2019-11-02 - Masquerade: Candy Kart Races

Sutton's little candy kart is studded in Lil Nip wax bottles full of a rainbow assortment of sugar juices, heavy on the red bottles with yellow bottle racing stripes up the hood. The wheels are rimmed with yellow and black old fashioned licorice assorted candies, blinged out in the middle with Wacky Wafers. The steering wheel is a nubby wheel made of bright blue rock candy for added traction, so she can drive and make rude hand gestures out the top without risking some kind of licorice slip. A box of Kings Bubblegum Candy Cigarettes is open in the cup holder, and one dangles from Sutton's mouth. "I don't know what I smoked before bed tonight, bitches, but I'm about to smoke all of you." Big words for somebody with so many parking tickets, Sutton.

Oreo ice cream cookie wheels with dark sprinkles that make up the tyre treads are the secret to what will be this kart's winning, unbeatable force. The body is made out of an aerodynamic slices of pumpkin pie, complete with a scoop of vanilla on top from which the driver's cockpit has been hollowed out and the five-point safety harness seat installed. To what, you ask? Then you aren't paying attention to the vanilla wafer airfoil in back for the extra lift. Everett stands next to this vehicle before putting his helmet on, and leaving his hair out so it'll flap out behind him, and climbs carefully in before taking a seat and strapping on, and starting the purr of the engine.

It's difficult to fit into one of these little cars when in full Renaissance garb, so Byron has opted to wear a black tie affair tuxedo instead, though his face remains hidden beneath a golden lion's mask. Of all of the festival events posted, this one brought out his inner child the most. Of course, he had a lot on his mind, missing friends and lovers and that sort of deal. He was even missing too at one point at the start of the festivities. If he's tense behind the wheel, there's plenty of reasons for him to be.

His little dessert car consists of two large lollypops on both sides acting as wheels while he's seated in what could be a carriage made out of Rice Crispy Treats complete with M&Ms. The front tire is a large gobstopper. It's somewhat stylish and sleek, if you can call a car made of candy that, with various colors thrown about.

Taste the rainbow people! Lyric has a skittles car and she's set to tear up the raceway! So many skittles! She's dressed to match in a variety of colors and she her a pocket full of skittles that she pops into her mouth now and then. Vroom, vroom! She looks around at some of the others and giggles delightedly.

Nicole finds herself decked out in bright colors, wearing pigtails streaked with pink, sitting in a little candy kart made of an assortment of treats like Sour Punch straws, Spree buttons for wheels, gummi bears, and some Skittle decorations all held together with melted Jolly Ranchers used as glue. It probably isn't the best kart on the track, certainly doesn't seem made for speed, but, it is hers. She grips the Peach Ring wheel and looks ready to go!

Near the back of the pack is a boxy, rectangular racer, made entirely out of what looks to be a brownie, with brownie wheels and brownie seats. In the driver's seat is a confused-looking James. "... the fuck?", he's muttering to himself, as he looks around with rather red eyes. And then he notices the bags of Doritos and Funyuns and the liter of diet coke next to him, and he notices the sound the browniemobile makes- less of a motor growl and more of a bubbling. He leans back, and laughs. "Dude." He picks a bit of the brownie off of the dashboard, takes a bite, and his smile grows wider. "Magic."

All of this is absolutely not Vyv's fault and anyone who would like to argue otherwise is welcome to take it up with him later, when he has his knives nearby. Particularly if they think he'd leave the frosting looking like that. If force of will could even it out, it'd be perfect. Or the periodic glares as it catches his attention again would melt it.

His cart is not candy. It is confectionary. The body is sleek dark chocolate enrobing something probably delicious but in no way visible because some of us have standards, thank you, and moulded or perhaps sculpted to resemble the curvy, low-slung race cars of old. The upholstery is vanilla cake; the wheels are candied orange slices with their rinds dipped in chocolate, and down the sides of the car, precise racing stripes have been picked out in edible gold leaf. So things could be worse. Theoretically. He takes a few moments to eye the other cars and drivers appraisingly, and a glance at the track ahead. "Virtually none of this is structurally sound," he mutters, "or worth the calories."

