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Jun. 4th, 2009 11:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
very_anti_virusTonight was going to be very special, he promised himself as he gave AndrAIa a kiss goodbye before she headed out the door that morning.
A nice little surprise for his wife, to mark a certain significant occasion in their lives.
On this cycle, AndrAIa had entered Mainframe and changed his life for the better.
How could he not want to celebrate it?
Humming along [yes, humming] as he cleaned up the apartment and made it look festively nice, prepaired the dinner, and set the table, he envisioned how the evening would progress. How. And where.
Such thoughts kept him smiling all cycle long.
Code, but he could not wait for her to get back.
Show her just what a sentimental side he really had.
Just before she was due to return, he rearranged the table for the fifteenth time, and proceeded to light the candles.
He was expecting a "Hello, Lover. What's the occasion?" to greet him any nano now.
He was not expecting a pwing! from behind him, or a sharp bark of "You! Cadet!", which caused him to do several things simultaneously: start, drop the still-lit lighter onto his palm, cry in pain, and then unleash a series of swear words that included several choice offerings learned from his time at the bar. All before turning around to see who had interrupted him.
"Got a function for yer," said Administrator Rijndael, head of the Academy, without taking any apparent notice of Matrix's reaction. The elderly Guardian was stout, brown, and had a beard the size of a small chicken.
"Can't wait to hear what it is," he muttered back, rubbing his burned palm in annoyance. And out of more than a little embarrassment, given that the Administrator had caught him in a rather candid moment. At least he'd stopped with the humming half a microsecond ago.
"Good lad," said Rijndael, ignoring the sarcasm as well. "Lot of buzz after you and the young lady visited here that time. Too much, to my mind, kids these cycles, trying to be Guardians and rebel at the same time, load of dropped parity bits, plus all that nonsense with the calendar..."
Oh, goodie. Rijndael was starting up a monologue, which Matrix would've ignored, if the Administrator hadn't mentioned that calendar of his wife. Now a clearly-defined jade, he coughed and said, "If this function involves me doing anything in various states of undress, I'll have to decline. I'm a married sprite, sir."
"Code forbid," barked Rijndael. "Like we need the students even more distracted. Terpri says you two answered some questions in her class. Seems to think you did a good job of it. Unusual perspective or some rot."
Matrix just looked skeptical. Or maybe a little irritated that his time was being wasted like this. "Unusual and very useful perspective, or you wouldn't be calling me tonight asking me if I'd impart a little more of that knowledge onto the students." Matrix seemed to be particularly swift on the uptake this evening.
Rijndael nodded with actual approval. "Not full-time or anything like that. A few sessions a term, sort of thing. We're asking your missus, too, although if both of you show up at the same time again I 'spect a few of our cadets might explode."
To say the thought of teaching a bunch of hormone-driven adolescents wasn't very appealling to Matrix would be an understatement. He really didn't have the patience to deliver lectures, especially to those who thought the lecturer was more interesting than the subject matter. But having AndrAIa along might make things far more tolerable. "They do, and I'll turn the lecture into a three microsecond salute to ET: The Extra-terrestrial. Without irony."
The Administrator gave a great bark of laughter. "Good lad! You'll do. Just stay off the cars this time, will you?" he added, looking past Matrix.
"I'll try, sir," quipped an amused and all too familiar voice from behind Matrix. "I can't make any promises, though."
A voice which caused Matrix to start for the second time that night. At least it was a far more welcome voice than Rijndael's. "When did you get in?" he asked, turning around to face his wife. "I didn't hear the door opening."
"Just now," she replied and stretched up on tiptoes to kiss Matrix's cheek lightly; seemingly unfazed by the Administrator's presence in the vidwindow.
"Just make sure you teach 'em before you shut down their brains," says the Administrator with a smirk. "I'll talk to Terpri about scheduling. You can get back to dinner. Nice apron, by the way."
Pwing!
Fraggit! he thought as the window closed. He didn't think Rijndael had noticed that apron, given how obtuse the sprite seemed to make himself appear. No matter. AndrAIa was home now. And now that the Administrator was gone and they were properly alone...
He returned AndrAIa's kiss with some of the passion that had been building up all cycle, not breaking off for at least a nano. "Rijndael just offered me a teaching position at the Academy. You're welcome to come along if you'd like," he said once he finally broke the kiss.
"I'd have to think about it," the Game sprite replied, returning the kiss briefly. "I do have a shop to run, after all."
"I know," he murmured, wrapping his arms about her. "It won't be just yet. I don't think Rijndael will get back to us for another half second." He gave her a nuzzle. "Consider it a little vacation, if you do come along. I'm sure your employees will be able to hold the fort while you're away."
"That's true," she admitted, relaxing as she leaned into him. "So what's with all the fancyness?"
For a moment, he didn't say anything. He just revelled in being close. Then, "Remember the cycle you came to Mainframe? Today's the anniversary of that cycle. How you came here and made my life so much happier."
The Game sprite fell silent for a few moments before speaking again. "Is it really?"
He tightened his hold about her. "It is. It almost feels like it was last cycle that you came here, how the time has gone by."
She settled into the embrace. "So much has happened, I can't believe I forgot about this."
"I know. And I don't regret a nano of it. You're the best thing to have ever happened to me." He paused. "At least I remembered. And I plan to make this a tradition between us."
AndrAIa smiled, as she trailed a finger along her husband's chest. "I think I can get used to this, then."
Matrix smiled. Then stroked her hair. "I know I'll be getting used to this. I've got a whole night planned for just the two of us." He inclined his head towards the table where two plates were waiting. "We'll start with dinner, then move our way along to dessert." He smiled playfully, if not suggestively. "Happy anniversary—" He kissed her head. "—Lover."
