Onset of Recovery
It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, and the thin layer of snow left behind on the window from the previous night was beginning to melt. Light reflected off the tiny droplets cascading downward, dancing through the room for mere seconds, before dropping out of sight again.
S'eni smiled, but couldn't help but sigh, her finger idly playing with the page of the book she was reading. It would be the perfect day to get some training in. But alas, she was to rest. Y'shtola, Krile, and many many more people had made that abundantly clear. Not like she could truly do much of note anyway with how weak she was.
Ten days had passed since she awoke, and since then these four walls had been her own little world. The first few days had been especially maddening, with her being barely able to move at all and a diet that mostly consisted of Nhidana's tonic. At the very least she could sit up on her own now, so that was progress.
Turning the page, she looked back down to the book and resumed reading. If nothing else, being in Sharlayan made for an easy time to get one's hands on tomes of all kinds. And there had been some that had caught her eye during their investigation in Noumenon, so why not make use of the chance she was 'afforded'?
She had just arrived at the part where the author was beginning to get into detail about how a proper diet was key to a healthy and youthful lifestyle—all for the purpose of a speedy recovery, of course—when the door opened and Y'shtola stepped into the room. S'eni raised her hand to signal the other woman to wait, read the paragraph to its conclusion, then put in the bookmark and closed the book. She looked up.
"Is it time?" she asked.
"It is," Y'shtola replied and made way for one of the household servants, a Roegadyn woman, to push a wheelchair into the room. S'eni eyed it for a moment, before putting the book away and sighing.
"Let's get it over with then," she said and pulled the covers away. While her arms were beginning to cooperate with her again, albeit slowly, her legs were another story. Three months of just lying around would do that, she supposed. It would take a bit for them to regain their strength.
After being lifted out of the bed and into the wheelchair, S'eni was wheeled down the hallway for a few minutes, passing by multiple doors until coming to a stop in front of one in particular. The guest bath. As they entered, the pleasant, humid warmth of the already prepared tub wafted into her face, making her smile a little despite what she knew was coming.
"Thank you. We shall take it from here," Y'shtola said to the servant.
"Very well. Fresh clothes are in the basket over there," the woman said with a bow. "If you need any further assistance, do not hesitate to call."
Once the door had closed behind the servant, Y'shtola turned to S'eni. "Ready?"
She just rolled her eyes and raised her arms so that the other Miqo'te could pull the white shirt she wore off her. Next were her pants, which were a little trickier and involved some teamwork from both of them, but they nevertheless followed suit, leaving her completely bare and ready for her bath. Slowly, Y'shtola helped her out of the wheelchair and into the water.
A pleasant little sound escaped her and she closed her eyes to enjoy the warmth on her skin. It felt good, invigorating, spreading through her limbs and chasing away the tingling that beset them. Yet that only alleviated the issue, not fix it.
Next to the tub, Y'shtola pulled up her sleeves, took a washcloth and soap, and began to wash her. Embarrassment swelled within her chest, not because she was ashamed of being seen like this by her lover, but because things that had been so natural for her to do alone now needed assistance. But she knew that there was nothing she could do until she had recovered enough to do it alone.
Y'shtola for her part never made a big deal out of it, simply going about it like it was the most natural thing in the world. Something she was immensely grateful for. Only during the first time did she firmly point out that she, too, had been unable to do many things without assistance after being wounded by Zenos, quelling any worries that might have sprung up.
After she was done being cleaned, S'eni leaned back in the tub to soak a little bit while watching Y'shtola put away the cleaning supplies. A tiny smirk danced across her lips. "You know, the tub is big enough for both of us."
Her statement was met with a raised brow, and she lifted her hand out of the tub to stroke the edge of it. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds before Y'shtola just shook her head with a huff. "Honestly..."
They shared a laugh.
"I'll just take that as a sign of recovery," Y'shtola said, picking up a prepared towel.
"It was worth a try."
"It was. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves now."
She spent a couple of more minutes soaking in the pleasant warmth, then climbed back out of the tub with Y'shtola's assistance. After being dried and helped into her new clothes, S'eni was wheeled out of the bath and down the hallway once more. But instead of going back to her room, they headed right past it.
"Uh, Shtola? You missed the door," she said.
"I'm aware of that," Y'shtola replied, amusement in her voice. "But since today's weather is so agreeable, I thought a change in scenery might be good."
Eyes widening in surprise, she looked up and was met by the other Miqo'te's smiling face. She returned it and turned her gaze forward, a sudden giddiness filling her. Shortly after, they arrived in the main hall, where Y'shtola called upon one of the servants to fetch S'eni a light coat and appropriate footwear, as it was still slightly chilly despite the fair weather.
As she was wheeled outside, she had to raise her hand to shield her eyes from the early midday sun, but her smile nevertheless grew upon feeling the fresh breeze tickle her cheeks. She breathed in the pleasant scent of grass, tinged with the salt from the sea, and felt herself immediately relax. A voice then called out to them and she spotted the twins coming up the stairs.
"Hey, you two," she said and waved her hand while they came over.
"Out for a walk at last?" Alisaie asked with a hand on her hip.
"Yeah, the head physician herself gave me the go-ahead." She chuckled and glanced up at Y'shtola. "What about you two? You've been gone these past couple of days."
"We were in Ul'dah to meet with our allies and discuss matters regarding the people of Garlemald," Alphinaud explained, followed by a smile. "Given that we were there, we also passed along the news of your awakening. They are sending their regards, and, should need arise, offer their assistance in any way they can."
