|
|
Post by Vanellope on Jul 26, 2014 9:13:43 GMT
Vanellope paused, and another slight glitch ran the length of her body as she caught the other girl's verbal parting shot. Freak; that was what everyone back home always called her, and even after so many years, it still stung. Possibly more than any of the other insults she had to bear from the other racers. Sure, she was a glitch, but... under that, she was just a kid like the rest of them. Why was the occasional ripple of blue code enough to brand her as abnormal and freakish? Why couldn't even one of them just see past that? She had Angel, sure, and the glitched girl was unendingly grateful for her friend, but it wasn't the same as if another kid had accepted her as though she was normal. Was she really so different from everyone else?
Her head lowered, and Vanellope stared down at her boots for a moment. Whether she realised it or not, Sunset's final words had hurt the little girl more than anything else she'd done up to that point, and Vanellope looked particularly dejected as she started shuffling in the direction of the dining hall. She'd promised Angel she'd be there, after all; and though she was going to be incredibly glad to see her friend again and be reminded that someone at least, didn't think she was freakish and weird, Vanellope didn't really want to have to explain to the canine what had kept her.
She risked a glance back over her shoulder at Sunset. Whether the older girl was still paying attention to her, Vanellope couldn't say; but she was sure Sunset would be delighted to see the effect her words had caused. The glitch's boots scuffed the ground as she started on her way, tugging self-consciously on a few strands of her black hair and not raising her head. Was this just a portent of how the rest of the week was going to go? She'd thought she'd found an escape from that sort of thing here; but apparently that wasn't going to be the case after all.
(ooc: I reckon Angel can come in and find her at this point, if you want, Twi ^^)
|
|
|
|
Post by Angel on Jul 27, 2014 20:42:14 GMT
Vanellope was late.
Angel had dutifully been waiting with a spot saved for Vanellope at breakfast, and several students had since cleared out of the cafeteria by that point. Some had even tried to sit with her, but Angel had confirmed that the spot was taken. She hoped with all her might that her human hadn't just ditched her. That seemed unlikely, but what on earth could have been keeping the little girl so long? There was only so long that Angel could wait, and she was a bit tired of it by that point. So, she'd decided to finally leave the cafeteria to go looking for her friend. Golden-furred female weaved through the students and headed out to the quad in the hope of finding who she was looking for.
She found her, all right. However, what Angel ended up seeing made her stop dead in her tracks. Vanellope looked so... So... Disheartened, she supposed. Angel sucked in a breath and sprinted over to Vanellope's side. Her nose was working overtime, mostly to see if she could smell anything wrong, and she caught the light scent of blood. It didn't appear to be all over the place, so Angel was keen to guess that Vanellope was only mildly injured. Still, she couldn't help but wonder just what in the world had happened. Her first instinct was to attempt to get Vanellope's attention, mostly so she could get right to the point, but she didn't speak up straight away. Instead, Angel rose to her hind paws and let her front paws rest against Vanellope's leg as gently as she could manage. She didn't think she was terribly heavy, so everything should have been all right.
"Vanellope?" Angel finally asked. "What happened? I waited forever for you in the cafeteria... Are you all right?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Vanellope on Jul 28, 2014 9:11:43 GMT
"Angel?" The little dog was right there before her, paws rested on her knee and looking up at her with those wide blue eyes, and Vanellope felt a wash of gratitude that at least she had one friend, if nothing else, who cared enough to come after her when she didn't show up. A nervous glance was cast back in Sunset Shimmer's direction, and then deciding that the taller girl seemed to have left her alone now, the little glitch crouched beside Angel and began to gently pet her friend's fluffy tuft of hair.
It was too much to hope that Angel wouldn't notice than anything was wrong - the girl knew she had to look at least a little dishevelled after she'd been introduced forcefully to the ground twice and had her ponytail pulled - but Vanellope didn't quite meet the small dog's eye as Angel asked her questions. If she told her freind what had happened, Angel would feel like she had to stand up to Sunset on her behalf or something, and Vanellope could already tell that the firey-haired girl wasn't someone to be messed with. She could take being shoved around; but she wouldn't take Angel being hurt on her behalf if her canine companion decided to go after Sunset. Better to pretend nothing was wrong.
"It's nothin', I just tripped," she replied lamely instead, holding out her bloodied palms for Angel to see. There wasn't much chance her friend would buy that, Vanellope knew; but she was not about to let Angel get hurt on her account out of the belief that she was worth that much.
