't see anything!"
"This is all you have to do." Roy said as he took the dough and folded it back neatly, pressing it out carefully and gracefully with eah flip he gave it "Let it settle, let it deflate just a bit….."
Ralph and Vanellope looked on, watching the dough settle into a blob of a mass on the counter but Roy then took the girl's hands.
"WHOA."
"Instead of just BLAZING through with the rolling pin-" Roy said, gently guiding Vanellope "Just roll over it slowly, carefully. See, everything is even now…"
Vanellope looked down, finding that the man was right. The large unsightly bubbles that were once there were no gone.
"Okay, see what ya meant there!"
"And Ralph?"
"Yes, Roy?" the Wrecker said, holding the large bowl of cream in his arms.
"Don't stir so roughly! You want to keep the coconut milk from causing a reaction with the lemon juice and eggs! They'll actually separate and CURDLE if you mash it like that!"
"Then how am I SUPPOSED ta mix it?!" Ralph said, feeling just as panicky as Roy usually appeared to be "I'm still new to this method! Don't leave me hangin' like this!"
"Now don't fret, it can still be saved…." Roy said, adding just a tiny pinch of lemon juice to the mixture "This should be enough to keep things flowing but not too much to turn this into LEMON pie."
"Wow, you really have a system goin' on, don't ya?" Vanellope laughed.
"Think of it like this." Roy began as he started shaving the coconut "You're a racer, correct?"
"Yeah?"
"And you make certain that your car is in tip-top performance?"
"Of course!"
"Consider my pies in the same fashion." The man said, checking the coconut flakes over "Making sure I am there for Felix when he requires them is just one part of the job. If the pie is no good, then what is the point? I might as well be serving AIR to the young man if I just wanted to give out anything!"
With the coconut thoroughly inspected, the Nicelander pushed the pan over to Ralph.
"Sugar, please."
"Here ya go." The wrecker smiled, handing the smaller man the sugar jar but Roy shook his head.
"No, no, no. BROWN sugar please!"
Ralph turned back to the spice cabinet, seeing that there were various jars labeled and lined up neatly in the space.
Including SEVERAL jars of brown sugar.
"Er, WHICH ONE?"
"The fine grain, second from the left." Roy pointed "You're going to need it for the next step."
"Really? What am I gonna do?"
"Just take a bit between your fingers…." Roy said "And sprinkle it over the flakes. That way when we toast them, they will caramelize!"
"Ya know what surprise me 'bout ya guys?" Vanellope said, sneaking a taste of the coconut filling "Ya seem ta LOOOOVE sweets just about as much as we do!"
Roy smiled, or at least Vanellope THOUGHT he smiled. With the grey Nicelander it was often hard to tell.
"I will admit, I do have rather the sweet tooth. Just have to be at caution not to eat too many sweets. It's not good for the body you know."
"Heh, says you."
"I think I got this." Ralph said, feeling a little nervous as he sprinkled the sugar atop the coconut shavings. Roy was proving to be quite the task-master and the last thing the wrecker wanted to do, especially after the incident with the photo album, was mess up a pie.
"Did I do it right?"
Roy looked over the flakes, eyes going here and there as he checked each one. Was he counting just how many grains were on each piece.
"Hmmmm…."
"Well?"
"Pretty good for a first timer." Roy nodded in approval "They're ready for the oven along with the crust."
Ralph let out a relived sigh, wiping his brow and forgetting he still had some sugar on his forehead.
"Ah, thank PROGRAMMERS!"
"Wet-wipe…" Vanellope said as she glitched up to Ralph's forehead, wiping it with a wet cloth "An' what about me Mr. Roy?"
"We're going to put the filling in for its first chill cycle." The Nicelander said "Ralph, I already set the oven on so just put the crust and the coconut in together. After about ten minutes, take the coconut out."
"Will do!" said Ralph.
"Roger!" said Vanellope.
Roy might have shown to be more methodical than the others when it came to his process but once their assignments had been done, the two guests felt a sense of accomplishment come over them. More and more, their sessions were feeling both like a chance to meet characters but also like a new mission; baking a pie not just to eat but to see what it took to bake them like a Nicelander.