"Speaking of assistance—" Y'shtola cut in and gestured over to the stairs. "May we trouble you for some?"
Alisiae punched her palm. "As if you needed to ask."
With the twins' assistance, they managed to get down the stairs and, after waving them goodbye, Y'shtola and her began to head down Journey's End. Coming across a few other people who seemed to have had the same idea about the weather, S'eni found herself receiving friendly greetings and respectful nods. She sighed inwardly.
"So much for anonymity," she murmured.
"Only to be expected," Y'shtola said, nodding back at a passing couple. "You saved the star. But I assure you, there a plenty of people around here that are too busy sticking their noses into tomes to remember you. For now, though, I'm afraid you will have to endure your fame. Something you ought to be used by now, O Warrior of Light."
"Lucky me..."
From Journey's End, they made their way down to the harbor, where they were met with quite some hustle and bustle. But unlike back when they first arrived, it wasn't just gleaners and dock workers running to and fro, but groups of outsiders. Her eyebrows shot up when she saw an Elezen man negotiating with a group of Goblins.
"There has been a few changes, now that Sharlayan has been relieved of its duty. One being more active interactions with other nations," Y'shtola explained. "Of course, there are still many who wish to adhere to tradition, like the Bibliothecs, so it will take time to adjust."
"Better than never, I suppose," she said, unable to keep some bitterness out of her voice. As much as Sharlayan had aided them in the end, they had also hindered them in equal measure and would have abandoned countless people to share the same fate as the star if not for Hydaelyn entrusting her and the others with its future. Still, it was time to look to the future, and if the Sharlayans were at last doing it too, then she wouldn't complain.
Heading further down the harbor, and taking their time to enjoy the view, they soon arrived at Sharlayan's last defense of anything that was culinary. And, sitting there and enjoying a nice meal, they found Thancred. With a grin forming on her face, S'eni called out to him, "Well well well, who do we have here?"
His fork stopped inches away from his mouth and he glanced up, the corners of it rising when he saw who it was. "Hey, you two."
"All alone today?" she asked.
"Urianger is out on business with the Loporrits and Krile is discussing something with G'raha." He shrugged and pushed his food inside his mouth, chewing for a few seconds and then swallowing it. "So I thought why not use the time to enjoy a nice meal? How about you two? Have you already eaten?"
The growl from her stomach answered before her voice could and he waved them over with a chuckle. Y'shtola and her exchanged a quick look, before following his invitation. Rising from his chair, he met them halfway to help get the wheelchair up the stairs, then raised a hand to hail a waiter.
"Pick whatever you like. My treat," Thancred said as they each received a menu. But while there was a large variety of delicacies to pick from, her eyes almost instantly landed on one meal in particular.
"The grilled herring," she said, pointing at the menu for emphasis.
"Good choice," the waiter said, writing her order down. After receiving Y'shtola's as well, he inclined his head and walked off.
Leaning back, S'eni folded her hands and waited. Though it certainly wasn't easy while having to watch Thancred enjoying his meal, the ensuing conversation between them managed to distract her enough to not make her want to rip the fork out of his hand. Before long, their food finally arrived and, feeling her mouth water, her hands all but shot forward to grab the cutlery. Despite her increasing hunger at the sight of it, she still carefully cut into the herring and made sure to properly debone it, before digging in.
A low moan escaped her when the first piece touched her tongue, filling her entire mouth with its rich and full-bodied taste. Gods, this was good. She chewed slowly, savouring each second of it, while Thancred and Y'shtola watched her in amusement.
"Someone must have had a hankering," Thancred commented.
"Oh yes!" S'eni said after swallowing. She had been craving some good fish for a while now. Now she only needed a glass of good wine, but she felt that would be treading on dangerous ground with a certain someone sitting only a step away from her.
Y'shtola watched her while she was enjoying her fish, a smile on her face, which eventually turned into a thoughtful look. "Thancred? May I ask you a favor?"
"Of course. What is it?"
"I'll tell you the details later," the other Miqo'te said and began to eat as well.
The rest of the meal passed relatively uneventfully, though truth be told S'eni was far too busy with her meal to really pay attention. When she was done, much too soon to her liking, she let her head fall back against the wheelchair's headrest and released a content sigh, her spirits lifted far beyond measure. "That hit the spot more than you can imagine."
"Oh, I think I've got a pretty good idea." He winked and took a sip from his drink.
"Thanks." S'eni smiled.
"Don't mention it."
After having two drinks of their own, the two bade their friend goodbye and continued their, now quite extended, walk in the direction of the Studium. Halfway there, though, they turned left and headed towards the cliff that overlooked the entire bay, stopping beneath a tree's shade. A pleasant silence wrapped around them as they looked into the distance, watching the comings and goings of people; living their peaceful lives now that the threat looming over their world was over at last.
S'eni felt Y'shtola's hand place itself on her shoulder, and she reached up to put her own on top of it, gently taking hold and giving it a squeeze. A few moments passed like this until the other Miqo'te stepped up and kneeled down in front of her, eyes finding hers. Unspoken words passed between them, things that didn't need to be said for the other to understand. Y'shtola leaned in.
Their lips came together in a soft kiss, sending a pleasant little shiver through both of them, as that final bit of darkness left behind by her long unconsciousness was chased off by the warmest of light. S'eni buried her fingers in Y'shtola's hair and pulled her further in, to seek out more of that feeling she had missed so, and her lover was only all too eager to comply. After what felt like hours, though in truth were only a couple of long seconds, they separated, sharing a loving smile and resting their foreheads against each other.
There was still quite a road ahead of her, but this here, right now, made it all worth it.