Devlin's kart starts with a set of Reese's cups still in the wrappers for 4x4 style wheels. Green Jolly ranchers make up body panels with a shape that reminds one of a willys jeep. Redhots rest on the hood like some sort of twin ram air scoops and behind the grill of gummy worms one can see what looks like a tootsie roll minis lined up like cylinders. Huge exhaust pipes of black rope licorice extend to the back. On the side back panels is a bit of icing art that shows off a 14 held in the mouth of a coyote. Devlin is in a white racing suit with a red helmet that both have a script saying Gilmore Racing. Devlin blinks, "Huh? I didn't drink that much.. fuck me.." next to him are a couple of nips bottle; with one saying Nyquil and the other Jim Beam Devil's Cut.

Kass's car is rather spiky, being made of bright blue rock candy with white racing stripes made from candy cigarettes. Her retro candy car has Red Vines wrapped around stacked Necco Wafer wheels with a sweet interior of saltwater taffy in a pale mint green coloring. Kass herself is sporting a pink She-Ra tshirt and a pair of acid-wash high-waisted Bongo jeans with her usual Chuck Taylors, these ones bright and glittery pink! She glances around, at the track, at the car, at herself. And she looks REALLY confused. "I don't.. wait.." one hand reaches up, "when did I get a SIDE ponytail?! Is this.. is this a SCRUNCHIE??"

As the race starts, James was just digging a joint and lighter out of his pocket, because, let's face it, edibles take a while to kick in. And then candy cars are moving and wheels are spinning and he jumps, dropping the joint. "Hey! Rude!", he calls, before leaning down below the brownie dashboard to try and find the dropped doobie- which causes him to step on the accelerator heavily by mistake. The magic browniemobile spins out and right into the nearest candy barrier at top speed, rattling James but leaving him unhurt, because, I mean, it's brownies. He pops back up from beneath the dashboard, blinking owlishly. "Wait, what? Where am I?"

"I smell Doritos. Who has nacho cheese Doritos?" It's pretty amazing that Sutton can smell those over the candy-sweet variety in play here. "DORITO ME!" She's idling and ready not far from James, obvs. She wears a pair of mirrored aviators and her helmet is yellow like most of the rest of her car. She calls out, but then the indicators flip for the race start. Dammet. No snacks! Screeeeeeech. Her tires spin and smoke, and her little red&yellow waxy cart zooms forward four spaces. "Fuuuuuuu..." Whatever else she was saying trails off in the wind.

Not quite getting what is happening around him, Devlin floors it as the others take off.. oops and the motor roars but no motion for a moment before Devlin realizes.. oh yeah.. shift into gear. Rushing things, he puts it in second before releasing the clutch almost stalling the kart as it tries to lurch forward and then the wheels spin without finding traction.. "Why a fuck'n Jeep.. I want my HumVee!!"

Jujubees do not usually beep and light up, even if they ARE clearly in starting light position, and Vyv blinks at them when they start, then realises he doesn't know for certain whether Dream candy cars are set up like real ones, and has to take a quick inventory of pedals and gear shift and all. Is there a clutch? All right. He's just established where each thing is and debating whether that a tuile rolled that slim is actually going to hold up to shifting when that last one goes, and he's a little ginger with the stick. That first second or so in lower gear gets him going rather than stuck, but it doesn't get him far.

Kass meeps, wide-eyed, and scrambles into her car as the Green gummy flashes, quick to tear off behind the others. She has no clue how to drive really, never got her license, not even a permit. So the fact that she isn't crashing and burning is frankly a miracle. Luck has taken the wheel from Kass' inexperienced hand and her car screeches and weaves its way across the track, veering first one way then overcorrecting and yanking the wheel in the other direction. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Securing her goggles (iridescent mirrored) and helmet (bubblegum pink) before the GO lights mark the start of the race, Nicole prepares for the worst. She looks determined, double-checking all her candy instruments before looking around at the other drivers in this dream race. Seeing Everett, she gives him a thumbs up and a smile to wish him luck. The indicator goes off! The race begins! Nicole quickly steps on her gas pedal of pez candies! It's a little too hard, which has her Spree tires spinning out a moment before she zooms ahead three marks! She should have thought of using tires with some traction. Oh well! She didn't crash at least. (Poor James)

Other cars peel off, and Everett puts down his helmet, grips his marshmallow steering wheel and , the purring of the engine quickly turns into the putt-putt of a golf-cart while it starts to cruise down the track, not as fast as some, but faster than others, his long black hair wafting in the breeze. It's a moment before Everett throws his weight forward, trying to get the pumpkin pie to go a little faster out of desperation, try Hersey kisses on the dash which squirts fluid towards a windshield he doesn't possess.

