"We should focus on getting this demo functional, and then we can decide what to tackle next based on what we've learned here," Devon Yu said firmly.
No one argued, and Danika felt like they spent the rest of the afternoon slogging through a mountain range worth of data. There was irony in the fact that they were using computers to sort the data that they were sorting through by hand, and then giving to the game system to sort into constructive data. They uploaded data for ship and station designs that already existed, electrical systems, plumbing, resource reclamation, and more.
They were just skimming the surface, since they had a few people doing for an entire system, what a full department had spent a week doing for a small expansion. The more real design data that Danika saw, the more unrealistic the tutorial area they'd been working on seemed. She'd thought that they'd been keeping things simple, but they had actually already setup a few things that might be completely impossible in reality.
Her original assistant interrupted sharply from its little screen, and Danika suddenly realized that it hadn't been the first time that it had spoken. "Honorable celestial servant of the sixth class, Danika Belova!"
"What is it?" she asked.
"You have not taken a rest break recently, and your scheduled shift has already ended! Also, Shinichi has been trying to reach you," her assistant informed her.
The white robotic dragon beside her nodded its head and agreed, "You have ignored my last three break time suggestions." But it added, "None of your messages seem urgent."
She ignored the part about taking a break and asked worriedly, "What do his messages say?"
"We're ordering food for everyone, what do you want?" her assistants chorused dutifully.
They both had their app on her phone now, and both could access her texts. She decided that she needed to change that, as they fell out of sync as they continued.
The original said, "Then he sent," while the new one began instead with, "The next message says," so that the timing of, "I'm getting you fried noodles with vegetables and stuff," was off.
"Okay," Danika interrupted, and both of her assistants fell silent.
She checked the time and saw that she really had stayed late. It wasn't that she was enjoying sifting data so much as that she had gotten into a rhythm. She hurriedly selected the last few things she'd marked and approved them for Jade to access, and then she logged out.
--
Danika was alarmed when she heard the sneezing and groaning from the living area as she hurried to the lift that would carry her down.
"Are you okay?" she called out worriedly on her way down. "Should I take you to the clinic?"
The platform shook a little as someone landed on it behind her, after it had already descended a little way.
Danika jumped and turned to look, just as Shinichi assured her with a grin, "Priyadarshi already took him. He's fine."
"I'm not fine," Naoki croaked from the living area. "And it's all your fault!"
A voice, it took Danika a moment to realize, that belonged to Kimitoshi argued stuffily, "He's the least sick of us all so far, so he probably caught it last."
Danika took a deep breath, and eyed Shinichi's grin. "Don't jump down," she grumped contrarily. She was relieved that he hadn't been the one groaning, even if that was a little mean toward Naoki.
Shinichi reached out and ruffled her hair a little with warm fingers. "Alright," he agreed simply.
She reached out and grabbed his hand. His hands were always warm compared to hers, but he felt warmer than usual. Even if he was smiling and not obviously congested at the moment, she was sure that he was still sick too.
"Sorry I missed your messages earlier, noodles are fine," she told him quickly.
He winced and then admitted, "I let Naoki eat those."
The platform settled into place as Naoki apologized, looking like a small animal as he peered over the back of the couch, "Sorry, I didn't know they were yours."
"It's fine," Danika assured him quickly. "They weren't really mine, since I only listened to the message that mentioned them a few minutes ago."
--
They watched a couple of movies and several episodes of a show that Danika was unfamiliar with before Shinichi remembered to explain, "That girl and a few of the other cast members from these will be in the movie this fall. They are apparently really famous, but none of us had seen the shows that they are in."
Kimitoshi finally announced after a couple more episodes, "I'm going to bed."
"Call if you need anything Toshi," Shinichi instructed.
Kimitoshi just nodded, but he was obviously tired out, because he took the lift up instead of climbing the stairs.
It took Danika awhile to realize why Naoki was reluctant to go home, when he lived in the same building too. She wouldn't have, if Ryuske hadn't come down from the room that held the other VR system and asked, "Want me to clear the guest bed off so that you can stay closer to Shinichi?"
Naoki stiffened and insisted, "I'm just waiting until Tora is done sitting with me!" The little cat on his lap flicked an ear at the mention of her name, but didn't shift from her limp sprawl across his lap.
"Do you want me to carry her up? And I'll bring you breakfast in the morning," Shinichi promised.
Naoki looked at Danika and shook his head in negation. "You don't need to," he grumbled. "Just sit here and rest so that you don't get this sick."
"Do you want me to carry her instead, and cook you something for breakfast?" Danika asked curiously. Ryuske hid a grin and Shinichi snorted a soft laugh.
"Zippy! I mean, Danika, that's not what I meant…" Naoki complained. He stopped and blew his nose again.
Danika glanced at Shinichi and then looked at Naoki's tired face and suggested a little hesitantly, "But since you don't have any other family, I don't want you to be reluctant to rely on us?"
Naoki fluffed up like he'd been energized by his indignation, and protested, "Just because Toshi and the others have family nearby, it doesn't mean that any of us will call for help because we have a stupid cold! I don't need you to act concerned because I don't have any family."
"Idiot." Shinichi stated, and bopped Naoki gently on the head before scooping up Tora. The little cat reluctantly condensed herself back into cat shape from the liquid puddle of fur that she had been in Naoki's lap, and perched upright in Shinichi's arms. "She said other family," he pointed out with a grin.
Naoki usually seemed like the dominant one in the long friendship he and Shinichi had maintained since childhood, but when he stood he clung to Shinichi for a moment. Then he straightened and scooped Tora out of Shinichi's grasp and turned toward the stairs. "Whatever, but don't wake me up. Lunch is early enough," Naoki declared with a sniff.
"Okay," Danika and Shinichi replied in chorus, and then exchanged a grin.
She was trying not to laugh. Naoki was obviously pleased by Shinichi's insistence that he was part of their family. She'd never realized before how reliant on Shinichi he actually was. All of his typical little demands looked less tyrannical somehow, when he seemed so reluctant to ask for anything while he was feeling weak.
Naoki opened the door at the top of the stairs and took a step through before turning back to look at them. "No soup okay? Thanks sis," he said cheekily and then whisked it shut.
Danika giggled.