Title: Kindergarten
Author: trin_chardin
Summary: What if the characters of Reloaded went to kindergarten together?
Categories: AU/Humor
Author's Notes: Thanks again to everyone. Sorry, if my postings are sporadic, but, college life is hell of a lot different from kindergarten. ^_^ And thanks also to those who've sent me ideas. Although I'll try to use what I can, sorry to those whose ideas don't pop up in future chapters. I've an overflow of plot bunnies. ^_^ [Check out the Construct! http://www.constructfic.org/]
Disclaimer: I don't own the Matrix concept or anyone/anything in it.
-----
Kindergarten
Chapter 7 - Art Class Continued
"So, anyone?"
"I want to."
Mero smiled smugly at the oblivious Neo as Perse helped him to his feet. Still smirking, he went up front and with great pomp and pageantry presented his work for all to see.
"Ah..." The teacher struggled for something to say. "It's...it's very pretty, Mero."
"I should think so." He flashed Perse a lady-killer smile. "I call it the Mona Perse."
His teacher had to admit that it -did- look remarkably like the original painting in the Louvre. The only difference was the finely painted features of the dark-haired Perse, who preened at the attention. Most of the class were actually only mildly impressed and withheld comment. But, Smith was heard to mutter something about forgeries and cooties. Morpheus and Locke were also locked in a stare-down to silently debate the merits of their own art work. So, with all that going on, not many noticed Neo looking doubtfully at his own project.
"Who want's to go next?" The teacher continued.
When twin hands shot up, she stifled a grimace.
"Okay, boys. Up front."
The two stomped to the front of the classroom and held their joint work between them with exaggerated flourish. Their hodge-podge collage of magazine pictures was undecipherable. There simply seemed to be a lot of red and brown with other bits of color scattered in the periphery.
"Uh...what is that, boys?"
"We call it the smushed hamster," Two said proudly.
"Or it will be when someone steps on it," added One.
The two shared wide grins.
All eyes turned to the hamster cage that had sat atop the cubby holes since early morning.
The door was open.
Perse was the first to react. With a shriek, she stood on her chair and continued to scream. With wary steps, Mero went to her and tried to comfort her. Smith continued to sit sullenly in his chair. The fate of a mere hamster was beneath him. The other boys, however, rushed around in search of said animal. Niobe and Trinity joined them, while the twins watched the hamster hunt with unconcealed glee. After a sharp look and separate corners for the pair, their teacher waded her way through the chaos and kept a sharp eye out for the hapless miniscule animal.
"I found it!" Niobe smiled as she held up the shaking animal.
"Thank you, Niobe," the teacher said gratefully.
Replacing the hamster in its cage, she set it atop a high shelf.
"Do you want to go next, Niobe?"
The dark-haired girl nodded and walked up front with her picture.
"What I like best about school is being with my friends."
Niobe smiled brightly at Trinity as she showed a neatly crayoned drawing of the two of them with the four boys at their back.
"Thank you, Niobe. That was a beautiful..." A -normal-. "...picture."
When Trinity started to raise her hand, Perse's rose up immediately.
"I want to go next," she said firmly.
Without a word from the teacher, she went to the front and showed the picture she held in her hand. Trinity just shrugged, coolly unconcerned.
"I looove my bee-yoo-ti-ful teacher." Perse's eyes fluttered at said woman in blatant flattery. "And, of course..." A wink. "...my new chattel."
Her smile was just a tad too sweet and sharp. Mero looked slightly confused.
"What does chattel mean?" Ghost asked, just as puzzled.
Mero turned to their teacher for the explanation as Smith snorted loudly.
"Ah, it means...a...a boyfriend," was the weak response.
The teacher wondered if Perse knew that the word was really another term for slave. As Mero beamed, Perse just continued to smile sweetly. Somehow, the teacher thought she did. And well, the two words were in a -certain- matter of speaking synonymous...
As Perse took her seat, the teacher motioned for Trinity to take her place up front. The short-haired girl obediently did so and promptly held up her picture. It was similar to Niobe's, except it showed a carefully crayoned Neo giving up his cookie at the center.
"What I like about school are my friends and people who share."