C'mon, Vanellope, you're used ta that treatment. It shouldn't bother you this much. She gave her head a little shake, straightened up again, and tried her best to fix her ponytail - which, after Sunset's manhandling, seemed on the verge of slipping its licorice ribbon completely. It wasn't even the getting pushed around that was getting to her, Vanellope was completely used to that by now. It was the word 'freak' that always hurt her the most. She wasn't a freak!
...well, maybe she was. Another brief tremmor of code ran though her before Vanellope sighed and nudged Angel's shoulder with the back of her hand. "C'mon, I've held ya up long enough. Don't wanta go hungry, right?" She was trying to put on a brave face, as though nothing was wrong - and she even managed a weak chuckle as her stomach gave a little growl of agreement to her words - but inwardly, the echo of Sunset's parting insult still rang in her ears, and Vanellope found she couldn't quite meet Angel's eye.
|
|
|
|
Post by Angel on Jul 29, 2014 22:05:18 GMT
Well, Vanellope was right about one thing. Angel didn't believe the statement that she'd merely tripped. If that were the case, then Vanellope's hair wouldn't have looked messed up. The little girl would have been able to look her in the eye if she'd only tripped. Why couldn't she tell her? Didn't Vanellope trust her with the truth? Angel's curled tail drooped a bit and she only belatedly realized that her fluffy head had been petted to begin with. Surely Vanellope could trust her... Couldn't she? Rather than asking that much, though, Angel tried to think of something else to say. Something...
...No. She couldn't think of anything else. Her friend's wellbeing was her concern now. Before she got a chance to say anything, though, Vanellope had spoke up once more. It was true that Angel was hungry, especially after all the waiting she had done, but she just couldn't shake the lingering thought of what had happened to her owner.
"Right..."
Angel righted herself so she was standing on all four paws again, and she contemplated leading the way to the cafeteria. The only thing that stopped her was the sight of Vanellope's little glitch spasm. If everything was okay, she surely wouldn't have been glitching like she was. Now Angel really did have to find out what in the world had happened. They could talk about it on the way to the cafeteria, though. That was what Angel was going to do regardless of what Vanellope said.
"I didn't think one could get their hair messed up by just tripping. That must have been quite the fall," Angel said. She started to move again, but did so slowly. She didn't want Vanellope to get left behind somehow and didn't exactly feel like going all that fast anyway.
|
|
|
|
Post by Vanellope on Jul 30, 2014 21:57:51 GMT
Okay, that hadn't been the greatest excuse ever.
Vanellope pursed her lips, tugged at the cuff of her shirt, and wondered what on earth she could say next. She couldn't keep on lying to Angel; and honestly, after how fast the dog had seen through her first attempt, she wasn't dumb enough to try again anyhow. But nor did she want her friend to do anything that would get her hurt on her behalf. Angel didn't deserve that, and Vanellope saw it as something like her duty not to let the little canine get into trouble on her account. She remained silent for a few moments more as she started after Angel, before finally deciding that her friend deserved to know the truth. Or at least, most of it.
"Well, okay, I got pushed over an' the girl pulled on my ponytail too. But it's no big deal, the kids back home do that sort of thing all the time anyway." She shrugged dismissively and looked away. As long as Angel didn't ask who was responsible, Vanellope figured she didn't really have much to hide; and even if Angel did ask, the girl had every intention of dodging the subject. The canine wasn't going to get herself on the wrong side of Sunset Shimmer if Vanellope could help it at all.
She had also avoided mentioning the part that had got to her the most. Vanellope was reluctant to admit to anyone, not even Angel, whom she trusted absolutely, how much the names she was called stung. Freak, glitch, mistake; all of them. She didn't want to dump all that on her friend; she already knew that Angel didn't believe they were the truth, and as much as she could have used the reassurance sometimes, Vanellope didn't want to sound like she was fishing for the compliments. And besides, like she'd said, she was used to taking it.
"Yeah, it's nothing. Really." She gave Angel a small smile, and this time it managed to come off as more genuine. Just seeing how sincerely the canine cared about what had happened to her was enough to lift the little girl's spirits some, even with Sunset's words still ringing in her ears.
|
|
|
|
Post by Angel on Aug 1, 2014 5:23:48 GMT
"What??"
