#code ss20

hi @cosmicpines I was your gifter for @codesecretsanta!!! I hope you enjoy!

It seemed like a great idea, bringing Aelita into the real world and enrolling her at their school. It wasn’t like they didn’t have time to plan things out— to make sure her transition was as smooth as possible— because they had plenty of time to do so. Whether or not that time was spent agonizing over details that were practically meaningless until confronted later. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there was their daily motto for almost an entire year. 

So they weren’t exactly thinking it all the way through when they created Aelita’s new identity. At a glance, it was watertight. No one would dare to look too deep into anyone associated with the de la Robbias. Looking at Odd’s records was an absolute mess, so why even bother with Aelita’s? 

It was a quick way to get her in the door and out of deep scrutiny, but that in and of itself presented problems. Like right now. It was a month before winter break and each warrior’s family was making plans to bring their children home for the holidays. Except Aelita. 

As it stood, there were only two viable options; someone had to take Aelita home with them (which would be the markedly tougher option), or someone would have to stay behind with her. Despite being somewhat acclimated to Earth, she was still wobbling on fawn-like legs during social situations. Or most situations, granted she was unsupervised. 

Which was what brought everyone together on a crisp afternoon in early November, piled into Jérémie’s room and in deep discussion.

“I hate to say it, but I can’t stay,” Jérémie sighed. “My parents have already booked a flight for me. They thought having a tropical Christmas would be a good idea for some reason.” 

To add insult to injury, he sounded truly apologetic. 

“I’ll be around the corner, but granted I don’t stay at the dorms anyway, my parents definitely won’t take well to me “sneaking off” during family time,” Yumi grimaced, making sure her displeasure over the last few words was clear. 

If the rest of the conversation went as positively as this first two minutes had, they were all screwed. The only two people that remained were Odd and Ulrich— the two people most likely to want to stay at Kadic through the break. 

Odd snorted. “My parents won’t even notice if I’m here or there, but they did book train tickets. If I never showed, they wouldn’t care. So, what say you, good buddy? Am I staying behind or have you already worked it out?” 

Every eye fell on Ulrich in anticipation. 

“I’m staying,” he said simply. 

He was met with several sighs of relief, and one disappointed Odd. “You’re really gonna make me go?” He pouted, though it sounded more like a demand. 

“Yeah, otherwise Jim will get suspicious of too many of us staying behind. Besides, you’ll be able to let Kiwi play in the snow without worrying about getting caught.” 

The resulting whine from the blonde was a cross between exasperation and resignation, and Ulrich had never heard a sound so sweet. Aelita decided she’d make presence known at that point, carefully patting the blonde on the back as he grumbled. “Well, what do you even do over a break? Especially the winter one?” She asked. 

Ulrich shrugged. “Winter stuff.” 

The topic was dropped. 

The first day of the winter break was reserved exclusively for seeing the gang off. Most kids were heading home, though a teeny-tiny minority stayed behind. Ulrich and Aelita were now a part of that minority. 

By the time everyone had left the school, and the halls no longer buzzed with sound, dinner was ending and it was almost curfew. Aelita and Ulrich had spaghetti and meatballs together— much to Odd’s vocal displeasure when he saw it on that evening’s menu— and parted once they reached the dorms. 

“What will we be doing tomorrow?” Aelita asked. 

Ever the over-communicator, Ulrich glanced out the window at the blanket of snow that never seemed to stop growing. “I’ll introduce you to normal winter stuff. Dress warm, we’ll be outside,” he said before waving. “Good night.” 

The next morning found Ulrich walking Aelita through the woods. They wound through thickets and tall snow banks, truly getting to experience what winter had to offer. It was a quiet walk (though, at this point, it was more of a hike than a walk). As they approached the tree line, Aelita’s emerald eyes caught sight of the factory from between the bare trunks. 

“The factory?” She blinked, like it was the last place she’d expect to see. “Why are we here?”

“We’re not here for the factory,” Ulrich started. The duo broke through the edge of the forest and basked in the midday sun. It was then that Aelita noticed that the water that acted like a moat was frozen. 

