NIGHTRIDER

Intro/headcanons

@rfluggerbutter​

Betrayed was the only word that came across Taffyta’s mind when she texted Rancis to meet at their spot. She was….stunned. He flirted with her openly, then he ran off to make out with her enemy? She was angry, she was hurt, and she didn’t know what the fuck to do. If Rancis of all people was going behind her back with Vanellope, then what the fuck was the point for having friends? Or anyone? She thought she could trust him but now she had no idea. “So nice of you to show up,” Taffyta said with a pop of her gum after he finally showed up. “I’m sure you know I kind of hate you right now.”

Rancis knew that Taffyta was going to be pissed at him, but he still wasn’t mentally prepared to face her. Still, he knew it was inevitable, and maybe it was time for him to be straight up with her for once. He tried to smile at Taffyta as he approached her, but he knew it was pointless. “Yeah, I had a feeling. I just … Don’t really know what you want me to say.” Rancis wasn’t always good with words; though he was charming and confident when flirting, he never held that same confidence when confronting conflicts in his life. But … Taffyta was still his best friend, and she deserved the truth. “You know .. I was trying to be real with you, but you turned me down. I’d been drinking and …. Well, you know what happened.” This was Rancis being completely honest with Taffyta, completely sober (though he was a little hungover). He took a step closer to her. “Look.. I’m just having some conflicting feelings right now, and I’m sorry.”

Taffyta wasn’t sure if he was being dead honest or full of shit. Rancis liked games and he was a flirt when he was drunk. She has seen him flirt with so many people and he came here with Vidia so it didn’t really make sense for him to mean it. But it was Rancis and he didn’t like to make sense all the time. “This is the right time? Are you sure?” She was asking questions because she just didn’t know what to say.

Rancis should’ve expected Taffyta to be hesitant, but he obviously wasn’t thinking very clearly. He was caught up in the moment, caught up in his emotions and the alcohol and not thinking about consequences to his actions. “I don’t know,” he admitted truthfully, pausing to take a sip of his drink as he looked at Taffyta with his eyebrows raised curiously. “I guess I’ll never really know.”

Turning to look at the person beside her, Catra gave him a very obvious lookover as she debated whether he was worth talking to or not. Any other day the answer would likely be not - but considering she had no one else she really knew at this event and was bored out of her fucking mind, she was willing to make an exception. “To get through a night like this, I’m going to need more than just one.”

Rancis knew it was risky to offer a stranger a drink, but he didn’t really care. Anyone who refused a drink was missing out, or so he thought. He smirked, and like clockwork, someone was walking by with a tray of champagne glasses. Taking two, he handed one to her and kept one for himself. “Why’s that? You not havin’ a good time or what?”

Taffyta let herself think about it for a moment. Her heart was aflutter, but she was sure that was because she was a sucker for a good moment. There couldn’t be more to it, right? He looked handsome, but he always looked handsome. And she looked amazing, but she always looked amazing. None of this was new, so why did it feel a little different? It had to be the drinks. “I see the hearts you break, Rancis. I see the way you flirt. So why are you starting with me now?”

Maybe it was because Vidia had ditched him for the night, or maybe it was simply the alcohol — after all, Rancis was rather quick to let his guard down while under the influence. Considering he was always hiding the truth in some way in his everyday life, it made sense that as soon as he was intoxicated, it was easy for him to speak the truth and act on his true desires. Besides, he also couldn’t help but notice how beautiful Taffyta looked and how the moment just felt right. “I don’t know,” he answered truthfully, shrugging his shoulders. “Maybe I’ve been wanting to for awhile, but I was waiting for the right time.”

Rancis loved to mess with Taffyta sometimes; while it was kind of obvious he truly did like her, he knew they were best friends and nothing was going to change that. That still didn’t stop him from making a move every once and awhile, though, especially after he had a few drinks in him. “Why not?” He smirked, cocking his head to the side and raising his eyebrows. “C’mon, what’s wrong with entertaining me, huh?” @primadonnaracer​

maybe vanellope didn’t have to be so harsh but she could never tell where she really stood with rancis. one night they’re drunk, kissing, confessing they like each other and the next he’s acting like it never happened. then taffyta decided she didn’t need vanellope anymore and everything changed. the past two or so years have left her exhausted and over it. “ fine. ” she sighs looking over at him as he takes a seat, “ hi… happy? ” his next words just frustrate her more. “ that doesn’t make it any better, it makes it worse. ” she argues knowing its pointless. “ you’re my friend and you like me now then when taffyta comes around, you forget all about that. ” she says, choosing her words very purposefully. “ i might be a glitch but you’re a coward. ”

Rancis remembered what happened between him and Vanellope, even if he pretended he didn’t. It wasn’t easy, but he knew if Taffyta found out about their kiss, it would not end well, for both Vanellope and himself. He hadn’t admitted this, but he had pretended it didn’t happen to protect the both of them. He didn’t want Vanellope to be targeted by Taffyta more than she already was — it wasn’t fair to her. Rancis could’ve possibly handled it better, of course, but when was he ever smart with his actions? “Sure,” he answers with a small smile, even if it’s obvious that Vanellope still didn’t seem happy to see him. Shrugging his shoulders, he isn’t even offended as he’s called a coward. “Y’know, you’re right,” he agrees with a nod,  “But ... Changing isn’t easy — I guess I just keep doin’ what I’m doing ‘cause .. it’s what I’m used to.”

