Complete ✪ Finweald Technical Difficulties

[Askera Question]

One man sat alone in a quiet hospital room in a bed. His white hair mixed well with the pristine sheets and pillow, as if he had fused into the bed in question. His bored gaze watched the ceiling. His tired arms tried to move, yet had little to do.

Askera Question had been admitted to this hospital room a day ago. Even now, he watched the evening sun make way to dusk as the counter for his second day approached. He had been brought here after an experiment had gone wrong, causing the simultaneous rupture of several of his arteries. According to others, the scene had been gruesome. To him, it had been quick-a burst of pain and shock so great that he had fallen unconscious on the spot.

Now he was alone, with little to do. He hardly expected visitors to come, not when everyone he'd met had been an acquaintance or a paid assistant. Nobody had visited him in his usual life, not when he had fainted at work under the pressure of stress and long hours.

Askera considered logging out. He seemed to have recovered in the time that he had last logged out-was it that his body remained in the world to recover, or was it that the data was simply updated on his return? He had been told that this room was made for Starcalled guests, and so could only assume they knew of the disappearances known as logging out-surely he wouldn't log in to find himself occupying the bed with someone else with fatal illness.

Still, he could not bring himself to leave. Wasn't this place supposed to be his escape from the world? Why was it that even here, he could do nothing that he wanted? He was at the whims of strong-arming scientists who all but put research he hadn't wished to pursue on his lap. It was useful to be sure, yet he wanted to learn the basics first, at least...

Why was it that the game played him, rather than the other way around?

His hands unsteadily rose to make use of the HUD, bones still partially strained from the force of vein rupture. He took out a few pieces of 'crafting material' that could be used by Magitech savants, particularly metal bits and scraps, and began to work on it like one would a puzzle in bed. If anyone came in to see the man toying with junk even in critical condition like this, they would see one of two men-a crazed researcher obsessed with science, or that which he really felt like-a tired husk so used to overwork that his hands couldn't find peace in anything else. It hurt so much, but he felt guilty being unproductive. He just had to make something else of his time. It's not as if anyone else would fill that gap...

 

[Toko]

.

.

She had thought it odd when a new request by Research-san hadn't arrived as usual, considering it quite odd that his punctual postings had suddenly been interrupted. It didn't seem like something the man would do and, after the thought had continued to nag in the back of Toko's head, the Lepus had decided to visit MIT and inquire about the white haired researcher.

To her surprise she had been informed that Askera was now in the hospital, something had gone terribly wrong in his latest experiment concerning the change of blood types. The information was enough to worry the rabbitfolk, although she hesitated at first in what to do... would Researcher-san even want a visit from her in the first place?

In the end however Toko had decided to go regardless, a small basket with a three apples nestled on her hands as she walked down the hospital corridor in search for the particular room Askera had been hospitalized into. Softly her knuckles rasped at the door, the sound accompanied by a soft word.

"Sumimasen..."

@Askera Question

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

Brutus would knock at the door, once, twice, thrice.

"Yo." He would stoop under the small door and enter the room. One hand clutched what looked to be a basket of fruit, and the other was a vase of flowers. He would observe the man twiddling with his gears and bobs, and nod. At least he was awake this time.

He would set the vase of flowers, Sunflowers be precise, down on a stand next to the hospital bed and would take a seat at one of the chairs by bedside, the wood creaking in complaint of the giant's weight. He would reach into the basket and proffer an apple to the bed ridden man. He would look up and then realize Toko was on the other side of the bed, locking eyes with her.

"Eh?" He blinked. "Toko? You know the doc too?" He would turn to Askera and give him a warm smile.

"Good to see you awake, I'd been by a couple times since I brought you in, but you were out cold each time. How're you feelin?" He would offer one of his superior apples from his mixed fruit basket, containing apples, pears, peaches, and oranges. "They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, I figure you need to up your count to hasten your recovery eh?"

@Toko @Askera Question

 

[Askera Question]

The man on the bedside seemed confused, as if the two visitors should simply not have been there at all. After all, why should they be? It wasn't time for work.

"...Strange. Did nobody dismiss the two of you yet? I doubt this will surprise you, but my near-death means the end of the experiment. If they're not letting you off the clock yet, you can call them in here and I'll make sure you get the proper wage you've been waiting for, as well as conpensation for this mistake. You have my sincerest apologies for the wait, Brucue-san. Toko-san."