Who the hell likes candy corn anyway? When Byron realizes that this was a maze twists and turns he slows his vehicle down, less he crashes into a wall or something and disintegrate like those light cycles in Tron. Or falls off some edge. The turns are random and he leans to the side to help with some of these corners. From out of the corner of his eyes and through the glossy miniature clear lollipop being used as some rear view mirror of sorts, he seems another vehicle totally spin out somewhere behind him. "Man, it sucks to be that guy." It's James.

Skittles Lyric doesn't do amazingly well. She spins out and does a couple of donuts before she can straighten up but she's not advanced much if at all. She sits in her car and eats a couple of the red and purple skittles then a yellow and throws some of the greens out, cause she doesn't like them as much.

James lights and takes a long puff off of his joint as he's lasso'ed out by the Twinkie Kid and the Mad Gingerbread Men, and gives his spongy savior and the Children of the Candy Corn a wink and a thumbs up. "Thanks, guys! I will see you later!" He probably didn't mean that to come off as menacing as it did, but he is stoned and surrounded by candy, so, y'know. Munchies will happen. He then leans back in his seat, taking another long puff, looking up into those spun sugar skies and its cotton candy clouds, and just taking a moment to appreciate the delicious weirdness of it all. He blinks, something in the back of his mind tingling a little. There's supposed to be something, what was it, what was.. "... ah, fuck! The race!" He sits up, joint dangling from his lips, and reaches for the steering wheel. "Right. Here we go."

Sutton downshifts, which turns out to be a mistake, because a wafer cracks off and she's so busy being annoyed and eating parts of it that she tips a little hard on her steering wheel and glances up at the oncoming gingerbread army. "Fuck; this is revenge for mowing down your houses all those yules in a row. Bring it on; you look delicous!" She spins out pulling the wheel hard to avoid a slightly burnt one who looks like he hit the icing sugar too hard. She over corrects and spins out!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH---... huh? What are... ACK! No, no, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Kass actually forgets to watch where she's going, or steer, or do anything but hit the gas pedal as the gingerbread people start running for the cars. This time, however, when she overcorrects and tries to pull the car back on track, she's stuck spinning her wheels in icing and getting gooped with a splatter of it even as she's shrieking and raising her arms to deflect.. nothing? Oh, phew, the gingerbread men seem to have gone elsewhere.

Just not Devlin's night(?) with this hunk of candy junk... just as he gets it moving forward, a wheel hooks into a rut between the paving wafers.. all but pulling the wheel out of his hands and then suddenly someone is in front of him... not even registering gingerbread man, Devlin grabs the wheel back to fight for control resulting in his putting his kart in to the barrier right next to where James had hit. A string of cursing that is a hodge podge mixtape of Dari, Arabic, and English spill forth like a waterfall from Devlin's mouth... yeah... pissed off NCO with no zero's about to force his sense of self control.

Watching the Child of the Candy Corn, Lyric just laughs, "Okay Damien. I've got no plans. It's Halloween, I've dated worse." She giggles because the presumptive gingerbread would be her first offer of a Halloween date! She doesn't go though, not wanting to run over him and scatter him to the winds. "Climb in with me or move so I don't run over you."

Ah! Yes! That's how this is supposed to go! Vyv's wheels find more traction as he starts to get more confident with this particular set of controls -- and JUST in time. His eyes widen a bit as the mob of gingerbread men spill out of the trees toward them, looking armed and dangerous and ready to attack the poor defenceless racers! Some of whom he knows! And doesn't hate! There is clearly only one ethical thing to be done!

He hits the gas and zooms as far ahead as he can manage. "Drive, drive, fast as you can," he chants half-under his breath as he risks a tiny glance back, "Can't catch me, tacky gingerbread man."

Flailing his arm around from the previous high fructose corn syrup to the visor, Everett recovers his vision in enough time to see gingerbread apoCORNalypse figures charging the vehicles and does his best to avoid running into any. Dark sprinkles fling from oreo ice cream tyres as he spins this way and that over the racetrack until he's able to align his vehicle directly forward. The giant looks behind him, to check the coast is clear and then turn back just to see one more on the tracks right in front of him . Gingerbread eyes go wide. Army green eyes widen larger, the pair on a collision of spice-tacular proportions, as they both lift arms to brace for the impact.