When she smiled directly at Neo, the boy flushed a deep red.
"I share, too!" Ghost sulked in his seat.
"That's nice, Trinity," said their teacher. "Now, who's next?"
Morpheus and Locke had not stopped in their stare-down and both rose to their feet at the same time with a loud shout.
"I wanna go first!"
"Well, you're going to have to take turns. Who wants to be nice and let the other go first?"
The two boys looked at each other for a brief moment, then shouted in synchrony once more.
"He can go first!"
"Ah...why don't I just pick? Locke, you go ahead."
The boys smirked at each other, believing that each had won against the other.
"Well, I like the order and discipline of school 'cause I'm a good boy, unlike -other- boys who start throwing paint at people." He smirked at the glaring Morpheus, then pointed at a crude stick person with bows on its head. "And I like Niobe, too, 'cause she's nice."
The girl just smiled thinly. Thrilled, Locke threw Morpheus a smug look and sat down.
"Now, what about you, Morpheus?"
Still glaring, the boy went to the front and aggressively held out his picture for the class to see. It held a similar crude stick figure with more colored bows than hair. Niobe's smile became even thinner.
"Well, I love school 'cause I love Niobe. So there." He looked challengingly at Locke.
The other boy just stuck out his tongue as their teacher turned away to look at Ghost.
"What about you, Ghost?"
The Chinese boy plodded up front and held his picture to his chest, under his chin. He squinted down at it and pointed to the short-haired stick figure that was prominent among the group of clumsily crayoned people.
"I like school 'cause I get to play at the playground and do lots of fun stuff with -my- best friend, Trinity."
The last comment was accompanied by a pointed look at Neo. Yet, the boy seemed as oblivious as always to the barbs directed at him by others. He just looked up from careful study of his picture when the teacher called him.
"You haven't showed us your picture, Neo." The teacher smiled warmly. "Why don't you?"
The little boy showed a crayon picture of him and Trinity as she had comforted him earlier.
"I like this school 'cause Trinity goes here, too," he said softly, looking down at his feet. "She's my neighbor at my new house, and she's always been nice to me. And that's why I like this school."
Author: trin_chardin
Summary: What if the characters of Reloaded went to kindergarten together?
Categories: AU/Humor
Author's Notes: Thanks again to everyone. Sorry, if my postings are sporadic, but, college life is hell of a lot different from kindergarten. ^_^ And thanks also to those who've sent me ideas. Although I'll try to use what I can, sorry to those whose ideas don't pop up in future chapters. I've an overflow of plot bunnies. ^_^ [Check out the Construct! http://www.constructfic.org/]
Disclaimer: I don't own the Matrix concept or anyone/anything in it.
-----
Kindergarten
Chapter 7 - Art Class Continued
"So, anyone?"
"I want to."
Mero smiled smugly at the oblivious Neo as Perse helped him to his feet. Still smirking, he went up front and with great pomp and pageantry presented his work for all to see.
"Ah..." The teacher struggled for something to say. "It's...it's very pretty, Mero."
"I should think so." He flashed Perse a lady-killer smile. "I call it the Mona Perse."
His teacher had to admit that it -did- look remarkably like the original painting in the Louvre. The only difference was the finely painted features of the dark-haired Perse, who preened at the attention. Most of the class were actually only mildly impressed and withheld comment. But, Smith was heard to mutter something about forgeries and cooties. Morpheus and Locke were also locked in a stare-down to silently debate the merits of their own art work. So, with all that going on, not many noticed Neo looking doubtfully at his own project.
"Who want's to go next?" The teacher continued.
When twin hands shot up, she stifled a grimace.
"Okay, boys. Up front."
The two stomped to the front of the classroom and held their joint work between them with exaggerated flourish. Their hodge-podge collage of magazine pictures was undecipherable. There simply seemed to be a lot of red and brown with other bits of color scattered in the periphery.
"Uh...what is that, boys?"
"We call it the smushed hamster," Two said proudly.
"Or it will be when someone steps on it," added One.
The two shared wide grins.
All eyes turned to the hamster cage that had sat atop the cubby holes since early morning.
The door was open.