As if this was enough for him to say, he then turned his attention back towards the metal in his hands. Askera believed that now that the perceived problem was settled, the two would go off to get the pay they deserved and go home as they likely wanted to. Who wouldn't after staying in the workplace for so long?

Yet the two remained. He glanced back at the visitors in confusion. Their looks were also now one of confusion. Askera must have missed something important for them to be remaining.

Oh.

"Ah, sumimasen. I'm at fault for all of this--I have yet to sincerely repent on the matter. Please, let--let me--" His words grew strangled as he attempted to climb out of the bed with his harrowed limbs, the pain of the act shearing and straining his voice. Was he trying to get out to bow down in dogeza? Was it to go ask the MIT to give them their pay himself and apologize?

Who knew? All that was clear is that he would probably fall onto the floor face-first if he tried to continue this. His little device had already clattered to the ground, as if a forewarning of what he was about to do.

@Toko @Brutus Dahlgren

 

[Yugam]

Per Aspera

Ad Astra

Yu leaned over and peered closely at the flowers on display, numerous in form and color. Hydrangeas, lilies, carnations. He wondered which were best to bring to the good researcher. Did the guy even like flowers? In any case, Yu figured that it was moreso the thought that counted.

Yugam had learned of Askera's hospitalization when he'd showed up for yet another experiment, at the usual time and place, and had been surprised to find the place empty. He'd been in the process of turning around and heading towards...well, anything else that he could do when another MIT member had noticed him, and apparently recognized him well enough to inform him that the researcher would be out for a while, an experiment gone awry. And well, it seemed right to check in on the guy who had been inadvertently helping the new player become acquainted with the game.

Finally, Yu settled on some white chrysanthemums and yellow pansies. The former, if he recalled correctly, were supposed to mean 'truth', which Yu could only assume Askera was searching for in some form or fashion, while the pansies were supposed to indicate that the sender was thinking of the recipient. A part of him felt that that was meant to be a romantic gesture, but who cared. "I'll take these," the man told the clerk, before paying and heading on his way.

---

A soft knock at the door would announce Yu's arrival before he would slowly push open the door. "Hey, I brought some f- oh, sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you all," Yu said upon noticing the other visitors present, and Askera attempting to get out of the bed. "Oh. Shit, did you get released already? Am I late to the party?" the man asked, a confused, apologetic look on his face, before he looked at the flowers in his arms, and then back at the three crowded around and in the hospital bed. "Uh...I brought flowers?"

@Askera Question | @Toko | @Brutus Dahlgren

 

[Toko]

.

.

She had stepped into the room after opening the door just enough to peek inside, finding the man fiddling with some pieces in his lap. Quietly the Lepus had gone over, uttering a soft "Ohayoo, Research-san~" before settling on a stool nearby the bed. The basket was placed in a small nightstand besides Toko, before one of the apples was picked out as Toko began to work on cutting it.

"Brutus...?"

To her surprise a familiar voice had come from the door then, a giant stepping into the room as he saluted Askera before stopping, blinking in confusion as he noticed the Lepus by the man's bedside. "Ah, yeah, I've helped in some of his researching... you too?" Her head tilted sideways, she had never pegged the Felis to be interested in these types of jobs... but then again Brutus did like to help people, and in a way Askera's experiments still lead towards that goal.

He'd moved over to set some fresh sunflowers by a vase sitting next to the window, before a rather massive mixed fruit basket was placed besides it on the stand. By then the Lepus had finished cutting the apple, the small plate with bunny shaped apple slices place next to Askera by the bed.

It was then Toko noticed the confused look on the man's first, before he launched into a rant of his own as the researcher's mind attempted to connect the dots of the puzzle... but failing to arrive to the actual correct result of the equation. In a way it was almost adorable really, a side of the man that wasn't often seen inside the stone walls of his workshop, but when he began to ship on the bed Toko quickly rose to her feet.

"Ch-Chotto matte, Researcher-san, you're gonna hurt yourself more doing that!" A hand rose to put a soft pression on the man's shoulder that was nearest to the Lepus. "Is it that odd that we would come to check on you after hearing of your injuries?"

Another figure appeared at the door, a face Toko vaguely remembered seeing around the halls of the tower.

"Help us settle him back down, before he hurts something else!"

