They were working 10 hour days, plus several oddball hour meetings with the groups they were in for their hobbies that they treated like a second job. Their companion, who was also their best friend, forced them to take a vacation before their mental, and physical, health began to suffer for it. -- Anon Guest
Nils took in a scene of absolute horror. A tidy domicile, with all of hir craft supplies and tools conspicuous by their absence. All of the tools ze usually used for working at home were not where ze had left them.
Xie had some packed bags. Hirs and theirs, and the coffee table only bore two transit tickets, and not a collection of half-finished projects and assorted scrattle.
"What have you done?" wailed Nils. "Where's all my stuff?"
"It's all safe. Stored and catalogued and locked away. I had the Archivaas help me with that. Nothing is going to be lost." Xie took a deep breath, standing from their seat. "You've been working too long. Pushing yourself too hard. You desperately need some rest before you burn out."
"So that's why my boss told me to take my PTO," said Nils. "This is an intervention."
"Yes," Xie offered their hands. "You need to take a break. You're violating the CRC rules regarding your own self care. Either they had to step in, or I did. And I'm not the kind of bean[1] to willingly neglect my best snugglebuddy."
Nils couldn't help hirself. "You have someone in second place?"
"Never. But lately, I've been feeling like I've been taking second place to your work and your choice to use your hobby like it's another job. You don't have the time to have fun any more."
"But I have to..." Nils trailed off. "I don't have to. All those Deregger success shortcut videos I've been watching in the ablution chamber kind'a got to me."
Xie folded their arms and give Nils a withering glare.
"Okay, okay. They really got to me. There's no point to the hustle if there's nobody there at the other end. Right?" Ze finally took Xie's hands in hirs.
"Right," said Xie, smiling. "And I am going to make you recite that like a koan every single morning of our vacation."
"Deal."
[1] In lieu of 'boy/girl/man/woman' some nonbinary people use 'bean' as a corruption of "[SPECIES] being".
[Photo by American Green Travel on Unsplash]
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