They had to admit, it was a lot different than what they had expected. They had both expected things to be easy, to be so simple but each Nicelander had their own pie, their own way, their own process to ensure that it came out the best.
No wonder Felix enjoyed their pies so much.
"Heh, betcha wished ya had more help in here, don'tcha Mr. Roy?" Vanellope smirked proudly but there came no reply. She looked over, seeing the Nicelander had returned to the coffee table, looking at the torn album.
"Mr. Roy?"
"Oh goodness…." The man mumbled to himself "Maybe I should get another book or-?"
"Mr. Roy…." Vanellope said, glitching over to the man "Ya sure ya don't want us ta get Felix on this? Just one hammer tap an'-"
"It is alright, young lady." The man sighed "It is alright. Besides, it's not like the first time this thing has been in trouble."
Ralph looked down, noticing the way that Roy was clutching onto the many pictures "Care to explain?"
"It's just such silly things…." Roy said "Me being so paranoid when it comes to organization and holding onto things. I know keeping things like this seems pointless but-!"
"POINTLESS?" Vanellope said "What's so pointless about keepin' pictures like this, 'specially when they mean so much ta ya?!"
"Whoa, settle down kid…" Ralph said, putting a hand gently atop her head.
"I guess SOME of these pictures mean something." Roy peeped "Some? Well, some are just things that came with the game. You know, backstory filler. Stuff to remind us that we do have a past from SOMEWHERE."
The Nicelander stopped, a small smile coming upon his face.
A smile?
"Silly things…."
Vanellope blinked at the sight, wondering just what the man was laughing at "Sir?"
"Oh, you were going to ask anyway. Might as well show you some of the things in here, both pre-programmed and otherwise."
"YEAH! More silly photos!" Vanellope cheered, making herself comfortable on the couch "Are there any BAY-BEEEE shots of you we're gonna seeeeee?"
Roy blushed horribly "Oh GOODNESS, no! I mean-! Yes, there are some pictures of myself as a youth but I am NOT going to-!"
"Aw c'mon!" the girl grinned "Captain DOOOON showed us all sorts of WONDERFUL pictures of you as a kid! Like all the pictures of him shoving you in the mud!"
Roy frowned, his cheeks still blushed "He WOULD show you those things…."
"Kid, don't push it." Ralph moaned but Vanellope pulled his overall strap.
"C'mon big guy! This is comedy gold!"
"So Don thinks he can play, huh?" the grey Nicelander huffed "FINE! He wasn't the only one given such DELIGHTFUL pieces of nostalgia!"
Roy flipped through the tattered pages, pulling out several pictures.
"Take a look at THIS!"
Eyes were wide as they looked upon the faded pieces of paper, each snapshot more hilarious than the next.
DON! Stuck in a fence with Roy crying five feet away!
"AAAAH! ROY STOP CRYIN' AN GET ME OUTTA HERE!"
"Mommy! Donnie is stuck again!"
DON! Hanging by his pants from a tree, Roy with his face in his palms!
"….Roy?"
"Donald, I told you that branch was weak."
DON! Getting chased by ducks, Roy looking on in embarrassment five feet away!
"BUT DUCKS LIKE BREAD! DUCKS LIKE BREAD!"
"Donnie…."
DON! Doing various idiotic things as a child, Roy just wondering when it would all end!
Vanellope erupted into laughter, Ralph tried his best to hide his grimace.
"And he acts as if he's so mature…." Roy said "Mature my left foot. I'VE always been the one getting that fool out of trouble, in-story and out!"
"M-man!" Vanellope giggled, wiping a tear from her face "This place is NEVER borin' is it?"
"You think this grey hair is NATURAL?" Roy said "I might be the oldest between the two of us but it's HIM! It's HIM! He made my code go grey! I was programmed with BROWN HAIR! Even worse he goes about going 'Hawn, hawn, hawn! Guess we BOTH know what it's like to be GREY, eh cuz! Oh ho ho ho ho!'"
"Almost got it, almost got it…." Said a certain sea-themed Nicelander, working diligently on his latest ship-in-a-bottle project.