As the race tears up Sutton manages to pull out of the maze the car in front sliiiiiides into a polished half pipe and manages to use its acceleration to avoid the giant kart sized gumballs from falling back and forth in the ravine! Back at the starting line the gingerbread man comes back and looks worried asking Lyric, "Hey before you go, can you sign this for me and can we ask.... is your hair made of angel hair pasta because it's really pretty. Asking for a friend." Riiiight. hey, everyone can find a fan in the weird.

Trying to get back into the race, Kass perhaps stomps on the gas pedal just a little too hard, her candycar jumping forward suddenly.. and right into Nicole's car. "OHMIGOD! I'm so sorry! I have no clue what... I'm sorry!" She yanks on the wheel again and tries to get back into the game, frantically pulling the wheel this way and that with the inexperience of a kid playing their first racing game. If it were bumper cars, she would be the little shit slamming into everyone every three seconds and cackling their head off.

Nicole is startled by the Children of the Candy Corn. her foot slips off the pedal and she goes sliding a bit to the side without any further advancement. She has to take a few breaths to steady herself before trying again. "Okay, Nicole... Okay.. you got this. Don't give up yet!" One more breath, foot on the pedal and... GO! VROOMBAMBOOMBANG!!! She gets hit by Kass' kart! Skittles break off and fly in various directions while the kart itself spins in place for a moment. Round and round, her candy life flashing before her eyes. No, that's just the candy cheering section seen in the revolutions. Her kart comes to a stop again, thankfully in the right direction, but the scenery in this spot is getting old. Lifting a hand to indicate she is okay as Kass apologizes, she says, "no worries... Good luck!" Candy Kart Nicole is far too sweet. She presses a kiss to her fingertips and touches them to the Twizzler dash. "Come on baby... you can do this!"

Having finally figured out he's in a race and which direction he's supposed to head in, James hits the accelerator on the browniemobile, the car's engine bubbling and leaving behind a skunky-smelling cloud of 'exhaust' as he starts pulling ahead, humming cheerfully to himself.

And they do: collide. Gingerbread man, in slow motion goes flying over newly crumbled (and crumbed) point of pumpkin pie body. What it held in its hands and belt go in different directions as the dark orange vehicle passes underneath. Higher than he's ever been before, higher than the birds, higher than the cotton candy clouds the little gingerbread hands can reach, can almost touch. And then time speeds up.

Gingerbread lands on the racetrack in a broken, lifeless crumble.

In Everett's lap, evidence of the crime lands in his lap. What was once around ginger waist is picked up and examined with one hand, the other going back to the steering wheel without a look over his shoulder. Caramel apple. Just then another race car comes abreast to Everett. He looks at the apple. He looks over at the lollipop and Rice Crispy Treat configuration propelling the Tuxedo'd Rider. Everett's head tilts back, a wicked laugh under the helmet as the incendiary apple is lopped over towards the other racer, before his own takes off!

"Oh sure," Lyric signs it, even if it's pretend signing. "And no, it's cotton candy, tastes better than angel hair pasta and thank you." She laughs, blocking the way, but hey, dead last was still a place wasn't it?

Never let it be said that driving an ambulance like a maniac never prepared her for things like sugar-induced hallucination Dreams. Sutton hums Back in Black, giving it a little Jersey slouch at the wheel, her bubblegum candy cigarette bouncing to the headbanging lyrics. Sure she's not allowed to drive the rig anymore, but all those speeding and minor violations are paying off tonight. "Yeah-hey-hey-hey-hey! SUCK THAT DMV." She throws a pair of rock horns. Probably she should keep both hands on the wheel. "Ay-ay-aye gumballs what the ffff—WATCH THE PAINT JOB! It squirts."

There are times it's a good idea to check behind you when driving and times it's not quite such a good idea. Arguably, when potentially pursued by a plague of possibly perilous but probably palatable people is in the good idea column. When driving through a maze, though, is not, and Vyv actually lets out a half-swallowed yelp when he turns his attention back and has to yank the wheel hard and stomp the brake to get around a corner. On the upside, it's a pretty badass-lookin' skid. On the downside, it stalls him a moment before he can throw it back into proper gear, and he doesn't get too far.