@Askera Question @Brutus Dahlgren @Yugam

 

[Askera Question]

"A-ano, What are you people doing..?!" Confused and slightly dismayed, the researcher objected to being treated like some kind of dangerous case. He was just fine! Why were they reacting so strongly when he was just trying to be polite? Sure, he'd trapped his trinket on the ground, but that didn't mean the end of the world, did it?

He allowed himself to be handled after the woman and two men (all who felt larger than him) grabbed him by the sides. He knew better than to resist people who were so desperate as to invade his personal space. He allowed the three to put him down and attempted to settle down as they did.

"...Alright, I'm settled. It's alright. Please unhand me, Brutus-san," He asked, as if he were to be honest, he was only really worried about the grip that the titan may be able to have on him. Askera had seen his Crush mastery in the UI, he was no fool on the matter...

He felt as if he had left questions unanswered, yet they had been lost in the sudden chaos. Askera cleared his throat and took the direct approach to ask, "Alright, I at least understand that you haven't come due to work-related issues. Why is it, then, that you've come to visit me? I mean no offense, but I've hardly known any of you aside from our formal work."

@Brutus Dahlgren @Toko @Yugam

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

"I mean, when you had your accident." Brutus replied looking worried. "I had to carry you all the way here, I stayed with you till the Doctors said you'd be stable. I had to log out and take care of some business, but I've been here every day since the accident, though you were sleeping so I let you rest. Why wouldn't I check on you bud? All of the adventure's we've had? The tests? The fun?"

He shook his head and turned to Toko and the other guy. "I'm sure these two feel the same way eh? You don't just do some of the things we've been doing together without forming some sort of bond or another." Once the researcher was secured, he would set a pear down on his table tray next to the Rabbit Slices and turned to Yugam. "He hasn't been released, he's just a bit frazzled still from his injuries. Why don't you set those flowers down next to the others?" He would motion to the other vase.

@Toko @Askera Question @Yugam

 

[Toko]

.

.

"Exactly, it's as Brutus-nii says. We heard about what happened and came over to make sure you were okay and well taken care of."

The plate with the bunny apple slices was placed next to Askera's hand once the man was comfortably laid down on his hospital bed once more, the pear that Brutus had added grabbed by the Lepus as she began preparing it. A damp paper towel was used to clean the fruit, before Toko began to cut it into slices that would be easier for Askera to hold and chew.

"Besides, of course we'd be worried about your health upon hearing what happened—it'd be weird if none of us cared after spending so many hours in that workshop helping with your research."

One by one the pear slices were added along to the place, before the Lepus used her damp paper towel to wipe the paring knife clean and set it aside.

@Askera Question @Brutus Dahlgren @Yugam

 

[Yugam]

Per Aspera

Ad Astra

Going first to help the other two ensure that the researcher was safely placed back in his bed, Yu set aside the flowers for a moment, and, after a little bit of rough manhandling, the trio were able to subdue the rather confused looking Askera, who asked what in the Sam Hill they were all doing there since they clearly weren't there for work.

"Yeah," Yu agreed with the other two as he produced a small pocketknife from one of his pockets and began to cut off the bottom of his flower's stems, before putting each one into the vase beside the other flowers. "I mean I just found out, like, an hour ago, but still. I figured you could use the company, plus I wanted to see how you were holding up, just like these two." Yu gestured to the two beastfolk, before he closed the small pocket knife and returned it to it's pocket. "Well, that and you're the one signing my paychecks right now, and I could use a raise," the man added, a joking smile on his face as he did so.

@Askera Question | @Toko | @Brutus Dahlgren

 

[Askera Question]

"...Omaira..!" They were here for him? Him? He wasn't aware that a fantasy game was supposed to appeal to real fantasies... Nobody had ever visited him before. A tear could be seen in one of his eyes. As one of his hands wiped it clean from his face, the other reached towards his breast pocket so as to pick out a smoke. However, as he was in the hospital in his gown, a smoke in his breast pocket there was not.

It was a realization that came stressfully to him. He originally picked up the habit of doing so while working in the office. He'd begun smoking in Terrasphere more often, as he'd found that when he smoked in the game the urge to do so lessened in real life. Now he was to find that he had no relief in either world. His cigarettes were nowhere to be found in the room, something he hadn't noticed until now when he'd finally felt the need to spark one alight.