“We’re here for the lake.” 

Suffice to say, without ice skates, music, and other skaters, the duo were nothing but inelegant. Ulrich taught Aelita how to slide about on the ice, how to skid into something resembling a stop, and getting her to glide backwards. Eventually their ice skating devolved into races around the factory, and to hockey— which they played with two tree branches and a pine cone. 

By the time they started heading back to the school, the sky was dimming. Aelita’s cheeks were cherry red and her breath was coming in short puffs of exhaustion, but the grin on her lips was the most genuine thing. Ulrich even found his own lips tilting upward at the sound of her elated laughter. 

“Oh, that was wonderful, Ulrich!” She beamed, bouncing to and fro through the snow banks. “Can we do this again tomorrow?”

He fought off a chuckle. “Sure. I can show you the other stuff later.” 

Though her curiosity was piqued, she didn’t inquire further about the “other stuff”. Ulrich was coming to realize that she liked surprises. 

Aelita hummed happily the entire walk back to Kadic. The thought made Ulrich warm. When they stumbled back indoors, the fiery sensation of needles on bare skin told the duo they’d been out a bit too long. The back of Ulrich’s thighs were on fire, and Aelita’s fingers cried out in pain. 

She was wincing and nervously shifting her weight from foot to foot when Ulrich pulled her out of her head. 

“There’s only one cure to freezer burn,” he started leading her to the cafeteria, though dinner wasn’t going to be served for hours. “C’mon, I’ll show you how to make it.” 

When they made it into the cafeteria, Ulrich made straight for the kitchen doors, which gave Aelita pause. Students weren’t allowed in the kitchen on a good day— what made Ulrich think trying to get in there over winter break would be a better idea? Even then, one of the lunch ladies was probably in there starting on dinner. They’d be caught in no time, so what was Ulrich planning? 

“You coming, Princess?” 

Aelita had been so deep in thought that she’d completely stopped walking, and was staring intently at Ulrich’s relaxed form. 

“Are you sure that—“

“We’ll be fine. Trust me.” 

With Ulrich acting as cocksure and confident as Odd, Aelita could do nothing more than follow behind him and hope for the best. The moment the door swished shut behind her, Ulrich was greeting Glenda with a nod before heading to the opposite side of the kitchen. He flitted in and out of cupboards and pantry doors before placing a shallow pot on the stove. 

He was still gathering things here and there when Aelita asked, “Why aren’t we getting in trouble?”

Ulrich placed two mugs side by side on the counter. “Odd and I have had our fair share of early mornings and late evenings. Glenda’s always the first one in and the last to leave. Let’s just say, she’s fine with us being here so long as the other students don’t know and we pick up after ourselves.”

Aelita didn’t know why she was so surprised by that fact. Of course, every warrior had their fair share of trauma from Xana. If Odd and Ulrich suffered from nightmares or insomnia, Aelita was no one to judge. Shaking herself from her thoughts, she watched as Ulrich melted a good amount of chocolate in the pot before mixing in some milk. He stirred it lightly for a few minutes more before splitting the contents of the pan between the two mugs. He added a tad extra milk to each one before passing the pinkette a plastic spoon. 

Ulrich tilted his mug in her direction, as if to toast. “To winter break?” He asked. 

“To winter break,” she replied. 

Their cups clinked together, and the second day of winter break came to a close. 

“Since when did you know how to cook?” Aelita asked later that evening. “I didn’t take you as one to— not to offend— be knowledgeable about it.”

Ulrich chuckled lightly. “I’m a terrible cook, I just know how to make hot chocolate. My mother taught me when I was younger. Every year we’d play hockey in brook behind the house, and when we came back we’d make hot chocolate to warm us up.”

Ulrich hasn’t said that many words directly to Aelita for almost as long as they’ve known each other. 

Aelita smiles tentatively. “That’s… really nice.”

Ulrich hums warmly before waving good night to the girl. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, bright and early,” he says. 

And Aelita can’t stymie the excited laugh that bubbles up from within. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world!” 

Even as they walk their separate ways, Aelita likes to think she sees a ghost of a smile on his lips in the reflection on the windows. 

