Second Day of Christmas
Title: Lights and Snow
Fandom: ReBoot
Characters: Hexadecimal, Phong, Enzo
Rating: G
Word Count: 500+ words
Summary: Hexadecimal celebrates Christmas. The rest of Mainframe has no idea what's going on.
Author's Notes: It has been an age and a half since I've written Reboot, so the characterization may be wonky.
Lights and Snow
***
"What do you want for Christmas, old one?"
Phong blinked very slowly, then reached up and took off his glasses. He cleaned them carefully, put them back on, and squinted at his desk again. Yes, there was still a red-skinned virus perched saucily on the edge of his desk. "Ah, is there something you would like, Hexadecimal?"
"An answer to my question," she replied sulkily.
"I'm afraid I do not know what you mean by 'Christmas'," Phong replied. He wondered if he could open a vidwindow to Bob and get the Guardian over here without angering Hexadecimal. He suspected not.
"Bah! It's a holiday! Full of snow and light and wonder and sweet things!" The virus waved a hand in front of her face, switching masks with each word.
"... I see." Phong tapped his fingers together, studying the virus. "Perhaps," he said at last, "Perhaps some cocoa."
Hexadecimal switched to an utterly delighted mask and leaned down to give him a quick peck on the cheek. Then she uploaded herself into her mask with a triumphant laugh and vanished out of the Principal Office.
"Oh dear."
***
"What do you want for Christmas, little boy?"
Hexadecimal snatched up the little sprite boy to dandle him on her knee. Enzo stared at her with wide eyes, gaze flicking up to her cunning red-and-white hat then off to the side. He gulped but didn't answer her.
"Well?" Hexadecimal asked, her mask smiling brightly. "If you don't tell Santa-Hex, then you won't get anything nice on Christmas Eve!"
"BOB! HELP!"
Hexadecimal switched to a pouting mask. She did like the Guardian very much, but he was always accompanied by that naughty, naughty sprite woman. It wasn't proper for Santa-Hex to visit naughty people, except possibly to cane them. But that wouldn't be until Christmas Eve, and this was just two seconds before! Not time yet, oh no.
With a huff, Hexadecimal dropped the little sprite boy to the ground and uploaded herself into her mask. She took off to visit one of the other people on her list of niceness.
***
White stuff coming out of the sky over Lost Angles. Phong stared out at it, wondering if he should mention to Bob about Hexadecimal's visit the other day. Perhaps he should, but perhaps it would needlessly distract the Guardian while he was investigating the virus's current shenanigans.
Then the lights of Mainframe began to change colors. First from white to red and green and blue and a thousand shades shades in between, then they began to blink. Even the Silicon Tor blazed with lights. Phong's code twisted itself in knots as he stared at the terrifying, beautiful sight. Some part of him was mentally trying to translate the warnings that all these flashings and color-changing had to mean, while the rest of him gibbered quietly about how Hexadecimal had gotten into the light programs to set up this entirely random, beautiful thing.
"Hello, Phong," Hexadecimal purred suddenly, one clawed hand running over his shoulder. "I brought just what you need!"
She flourished a steaming cup of cocoa at him.
Phong sighed and looked out at the winking lights of the system, then up at the cocoa. He suspected what he needed was in the bottom drawer of his desk, but this would have to do. "Ah, thank you, Hexadecimal."
-End-
Fandom: ReBoot
Characters: Hexadecimal, Phong, Enzo
Rating: G
Word Count: 500+ words
Summary: Hexadecimal celebrates Christmas. The rest of Mainframe has no idea what's going on.
Author's Notes: It has been an age and a half since I've written Reboot, so the characterization may be wonky.
Lights and Snow
***
"What do you want for Christmas, old one?"
Phong blinked very slowly, then reached up and took off his glasses. He cleaned them carefully, put them back on, and squinted at his desk again. Yes, there was still a red-skinned virus perched saucily on the edge of his desk. "Ah, is there something you would like, Hexadecimal?"
"An answer to my question," she replied sulkily.
"I'm afraid I do not know what you mean by 'Christmas'," Phong replied. He wondered if he could open a vidwindow to Bob and get the Guardian over here without angering Hexadecimal. He suspected not.
"Bah! It's a holiday! Full of snow and light and wonder and sweet things!" The virus waved a hand in front of her face, switching masks with each word.
"... I see." Phong tapped his fingers together, studying the virus. "Perhaps," he said at last, "Perhaps some cocoa."
Hexadecimal switched to an utterly delighted mask and leaned down to give him a quick peck on the cheek. Then she uploaded herself into her mask with a triumphant laugh and vanished out of the Principal Office.
"Oh dear."
***
"What do you want for Christmas, little boy?"
Hexadecimal snatched up the little sprite boy to dandle him on her knee. Enzo stared at her with wide eyes, gaze flicking up to her cunning red-and-white hat then off to the side. He gulped but didn't answer her.
"Well?" Hexadecimal asked, her mask smiling brightly. "If you don't tell Santa-Hex, then you won't get anything nice on Christmas Eve!"
"BOB! HELP!"
Hexadecimal switched to a pouting mask. She did like the Guardian very much, but he was always accompanied by that naughty, naughty sprite woman. It wasn't proper for Santa-Hex to visit naughty people, except possibly to cane them. But that wouldn't be until Christmas Eve, and this was just two seconds before! Not time yet, oh no.
With a huff, Hexadecimal dropped the little sprite boy to the ground and uploaded herself into her mask. She took off to visit one of the other people on her list of niceness.
***
White stuff coming out of the sky over Lost Angles. Phong stared out at it, wondering if he should mention to Bob about Hexadecimal's visit the other day. Perhaps he should, but perhaps it would needlessly distract the Guardian while he was investigating the virus's current shenanigans.
Then the lights of Mainframe began to change colors. First from white to red and green and blue and a thousand shades shades in between, then they began to blink. Even the Silicon Tor blazed with lights. Phong's code twisted itself in knots as he stared at the terrifying, beautiful sight. Some part of him was mentally trying to translate the warnings that all these flashings and color-changing had to mean, while the rest of him gibbered quietly about how Hexadecimal had gotten into the light programs to set up this entirely random, beautiful thing.
"Hello, Phong," Hexadecimal purred suddenly, one clawed hand running over his shoulder. "I brought just what you need!"
She flourished a steaming cup of cocoa at him.
Phong sighed and looked out at the winking lights of the system, then up at the cocoa. He suspected what he needed was in the bottom drawer of his desk, but this would have to do. "Ah, thank you, Hexadecimal."
-End-