Slow and steady wins the race, right? Not when a band of merry gingerbread Warriors come spilling onto the track. "Shit!" Byron curses under his breath, trying desperately to try and steer out of the way of an incoming cookie, which forces his candy car into a swerve. This sets him back . Re positioning his vehicle, takes time when it feels like you've got cotton candy beneath your wheel. Eventually, he's facing the right direction once more, though it's another slow start trying to keep up with the rest of the pack.

While swerving out of the way of more incoming gingerbreads, he's tempted to plow right through them. Which... isn't the best thing to do when there's a a caramel apple suddenly rolling down in his lane. He avoids getting hit, but with the stick caramel coating over the road, he's not going to get very far, very fast.

Again, Devlin just can't get this damn thing rolling. This time he hops out and pushes the candy kart jeep off the wall with the help of Twinkie the kid as he calms himself.. to jump back in to attempt getting going .. "Thanks..." Seems the string of curses let out a lot of frustration.. and now may be he's back?

James is feeling pretty chill by this point, the magic browniemobile a surprisingly smooth ride once it gets going. And James himself seems to know what he's doing, a halfway decent driver, avoiding obstacles and just making steady progress as the zone changes around him. "... ooh, neat."

Kass bites down on her lip and tries shifting gears to see if that helps to get her moving forward again. When that doesn't work, she shifts back to the gear she'd been in and tries again to get moving forward. It seems she's gotten herself good and stuck! She looks as the others pull ahead and murmurs, "C'mon car, we gotta GO.. this way, forward! We started out so good, you and me! I'll tell you what, if you get going again, I'll spring for a full soda wax job, okay? No diet, full strength soda..."

With a backwards glance towards where his sticky bomb went, Everett lifts a hand in the air. Oh, sure. Fourth place. But he's already made a kill and slowed someone down. Candy Hulk maybe not come in first, but him do smash. Everett's racing gloves go back on the soft marshmallow steering wheel as he sees the zone changing up ahead of him.

Devlin takes a deep breath. This time, he gets the Willys candy cart moving.. "Nice an easy baby.. " Shifts into second.. "Yeah.. that's the way.. can you give me third?" A groan of the engine is his reply to the question.. "Ok.. no third yet.. we are going to need it.. " yup.. being nice and calm seem to be working. "Now.. let me know when your good.. ok?" Several turns down.. many more to go for Devlin on this stage.. "Just want to finish.. ok.."

Just when Nicole thought she was kissing her kart for luck and setting off in the right direction, she slams on the gas and her Spree tire breaks off, sending her kart in a weird donut spin before it shoots off to the side and ends up with its front end stuck in a licorice tree. She screams before impact, her karts built-in Bubble Gum Bubble safety system kicking in to absorb the shock so that she does not get hurt. She pops all the bubbles with a pointed finger after she is done panicking and shouts, "I swear I am not this bad of a driver!"

Sample spoons you say? SAMPLE SPOONS. "Oh, man. I wanna eat you, zone." Sutton informs the strawberry confections before her. If she spins out into a whipped cream pit, you may as well leave her to die happy. It's fine. Everything's fine. "Hot damn. Ramps!" Bad decisions are in play and hell yes she makes them. "I'm so hungry. Note to self, write Vyv a love note for some strawberry macarons." These are the things she says to herself as she speeds up a sample spoon in an attempt to launch herself recklessly over the strawberries & whip.

Lyric laughs, "I'll get you some cotton candy! But I gotta Skittle along!" She does toss out a few skittles, but she manages to take off since people are kind of moved. A square? Does she gain one? She does try at least.

"Unbelievable." The lion masked Byron quietly seethes when his vehicle continues to trudge forward over the stickiness of the caramel. Working those candy wheels overtime, he tries to force the candy car into the next lane and onto a clearer, non-caramel covered track. He's not exactly sure who released the caramel apple and at this distance, it would be difficult to tell, but those wheels are spinning, baby.

Vyv has a moment to catch his breath right as he emerges from the maze. Just a moment, though, because Sutton is way ahead of him, and he may not have decided to enter this race but damned if he's not inclined to win now he's in it. He hits the gas hard again, shifting up and leaning forward like it might help the car go. Aerodynamics? Probably not. The track's so much nicer here... except GUMBALLS! Coming right at him! It takes a sharp swerve left and then right, hooking up the edge of the track's curve, to avoid them, but at least he doesn't end up taking-- look, write your own joke here if you want that one.

