Coronaviridae
Even after several years underfoot around the labs and learning that Santa Claus wasn't really real, the Miracle of Christmas never failed to impress Snowline. Maybe it was something about the novelty of bringing a tree indoors and decorating it, or the glow of the lights, or the usual bustle of cookies and presents and holiday dinners that Fred and Sajid cajoled the Institute scientists into, or just the sheer happiness of the season--any way you wanted to slice it, Snowline loved Christmas.
It was always a little sad when those last few hours of December 25th slipped away, with the last of the wrapping paper swept up and the tree on the chopping block the next morning or the morning after. Snowy was spending those last few hours--this day--sitting next to the tree and playing with a clever little plastic puzzle Fred had given her. The lights reflected somewhat strangely off her purple skin and cast the entire common room into a colorful twilight--but all and all, it made a peaceful scene. The sound system was on, reprising the same old Christmas carols for the nth time that month.
There were still a few presents under the tree--one or two were ghost offerings by the superstitious White (or maybe something else--you never knew with him), but the rest were just unclaimed by their intended recipients. People got busy, and they'd been in and out of the room all day between their assigned jobs to open presents and greet Snowy's cheery, "Mele Kalikemaka!" with well-wishes of their own. Now it was just the opabin, watching the lights, the orphaned presents, and her puzzle with separate eyes. Dr. Vrais had poked her head in a while back to inquire as to when Snowy intended to go to bed; she was met with a listless sort of "'e," and so left her daughter alone in favor of getting some sleep herself.
And now...here she was, still trying to solve this silly puzzle and just watching the pretty tree.
It was always a little sad when those last few hours of December 25th slipped away, with the last of the wrapping paper swept up and the tree on the chopping block the next morning or the morning after. Snowy was spending those last few hours--this day--sitting next to the tree and playing with a clever little plastic puzzle Fred had given her. The lights reflected somewhat strangely off her purple skin and cast the entire common room into a colorful twilight--but all and all, it made a peaceful scene. The sound system was on, reprising the same old Christmas carols for the nth time that month.
There were still a few presents under the tree--one or two were ghost offerings by the superstitious White (or maybe something else--you never knew with him), but the rest were just unclaimed by their intended recipients. People got busy, and they'd been in and out of the room all day between their assigned jobs to open presents and greet Snowy's cheery, "Mele Kalikemaka!" with well-wishes of their own. Now it was just the opabin, watching the lights, the orphaned presents, and her puzzle with separate eyes. Dr. Vrais had poked her head in a while back to inquire as to when Snowy intended to go to bed; she was met with a listless sort of "'e," and so left her daughter alone in favor of getting some sleep herself.
And now...here she was, still trying to solve this silly puzzle and just watching the pretty tree.
Polecat Junkie
Since his rather unusual entrance into the world, Bolide hadn't spent too much time hanging around the Institute. His foster mother, Martina Bach, preferred to spend her time out in the field. Bolide didn't mind his nomadic life, but he was tired of having to keep a low profile. He would rather use his intimidating array of natural weapons to chop an opposing human into chum than sneak about and hide from them. But so far Bolide had respected Martina's wishes (sometimes, anyways) and kept himself out of sight when they were in the outside world.
Martina was as glad to be free of Bolide as he was glad to be free to roam. And roam he did. Bolide wasn't very whimsical by nature, but the Christmas decorations appealed to him. The bright lights and general disarray of the Institute cheered him as he strolled aimlessly through the halls. Out on their endless research trips, Bolide had celebrated Christmas with Martina and whoever else was tagging along, but he had never seen the holiday celebrated on such a wide scale before!
When he turned a corner and found himself looking into the Common Room, Bolide's toothy jaw dropped in surprise and delight. The gaudy Christmas tree at the center of the room was the most outrageous and wonderful thing he had ever seen. It took him a moment to notice the strange person sitting beneath it.
Bolide paused in the doorway a moment to study her. The woman-person -- he was sure she was a female, somehow -- was enticingly different from the humans he was used to seeing. Though she was obviously not the same species as him, she must be the same kind as him. One of the people from otherwhere.
He stepped forward, his whipcord tail lashing in excitement. "Hallo," he rumbled, turning his head first one way and then the other to study her more closely.
Martina was as glad to be free of Bolide as he was glad to be free to roam. And roam he did. Bolide wasn't very whimsical by nature, but the Christmas decorations appealed to him. The bright lights and general disarray of the Institute cheered him as he strolled aimlessly through the halls. Out on their endless research trips, Bolide had celebrated Christmas with Martina and whoever else was tagging along, but he had never seen the holiday celebrated on such a wide scale before!
When he turned a corner and found himself looking into the Common Room, Bolide's toothy jaw dropped in surprise and delight. The gaudy Christmas tree at the center of the room was the most outrageous and wonderful thing he had ever seen. It took him a moment to notice the strange person sitting beneath it.
Bolide paused in the doorway a moment to study her. The woman-person -- he was sure she was a female, somehow -- was enticingly different from the humans he was used to seeing. Though she was obviously not the same species as him, she must be the same kind as him. One of the people from otherwhere.
He stepped forward, his whipcord tail lashing in excitement. "Hallo," he rumbled, turning his head first one way and then the other to study her more closely.
Coronaviridae
Honestly, Snowy hadn't expected that anyone would look in on her now that most of the human members of the Institute had headed to bed. (Their kids, on the other hand, were another story--but most of the nocturnal Cambrians had headed to places less light-polluted than the halls of the Institute.) Her short ears perked up at the sounds of someone in the door, her own tail flicking across the carpet as she turned her head.
After a moment, her primary eyes widened, and she transfered the toy to her tail-fingers before getting up. "Aloha," she replied to the greeting, offering him an approximately human smile. "Mele Kalikimaka, too. You new here? I never seen you around before." She tilted her head to get a better look at him with her crown eyes, trying to match him up with her mother's big book of pictures. Dr. Vrais had kept records of all the known children to come off of Abyss Beach, but she had been complaining lately of some slipping through her net.
After a moment, her primary eyes widened, and she transfered the toy to her tail-fingers before getting up. "Aloha," she replied to the greeting, offering him an approximately human smile. "Mele Kalikimaka, too. You new here? I never seen you around before." She tilted her head to get a better look at him with her crown eyes, trying to match him up with her mother's big book of pictures. Dr. Vrais had kept records of all the known children to come off of Abyss Beach, but she had been complaining lately of some slipping through her net.