*Ding!*
In an instant, the man felt his ears starting to burn, the sensation sending a shiver down his spine. He drop his tweezers on the table, looking around as if some sort of ghost had appeared before him.
"…Roy?"
"Geeze, you two sound like Minty an' her sisters." The little racer smiled "Always gettin' in trouble an' stuff. But at tha end of tha day? Ya'd still hang out with him, right?"
"What can I say?" Roy shrugged "He'll always drag me off SOMEWHERE."
Vanellope looked through the pictures, feeling the warm hominess that came with it.
"I hope I find my family pictures one day…" smiled Vanellope.
"Say what young lady?"
"Oh, nothing." Said the racer but her mood changed "But what was this about your album gettin' inta trouble or somethin'?"
"Yeah…." The Nicelander said, his voice sounding nervous "There was an….incident."
"What KINDA incident?" asked Ralph.
"Nothing that would concern to you, I'm certain of it." Roy said, looking down at the more recent pictures "Just some…just some stupid Nicelander havoc, that's all."
"Roy, if there is anything I've learned, aside from how ta make enough pies ta last me ta eternity of course, it's that there are some stories I NEED ta hear." Ralph said "Ya may think it's stupid but I'm here to lend an ear!"
There were no words to describe how Roy was feeling at that moment. He just couldn't fathom the idea that of all the people in the arcade, RALPH was more than willing to listen to his story. After all, this was the guy that Roy had feared so much from afar, the man whom he was convinced wanted nothing more to do to the Nicelanders than to wreck them just like the apartment.
He was a BAD GUY! And as Roy had experienced first-hand, Bad guys don't listen to NPCs!
Don't they?
Roy looked down at the album, seeing some of the photos Roy had taken so many years ago.
Ralph was in those….and there was a reason for that.
There was a reason for EVERYTHING.
A great wave of unease came over the Nicelander; should he tell Ralph the truth? Should he dare reveal what had happened in the past? He had overhead his neighbors going on and on about how well and respectful Ralph had treated them, how he was such a good guy, how he-
"I-I…."
Was it really that important?
"Y-You see…."
Would Ralph and Vanellope care?
Roy felt his hands shake, his mouth dry.
It always happened like this. The nervousness was welling up, his mind going crazy inside. That flush of worry that would always hit him, that feeling that things would only spiral down into panic if he lost control, if he couldn't get his grip on it and keep it in line.
He couldn't tell Ralph the truth! It would result in the same thing to happen over and over and-!
"They stole it."
"Huh?" Vanellope said, barely able to hear the Nicelander's hoarse words "They did what to it?"
"It was years ago. Years before your time…." Roy said, his back toward the others "I don't know how they got in but…."
He had started, and Roy never left a task unfinished. He had to keep going.
"They knew my weaknesses….." Roy said "They knew it. They knew it and the used it."
"Who knew your 'WEAKNESS'." Asked Ralph.
"Various people. So many people. They had watched me. They knew that I hate when things are out of order, they knew that I can't stand it when things get misplaced. I can understand it when people make mistakes around me, people always do. I learned to cope with THAT."
Heavy hands laid upon the album, Vanellope seeing them twitch.
"But to just USE it? Again and again, like it's some sort of JOKE?"
Roy turned, holding the two halves of the book in his hands.
"Someone knew about this. Someone knew that I took pride in keeping photos of all our times together. That's what I love to do."
"So you like takin' pictures?" said Vanellope "That's neat."
"I do it because I want to keep something to treasure, to keep something to remember the good times…." Roy continued "Because if the game went out of order-"
He paused, a lump forming in his throat.
"Like it did that night…."
Ralph felt his cheeks burning; yup. THAT night.
"I want to hold onto some memories to remind me of the times when we were happy. That's why I even hold onto the ones that were programmed with the game. I know some of the others might not take them too seriously. I mean, they tell of memories that aren't really there but they remind me. They remind me that I DO have a family, that there is MORE to my past than just pixels. It might not be flashy but it's there."
Vanellope thought back to her own game, her own home. There were still so many things missing that she needed to find, like pictures and other small artifacts of her story.
All the racers' stories.
"But I guess that's where my weakness got the better of me."
