Da na na na na na, you say it's your birthday!

[a1enzo]

Enzo woke up very early this cycle. This is kind of a problem, as the PARTY! isn't until late morning and the specifics are meant to be a surprise, so he's had to hang around the house while Dot is out making sure everything's set up.

Thus, he's twitching with suppressed energy, but he's still ridiculously happy, 'cause he finally gets to have a real birthday party!

Comments

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

Suddenly, Enzo would hear the rumble of a massive engine as Matrix parks his notoriously oversized motorcycle out in front of Dot's house to pick him up.

[a1enzo]

Enzo grins and leans out of his bedroom window. "Is it ready?!"

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

Matrix smirks. He remembers how excited he had been back when he had his first birthday party.

...Of course, that feels about forever and a half ago to him, but it's still a nice memory.

"Sure is, kid. C'mon out and hop on."

[a1enzo]

"Alphanumeric!" The window slams, feet patter on the stairs, and Enzo bursts out the front door and vaults onto the raised rear part of the bike's seat. Frisket rises from where he's been loafing by the door, yawns hugely, and lopes after his boy.

"So where're we going?" he asks, despite the fact that he'll find out if he just waits four nanos.

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

"You'll find out in a nano," he says, revving the engine a bit before lifting off. They head off towards the edge of the city, low enough for Frisket to follow them, but plenty fast enough to be fun.

Matrix knows his dog can keep up. It's Frisket, after all.

[a1enzo]

Enzo clings to his own shoulders as they soar across the city on the Bike of Major Overkill ("Can I fire the missiles?" "At what?" "I'unno."), Frisket galloping along below. It's a fast bike, traffic is low, and in not too long they're at the far edge of Kits Sector.

"Oh, hey, they've finished it!" Enzo exclaims, espying a brand-new ship resting atop a slipway on the docks, large, old-fashioned but well-fitted. "When's the launch?"

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

Matrix brings his bike to a stop and parks it not too far from the docks. He chuckles slightly at Enzo's question.

"Today," he says. "As a part of your party."

[a1enzo]

Enzo gapes. "No way!"

His very own pirate ship! Sort of. Close enough for bragging rights, anyway.

[command_dot_com]

Dot checks over everything for the party one last time.

Parrrrrtyhats? Check.
Pirate-themed syntactic sugar cake? Check.
Bubbly, locked from inquiring small hands? CHECK.
ROM, likewise? CHECK.
Code cola? Check.

Binomes on Brother-watching Detail? Check and double check if you count Princess Bula.

"All is ready, Gavin," Dot smiles from ear to ear. "All we need is our other guest of honor."

[nofileext]

"And when do we expect him to arrive, Ms. Matrix?" says the Crimson Binome. He's getting restless. Much as he likes it here in Mainframe, and back home in Fanning, Gavin is eager to be on his own ship again, sailing the open C:s.

[command_dot_com]

"Any nano now.. Matrix promised he'd bring him over on his Bike." Dot reassures the good captain. "I think I see them coming up right now..."

[renegade-enzo.livejournal.com]

And that they are. Matrix has just parked his bike a short distance away, and he's walking up with the birthday boy as they speak.

[a1enzo]

Running up, more like. "Dot, Gavin! I saw the ship! This is so alphanumeric! Do I really get to launch it?!"

[command_dot_com]

Dot chuckled, smiling at Enzo's happy reaction. "We're all sponsporing the launch, so we get to crash bottles on the hull to christen it and send it off."

[notascreensaver]

AndrAIa was belowdecks, busy making sure everything was in order. Both the presents and food needed attending to and guarding, to ensure Enzo didn't get at either until he was allowed to.

Mostly, though, it was a lot of being bored. Mouse had promised to send someone down to keep her occupied, btu so far no one had shown up.

[nofileext]

Well, that's not too surprising; he's not terribly visible. Her auditory acuity, however, might pick up a small, slithery noise approaching the presents.

[notascreensaver]

She tilts her head and listens, then begins rechecking the tarps over the food. "Ugh. Spam. There are always nulls on these ship."

[nofileext]

"I'm sorry," this null says in a mild tone. "I was told you'd be wanting company."

[notascreensaver]

"Oh! I'm sorry. I thought you were. . .not you." She chuckled and bent down. "How are you doing, Mr. Matrix?"

Silly question, but a nice place to start.

[nofileext]

"Professor Matrix, actually," he tells her with a slight chuckle. It feels odd to have to correct someone on that - he was pretty famous in Mainframe back when he was, well, alive, and that was what he was famous for, so it just wasn't a mistake people made much.

"Still adjusting. I don't believe I had a chance to meet you properly before, although I saw you with my son. Sons." Yeah, that's one of the things he's still adjusting to.

[notascreensaver]

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry. Yes. Matrix. The original Enzo. How are you taking it all?"

Because while it was a big change for her, it must be an even bigger shock for him.

[nofileext]

"I'm... not sure," he admits, taking a perch atop the gift pile. "I haven't had much chance to speak to him either, not in any great depth, but Phong told me a lot of it... You two haven't had an easy life, have you?" It's not entirely a question.

[notascreensaver]

She shrugs. "My life became much better. His life. . .I suppose it was better than if he had stayed." She's thought a lot about this. "I sometimes wonder what would have happened if he'd stayed, but I don't think any of us would be functional if he had."

She chews her lip and shakes her head. "But today's a good day, not time to think about that."

[nofileext]

"No, of course, you're right." He sniffs/tastes the pile below him. "Well, he's certainly got a good turnout here. Smells like a bit more candy than I'd like, but after how I messed up his first birthday, I don't suppose I've any right to complain."

Launching Ceremony

[nofileext]

Capacitor's new ship, the Ada's Revenge, is a sight to behold. She's nearly half again as large as the Saucy Mare, with three masts and twenty-one sails, and her hull is a vivid scarlet trimmed in gold. The Revenge is fully stocked and crewed and ready to set sail, but there's one last detail that needs to be taken care of first...