*Chapter 23*
"Looks like you have Vanellope on the ropes," Ibuki stated calmly.
"Did you see the look on her face?" Ralph chuckled, "I feel like a million bucks right now."
"We have to try harder if we want to truly get a reaction out of her," Ibuki said as she looked around.
"What do you have in mind?" Ralph asked gently as he gazed longingly at Vanellope across the room.
"Follow me, I have an idea," Ibuki said with confidence as she quickly led Ralph away.
The night carried on like usual. Vanellope and her band of friends got up and danced a few times, shared spirits, had food. Vanellope tried her hardest to look as cozy as she could with Swizzle. He didn't seem phased, but she was hoping Ralph would notice. She would spot him on and off during the long party. He was always snuggled close to Ibuki. They didn't leave each other's sides. Vanellope felt as if this whole entire night was unfair. She wished, like the last party they went to, she was spending this with Ralph, and not one of her competitors on the race track. She was too nervous to approach him; he seemed too busy with Ibuki anyways.
Taffyta and Calhoun made sure they were in contact with Ralph and Ibuki throughout the night, sending each other advice and information about Vanellope's status. They puppeteered the whole night, the two love birds were in the palms of their mischievous hands. Taffyta, Ibuki and Calhoun were eating it up. Felix even joined in on the fun, while Vanellope remained clueless to everything that went on. She fumed and vented to Taffyta any chance that she got.
"Are you sure Vanellope isn't officially dating that guy?" Ralph worried. They were stationed on the other side of the hall, closer to the table Vanellope and her friends frequented.
"I'm positive," Ibuki laughed, "Didn't you hear Taffyta? The guy would date himself if he could."
"I guess you're right," Ralph wrinkled his nose, "He does look pretty pompous. He doesn't deserve her."
"You do," Ibuki smiled as they remained linked arms.
"Hardly," Ralph breathed with a humble smile as he gazed at Vanellope. She had come back from the dance floor with Taffyta and Candlehead.
"Ok, she's coming back to sit down," Ibuki explained, "Nows our chance to really make her blood boil."
"What's your idea?" Ralph asked as he glanced at Vanellope for a quick second.
"Keep your attention on me," Ibuki said calmly, "Act as if you don't know she's there."
"Ok," Ralph said gently as he looked down at Ibuki. She was close to him, both of them leaning casually against the wall.
"Taffyta," Vanellope said as her smile quickly changed to that of hatred as she sat down next to her sister, "If I see Ibuki give Ralph another longing look, I am going to throw up all over you."
"Well then you're going to pay to get my dress cleaned," Taffyta said plainly as she sipped her drink. She casually glanced at Ralph and Ibuki.
"Are…are they going to kiss?" Vanellope quietly exclaimed as she grabbed Taffyta's hand.
"Maybe you should go over and ask, since you're so drastically concerned," Taffyta chuffed as she pushed Vanellope's hand away.
"They look like they're getting really comfortable," Vanellope worried before giving her full attention to Taffyta, "Taffyta, I'm starting to lose faith, what do I do?!"
"Vanellope, chill!" Taffyta laughed as she glanced at Ralph and Ibuki, who were stationed against a wall twenty feet away. The noise of the party drowned out their conversation together.
"What do we do now?" Ralph asked gently as he gazed down at Ibuki. Ibuki glanced at Vanellope once before staring hard into Ralph's eyes.
"Kiss me," Ibuki instructed in a whisper, her face serious.
"Kiss you?" Ralph blurted out in a whisper as well as he stared at Ibuki with a shocked expression.
"Trust me," Ibuki urged with sincerity, "It will do the trick."
"Only if you're sure," Ralph said nervously; he wrinkled his nose before warily leaning in.
"Vanellope, if you're so concerned, just-" Taffyta was cut off quickly as Vanellope harshly grabbed the knife from Taffyta's silverware of the table.