"What happened, Mr. Roy?" Vanellope asked "What did they do?"
"Someone got in here. I really can't guess how but it was a night when we were all out. When I came back, this place. The ENTIRE apartment was trashed, things turned upside down, clothes everywhere."
"Ya mean they ROBBED ya?!" Ralph growled, feeling some anger.
"No, they didn't ROB me. They just threw everything into a complicated mess because they KNEW it would drive me crazy." Said Roy "You….you can't imagine it. Just coming in one day, finding your entire world has been turned upside down and for what reason?"
Vanellope felt a pit forming in her stomach, Roy's words haunting her.
"NO reason at all. They just thought it was funny to see me tear my hair out to get things back together. I was SCRAMBLING to pick up the pieces, nearly made myself SICK cleaning up."
Roy felt itchy, his skin prickling. He shuddered, resisting all urges to scratch.
"I just can't take it, Ralph! I can't! It felt like EVERYTHING had come out from under me when they did that! And it wasn't just once!"
"It wasn't?" Vanellope blinked in astonishment.
"NO!" Roy stammered, looking frantic "The other's helped me clean up once but then a week later! It happened again, but even worse! We clean up, and they prank me again! It was like week after WEEK they came back!"
Ralph leaned over "And your apartment was the only one they did this to?"
Roy was wringing his hands tightly but he nodded.
"So many years of getting things together, so many hours spent on making sure it all fits right, all fits PERFECTLY! RUINED IN MOMENTS!"
"A-and the book?"
Roy turned towards Vanellope, seeing the worry in her eyes. If he hadn't known better it was almost as if Roy were looking in a mirror.
"I always managed to find it. It was in a new spot every time but after some hunting we would find it. Sometimes it would be in the bathroom, sometimes in the closet. They even left it in the OVEN on one occasion."
"G-Good thing they didn't turn it on."
"Oh, I think that if they HAD it would have given them away." Roy nodded "I mean, have you seen or SMELLED the smoke photo paper gives off?"
Roy shook his head, the memories painful.
"But on one night, we COULDN'T find it. We searched EVERYWHERE, ALL OVER! But it was nowhere to be found! It wasn't in MY apartment, it wasn't in Don's, it wasn't in ANYONE'S!"
"Then what happened to it? Where did ya go ta find it?"
"I didn't go out to look for it." Roy said "FELIX did."
"He did?" said Ralph "How?"
"To this day, I don't know…." The man said in a sheepish tone "I've asked and asked and asked but even now, he won't tell me HOW he got it back or WHO he got it back from. All I know is that one night, Felix had come home rather late. We were all getting worried to his whereabouts since back then, it wasn't like him to just up and stay out without giving us so much as a call."
Ralph began to think back, think back to those first few years. He did recall a time when the Nicelanders had gathered out near the apartments, the group chittering on and on about Felix. He had wondered why they were so worried but if that was the night Roy was talking about, perhaps the reason was about to be given.
"But in he strolls, a smile on his face and something in his hands."
"Your book?"
"Yes." Roy said in a soft voice "He had my album. He hands it to me, stating that I wouldn't have to worry about people coming into the apartment again to mess with my things. I was so elated to have it returned, to find that not one of my pictures had been messed with, ripped or torn! It was if nothing had come to harm to it! But…."
"But?" asked Ralph.
"I looked up. He was trying to hide it but…."
"Felix was trying to hide WHAT?"
Roy rubbed his forehead, his brows wrinkling in worry.
"As I looked up at him, I noticed a little discoloration on his forehead. He tried to brush his hair to cover it, tried to tip his hat over it but it couldn't escape my eyes. I check over EVERYTHING and I saw it. He had a bruise on his face and it was at that moment I realized just what type of 'search' Felix had put himself through in order to retrieve my belongings."
Roy felt so guilty going back to the past, looking at the photos before him. He noticed that the pictures he had taken with Ralph in them had stopped. They had stopped during that time, that time he felt that bad guys would hurt him.
Bad guys like Ralph.
Ralph on the other hand was just amazed at the stories he had been given. Roy was yet another case of a Nicelander having to deal with someone outside the game trying to bully them, doing whatever it took to 'put them in their place'. It was just something so amazing to hear.
