Vivid, a halo fanfic

A/N: A short and somewhat old drabble, which is seemingly getting more AU by the minute.

Edit: Updated to a Beta'd version in March-2016. (Edited 15.7.2018 with minor corrections.)

Cortana had always been… the more… vivid – that was the word – one of them, John thought.

From their first test together John had come to realize that the AI he had been paired up with wasn't the most quiet or patient type of person. And that was just lightly put.

Even if at start John had found Cortana's ever-flowing energy somewhat hard to accustom himself to, but the more he had gotten to know her, the more he had been able to see Cortana as a "whole". He had also learned different types of Cortana's vividness.

The joy and joking when Cortana was just trying to fight with boredom. That glorious smile when she had hacked the UNSC's systems and got to tell him that they were still assigned to work together on Cairo Platform. The seemingly never-ending and meaningless (not to mention often one-sided) conversation she kept up when she was nervous.

All those were just different aspects of Cortana.

And John had grown to like Cortana, meaning he had learned to like Cortana's vividness – well at least most of the time.

Now, when the extremely small feeling Pelican was being taken over by the music from the loudspeakers, it had become one of those questionable moments when John had to briefly wonder if he was completely accustomed to Cortana's one of a kind personality, and how he had ever survived through all his missions with her…

A quick glance at Lasky and Palmer seemed to confirm his own suspicions.

Palmer was throwing somewhat annoyed looks between Cortana and Lasky, seemingly wanting nothing more than for Lasky to intervene and arrive back at Infinity.

Lasky, on the other hand, appeared his normal, calm self, although sharp observer (which John by his Spartan abilities most definitely was) could see the slightest awkwardness on his features. Lasky guided a hand through his hair and took a questioning glance at Cortana's direction. After some moments the small tightness around his mouth was released when he broke the ongoing "silence" and turned his gaze to Chief.

"Is she normally like this?"

"Yes, sir."

Lasky nodded, still slightly puzzled, but returned slowly his full attention back to guiding the Pelican.

John, however, continued watching Cortana's "dancing", feeling himself slightly out of place as well. He was pretty sure that Cortana didn't always yet grasp the idea of being a living, breathing person, whose actions were for all to see and hear. And in moments like this, she really did seem to be in her own world.

Cortana's mouth was moving in sync with the lyrics. And even though she had the whole time kept taking glances at John and smirking (in not so subtle way), it was the wink that made John really wish that the Pelican ride would be shorter, or that at least they would be alone. Being a genetically altered super-soldier who had achieved almost everything and having to witness your former AI – now in a human form – dancing, almost during a mission, while listening to a song with lyrics closer to a something an ODST would be listening (not forgetting the wink) in front of Captain and Lieutenant, were not the two easiest things to match. Hardly so.

After the song had ended, and the Pelican had (mercifully) arrived back to the Infinity. Cortana mentioned something about the ship's navigation system malfunctioning and left humming towards the bridge. Leaving three very silent soldiers behind.

Palmer was the first to open her mouth, "What on Earth was that?"

Before Lasky had a chance to answer, John gave Palmer a quick reply.

"Living. Ma'am."

John left to his quarters, not seeing the ever more questioning look Palmer gave to Lasky or Lasky's slight nod and shoulder shrug.

As he was walking John couldn't help but wonder that if Cortana considered absorbing John's luck as the reason she had made through everything, so then maybe he as well had absorbed some of Cortana's vividness into himself.

Or then he was going crazy, which was a very, very possible reasoning as well.

But then she most definitely was as well.

And luckily they both liked crazy.