By the time winter break is over, Aelita has been officially inducted into the exclusive group of students given kitchen rights. Four days after starting classes once again, Aelita finds herself standing in the kitchen at half past the witching hour, wondering why her world weary body brought her here. When Glenda sees the girl half asleep in her cup of cocoa, she simply gives the girl a nudge and pushes her out. “Wait! I didn’t get to do the dishes!” She tries to argue. 

“Get some sleep before classes start, and I might forgive ‘ya,” Glenda tuts, and Aelita knows that the lunch lady has won this round. 

When Aelita curls up in her bed, anxieties and nightmares long forgotten, she takes in the lingering scene of hot chocolate in the air and thinks about Ulrich and the week of shrieking laughter and restrained joy they shared. 

Aelita sleeps through the first three classes and shuffles down for lunch looking like death warmed over, but Glenda serves her the best part of the lasagna with a knowing look, and the young girl dines with her friends. 

She feels more like a living, breathing human at that moment than during any other. 

To her, the most human emotion isn’t rage or something as simple as love, she thinks it’s the gleeful innocence of playing in the snow on a cold day, and the creature comfort that is fuzzy socks and diamond snow. 

She no longer feels in binary and thinks in CSS. 

Merry Christmas!!!

Here's your Secret Santa

I so much fun drawing this

I hope you like it

Ah, here's the Speedpaint

Code Secret Santa 2020 - Santa Kolossus

Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas @/firelorddarkskull!

Here’s a Santa-themed Kolossus - although now that I think of it, resembles more like a candy cane/peppermint monster - delivering present (Bloks) in the real world for unsuspecting Earthlings.

Thank you @codesecretsanta for hosting this wonderful event! I missed out on 2019 but I did participate in 2018, and remember how exciting secret santas can be <3

SOCIALS: Linktree

Hi @squish-nebula​! I was your secret santa for @codesecretsanta​ this year! Sorry it’s a bit late. You mentioned a group thing possibly with formal wear, and that you were a Jerlita fan, so I did my best to put all of those together. I went with prom since I’m American, hopefully that’s okay lol.

Happy Holidays, @japanda-draws ! 

Ulrich sat up in bed with a start, red eyes still burned into his vision as he looked around the room. His eyes landed on his sleeping roommate, snoring as loud as ever, and he was able to take a few deep breaths to calm himself. He hesitated before he stood up and crossed the room to gently shake Odd awake.

Odd was awake in a heartbeat, ready to jump up.

"What's wrong? Is it Xana?"

"No no, sorry I just...I had a nightmare." Ulrich crossed his arms and stood back.

Odd immediately looked worried and actually did jump up. "Do you wanna talk about it or go for a walk?"

Ulrich let out a deep breath and smiled sheepishly. "A walk would be good. Thanks."

Odd slipped on his shoes and sighed as he peeked his head out into the hallway. "The coast is clear. Jim must be asleep by now."

Ulrich pulled on his own shoes as Odd waited patiently.

Silently, the two boys crept outside and into the woods. Ulrich comforted himself with Odd's presence beside him and eventually they came to a stop in a little clearing. Ulrich sighed and sat underneath a tree. Odd took a seat next to him and closed his eyes.

The silence between them was comfortable and easy, and Odd was about to drift back to sleep when Ulrich spoke.

"You were possessed. I tried everything to get you to remember yourself but nothing worked. And then we fought. You were trying to kill me."

Odd took Ulrich's hand and squeezed it gently. "Not gonna happen. Even if I did get possessed, you could snap me out of it. You're my good buddy!"

Ulrich laughed softly and turned his head to quietly wipe his eyes on the back of his free wrist. "I don't think it's that easy, Odd."

"Sure it is," Odd threw an arm around Ulrich's shoulders and smiled. "For you at least. C'mon, it's starting to get cold and you're in a tank top. Let's get back to the school."

"Okay," Ulrich waited for Odd to stand and took the offered help getting to his feet. They walked back to the school silently and snuck back into their room without a problem.

Odd waited until he heard Ulrich's breathing even and slow before drifting off to sleep himself.