All these years, Ralph had thought that the Nicelanders led such easy lives, such easy jobs. All they had to do was hand out pie and Felix would thank them and they would return the favor to him.
He had no idea there was so much BEHIND their dependence of Felix though, so much behind why they valued their pie and their jobs.
Because if they didn't have Felix, they wouldn't have anyone else.
And Felix? Felix was going out of his way to help the Nicelanders, going so far as to land himself in harm's way to help them when they were unable to help themselves. The Wrecker wondered if the repairman would do the same for him but then he stopped.
He HAD done the same for him.
That night. That night when the game went out of order. Felix could have waited, he could have sent out someone else to get him when he had gone missing but Felix went out to search for him, at his own expense.
Like he had done with Roy's album.
Roy looked over at the stove, realizing that he had taken much more time than he thought.
"OH GOODNESS!"
"What, what is it?" Vanellope said.
"The coconut!" the man cried out, rushing over to the stove. He yanked the door open, gasping out as he looked inside "Oh, PROGRAMMERS!"
"Is everything alright?!" asked Ralph "Nothin's burnt is it?"
"The crust is fine…." Roy mumbled "But the coconut is RUINED!"
"It is?" Vanellope said as she looked down. True, the coconut came out a lot toasty than what Roy had wanted but from her view, it didn't look too bad.
"Urg, this is TERRIBLE!" Roy whimpered "That's what I get for running my mouth like a jibbering idiot!"
"Roy, Roy. Calm down." Ralph said "Everythin' seems fine to me!"
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" the little man shouted, feeling the urge to throw the pan on the ground "It HAS to be perfect! IT HAS TO BE!"
"B-But it's fine!"
Roy felt as if the room was spinning, his knees shaking under him as the weight of the mistake piled atop him.
"But it can't be overcooked! If it is, that means that Felix will taste nothing but BURNT and BITTER coconut on his pie! Then what will he think of me?! That I don't care?! That I don't appreciate EVERYTHING that he has done for us?! W-we have to make it again! B-But that would take too long! Everything has to be ready now, it has to be-!"
"It tastes good…." Vanellope said as she munched some of the pieces on the pan. Roy was panting, his cheeks bright red but he looked over.
"W-what?"
Vanellope took another handful of coconut, finding that they were indeed tastier than they seemed.
"You're worried about 'em bein' yucky? They taste great a lil crispy like this!"
Roy was astonished. He was certain that he had ruined the pie but from the way Ralph and Vanellope were now snacking on the toasted flakes.
"Mmm, you're right kiddo." Said Ralph "An' that sugar added to it."
"Y-You…. You think they taste okay?" panted the exhausted Nicelander.
"Yeah! What's there ta worry 'bout?" smiled the racer "Felix would LOVE 'em like this!"
The Nicelander wasn't too sure of things. For years and years, he had made sure to keep his pie recipe the same. It HAD to be in order, it HAD to be just right for Felix to enjoy! One shift and everything would be thrown out of balance, everything would come apart and break in his hands.
Everything would break….just like his apartment, just like his album.
But if Ralph and Vanellope liked it…..
Roy reached down, his chubby fingers still shivering from his near-break but he took a flake or two. He then put them in his mouth and then…
"….Goodness..."
"Mr. Roy?"
"I-I guess you're right." The Nicelander in grey smiled "They…they do taste good!"
"Ha, I KNEW ya'd like 'em!" laughed Vanellope.
"The extra heat allowed them to gain a level of crispiness that I could have never imagined…." Roy said "They aren't too chewy nor are they too hard. And with the combination of the cream, I'm sure they can-!"
"Sir, I'm certain that any pie you make would turn out fantastic." Said Ralph. Roy looked up, as if he couldn't believe the wrecker were giving him such a kind compliment.
"You really believe that?"
"I do." nodded the big man "Felix would love this!"
Felix would still enjoy the treat, even if it wasn't as perfect as Roy wanted? Was it even possible?
Ralph seemed to enjoy it, Vanellope seemed to enjoy it.
Then maybe….
After the cream had been put in and left to chill, the group decided to see if such a conclusion were true.