James is just in a nice groove now, in a happy blissed out zone where the bright colors and patterns just make sense, and he sways more than he swerves around obstacles, humming something groovy under his breath. He's not going very fast, mind you, but he's got that steady, smooth progress going... for now.

Sutton lets out a yelp when her licorice assortment wheels crank off the edge of the spoon, a few pieces flying! She careens across past a strawberry, avoids the nearest pit of whipped cream. She's glancing at it longingly when she catches sight of Vyv out of the corner of her eye. Speak of the finely-appointed devil and he doth arrive. "Two words Vydal! STRAWBERRY MACARONS!" She gives her blue rock candy wheel some play and jams her foot down on a fruit by the foot gas pedal.

"YESSS!" Apparently bargaining with one's car actually works! Kass is able to pull away fromt he licorice tree right before it melts and falls over, finally on her way with a little bit of shimmy and shake and some praise for the candycar. "Best car ever! You're getting the WORKS. We're talking a soda wax with a whipped cream finish and a cherry on top!"

Grinding those candy gear, the lollipop and Rice Krispy Treats car finally frees itself from the gooey caramel and is back on non-gooey road once again. It takes a time for the rest of the sticky to smeared off of his tires. Despite his setbacks, there were other competitors still in sight. Seems like everyone's fallen into these treacherous snack traps at some point if they are this far behind. Shifting gears, he proceeds onwards, hoping to avoid the maple syrup sludge that he sees in the distance near a tree.

And once through to this new zone, some might say finally. Eyeing the changing of environment, when the racer with the long black hair flapping behind him like a proud flag hears a scream behind him, for a moment it looks like there's consideration about turning from the zone; turning tail and fleeing back to give assistance. But when he looks back to start making that turn, he's forced to execute a quick series of turns to avoid the massive jawbreaker headed his way. They'll be fine. The jawbreaker though is given a one-finger salute over the gorilla's right shoulder.

Just when he is making progress, Devlin blows the shift.. as the engine roars in protest. "Son of a bitch.." He struggles to get the kart back in to gear again.. as a cotten candy cloud of pink smoke pours out behind him..

Lyric has a fan club and can hear them chanting her name! It's fun. It just makes it more fun for her and she is able to advance further along for their efforts. She'll make sure that they get some cotton candy, if she finds some along the track, she'll stop and get them some. But right now she's finally advancing! Zoom zoom in her skittlesmobile.

She has hope! Kass gets free! Nicole puts her kart in reverse and tries to escape! She.... fails. Not only does Nicole fail to free herself, as she tries the maneuver, the kart pulls the melting tree over even more than Kass's freedom did. So far over that it just cascades over her in a sticky... slow motion... gooey... mess. "This is never going to come out of my hair!" she wails, lifting a syrup-drenched chunk up and letting it fall back to her shoulder with a thick splat. The Sour Patch Kids Pit Crew comes out and starts trying to help her, using buckets to scoop up the goop. Looks like she is out of commission for now. At least the helmet kept part of her hair clean. She sighs and as the crew works, she tears off a few gummi bears and starts munching. Stress eating at its worst.

There's something of a rhythm to those jawbreakers, and Vyv manages to get his swerve on just right, making a fairly smooth curve from one side to the other of the track as he goes. Extra distance, but he has the pedal down and it's quick enough that the natty racing scarf (with a pattern that, up close, resolves into a neat tesselation of liquorice allsorts) flutters behind him in the wind like a flag. He's still leaning into the car's movement, and-- smiling, currently, as it eats up the space between him and Sutton. Starts as just a tiny upward quirk at the corner of his lips, but it spreads into something still small, but definite. "We have those, you know!" he calls back, and guides his racer onto one of those launch-looking spoons, the little smile going just a bit wickeder as he advises, "Come get some!"

Left, right, left, right, dodging the chunks from the previous drivers far ahead of her, Lyric manages to stay in one piece without hitting any earth shattering obstacles. It leaves her still in the race for now, if in the back of the pack. She's having fun, placement doesn't seem to bother her.

James is just driving along, minding his own business, puffing away, when he is cruelly and viciously attacked by the most blackhearted of villains. ".. uh oh.", he murmurs, as his car gets bumped to the side and right in the path of that jawbreaker, which promptly nearly breaks his goddamn jaw. "Dude! Not cool, bro!"

