Private ✪ Finweald Sick Leave

[Yugam]

Per Aspera

Ad Astra

"Good, serves you right for moving around when you should be resting Yu-chan."

Yu rolled his eyes. "Thanks Nuna," the man said in the same annoyed tone someone took when they were calling someone 'mom'. Of course, he wasn't in actually annoyed by any stretch of the word. The two had a rapport that afforded that kind of teasing with each other.

Looking back at Askera as he explained that they could be released as soon as healing potions were applied, the man practically jumped out of his bed. Or rather shifted, pushing the tray away to give Askera full access to do whatever the fuck he was gonna do. "Yeah, do it, let's get outta here, I need a smoke. And it looks like you do to," the man said, noting Askera's reflexive reach for the pocket where he typically kept his smokes.

@Toko | @Askera Question

 

[Toko]

.

.

Yu's response to her words earned the man a soft chuckle from the Lepus, the amusement in her face clear for all to see as the pair bantered like usual. Her gaze had moved then to the little rabbit apple slices that Askera had been working on as he watched them both, only stopping when the topic had shifted to how long it would take for the pair to be healed before they'd be released by the hospital staff.

"Healing potions...?" It took a moment before the pieces of the puzzle finally clicked into place, Toko's reaction being almost identical to Yugam's as she too jumped out of her own bed in response. "Right, we worked on those ages ago too!"

Her tray of food had also been carefully moved to the side, the hare enduring the stinging on her arms as she did so now that Toko was aware that this would all go away in just a few moments.

"Yeah, spray us back to full health Askera-san~"

@Askera Question | @Yugam

 

[Askera Question]

The playful tone of voice caused the man due pause for a moment. It was thankfully only for a moment's time at most, a small pause to register instructions before carrying them forward. It took a few minutes, but the two were at fighting spirit more than soon enough.

After this, he made the decision to have these two checked-up and then discharged from the hospital in question. He figured that any place would be a better one than this to take a breather in, not to mention a smoke. Askera took his two kouhai outside the main building, leading them further into the capitol for a spot on a high-rise that he had taken fondness for relaxing on.

He could see half of the city here, and even more-so than that it was hard to see the MIT building behind the house entrance that stood behind this open 'balcony'. It was because of this that Askera could get his mind off of work whenever he relaxed here.

A cigarette lit between his fingers. Askera began to relax.

---

@Toko @Yugam

 

[Yugam]

Thank god for Askera's efficiency, the man had them healed up and on their way out of the hospital faster than any of them could say 'exit, stage left'. Yu followed behind Askera, pulling on his coat again as the researcher guided his two charges through the capitol, presumably to somewhere a little more smoker friendly.

In the end, the trio had climbed a spiraling staircase, all the way to the top of a rather high building. Looking out past the edge of the roof, they could see the city sprawling beneath them. A breath-taking view, if you were into urban environments at the very least. Sitting near the edge (though not so close that he was at any risk of falling off) Yu propped a leg up as he pulled a cigarette from his coat, lighting it with a match. "Pretty nice place you've got here," Yu said to Askera.

@Toko | @Askera Question

 

[Toko]

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo, and with that the duo was fully healed up and ready to leave the hospital behind.

"Mmm... kimochi-ii!"

A content cry left the Lepus as they walked, the fighter stretching her arms high as Askera lead his two kouhai to the outdoors. Toko had been quite upset at the limited movement she'd been able to tolerate moments before while still wounded, but now that she felt back to her usual self the hare couldn't help but grin widely in response. "Gosh, I'm so happy right now that all the healing potion research paid off." Spending an extended period of time in the hospital, like Askera had when one of his experiments had gone awry, wasn't something Toko ever wished to experience. He lead the pair to a high place, the view afforded of Finweald an impressive one to witness.

"Yeah, the view is amazing up here."

Quietly the hare leaned over the railing, enjoying the soft breeze afforded from such a vantage point as she looked at the layout that composed half of Finweald spread below them. She made sure to stay upwind from the pair, after all the scent of cigarette wasn't one Toko enjoyed, so they could enjoy a smoke break without worry.

@Askera Question | @Yugam

 

[Askera Question]

"Hai... I admit, I have a lot of places like these. When I started to catch on in age past the thirties, my old bones started looking for quiet places to rest in the city on my breaks. Something about sitting in the workplace all the time just got tiresome. I guess this ossan just couldn't break that habit even in a virtual world."

A short laugh escapes the man's lips along with a twisting flower of smoke. He felt old saying that, and had no idea how older people at his workplace-people who worked under him, even-reliably had the strength to call themselves ossan without feeling tired afterwards. It was a reminder that these two lovely assistants beside him had much more life to spend than he did. Even still, they had been caught up into Terrasphere anyway.

It was almost a shame, were it not for how he found such comfort in their company. Askera felt many feelings for the both of them both clear and muddled, but they were a presence that he had just gotten used to in a way that he never had with other people in the real world. It was almost like he had a family again.

"When you grow older like me, be sure to not follow my habits, alright?" He found himself saying so in the face of these feelings. Askera didn't want a man as bright as Yugam nor as sweet as Toko to grow worse over the years. They still had so long ahead of them still.