A grumbling could be heard under his voice at the thought, his mumbled complaints cut off by the sniffling in his nose as he very faintly cried. Askera was clearly embarrassed at the whole situation, all in all.

"You all... shouldn't have to see me like this..." He mutters, actually referring more to how he was crying before the fact that he was in the hospital.

@Toko @Brutus Dahlgren @Yugam

 

[Toko]

.

.

This was a sight none of them were used to, the researcher often stoic and serious in his lab as the various experiments were conducted. Seeing the way he was moved by their visit was eye-opening, and perhaps even a bit heartbreaking too. "Yoshi yosh, Researcher-san~" There was a compassionate smile in Toko's lips as a hand had reached out to pat the top of the man's head while he sniffled, the Lepus mimicking the way her grandmother would try and console her whenever Nao had been feeling down in the past.

Vaguely she had seen how Askera's hand had moved towards his chest, in a very familiar motion whenever the man would pop out a cigarette of his while in the lab. Unfortunately for him there would be no smoking inside of a hospital room, before the Lepus moved the plate of cut up fruits to rest on Askera's lap.

It wasn't cigarettes... but hopefully they'd do for now until he was healed enough to be discharged.

@Askera Question @Brutus Dahlgren @Yugam

 

[Yugam]

Per Aspera

Ad Astra

Well, well, well. It seemed the stoic researcher was far more moved by the trio's small gesture than anyone could have anticipated. The man wiped away some tears from his eyes before reflexively reaching for the breast pocket that wasn't there for his pack of cigarettes, also missing.

The Lepus, apparently more adept than Yu at comforting others, uttered some consoling words in Japanese and patted the man's head as if he were a child, before setting a plate of fruit on his lap.

"You all... shouldn't have to see me like this..." Askera said quietly.

"Oh c'mon," Yugam said, replying in the only way he knew how. "Who doesn't experiment on themselves and wind up in the hospital these days? We've all been in your shoes before," he joked, another cheeky grin plastered across his face as he leaned against the window sill. "Besides, someone's gotta make sure you take care of yourself. Five bucks says if we hadn't come around you'd sit here staring out the window thinking about the next experiment until they finally sent you to an insane asylum."

@Askera Question | @Toko | @Brutus Dahlgren

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

"Ay, Hey!" Brutus would gently clap the researcher on the shoulder. "Given all of the work we've done together, and everything we've been through, it'd be mad fucked if I left you here to sit alone to your own devices. Knowing you, you'd be up to some mad science getting yourself hurt."

He would lean forward and give the man a reassuring grin, realizing he was hunting for a cigarette he would tut slightly. "If you need a smoke Doc, lemme know and I'll go get some for ya. It's not like they got you on oxygen or anything, I bet if I popped the window open and we were discrete the doc wouldn't know the difference."

He would give the man a grin, before turning and motioning to Toko and Yujan. "We're all here because we care for you, we might be work associates, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends, right?"

He would address that last question to the two sitting across the bed from him.

@Yugam @Toko @Askera Question

 

[Askera Question]

"...No, no. I won't need anything like that. It's best for my recovery that I don't touch any nicotine for the time being... Even if I might have to regret it at work tomorrow." Though his words probably sounded as if he were talking about his duty at the Tower, he had actually been referring to his job at work outside of the game. That was not going to be a fun day, but he would take it as a lesson not to take testing to such dangerous levels as he had.

Instead, he had picked up a bunny and kept it between his teeth. The twin peel-ears sat neatly between each side of his teeth as he allowed himself to keep the taste on his tongue. It wasn't so bad, all things considered-he was used to apples tasting far more bitter than this one was.

"So... Onegai, Would one of you mind picking that device up for me? I had been working on that. Today I was trying to make a remote-controller system as a basis for future endeavors," Askera politely requested of the three in hopes that one would follow suit. It was incredible how he talked so clearly with a rabbit in his mouth. He's had a lot of practice with cigarettes to talk cleanly in such a way.

@Yugam @Brutus Dahlgren @Toko

 

[Toko]

.

.

"Brutus-nii..."

Her voice held a tone of warning as the Lepus turned to look at the giant, a frown on her face when he suggested sneaking cigarettes in for the recovering researcher. It was a very irresponsible suggestion as far as Toko was concerned, especially given the man's condition, though the rabbit was thankfully that Askera had the right mind to declined the offer.