A nice little surprise for his wife, to mark a certain significant occasion in their lives.
On this cycle, AndrAIa had entered Mainframe and changed his life for the better.
How could he not want to celebrate it?
Humming along [yes, humming] as he cleaned up the apartment and made it look festively nice, prepaired the dinner, and set the table, he envisioned how the evening would progress. How. And where.
Such thoughts kept him smiling all cycle long.
Code, but he could not wait for her to get back.
Show her just what a sentimental side he really had.
Just before she was due to return, he rearranged the table for the fifteenth time, and proceeded to light the candles.
He was expecting a "Hello, Lover. What's the occasion?" to greet him any nano now.
He was not expecting a pwing! from behind him, or a sharp bark of "You! Cadet!", which caused him to do several things simultaneously: start, drop the still-lit lighter onto his palm, cry in pain, and then unleash a series of swear words that included several choice offerings learned from his time at the bar. All before turning around to see who had interrupted him.
"Got a function for yer," said Administrator Rijndael, head of the Academy, without taking any apparent notice of Matrix's reaction. The elderly Guardian was stout, brown, and had a beard the size of a small chicken.
"Can't wait to hear what it is," he muttered back, rubbing his burned palm in annoyance. And out of more than a little embarrassment, given that the Administrator had caught him in a rather candid moment. At least he'd stopped with the humming half a microsecond ago.
"Good lad," said Rijndael, ignoring the sarcasm as well. "Lot of buzz after you and the young lady visited here that time. Too much, to my mind, kids these cycles, trying to be Guardians and rebel at the same time, load of dropped parity bits, plus all that nonsense with the calendar..."
Oh, goodie. Rijndael was starting up a monologue, which Matrix would've ignored, if the Administrator hadn't mentioned that calendar of his wife. Now a clearly-defined jade, he coughed and said, "If this function involves me doing anything in various states of undress, I'll have to decline. I'm a married sprite, sir."
"Code forbid," barked Rijndael. "Like we need the students even more distracted. Terpri says you two answered some questions in her class. Seems to think you did a good job of it. Unusual perspective or some rot."
Matrix just looked skeptical. Or maybe a little irritated that his time was being wasted like this. "Unusual and very useful perspective, or you wouldn't be calling me tonight asking me if I'd impart a little more of that knowledge onto the students." Matrix seemed to be particularly swift on the uptake this evening.
Rijndael nodded with actual approval. "Not full-time or anything like that. A few sessions a term, sort of thing. We're asking your missus, too, although if both of you show up at the same time again I 'spect a few of our cadets might explode."
To say the thought of teaching a bunch of hormone-driven adolescents wasn't very appealling to Matrix would be an understatement. He really didn't have the patience to deliver lectures, especially to those who thought the lecturer was more interesting than the subject matter. But having AndrAIa along might make things far more tolerable. "They do, and I'll turn the lecture into a three microsecond salute to ET: The Extra-terrestrial. Without irony."
The Administrator gave a great bark of laughter. "Good lad! You'll do. Just stay off the cars this time, will you?" he added, looking past Matrix.
"I'll try, sir," quipped an amused and all too familiar voice from behind Matrix. "I can't make any promises, though."
A voice which caused Matrix to start for the second time that night. At least it was a far more welcome voice than Rijndael's. "When did you get in?" he asked, turning around to face his wife. "I didn't hear the door opening."
"Just now," she replied and stretched up on tiptoes to kiss Matrix's cheek lightly; seemingly unfazed by the Administrator's presence in the vidwindow.
"Just make sure you teach 'em before you shut down their brains," says the Administrator with a smirk. "I'll talk to Terpri about scheduling. You can get back to dinner. Nice apron, by the way."
Pwing!
Fraggit! he thought as the window closed. He didn't think Rijndael had noticed that apron, given how obtuse the sprite seemed to make himself appear. No matter. AndrAIa was home now. And now that the Administrator was gone and they were properly alone...
He returned AndrAIa's kiss with some of the passion that had been building up all cycle, not breaking off for at least a nano. "Rijndael just offered me a teaching position at the Academy. You're welcome to come along if you'd like," he said once he finally broke the kiss.
"I'd have to think about it," the Game sprite replied, returning the kiss briefly. "I do have a shop to run, after all."
"I know," he murmured, wrapping his arms about her. "It won't be just yet. I don't think Rijndael will get back to us for another half second." He gave her a nuzzle. "Consider it a little vacation, if you do come along. I'm sure your employees will be able to hold the fort while you're away."
"That's true," she admitted, relaxing as she leaned into him. "So what's with all the fancyness?"
For a moment, he didn't say anything. He just revelled in being close. Then, "Remember the cycle you came to Mainframe? Today's the anniversary of that cycle. How you came here and made my life so much happier."
The Game sprite fell silent for a few moments before speaking again. "Is it really?"
He tightened his hold about her. "It is. It almost feels like it was last cycle that you came here, how the time has gone by."
She settled into the embrace. "So much has happened, I can't believe I forgot about this."
"I know. And I don't regret a nano of it. You're the best thing to have ever happened to me." He paused. "At least I remembered. And I plan to make this a tradition between us."
AndrAIa smiled, as she trailed a finger along her husband's chest. "I think I can get used to this, then."
Matrix smiled. Then stroked her hair. "I know I'll be getting used to this. I've got a whole night planned for just the two of us." He inclined his head towards the table where two plates were waiting. "We'll start with dinner, then move our way along to dessert." He smiled playfully, if not suggestively. "Happy anniversary—" He kissed her head. "—Lover."