Askera also had no idea that Toko was, in reality, older than him by a small margin.

---

@Toko @Yugam

 

[Yugam]

"When you grow older like me, be sure to not follow my habits, alright?"

Yu looked up at the snow-haired man, a vague, impassive look on his face. It was odd to hear Askera offer anything that remotely resembled some kind words and advice. As far as Yu had ever seen, the man had always been all business. But maybe that was just in his lab, where he chose to remain focused, with few distractions.

"I dunno, walking around on your breaks doesn't seem like such a bad habit," the man commented, turning back to the city skyline, taking another drag of his cigarette. Ironic. "Better than sitting around in your room working until its lights out again."

Yu most certainly did not enjoy that aspect of his schooling. But at the same time, it was all he knew. Any time he more than a day's free time, he found himself going stir crazy. He looked for the next soul-consuming project like an addict, because he didn't know how to function without something to direct all his energies too. Even in Terrasphere he found he did this.

@Toko | @Askera Question

 

[Toko]

"Ossan?" The Lepus couldn't help but pipe up as Askera referred to himself with that particular word, one eyebrow raised in light questioning as she looked over the city skyline before shaking her head softly. "If you're an ossan that must mean I'm a babah then."

That said the Lepus could certainly understand the feeling. She had always thought others were exaggerating when they mentioned that everything changed once they hit their thirties, but when she'd reached that age herself she had been quick to understand what others had meant. Suddenly joints that had never ached began bothering her, and she was sure that it was only her active lifestyle that kept that feeling minimal as she continued to age.

"When you grow older like me, be sure to not follow my habits, alright?"

She wasn't the only one that had curiously turned to look at Askera then, neither of his assistants used to this side of the man... though that didn't mean they disliked it, or at the very least Toko didn't. "Yu-chan's right, nothing wrong with getting out of the lab and inhaling some fresh air once in a while." A bright grin was given back to the man before the Lepus granted herself another look over the city. A part of her couldn't help but feel thankful towards this game, for all the risks playing TerraSphere carried it had also allowed her to meet people like Yu and Askera.

@Askera Question | @Yugam

 

[Askera Question]

Instead of responding to everything they had to say, Askera could only stop to process the simple thought that it sounded like Toko wasn't the age he had expected. That was an incredible thought-so incredible that he decided to push it out of his head and not think about it.

More importantly, the general response seemed to be how they didn't see a problem with his behavior. Pale frost shook from side to side with his head's negative response.

"Perhaps in another country, this wouldn't be a problem. I take advantage of that when I'm visiting our company's foreign partners-the ones in Germany, in particular. In the region of the world I live in, however, it's disrespectful and neglectful to my kouhai that I would take time outside of the building while they work. They don't leave, and thus I do not, either... As much as I dislike the notion. I've caused a few poor reputations as a result of it-thankfully, I've kept them all directed towards myself alone."

Ah, he'd gotten into a poor mood at a few unpleasant memories. Askera thought about an old superior of his that he rarely talked to anymore. He could tell as much from the way that he'd accidentally chewed his teeth's end of the cigarette. A poor habit to have.

@Yugam @Toko

 

[Yugam]

Yugam took a drag from his cigarette as he looked up at the older pair. They'd started to throw out words like 'ossan' and 'kouhai'. Next thing he knew, they'd just start speaking full on Japanese and expect him to start calling them 'senpai' or something. Not that they'd be wrong, but that wasn't quite his culture. He'd probably butcher the pronunciation anyways.

"Alright, you two are speaking in tongues," the man said as he stood up, taking one last drag from the cigarette before stamping it out on the ground. It wasn't as if there was an ash tray up here. "I better get outta here before you guys start trying to summon Satan or some shit," he joked, stretching slightly as he did so. "I got classes in a bit anyways, so I'll catch up with you both later. Try not to blow up the lab while I'm gone."

Yu waved the pair goodbye before opening his palm menu and logging out, his avatar disintegrating into a cloud of shining blue particles, quickly blown away by an unfelt gust of wind. The two older Travelers didn't need the younger man there any longer, they had each other to speak to after all.

@Toko | @Askera Question

 

[Toko]

She understood from where Askera was coming from, the Lepus aware of how Japan worked simply because it was her own home country as much as it was his. "That rule is stupid..." It was an opinion the girl had formed since her younger days, and one that remained unchanged now even after many years. Perhaps it was that aversion that had caused Nao to look for an alternative way to make a living, and the hare felt she had found it with the online shop she ran from her home in Ōgimi.

"At least you don't have to worry about that here, Askera-san."

It was then that Yugam piped up, the man's words causing the Lepus to chuckle softly in response before Toko gave him a nod. "Sure, I'll let you know how our chat with Akuma-sama went later." A wave was given in Yugam's direction before Toko watched the body of the young man eventually disintegrate into tiny sparkling particles, carried off by the breeze while the hare took a glance at the time displayed in the corner of her HUD.

"Speaking of time I need to get going as well, but I'll catch you later Askera-san!"

With a soft bow and a wave the hare was finally off, on her way to the rented room int he city before she'd log out for the day.

@Askera Question | @Yugam