"You mean this one...?"

There was a questioning look as the Lepus tilted her head slightly in confusion, before looking at the pieces that Askera had been fiddling with shortly before the unexpected visiting party had arrived to visit the researcher. "You're not trying something dangerous again, are you?" She'd almost forgotten they'd fallen as he had tried to get up, carefully the Lepus gathered them up, setting them back onto the bed besides the man so he had easy access to them once more.

@Askera Question @Brutus Dahlgren @Yugam

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

"What?" He shot Toko a raised eyebrow. "The man wanted a basic creature comfort, who am I to deny someone who's in pain something to sooth them what ails them?" He wasn't being snarky, the rabbit could tell from his town of voice. "It's not like he's gonna get lung cancer in game, and even if he did there's probably healing magic for that."

He would watch Toko pick up the item requested and squint for a moment. It certainly didn't look like anything that Askera had shown off before, and it certainly didn't seem like any of the bits and or bobs that had hospitalized him.

"That looks like it's a new project to me. Chances are given the state he's in he wouldn't have had enough time to arm it to any sort of dangerous properties yet."

He would turn to Yugam, someone he'd seen occasionally in the hallways flitting too and fro from Askera's office, but never having exchanged words with him before. "Yo, Brutus Dahlgren at your service!" He would state, offering the man a handshake.

@Askera Question @Toko @Yugam

 

[Askera Question]

"You would be correct, Brutus-san. The experiment that brought me here was an attempt at changing the blood types of various creatures for medical purposes... I volunteered myself as the first human subject. As you can see by my overview," He states, gesturing towards the medical diagnostic sheet at the foot of his bed on a clipboard, "I managed to instead rupture each of my major arteries in succession."

A different chunk of metal to the one even Toko held was now in his hands. Askera truly never was idle if he could help it. He almost reached for the rabbit apple in his mouth as if it were a screwdriver to use, coming to a realization in that moment that he tended to keep too many things between his teeth.

"I'm trying to make a remote control to use in later creative processes... As a simple example, like for an RC car."

He let go of the piece of metal. It did not drive around like an RC car. This was terribly disappointing.

@Brutus Dahlgren @Toko @Yugam

 

[Yugam]

Per Aspera

Ad Astra

It was a good thing that Askera had spoken up when he did, because Yu had just been about to reach into his jacket pocket to pull out a cigarette for the man, hospital protocols be damned. The further chastising from the lepus only further dissuaded the man from the feeding the researcher's shared (bad) habit.

Yu couldn't help but manage a chuckle though, at the mention of Askera's haphazard tendencies, especially when it came to his projects. Yu had thus far been on the receiving of his fair share of Askera's projects, and while he had yet to experience anything near the caliber of the researcher's injuries, Yu was certainly preparing himself for that inevitability.

Hemomancy for the win.

The massive feline beastman then greeted Yu rather bombastically, to which Yu replied, "Yugam, a pleasure," before taking the man's hand and shaking not nearly as firmly as he would've liked given the pair's comparative sizes. "And you?" the raven haired man then asked of the bunnygirl, offering another hand to her.

"I'm sorry, you were conducting blood experiment's and you didn't invite the blood mage?" Yu asked, feigning offence. "Next time, make sure I'm there and we skip the whole hospital bed part," he joked, before picking up the apparent controller and examining it. "So how close are you to getting it figure out?" Yu asked curiously.

@Askera Question | @Toko | @Brutus Dahlgren

 

[Toko]

.

.

"Make a remote car...?"

Her first thought was one of those toy remote controlled vehicles that children enjoyed to play with, but the image of one of those being made by Askera... well, let's just say the Lepus never thought that would be something the researcher would be interested in, so maybe he meant an actual vehicle?

"Mmm? Ah, I'm Toko!" She was snapped out of her thoughts when Yugam turned towards her, barely managing to actually catch his name before the Lepus offered her own as she shook the man's hand. "I've seen you around the corridors of the Tower, nice to finally meet you."

A blood mage...? Those existed here? Toko couldn't help but blink in surprise before her attention focused more on the conversation, having not spend long enough looking at masteries when making her character to remember that Hemomancy had, indeed, been an available option among them.

@Askera Question @Brutus Dahlgren @Yugam