Angel stopped dead in her tracks and looked back to meet Vanellope's gaze. The way she was talking, this sort of thing happened all the time and she was used to it. That wasn't right! It wasn't right at all! The fur along Angel's back, beneath her uniform, stood on end and she had to keep herself from growling. How could someone have picked on Vanellope so? What had she done to deserve such treatment? Nothing, at least as far as Angel could tell. It didn't matter what Vanellope thought of herself; she was worth something and didn't deserve to be treated horribly by people.
"Who did this to you? I'll give them a piece of my mind if I have to," Angel said. She glanced around, almost as if she hoped to find the person that hurt her owner, before looking back up at Vanellope. How could she honestly think this was no big deal? Vanellope wasn't a dog. She wasn't a worthless stray like Angel might have been once before. She was a living, breathing human being and deserved respect. So what if she was a glitch? That didn't mean that she deserved any different treatment from anyone else.
"This is so a big deal, Vanellope. You can't let people treat you like this! You deserve better than that!"
|
|
|
|
Post by Vanellope on Aug 1, 2014 7:34:41 GMT
"Angel, please!" The words were blurted before the glitched girl had even really thought them through. "I don't want you to get hurt on my behalf!"
And there it was.
Another shudder of blue gripped Vanellope for a long moment as she turned back to face Angel, her hazel eyes locking onto the canine's blue, begging Angel to just let it go. Perhaps if it had been Taffyta or Gloyd or someone else from Sugar Rush, the little girl would have been more willing to let Angel do her thing; but Sunset was a very, very dangerous person, and Vanellope dreaded to think what she'd do to Angel if the small dog tried to get herself involved. It would be distinctly unpleasant, whatever it was, and would probably involve hurting or - perhaps more likely - humiliating the animal something awful.
Vanellope tugged at a few strands of her hair again, and then knelt beside Angel, placing one hand on the canine's collar to still her. She could tell how angry Angel was, she could see the way the small dog's blonde fur was bristling beneath her shirt, and while she was starting to get used to the extent to which Angel cared about her, Vanellope felt equally protective of her truest friend.
"She's not someone to mess with, Angel. An' I don't want her to do anythin' to you because you stood up to her for me."
|
|
|
|
Post by Angel on Aug 4, 2014 2:54:45 GMT
The blurted words made Angel freeze in place for a moment. Wasn't it her duty to protect Vanellope from people that would do this kind of thing to her? A dog was supposed to protect their human no matter what, but... Why did Vanellope seem to think that she wasn't worth protecting? It just didn't make sense. Fortunately, Vanellope's holding her collar did succeed in keeping her still a while longer. She looked to Vanellope as best she could and frowned visibly until the glitched girl spoke up again. Apparently, the person who had messed with her wasn't someone to be dealt with. Vanellope didn't want her to get hurt on her account.
"She shouldn't be able to get away with this, though," Angel pointed out. Still... It didn't even seem like Sunset was acknowledging them. She didn't see anyone that might have done this to her person, anyway, so she could only assume that Sunset was either gone or just didn't want to bother them. But still... She couldn't help but feel bad. Angel was meant to protect Vanellope and she'd failed to do that. Her ears drooped a little and her frown softened.
"I'm supposed to protect you, Vanellope. I'm your dog. But... I guess there isn't much I can do now, is there?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Vanellope on Aug 4, 2014 9:43:47 GMT
"I know, an' it means a lot. But I wanta keep you safe, too."
Vanellope knelt on the ground besides Angel and gently brushed the canine's cheek with her fingers, even while she kept her other hand on Angel's collar. She truly did appreciate the lengths the little dog was willing to go to on her behalf; but she just couldn't let the animal get hurt. Not in general; and especially not for her sake. Vanellope looked at her friend a little longer, watching as her ears drooped dejectedly, and then drew Angel into a brief but tight hug. Never mind that they were in the middle of the quad; never mind that she might be getting blood from her skinned palms on Angel's shirt; Vanellope just wanted to hold the animal close.
"I've never had a friend like you, Angel. I jus' don't want anythin' bad to happen to you. 'specially on my behalf." Setting her friend down again, Vanellope gave Angel a stronger smile before she straughtened up again. It was probably stupid, her wanting to shelter the dog when she herself was the one of them that most needed standing up for, but the raven-haired girl didn't care. She would defend Angel at her own expense if she had to, just as she suspected the little animal would do for her.