A bank to the right, a swerve around the left of a rolling gumball. The large figure leans down towards the frame of his kart in an effort to get more aerodynamic and gain some speed. Then, pulling in beside, Everett waits when he has James' attention the thug in a racing jumper points, and once James looks, Everett drops back to nudge the back of the other man's car, losing yet more of his own in the process, then hits the marshmallow steering wheel center to sound his horn in triumph.

James is just driving along, minding his own business, puffing away, when he is cruelly and viciously attacked by the most blackhearted of villains. ".. uh oh.", he murmurs, as his car gets bumped to the side and right in the path of that jawbreaker, which promptly nearly breaks his goddamn jaw. "Dude! Not cool, bro!"

Maybe it was the pouting about her hair, or maybe they felt bad for her, or maybe, they just wanted to clear away the mess. Whatever the reason, the Sour Patch Kids Pit Crew carries Nicole and her kart out of the melted goo and up the track like some sort of Candy Queen. Setting her down, she flashes them a smile, her face sticky with syrup. "Aww. Thanks guys!" Her kart is a bit worse for wear, but, she gets it started and into a gear. She isn't sure which gear, but 'a gear' managing to move a bit more and into the next zone.

Vyv's car moves smoothly onto the embedded spoon like icing onto an eclair, managing to hit it in just the right place, at just the right speed, to get launched high in the air and all the way over the rest of the strawberry speedway, wind flowing even more through his hair and scarf. He does not throw his head back and cackle madly or yell anything exuberant. He does, however, grin. Gleefully. Which is more or less the same thing. His wheels touch down again, and he sticks the landing, lips pressing briefly together before they settle back into more or less the smaller smile from before. His eyes don't, though. They stay bright and focused on the track.

Finally this heap Devlin is driving starts to move better.. he manages to grab 4th and make a few fast tight turns, actually tipping his cart on to 2 tires at one point. The kart bounds a little on its tires as it comes down.. "Yes..." Devlin calls out in triumph.. "Lets see if we can charm this track..."

Sutton watches Vyv take a ramp like a boss, his cart blazing over into the pumpkin land. It arcs beautifully and it inspires her to swap songs. She candy throttles down and slams into the very next sample spoon ramp, hitting top speed and flying in on Vyv's coattails. In the air, she just barely passes him up, her car's rear bumper spitting a few squished cherry flavored juices as it slams down onto the track. She loses traction for a beat, hard yellow-and-black licorices flying. "Holy mo—" She jerks the wheel just missing a giant rolling pumpkin. Where the shit is the nirvana of strawberries and whipped cream. A brush with pumpkin-y death prompts her to start singing again, something more along the lines of Truth Hurts.

I just took a DNA test, turns out I'm 100% that bitch
Even when I'm crying crazy
Yeah, I got boy problems, that's the human in me
Bling bling, then I solve 'em

She may or may not win this. She may wreck, but she's gonna do it singing on a sugar high, wearing mirror shades, candy cigarette in her mouth.

Lyric manages to get a little further through gumdrop but she's still far behind. Doesn't much matter she's just here for the fun and she giggles as she drives, popping Skittles and riding her sugar high.

Vyv's eyes widen as suddenly a massive pumpkin comes rolling toward him, but that practice with the jawbreakers comes in handy, and he swerves into an empty spot in the next lane, shooting forward to just barely steal the lead back from Sutton again. "Don't try me," he snaps at the area the pumpkins rolled in from, "I eat your kind for brunch. With whipped cream and spices!"

Byron would put in a complaint about how our tax dollars weren't being used to repair the town's roads, but they weren't in Gray Harbor anymore, not exactly, and these roads were made of candy and cookies... Out of caramel goop, having carefully avoided the maple syrup sludge, what does he have to worry about? Damn Pot-Pie Holes! There's an impatient tapping of a gloved hand against the 'door' of his vehicle as he floors it, trying to get himself out of this ditch. While he waits, turning the wheel this way and that way in an attempt to dislodge the car, his mind goes idly back to a thought he had when he was getting dressed for this event. It's a good thing he didn't wear his cape, he's pretty sure it would've been caught in those lollipop wheels at some point.

