When night fell, Vanellope snuck into Felix's and Tamora's bedroom, her stomach killed her from eating so many hamburgers.
She played with the little figurines Shank bought for her months ago. She spoke to herself and mimicked car noises, rolling her tiny replicas on the sheets.
"Hey kid." A tall woman said, firmly opening the door.
Vanellope bounced off of the resident's bed glitching for about five seconds.
"AHH! Jesus, what the heck, Tammy!?"
"I'm sorry! I thought you were still with Ralph somewhere. I hadn't seen him."
"Oh yeah, he might actually be in a food coma. I tried to wake him, but he wouldn't budge."
The blonde woman groaned and sat herself down next to Vanellope, glancing at her little toys.
"Where'd you get those from?"
Vanellope smiled, adoring the action-based toys and handing one to Tamora. "Shank and I found these in a novelty store! I love 'em. This is my grenade, track car, Shank said this was a 'Mercy', I think."
"Mercedes."
"You know about cars?"
"Well, I've been to the internet a few times." Tamora said side smiling.
Vanellope's face lit up. "For real? Did you like it? What'd you do there?"
"It was cool, actually. A bunch of websites though, like their were ten in one. Saw this game called Fortnite too."
"Was it good?"
Not to Tamora. Guns are amazing, but headache-intense colors? Nope. After taking each look at the toys and kept her eyes on every detail, She turned back to Vanellope.
"Oh yeah, haven't seen you in a while, lil' soldier. How's Slaughter Race?" She joked, ruffling the child's bangs and making her giggle.
Vanellope shrugged up her shoulders, she wished she could name anything enthusiastic about it. "Eh, I don't know... No, it's good. Shank said I trick the players well."
She didn't want to say how she really felt. Like how much time Shank doesn't spend with her unless they're gaming.
Tamora looked at Vanellope in the eye suspiciously. "Sure? Sound a bit bored talkin' about it."
"I'm not bored. I'm just getting used to every road, and their shorter than Sugar Rush's tracks to be honest. It's mostly the ground, and Shank always tells me what to do so people lose."
She set her back flat on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. "I wish there was something cooler, you know? It goes as long as I want." She gasped excitedly. "I can ask Shank for my own levels..."
The woman tilted her head.
"But Ralph said you loved the game for what it is."
"I still do." She sighed, and ended up staring at the wall. "Things have been strange with me and the game I guess." She exhaled a strong breath, looking at her cars.
"In her game, she's part of a task the players need to do all the time. They need to steal the car, and I always help her so they don't get away. It's just annoying when you have to do it like, a hundred times a day!"
Shank barely made time to do what Vanellope really wanted: racing everywhere. During events she couldn't drive in the nicest places, and Shank was with her only when it was convenient.
"She's looking after you, kid. Ralph said you can get crazy."
"She doesn't know that." Vanellope grumbled.
Ralph let's me race wherever I want though.
"I can't disagree too much with you, V. Adults tend to control a lot. Felix's always keeping himself from yelling at the racers when they try sabotaging each other..." Tamora held herself back from laughing at the memory.
"I know he's not doing anything bad, being their dad and all."
"It was easier when you were here though." She continued. The racers couldn't function independently, they always came to Taffyta for help and she never knew what to tell them.
Tamora then turned and looked to the other side of the room. "The other racers just miss you and stuff, that's all."
Vanellope looked at Tamora, frazzled.
"What?"
"You didn't hear it from me."
She shook her head. "Anyway Tammy, there's gotta be somethin' to make the game exciting again."
"I mean you could, but how are you supposed-?"
The child's eyes lit up at her idea. "Oh I know! Ralph will help me!"
She hopped off the bed like a rabbit, doing her best to waste no time at all.
"Where are you going?"
"To Ralph!"
She rushed back to the party and could thankfully, identify Ralph shortly this time. "Stinkbrain, Wake up! We got a duty!" She said shaking the crap out of the man who was asleep on the kitchen counter.
"Where we goin', kid?"
"Tapper's!"