"You want me to have the first bite?" asked Felix.
"Yeah!" smiled Vanellope "I mean, ya are tha one with tha golden taste buds!"
Roy was much too nervous to say anything, having trouble even looking at his neighbor.
"Try it! Roy wanted to do somethin' a lil different with his recipe this time!"
"Oh?" said Calhoun, a brow arching "Maybe I should have a slice as well."
Now Roy was REALLY nervous! If Felix didn't like his pie, he would hate to imagine the reaction that the marine would give him!
But two slices were cut, the pie was put on the plate….
"Please, please, please…."
Felix and Calhoun raised their forks.
"Please don't hate it!"
They took their first bites.
"It was just a mistake! Just one mis-!"
"Hmmm." Said Felix.
"Wow." Said Calhoun.
Roy lifted his head, seeing the looks on the couple's faces. They were not looks of disgust or anger.
"Heh, like what ya did with tha pie!" beamed Felix.
"Hmmph, not bad at all." Smiled Calhoun, trying her best to play tough.
Was this really happening? Did Felix enjoy the pie, even with the mistake that had been made?
"Y-You like it?"
"'Course I do!" laughed Felix "Mmm, BOY! I don't think I can ever get tired of all this pie! 'Specially with this crunchy coconut on top!"
Roy didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to feel. Was he happy, was he stunned? Maybe he was a mixture of both but one thing was for certain, he had never felt so proud in his life.
Felix didn't think less of him for the mistake, he didn't think he had failed nor that he had ruined the pie.
Felix was HAPPY!
And if HE was happy, then so was Roy!
"Thank you, young man." The Nicelander said "But…but I couldn't have done it without these two."
"Awww, ya don't hafta give me ALL tha credit!" cackled Vanellope.
"Two. He said TWO ya knuckle-head." Ralph smiled.
Calhoun gave a grin as she cut another slice of pie "See? I KNEW doin' somethin' like this would help!"
"I-I guess you're right…." Said Roy "I guess you're right."
The next morning, Roy awoke feeling a lot better than he had felt in years. While he made certain that things were still in order, still right where he had left them he didn't put much fret into it as before.
Order was still his priority yes, but he felt a little lighter, a lot happier. He felt a little freer knowing that things would be okay. That even if there was just a slight bump in the road, he could always recover from it.
Maybe Roy was a lot stronger than he thought.
"Roy?"
The man turned, seeing Don standing at his door "What is it, Donald?"
"Have you checked your mailbox?" the sailor said "There's this weird package sticking out of it."
"Oh?" the Nicelander in grey said "Whatever could it be."
The two men walked to their mail boxes, a large box jutting out from Roy's. The bright pink wrapping paper stuck out among the other colors of the apartment so it wasn't as if it would be that hard to see.
"Where do you think it's from?"
Roy could smell sweet scents coming from inside, his mind going to one game.
Sugar Rush.
He took the package out of the mail box, carefully and neatly peeling back the paper to reveal….
A photo album.
A brand new, sugar and candy encrusted photo album.
Roy was quiet, his eyes glued to the object in front of him. He had all but forgiven Ralph and Vanellope for what happened to his old album the night before and after getting such rave compliments from Felix he had actually FORGOTTEN about the book. But apparently, Vanellope had not, a note tucked away in the pages. Roy unfolded the brightly colored stationary, reading the scribbles on it.
Dear Mr. Roy!
I had a great time baking with you last night but when we left, I remembered that we didn't get your album fixed! So I asked the guys to gather their favorite candies to decorate THIS one for you! It's big enough to hold all your old photos plus there's plenty of room for any more you want to take! Show us some funny ones, I would LOVE to see them!
Sincerely
Vanellope Von Schweetz
PS- If you ever want fresh coconuts for your pies, come down here! We have coconuts the size of Ralph's ginormous head so they would last you a long time!
"Is that from Sugar Rush?" asked Don, scratching his head "Heh, interesting choice in decorations."
The grey Nicelander nodded, trying his best to hold back his tears as he smiled.
"Sh-she's just a kid. Th-this is what she likes." He laughed softly "I-it's perfect….."