She tugged Angel's collar gently. "C'mon, breakfast isn't gonna wait for us forever." Just her friend's presence and care - and particularly the brief embrace - were doing wonders as far as perking Vanellope up again was concerned. While her doubts about herself still lingered, it was clear that the glitched girl was quickly returning to something closer to her normal self.
|
|
|
|
Post by Angel on Aug 6, 2014 20:00:40 GMT
She hardly cared that blood was getting on her shirt because of Vanellope. It wasn't even that much blood, all things considered. The hug was much appreciated at the end of the day. She wished Vanellope wasn't so dead set on protecting her, but there wasn't much to be done about that. Not at the moment, anyway. All that could be done was figuring out what to do about the whole Sunset issue later on. Angel would think of something, she was sure, so she wouldn't worry too much about it right then. Besides, Vanellope had spoken up again. This time it was in relation to breakfast. The little dog's curled tail gave a wag and she nodded after a moment.
"Yeah, that's a good point. We probably should get something before everyone else gets all the good stuff," Angel said. She would have started to lead the way again, but instead she stayed where she was and let herself smile a bit. In spite of not liking the idea of being sheltered, Angel was grateful for it nonetheless.
"Thanks, by the way. It's nice having someone want to protect me."
|
|
|
|
Post by Vanellope on Aug 10, 2014 8:23:02 GMT
"What else would I do?" She shrugged once, looking genuinely puzzled that Angel would have thought she'd do anything else. "You're my friend."
It felt weird to utter those words. Weird, but in a good way. She'd never had anyone to call a friend before, and though she had known it was true, she hadn't specifically addressed Angel as such up until this point, either. But now that they were firm friends, it seemed only natural to Vanellope to try and keep Angel safe. Not only did she not want to see her only friend hurt at all, she couldn't just let the small dog take any of the battering that would otherwise have been given to her. The glitched girl was used to taking her lumps; even if the canine wanted her to, forcing Angel to take them all on instead just wouldn't be fair.
"I'm glad I have you, too," she added softly. She didn't want Angel to feel underappareicated, because they weren't just owner and pet, not really; Vanellope felt more like she and Angel were equals. They'd both been pretty much screwed over by the world, and had each found an understanding and caring friend in the other. The little glitched girl gave Angel a gentle scratch behind the ear, then straightened up again, grinning as an idea occured to her.
"Race ya to the dining hall!" Without waiting for a confirmation from her friend, Vanellope darted off towards the cafeteria, trusting Angel to be right on her heels.
|
|
|
|
Post by Angel on Aug 16, 2014 21:25:33 GMT
It was as Angel took in what Vanellope had said that the glitched girl challenged her to a race.
"You're on," Angel said. The golden female smirked at the sight of Vanellope running ahead, and after a moment she started to run after her. Being smaller and having shorter legs did give Angel a bit of a disadvantage, but she could work with it. Racing had been an activity she'd partaken in with one of her past homes's children. With that in mind, Angel felt confident that she could keep up with Vanellope.
Excited yipping filled the air as Angel darted after Vanellope. It probably wasn't all that far to the cafeteria, all things considered, but Angel was happy all the same. Soon enough, she was just behind Vanellope and doing her best to stay in that position. The thing that was spurring her on the most was the sheer fact that she was having fun. Well, that and the idea that Vanellope was having fun too.
|
|
|
|
Post by Vanellope on Aug 19, 2014 19:59:50 GMT
(ooc: so much for this being an angsty thread; I think we managed to turn it fluffy instead XD)
Vanellope's grin stretched even wider as she heard, from behind her, the barking that told her Angel had accepted her challenge and was catching up to her. All in all, the girl figured, they were a pretty even match; while she had longer legs on her side, the little canine was probably more agile. In truth, though, she didn't really mind which of them won in the end - other than her competetive streak, which argued it should be her - the overarching goal was, rather, to have fun and to forget her run-in with the fiery-haired girl. And if not quite the latter yet, it was definitely achieving the former.
"I'm gonna win!" she goaded Angel a few moments later. The dining hall building had fast come into sight, and the distance until they reached it was now fairly minimal as they sprinted towards it; Vanellope still ever so slightly in the lead. Whether Angel could overetake her in that space was open to debate. If not, Vanellope knew she would, indeed, have won; but she was curious to see what her friend would do about that. Angel wouldn't just roll over and let her win; of that, the glitched girl was certain. The canine had to have some tricks up her sleeve.
All she could do, Vanellope figured, was to see whatever Angel was going to do; and then see if she could react in time to still snatch the victory.
|
|