-----

"Odd! Odd!!!"

Odd's eyes snapped open and he saw Ulrich, looking concerned, and realized there were tears streaming down his cheeks. The moment it really registered who was sitting in front of him, he threw his arms around Ulrich's neck and held him tight.

Ulrich froze at the touch at first, but hugged Odd back just as tightly as Odd pressed his face into Ulrich's shoulder and sobbed quietly into it. Ulrich rubbed his back gently and just held him until Odd was leaning back with a sniffle.

"I had a nightmare you fell into the digital sea. You… You took a hit from a Blok for me and lost your balance and fell. I tried getting to you on the Overboard, but I just missed you."

Ulrich didn't hesitate to grab a tissue box and held it for Odd as Odd took several tissues to blot his eyes with.

"Hey, you're not getting rid of me that easily," Ulrich rubbed his back again and smiled softly. "Besides, I know that if it came down to that, you'd shoot me with laser arrows before I was virtualized forever."

Odd's lip quirked up in a sad smile. "Yeah, I could always do that."

Ulrich put an arm around Odd carefully, not as accustomed to giving easy affection the way Odd himself was. But when Odd curled into his side and Kiwi curled up in both their laps, Ulrich smiled and just leaned in a little closer.

They feel asleep like that and woke the next morning stiff from sitting up, but Odd hugged Ulrich tight and it was worth it.

-----

They each had several more nightmares in the following months, but they got to a point where one would wake when the other started tossing and turning, so the awake one was able to wake the one having a nightmare before it got too serious.

Then they were creeping past Jeremie's room on the way back from the vending machines, and they heard him crying within.

A secret knock later, and he was opening the door, trying to dry his face, despite the redness in his cheeks and eyes betraying his tears.

They gave him some snacks and a drink, and after a little good natured wheedling, Jeremie's lip quivered as he retold the events that upset him so.

"I lost you. All of you. Something happened on lyoko that I caused and I don't know how but you all were devirtualized, but… None of you came out of the scanners. And it was all my fault. I don't even remember what I did to make it my fault, but it was my fault!”

Odd and Ulrich comforted Jeremie and left him with more snacks before smashing back to their room and bringing back pillows and blankets. Soon Odd had made a nest in the middle of the floor and Ulrich had texted Yumi and Aelita, who arrived in no time with more pillows and blankets.

Jeremie calmed more as both of them arrived, and Odd smiled as he put on a movie.

"We're all nightmare buddies, I figured we could all use a good night's sleep in a cuddle puddle to remind us all that we all are here and safe and okay."

The five of them settled into the nest sleepily and turned their attention to the movie Odd had picked from Jeremie's movie list. What looked to be a biopic on rock stars actually turned out to be a beginners foray into geology.

The gang was asleep in minutes.

-----

The next morning, the girls managed to wake before anyone else on that floor and made their mad escape. The boys were still sleeping by the time Jim started doing rounds.

He started to yell at the boys for not staying in their own room, but when he saw how morose Jeremie was, he bit the inside of his cheek and sighed, letting them off with a warning "this time".

Hello everyone!!!!! We are back~ hosting a Secret Santa event again this year for Code Lyoko!

While we’re accepting participants from any website, our home ground will be here on this Tumblr blog. You don’t need to have a Tumblr to participate.

We have a form for you guys to complete to let your Secret Santa know what you may like for a gift. Make sure to read the FAQ and RULES because you never know, there might be a secret code needed to complete the form. The link to the form can be found at the bottom of the rules page, and make sure to read the rules while you’re there!

If you have any questions just sends us an ask, and for people that don’t have a Tumblr, you can email us at [email protected]. If you have a Tumblr account and you want to ask a question in private, message me @semie78 or @a-queenoffairys).

Sadly, due to the events of 2020 we’re not giving the option of mailing gifts this year for everyone’s safety, hope you all are staying safe. Participants are still allowed to make crafts as gifts, but they should only be shared as photos, at least for the time being.

YOU HAVE UNTIL NOVEMBER 21 TO COMPLETE THE FORM