melodiesoflife | the evening shift.

Characters Yuna & OPEN
Where the Hospital in Aqures Ixen
When Post Magitek event.
Summary Yuna is working her first few shifts in the hospital -- taking care of the crystalized folks therein, as well as anyone that wanders in with injuries from a hard night's questing!
Warning Possible mention of injuries.

The halls were quiet for the start of her shift, and even quieter in some of the rooms. The crystal stasis epidemic was even more intimidating in person, and the recently arrived patients were, admittedly, Yuna's first experience seeing it up close. The victims truly seemed as though they were frozen in time, their perfect likeness ready to spring back to life -- if only they could escape their gem-encrusted prisons.

She frowned, feeling the forehead of a girl with pigtails, unable to sense any warmth from beyond the crystal's surface. With a sigh, she retracted her arm and shook her head, turning to leave the room and on to check on the next. Although she was grateful that there were no patients needing immediate care... she had to admit hearing another living breathing person would have been welcome.

When Momolumi burst through the door with an assortment of letters from Mognet, she smiled, greeting him with his pick of sweets that could be found on the central desk -- and settled in to read what news he had brought.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It was hard to repress the blush that she felt rush to her cheeks. Yuna just bowed her head in an extended nod, accepting his kind words for what they were. Baralai, even though a member of the Yevon clergy, seemed to embody the righteous qualities she had hoped the Maesters had at one point. He seemed like a good, kind soul, and truly, she found herself believing that Yevon perhaps could have benefited from young men and women similar to him.

There didn't seem to be more to say on the subject, and so she shifted the conversation. "Is... that food you've brought with you? It smells delicious."

He perked up visibly just then and shifted to the side a bit to place the parcel he brought with him and placed it on his lap. "I did. I couldn't make it myself so I had a bit of help but I hope it will do you well."

From within the parcel, he took out the bowl of soup that was carefully prepared while he took great care not to jostle the package too much.

"I hope you enjoy it. The baker's wife was kind enough to make it. She also sends her prayers that those trapped in crystal will be well. Like us, the people are just as concerned. They fear that the stasis may befall them." He said as he handed the bowl to Yuna. "I'm currently doing all I can to research for a cure. It's been...arduous."

"Ah, for me?" She hadn't been expecting that. It was truly a very thoughtful gesture on the scholar's part, and for a moment she wondered if she could even accept it. However, the silence in which she took to decide was broken as her stomach voiced a low growl. Surprised, and obviously embarrassed, Yuna nearly jumped at the sound, her eyes widening as she once again felt the heat rise into her cheeks. "Ah! E-excuse me, I..." Yuna chuckled softly, relazing again and realizing perhaps it was time to take a break after all...

"It seems as though I'm more hungry than I realized. Um," she reached forward, offering to take the package with a smile, "Why... don't you join me for lunch? It looks like there's more than enough to share. I'd -- love to hear about the research you've been doing."

Baralai wanted to laugh just then but that was rude and instead he cleared his throat and coughed through the sound. "I didn't hear anything."

He hoped that he spared Yuna the embarrassment. He nodded and smiled all the same just as if nothing had happened. "I'd be happy to share it with you. The research and the lunch, I mean."

The bowl was rather large, and the bread was fresh which made the meal just that much better. He took the serving spoon and dished some for himself. "For starters, it's been difficult to pin down exactly the cause of the crystallization." He passed the small basket of bread toward Yuna.

Blushing still, it seemed to recede thanks to his obvious cover up. As she seated herself at what would be their lunch nook for the afternoon, she took the bread that he offered gratefully, reaching for some utensils and butter to spread.

After he had filled his own bowl with soup, she followed suit. "You know... I have spoken to some people here that even say it has happened in their worlds. However the circumstances here seem entirely different..."

He waited until she was done with the spreading knife before he did the same. He listened with rapt interest and the cant to his head as she spoke was a clear indication that this was news to him. He heard whispers but nothing more substantial than tidbits here and there.

"Sadly, I don't know much about the other words to form a solid hypothesis. It would seem that my conjecture would be rather limited and frankly that's not enough to draw any solid conclusions. Ah, sorry if I seem convoluted." He lowered his head slightly to regard the crystalized form of a formal resident before him.

"I wonder," his voice trailed off for just a moment through his thoughts, "if the Fayth were made the same way."

Yuna listened intently, indulging in the meal that he had brought as he spoke. Momolumi did the same, taking portions of the bread and dipping it in the communal pot of soup before devouring it in one bite. About to protest that she was able to follow just fine -- she grew quiet with his follow up.

Memories of praying before the various statues flooded her mind as she paused, and looked down. "Those statues -- were different." She might have even ventured to say that they felt more alive than the victims in the room. She took on a far off gaze as she spoke, her voice quieting. "Sometimes it just feels -- almost as though those here are bodies without souls. But the Fayth... they were souls without bodies."

He knew that she was telling the truth through her conviction and he nodded solemnly to show that he understood everything she said. They weren't just statues, they had a soul. He looked around to view the people encased in crystal and his brow furrowed in thought. He dared not to touch them out of respect. They weren't dead, at least the way he saw it. They were sleeping and they needed to be tended to. What if he suffered the same fate? He wondered if anyone other than Yuna cared.

"I understand." He looked to Yuna and felt his heart sink. "Sadly, most of my knowledge is based off of written accounts with no real practical knowledge to back up the claims. In other words, I'll take your word for it since you experienced the call of the Fayth. What an honor that would have been."

He felt a tinge of jealousy that he wasn't chosen to become a summoner. His faith was strong but he felt that it wasn't strong enough to become a savior. Perhaps his selfishness had gotten in the way and it was something that he never voiced openly.

the evening shift.

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