“Good call,” Skip nods in agreement, ordering two rom the bartender and tossing the menu back down. “So are y’all always doing cheesy shit like this?” Taking a sip of the drink place before him, he glances around the festival, nose wrinkled as he gets a good look at the cheesy activities surrounding them. “Don’t you ever get tired it?”

Rancis nodded his head as he took the other drink placed in front of them. “Yeah, you kinda get used to it,” he shrugged. Living here his whole life, it felt like tradition to attend the festivals. Though sometimes repetitive and lame, he still found himself going every year. “It’s like — what else would we be doing, y’know?” He took a sip of his drink before continuing, “There’s nothin’ else better to do, ‘specially when everyone’s already here.”

vidia laughs, “ she actually loosened that leash? ” she asks, reaching up to run her hand through his hair. in all the time they’d known each other, vidia wasn’t blind. she knew rancis had a thing for taffyta and he’d been caught between the both of them. she could read him like a book and that wouldn’t change. “ jealous? por favor, don’t insult me. ” she shakes her head, “ so, what have you been doing besides drinking hmm? ”

“Leash? C’mon, you don’t mean that,” Rancis answered with a look of offense, though he smiled as he felt Vidia’s fingers run through his hair. He always tried to act as if Taffyta didn’t have such an impact on his life, even if she really did. He shrugged his shoulders. “Just chillin’, trying to find something to do, ‘til I found you.”

“Oh, I am,” she agreed with a smirk as she raised her shoulder in a half-shrug. “I probably won’t stay long, but I figured I should at least give it a chance.” In truth Shock knew it was expected for her to attend the event if only for just for a brief period of time. “Anything besides the drinks seem even slightly entertaining around here?”

“That’s fair,” Rancis smirked. “I didn’t think I’d stay long, either, but the night’s still young.” Rancis would only stay longer if he was entertained enough, but so far the night seemed to be a little dull. “Nah, the drinks are the life of the party,” he laughed. “But that’s how it usually goes.”

Pacifica smirked when he handed over the hot chocolate, rolling her eyes at his warning. “I’m still going to blame you,” she joked, sipping on it and getting an overwhelming taste of vanilla vodka…not her first choice but it wasn’t horrible. Shrugging at his question, she took another gulp and let the warmth spread throughout her body. “Can’t complain,” she finally answered. “I don’t think we’ve had enough to drink yet, give me ten minutes and we’ll make it fun.”

“How did I know?” Rancis smirked, though he was used to taking the blame for things with the type of friends he had. “Ay, that’s what I like to hear,” Rancis chuckled, holding his cup out to tap against hers. “These other fools need to take some tips from us if they really wanna have a good time.”

it always seemed when vanellope was just minding her own business, rancis somehow found her. there was a time when she’d be happy to see him but now, she was always left confused and frustrated. when they were alone he was someone completely different, the boy she thought she could be with at one point. the moment he was around taffyta and the other racers, he was just as mean and nasty to her as they were. “ what do you want rancis? ” she sighs looking up at him from her phone. every time she gave him a chance he just turned around and hurt her again. being so trusting was ultimately her downfall. “ thats because I spend time with people who like me. you’re not exactly one of them. ”

Rancis shouldn’t have been surprised by Vanellope’s hostility; after all, he was the one who was so back and forth when around her. Being as naive as he was, though, he thought she would understand that he was only a dick to her to fit in with the other racers. If no one else was around, well, he could finally act how he wanted to. It was stupid, but it was just the way he handled his friend group. “Can’t I just say hi?” He asked with raised eyebrows, taking a seat beside her on the bench without asking. Perhaps the alcohol in his system had him being too honest, the ultimate flaw in his drinking habits, as he replied truthfully, “Aw, come on, y’know it’s all an act, don’t you? Taffyta’s the one who hates you, not me.”

Taffyta’s lips curled into a smile the moment he asked. Even if she was being fake mad she couldn’t help herself. “You didn’t do shit…yet.” As much as she wanted to pretend that Rancis never got himself into trouble with her, he did…enough times for her to be a little weary. “Tell me though, what is there to do here that’s like…actually fun? And not like….common people fun.”

“Uh huh,” Rancis nodded once, his tone jokingly suspicious as he eyed her carefully. Rancis was known to fuck up around Taffyta without even realizing sometimes, so he usually had to watch what he said or did to stay on her good side. Though, this was proven difficult with a few drinks in him. He shrugged his shoulders at her question, “I think that’s the challenge.. I still haven’t found shit that’s our kinda fun.” He paused to finish his drink, tossing the cup in the nearby trash. “I could buy you a drink and we could show these fools how to sing some real karaoke?” He offered as he nodded toward the nearby karaoke area, the sound of some awful singing voices echoing in their direction. “Y’know I’ll only do it if you have a drink with me, though.”