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Description
Ralph stepped out of Sugar Rush, barely glancing up as the package in his hands set off the border alert. Nothing new, nothing unexpected, and by the time the Surge Protector appeared he was rocking calmly on his feet.

"Name?"

"Wreck-it Ralph."

The Surge Protector gave him a startled look, brows raised; Ralph tried to remember the last time he hadn't responded sarcastically and couldn't.

Great. The guy would probably think he was up to something based on just that.

"Ah. Well... where are you coming from?"

Ralph rolled his eyes, gesturing up at the signboard.

"Sugar Rush, as usual."

"Mmhm. Where you headed?"

"Fix-it Felix Jr."

"Anything to declare?"

"Uh... yeah, actually." Ralph shifted his weight, tossing the package lightly between his hands. "I uh... remember that day we were asking you about what happened when Turbo got out of RoadBlasters?" Surge hesitated but nodded once, and Ralph nodded back. "Yeah, uh. I remember Felix said something about not being able to find any Pop Rocks. You uh... you like those?"

"I don't actually know." The Surge Protector shrugged, tucking his pen and clipboard away; evidently he had an inventory like some game characters. "I've only heard of them - comes down the line when characters hear players mention it, and sometimes when a laptop is plugged in we get some feedback - and I wanted to try it. Apparently it's a candy you're supposed to mix with cola, must be why they're called 'pop rocks'."

"Oh. That explains what it's doing there." Surge Protector tilted his head at the remark, brows raising again, and Ralph shrugged a bit as he elaborated. "You know Sugar Rush has some unlocks, right? We got another one out of limbo today. Cola themed."

"Right, Nicola Fizzman. She's registered in my memory."

"But you're still gonna ask her name when she comes out of here, right?"

"Protocol."

"Sure, sure." Ralph grinned a little. "Anyway, cola racer's got this cola track, and one of the obstacles is a landslide every few minutes. Turns out, the pebbles are Pop Rocks." He held out the package, shrugging a bit. "I, uh, don't have any cola."

"I... thank you Ralph. Um, that's all right. The cola can always come later." Surge Protector took the package, opening it carefully, and Ralph nodded a little.

"Yeah, I... I just remembered you asking. And since we talked I was thinking... y'know, maybe I've been going about this wrong. I mean, I do take stuff between games a lot...."

"Most of it harmless, but yes."

"Yeah. And, uh... y'know, I was... I mean, for a long time people in my game were...." Ralph took a breath and shrugged a little. "It's... kinda hard to love your job when no one seems to like you for doing it."

"Don't I know it." Surge shrugged. "So... have you tried them?"

"Me? I... well, no...."

"All right then." The Surge Protector held out the package, and Ralph held out a hand so Surge could shake a few of the candies onto his palm. Then Surge took a handful himself and, at the same time, they downed them.

They both almost choked, the Surge Protector's form wavering in electric blue sparks while Ralph thumped a hand against the floor and gulped.

"Augh! Weird! Is... it supposed to...?"

"I think so. At the least I don't detect any faults in it." Surge's form steadied as he recovered, and he studied the candy a moment before looking at Ralph. "So...."

"I'll bring the cola tomorrow."

"Right. Right, should be... interesting."

"You're telling me. Night, Surge."

"Night. And... thanks again."

"No problem." Ralph grinned, giving the officer a little wave as he strolled off. Surge Protector waved back before zipping off, candy and all, and Ralph headed home content.

Description
Ralph stepped out of Sugar Rush, barely glancing up as the package in his hands set off the border alert. Nothing new, nothing unexpected, and by the time the Surge Protector appeared he was rocking calmly on his feet.

"Name?"

"Wreck-it Ralph."

The Surge Protector gave him a startled look, brows raised; Ralph tried to remember the last time he hadn't responded sarcastically and couldn't.

Great. The guy would probably think he was up to something based on just that.

"Ah. Well... where are you coming from?"

Ralph rolled his eyes, gesturing up at the signboard.

"Sugar Rush, as usual."

"Mmhm. Where you headed?"

"Fix-it Felix Jr."

"Anything to declare?"

"Uh... yeah, actually." Ralph shifted his weight, tossing the package lightly between his hands. "I uh... remember that day we were asking you about what happened when Turbo got out of RoadBlasters?" Surge hesitated but nodded once, and Ralph nodded back. "Yeah, uh. I remember Felix said something about not being able to find any Pop Rocks. You uh... you like those?"

"I don't actually know." The Surge Protector shrugged, tucking his pen and clipboard away; evidently he had an inventory like some game characters. "I've only heard of them - comes down the line when characters hear players mention it, and sometimes when a laptop is plugged in we get some feedback - and I wanted to try it. Apparently it's a candy you're supposed to mix with cola, must be why they're called 'pop rocks'."

"Oh. That explains what it's doing there." Surge Protector tilted his head at the remark, brows raising again, and Ralph shrugged a bit as he elaborated. "You know Sugar Rush has some unlocks, right? We got another one out of limbo today. Cola themed."

"Right, Nicola Fizzman. She's registered in my memory."

"But you're still gonna ask her name when she comes out of here, right?"

"Protocol."

"Sure, sure." Ralph grinned a little. "Anyway, cola racer's got this cola track, and one of the obstacles is a landslide every few minutes. Turns out, the pebbles are Pop Rocks." He held out the package, shrugging a bit. "I, uh, don't have any cola."

"I... thank you Ralph. Um, that's all right. The cola can always come later." Surge Protector took the package, opening it carefully, and Ralph nodded a little.

"Yeah, I... I just remembered you asking. And since we talked I was thinking... y'know, maybe I've been going about this wrong. I mean, I do take stuff between games a lot...."

"Most of it harmless, but yes."

"Yeah. And, uh... y'know, I was... I mean, for a long time people in my game were...." Ralph took a breath and shrugged a little. "It's... kinda hard to love your job when no one seems to like you for doing it."

"Don't I know it." Surge shrugged. "So... have you tried them?"

"Me? I... well, no...."

"All right then." The Surge Protector held out the package, and Ralph held out a hand so Surge could shake a few of the candies onto his palm. Then Surge took a handful himself and, at the same time, they downed them.

They both almost choked, the Surge Protector's form wavering in electric blue sparks while Ralph thumped a hand against the floor and gulped.

"Augh! Weird! Is... it supposed to...?"

"I think so. At the least I don't detect any faults in it." Surge's form steadied as he recovered, and he studied the candy a moment before looking at Ralph. "So...."

"I'll bring the cola tomorrow."

"Right. Right, should be... interesting."

"You're telling me. Night, Surge."

"Night. And... thanks again."

"No problem." Ralph grinned, giving the officer a little wave as he strolled off. Surge Protector waved back before zipping off, candy and all, and Ralph headed home content.