Even as Kass manages to get her car mired int he cornflower fields, she looks around and tries to see what all she CAN do. Driving is clearly not her thing. Instead she spots Byron, stuck in that pieplate muck and frowns. she can't seem to go forward, but going back is a breeze! Getting her own car into position to not impede his, she hops out of her car and squish-jogs her way over. "Hey! I think I see where you're stuck. Gimme a sec and I can get you going again!" Clearly nobody ever explained the whole 'race' thing to her. Instead, she flashes a grin and jumps right into the goey mess of piecrust and filling, lobbing a few cherry bits aside to get in behind his car. Kass tweaks at his rear wheel and jostles the the back end, smoothing out the candy coating a bit with warmed hands then thumping on the car. "I'm gonna push, you hit the gas and you should be good as new!" Putting her shoulder to the back of the car, she yells out, "NOW!"

After his dastardly deed, Everett takes a look over his shoulder to further gloat when the course is momentarily clear or raining gumballs. Two more racers are hot on his heels. And worse yet; he knows them. There's no way he could hurt either of them even if it were a wacky dream about his brain telling him he spends way to much time with his front job. So if he can't be mischievous to them, better put the Kit-Kat bar to the pie crust, and his little cart that could jets ahead into yet another new zone.

James's browniemobile spins around a few times after its collision with the jawbreaker earlier, and finally comes to a stop, pointing in the wrong direction. "Aw, dangit.", James mutters, and then goes about trying to turn himself around until he can, finally, start making some progress again. He'd probably go faster if he wasn't driving with only one hand, the other one opening those Funyuns.

Zoom! Nicole is back on track now! Way behind most everyone else, but she still seems pleased as punch! The good kind, not the kind that your parents made at their parties for the kids to drink while the adults got all the good stuff. Swerve! Ha! You can't get me, gumball! Not this time at least!

Just as he has some momentum going and Devlin is smiling... then.. it happens, just when the end of the maze is with in sigh, debris from the next stage comes flying down the candy road. Devlin steers hard to avoid it, tires spinning tossing up a cloud of crumbs into the air. He bounces off one wall and then slams into the other wall as gooey shards of gumball land just under his wheels. The sudden stop so fast that Devlin goes flying into the windshield. The windshield is forced down as the man continues to pull a superman sliding on the hood to land face first into into a puddle of chocolate sauce..

There's a foreboding feeling Sutton has as she jams that fruit by the foot pedal down, her red and yellow candy kart skidding out and edging just ahead of the Maître Pâtissier. She glances across to grin at the blue-eyed chef, and is about to say something witty, even gets so far as, "I've come for your pastry —" And a shadow falls over her kart. Sutton squints, tugs her mirrored aviators down with one finger, her other hand on the wheel. Her hand tightens on the blue rock candy. "This is about all the pie, isn't it." That's all she says before a huge pumpkin the size of a monster truck smashes down on her candy kart. Aw, pumpkin guts!

The sight of a man on a bike of all things gets enough of Vyv's attention for a tilt of the head, but this is no time to fall into get distracted; another of those pumpkins and a guy could find himself recycled. And the finish line is right there in his sights! The finish line and Sutton, right up beside him, maybe even nosing ahead! This cannot stand. Why doesn't this thing have a turbo? He catches her gaze when he looks over -- or at least seems to, mirrorshades mean technically he catches his OWN gaze, but hey -- and the smile quirks up at one side, along with the eyebrow on the other, as she starts.

And then there's that shadow, and the smile turns into a much clearer smirk as he swerves a bit out of the way. "I'm flattered!" he calls back to her cut-off comment, that smirk sliding back toward the grin for one shining moment as he puts on every ounce of speed he can to take advantage of this turn of events, and shoots across the finish line like a mento from a shaken bottle of soda.

Finally, the cavalry has arrived or at least the pit crew tasked to get drivers out of a nice jam spread. When he notices Kass' approach, Byron straightens up in the driver's seat, waiting for the cues on when to floor it. It's so late in the race that he has a mind, that when he got out of this mess, he'd just take the short jaunt back to the starting line because there was no way that he was gonna catch up now. "I'd take racing through graveyards and fighting zombies over this." He mutters, perhaps even to Kass since she's there. Then the signal is given and pushes his engine to the max. This might not be Gray Harbor, but the Veil has a City Hall too. Who does he need to make an appointment with??

Going full steam ahead, he doesn't notice (or maybe he does), a candy cane ramp. Look, if it'll get him ahead of the game, he'll take it. The clouds are made of cotton candy, did anyone tell him that? Nope. With a tightening of his jaw, he just shakes his head slowly after realizing just how long this leap of faith is taking. "I better end up at the finish line after this, because seriously, if I have to drive through that freakin' candy corn road again..."