Before Taffyta could get more words out, Vanellope quickly hiked her dress and firmly stood on the table her and her friends were sat at. Everyone jolted as Vanellope immediately became the center of attention. As if it were her profession, Vanellope immediately chucked the knife towards Ralph and Ibuki. It whirred through the air before harshly stabbing the wall directly in between Ralph's and Ibuki's faces. Ralph and Ibuki jumped in surprise and gazed at the knife between them. It was lodged as solid as could be into the wall. Ralph and Ibuki quickly averted their full attention to Vanellope. Everyone within a twenty foot radius fell silent, all eyes on Vanellope. Vanellope stood up straight and threw her arm out towards Ibuki, her finger harshly pointed. She inhaled a deep breath, her face nothing short of hatred.
"If you want to kiss my boyfriend, you're going to have to fight ME!" Vanellope hollered as she pointed to herself with her thumb.
"Fight you?" Ibuki scoffed as Ralph slumped his shoulders and looked up at the ceiling with relief.
"Thank User," Ralph whisper to himself as he shut his eyes.
"Yes, me!" Vanellope hollered as she pointed firmly down at the table, "Right NOW!"
"I'm not going to fight you," Ibuki barked, trying to hide a laugh, as Vanellope got off of the table. She marched up to Ibuki, full of rage.
"Why not? You chicken?" Vanellope hollered as she pointed a finger in Ibuki's face.
"Ralph is my date tonight," Ibuki stated loudly, "Go find your own!"
"You can't have him!" Vanellope shouted, her blood boiling and her fists white-knuckled.
"And why not?" Ibuki shouted back, playing the part.
"You can't have him because… Because, I love him!" Vanellope hollered, her face bright red; Ralph smiled and looked down shyly.
"Well, you don't have to worry anymore, then," Ibuki said, her tone softening as she crossed her arms.
"Why not?" Vanellope spat.
"Because this was a set up," Ibuki said with a sincere smile and a laugh.
"A likely story!" Vanellope shouted.
"Vanellope, chill, it's true," Taffyta said plainly as she put a hand on Vanellope's shoulder, "Since you were so embarrassed to tell all of us that your kiss with Ralph actually meant a lot to you, in front of us, we figured getting the truth out of you would be hard."
"So we resorted to this," Ibuki chuckled.
"You resorted to tricking me?" Vanellope hollered.
"It worked, didn't it?" Ralph said gently as he shrugged, giving Vanellope an apologetic look. Vanellope was silent for a few moments.
"I suppose you guys think this is hilarious, huh," Vanellope growled.
"It is pretty funny," Taffyta chuckled as she pat Vanellope's shoulder, "It doesn't feel good to have someone you care about so much act like they don't even know you when they're in front of other people, does it?"
"An eye for an eye," Ibuki chuckled, "If it makes you feel better, Ralph was not up for any of this."
"It's true," Ralph sighed as he rubbed his stubbly chin, "I didn't want you to be fooled."
"You nearly killed one of us," Ibuki chuckled as she pulled the knife out of the wall, "That was a good shot; Where did you learn to do that?"
"I warned you that you might not survive this," Ralph chuckled as Ibuki handed the knife to Vanellope.
"I never learned it anywhere," Vanellope said gently, her tone finally softening as everyone around them finally went about their own business, "I just was so frustrated, I trusted my gut and threw the knife, hoping I wouldn't hit Ralph. No offense."
"None taken," Ibuki smiled as she nudged Vanellope, "Hey, if it helps, I have a boyfriend, Ms. President. Ralph is all yours."
"Thanks," Vanellope said bashfully as she looked down at the knife in her hands.
"Ok," Taffyta said with a small laugh as she took the knife from Vanellope's hands. She grabbed Ralph's and Vanellope's arms, "Now, go kiss and make-out," Taffyta said as she pushed them to Ralph's game outlet.
"You mean make up," Vanellope stated in an annoyed tone.
"Yeah yeah, that too," Taffyta hurried. The two stumbled into the outlet and gazed back at Taffyta and Ibuki with uncertain facial expressions. Taffyta waved her hands as if to shoo them off. Her and Ibuki waved as Vanellope and Ralph waved back with uncertainty.
