xp_logs | Shiro, Leyu, and Hank, Thursday afternoon

Shiro brings his sister down to the infirmary to a routine checkup. (Well, Leyu goes on her own accord, and Shiro just follows because he's a good big brother.) Hank talks to them about Kyoto and chocolate. It's very cute. And Shiro gets Pocky.

Leyu bounded down the stairs to the infirmary. It was time for a generic checkup, which wasn't fun by itself, but Doctor McCoy was doing it, and he was excellent. Who wouldn't want a giant blue teddy bear as their doctor? "Doctor McCoy-san!" she called out as she reached the bottom step, bouncing happily.

Shiro followed her, although he walked down much more calmly. He couldn't help but chuckle at his sister for her exuberance. "~Leyu-chan, you need to be more quiet,~" he told her. "~The other doctors are working here and shouting will distract them.~"

Leyu clapped her hands over her mouth and nodded, wearing that "I should be ashamed but I'm not so I'll make you think I actually am" look that children were so good at.

Hank laughed, hearing the exuberant call. Having been in his office rather than the Medlab proper, he was in a perfect position to pop out behind her, pounce on Leyu, and lift her up to his eye level. "~Is that a noisy little girl I hear outside my door?~" he demanded in Japanese, tickling her. "~It is! Aha! It's a checkup for you, now, little girl, and no pleas for mercy will sway me!"

"Eeep!" Leyu squealed as big furry hands wrapped around her and lifted her six feet off the ground. Giggling madly, she ineffectually swatted at Hank. "~Stop!~" she cried between laughs. "~Not fair!~"

Shiro raised his eyebrows in surprise. "~Doctor McCoy, I didn't know that you speak Japanese,~" he said. He spoke it really well, too. That was most surprising.

"~I speak several languages.~" Hank smiled, tucking Leyu under one arm as if she were a squirming, giggly little sack, and leading the way to the medlab. "~I studied it along with German in university, and have visited Japan for a period of some months, at one point, as a medical student.~" It had put him a little behind, but there had been no hospital in the United States, at that point, where he could study the treatment of mutants. Actually, there still wasn't. Even in Japan it was rare.

Shiro followed McCoy into the medlab. "~You speak very well for a foreigner,~" he complimented. "~Where in Japan did you visit? Did you study there?~"

"~I studied at a small hospital in Kyoto for three months. It was very instructive.~" Hank set Leyu down on the exam table and picked up the small light. "~Eyes and ears first, I think. Pretty eyes open wide, please, Leyu-chan.~"

Leyu obliged, opening her brown eyes as wide as she could. "~I like Kyoto,~" she said. "~The castles and the temples are really pretty. Have you seen Sanjusangendo? All those statues of Kannon-bosatsu-sama are sooooo cool.~"

Shiro couldn't help but shudder at the mention of the mercy goddess's name. Not that he had anything against the bosatsu, but the name belonged to another woman whom Shiro would be quite thankful to forget. "~Kyoto is a beautiful city,~" Shiro agreed, pushing images of the purple-haired demon woman out of his head.

"~It is indeed. I enjoyed my stay there very much, and I even counted all the statues to be sure there were really one thousand of them.~" Hank nodded. "~I brought back several books with good pictures and some interesting history, if either of you would like to see them at any time.~" Hank inspected Leyu's eyes, then turned her head to peer into her ear. "~You have been in good health, I trust, Leyu-chan? No coughs or sneezes or sore places?~"

"~I'm perfect!~" Leyu exclaimed. "~I eat well and have lots of exercise. Alex-san is my physical education teacher. Did you know that? It's fun.~"

"~I have been to Sanjusangendo often enough and know my kami well, so there is no need,~" Shiro informed McCoy. "~My cousin,~" ex-cousin, he reminded himself sadly, "~Is one of Japan's most well respected historians. She taught us more than you could imagine.~"

"~Then perhaps the pictures would bring back happy memories,~" Hank suggested. "~And you could share your learning with your sister.~" He smiled at Leyu. "~And yes, Alex is a lot of fun, isn't he? And I am glad that you eat well and exercise. Those are important if you want to grow up big and strong, like me and your brother.~"

Shiro wasn't one to brood. Usually. So he just replied with a simple "~Perhaps~" and let that subject drop. Thinking about home always made him feel nostalgic, and not in a good way. He'd never be permitted to return to Japan until Harada changed his mind about Shiro's exile (which was about as likely as Shiro giving up martial arts) or Harada was dead.