Perse was the first to react. With a shriek, she stood on her chair and continued to scream. With wary steps, Mero went to her and tried to comfort her. Smith continued to sit sullenly in his chair. The fate of a mere hamster was beneath him. The other boys, however, rushed around in search of said animal. Niobe and Trinity joined them, while the twins watched the hamster hunt with unconcealed glee. After a sharp look and separate corners for the pair, their teacher waded her way through the chaos and kept a sharp eye out for the hapless miniscule animal.
"I found it!" Niobe smiled as she held up the shaking animal.
"Thank you, Niobe," the teacher said gratefully.
Replacing the hamster in its cage, she set it atop a high shelf.
"Do you want to go next, Niobe?"
The dark-haired girl nodded and walked up front with her picture.
"What I like best about school is being with my friends."
Niobe smiled brightly at Trinity as she showed a neatly crayoned drawing of the two of them with the four boys at their back.
"Thank you, Niobe. That was a beautiful..." A -normal-. "...picture."
When Trinity started to raise her hand, Perse's rose up immediately.
"I want to go next," she said firmly.
Without a word from the teacher, she went to the front and showed the picture she held in her hand. Trinity just shrugged, coolly unconcerned.
"I looove my bee-yoo-ti-ful teacher." Perse's eyes fluttered at said woman in blatant flattery. "And, of course..." A wink. "...my new chattel."
Her smile was just a tad too sweet and sharp. Mero looked slightly confused.
"What does chattel mean?" Ghost asked, just as puzzled.
Mero turned to their teacher for the explanation as Smith snorted loudly.
"Ah, it means...a...a boyfriend," was the weak response.
The teacher wondered if Perse knew that the word was really another term for slave. As Mero beamed, Perse just continued to smile sweetly. Somehow, the teacher thought she did. And well, the two words were in a -certain- matter of speaking synonymous...
As Perse took her seat, the teacher motioned for Trinity to take her place up front. The short-haired girl obediently did so and promptly held up her picture. It was similar to Niobe's, except it showed a carefully crayoned Neo giving up his cookie at the center.
"What I like about school are my friends and people who share."
When she smiled directly at Neo, the boy flushed a deep red.
"I share, too!" Ghost sulked in his seat.
"That's nice, Trinity," said their teacher. "Now, who's next?"
Morpheus and Locke had not stopped in their stare-down and both rose to their feet at the same time with a loud shout.
"I wanna go first!"
"Well, you're going to have to take turns. Who wants to be nice and let the other go first?"
The two boys looked at each other for a brief moment, then shouted in synchrony once more.
"He can go first!"
"Ah...why don't I just pick? Locke, you go ahead."
The boys smirked at each other, believing that each had won against the other.
"Well, I like the order and discipline of school 'cause I'm a good boy, unlike -other- boys who start throwing paint at people." He smirked at the glaring Morpheus, then pointed at a crude stick person with bows on its head. "And I like Niobe, too, 'cause she's nice."
The girl just smiled thinly. Thrilled, Locke threw Morpheus a smug look and sat down.
"Now, what about you, Morpheus?"
Still glaring, the boy went to the front and aggressively held out his picture for the class to see. It held a similar crude stick figure with more colored bows than hair. Niobe's smile became even thinner.
"Well, I love school 'cause I love Niobe. So there." He looked challengingly at Locke.
The other boy just stuck out his tongue as their teacher turned away to look at Ghost.
"What about you, Ghost?"
The Chinese boy plodded up front and held his picture to his chest, under his chin. He squinted down at it and pointed to the short-haired stick figure that was prominent among the group of clumsily crayoned people.
"I like school 'cause I get to play at the playground and do lots of fun stuff with -my- best friend, Trinity."
The last comment was accompanied by a pointed look at Neo. Yet, the boy seemed as oblivious as always to the barbs directed at him by others. He just looked up from careful study of his picture when the teacher called him.
"You haven't showed us your picture, Neo." The teacher smiled warmly. "Why don't you?"
The little boy showed a crayon picture of him and Trinity as she had comforted him earlier.
"I like this school 'cause Trinity goes here, too," he said softly, looking down at his feet. "She's my neighbor at my new house, and she's always been nice to me. And that's why I like this school."