Leyu could tell what Shiro was thinking, but she definitely wasn't one to brood, not even for a fraction of a second. "~I know a lot already. Did you know that some jellyfish glow in the dark? And that scientists can put pieces of jellyfish into mice so that they glow in the dark too? Doctor MacTaggart taught us that in science class!~"

Hank smiled. "~I see that you have been studying hard,~" he said, fishing out his stethoscope. "~Perhaps I'll have to give you two lollipops today, instead of one.~" He grinned impishly. "~Unless, of course, someone in this room likes pocky.~" He'd picked some up, knowing this checkup was due. "~Or, as it may be, two someones.~"

Shiro ears perked up at the mention of the Food of Kami, and Leyu giggled at the expected reaction. "~Nii-san doesn't like Pocky,~" she notified Doctor McCoy. Shiro would chase her and tickle her into submission for such a lie, especially if it resulted in him not getting Pocky, but it'd be worth it. "~He gets sick whenever you mention it.~"

"~You're a filthy rotten liar,~" Shiro scolded, his lips quirking downward into a scowl. Although it looked faintly like a pout. "~Don't listen to my sister, Doctor. She doesn't know what she's talking about.~"

"~I am shocked at you, Leyu-chan. Shocked. Telling such shameless fibs.~" Hank shook his head sadly, and slid the stethoscope under her shirt. "~It's the cold treatment for you!~" The stethoscope wasn't all THAT cold, really, but enough so to come as a shock for a moment.

Leyu squeaked, then pouted at the doctor. Shiro just smirked at her. "~That's what you get for saying such untruths, Leyu-chan. You ought to learn that it's not right to say such things. It's slander. It could get you into trouble. It's like saying, anoo, that Doctor McCoy is a sadist who enjoys torturing children and giving them poisonous candy.~"

"~And that would not be true.~" Hank grinned. "~I don't poison the candy.~" He put the earpieces into his ears. "~Now, Leyu-chan, deep breath in.... and out. And again.... good girl. Perhaps I will give you Pocky after all.~" He grinned and - risking life and limb just a little - reached out to tickle Shiro's side, knowing Leyu would think it was hilarious. "~Both of you.~"

Shiro reminded himself that not only was McCoy a teacher and an X-Man, but a doctor as well. He'd need his arms. So that's what saved him from Shiro reaching out to break them. Rubbing his side, he glared at both McCoy and Leyu. "~Now you definitely owe me Pocky,~" he declared, earning a giggle from his sister, who tried to stifle it so she could breathe for the doctor.

Hank grinned. "~There will be much Pocky, for both of you,~" he promised, moving the stethoscope around to Leyu's back. Shiro had twitched, but hadn't snapped or made any overtly threatening move. Good. "~And I hope you are grateful, Leyu-chan, to have a kind big brother who stays with you while you have your checkup, and permits me to tickle him in order to amuse you. Cough now, please.~"

Leyu coughed for Doctor McCoy, and then stuck her tongue out at Shiro. "~He only came with me because he knows you have sweets and like to give them out.~"

"~Preposterous,~" replied Shiro. "~I would have accompanied you no matter who your doctor is.~"

"~Only because the other doctors steal cookies from Doctor McCoy when he's not looking!~"

Hank laughed. "~But they don't know where I hide the best candy,~" he said solemnly. "~The chocolate truffles, or the homemade fudge. Or the Pocky.~" He grinned craftily. "~Of course, you have to be very, very good to get the truffles or the fudge.~"

"~Delicious~," Leyu all but drooled. She could almost taste the chocolate on her tongue. "~But I have been a very good girl! There's no question, Doctor McCoy!~"

Hank pretended to think it over. "~Well, perhaps. Has Shiro been good too, do you think? Should he also have truffles?~" Bending over to tap her little knee, he gave Shiro a solemn wink, to indicate complicity among We Grownups. He didn't want the boy to worry about not getting any treats, after all.

Shiro wouldn't worry about treats anyway. He's a grownup, after all. He doesn't require sweets like children do. But McCoy's affirmation was a nice touch and Shiro appreciated it.

"~Nii-san can have Pocky,~" Leyu declared, "~But I want truffles. He's been good, but not good enough for real chocolate!~"

Hank nodded solemnly. "~But he's been training very hard,~" he pointed out. "~I think training deserves a treat too.~" He grinned, hoisting her off the exam table and setting her daintily on her feet. "~And you, Leyu-chan, are here under false pretences,~" he said mock-sternly. "~There is nothing wrong with you at all. Why am I wasting my time on such a healthy little girl?~"

"~Because you like it when I come visit,~" Leyu reminded him. "~Now. Where's the chocolate?~"