The morning sun peaked through Yujo’s window and washed over her face. She turned over to escape the all-enveloping glaze of the high season suns and mumbled in protest. The sun, indifferent to Yujo's desires, began to message her back. Just as this message became comfortable, Yujo's her alarm rang out.

The holographic chick compelled Yujo back to the land of the living with a weak squeak of protest. She sat up on her bed and looked out of the window. Little dots, highlighted by mem's orange skyline, popped in and out of her vision.

Yujo yawned. She stretched with her arms out and reached to her bedside table to grab her terminal. As she twisted to reach she let herself get caught up in the duvet. She grabbed the rectangle and started at the time on the display.

The date was Friday the 18th of Augustus. It was Half Six in the morning. With a gasp her eyes opened wide as Yujo realised what day it was. In a panic she tried to untangle herself from the mess. Failing to do so she groaned and sat up on top of her bed. She sighed, deciding to make the best of it, and summoned her agenda from her terminal which burst out the box in a ray of light.

For longer than she would like to admit, Yujo stared at the only item on the agenda.

‘Augustus 19th : Last Day before Choice.’

Rosemary and Yujo had made the conscious decision to not talk about how she was going to respond to the offer until she needed to. They both couldn't decide which of the two reasons they could come up with fuelled the decision. It ether a desire to enjoy the week of freedom out of thanks to the goddess for the reprieve or it was a selfish desire to not deal with the situation. Regardless, the week of freedom had had flown by all too quickly.

Yujo dismissed the calendar and with a pull she freed the terminal from herself and put it on the table. With an impressive effort, she pulled her body, still encased in the bed sheet cocoon, off of her bend and hobbled towards the mirror. She saw the sad, tired, selk-like creature staring back at her and grumbled. Shaking herself lose from her bed sheet she began her morning routine, the grumble still rumbling in her throat.

Mornings at St Aldrins’ was always a set routine. The adults would be up at seven and the children would be woken up about half a later. There would be half an hour for getting washed and changed, another 30 minutes for breakfast and finally an hour of morning hymns.

The choir took place in a cramped church building that sat next to the main building. Given the size of the choir, which included all of St Aldrins’ congregation, staff and children, it wasn't big enough. Despite that it was always a place of calm reflection and sanctuary for Yujo. Not even her lack of singing ability, fueled by the million thoughts running though her head, could ruin that.

Trying hard to counter the thoughts running through her head, she started to sing her favourite hymn, “Praise to the Stars”. It was a comforting, if saccharine, song about how the souls of the departed watched over the world as the stars in the sky. For Yujo it was one of the only things she could relate to her parents. That comfort, the idea of them watching over her, was what she needed to help her though the tougher moments of anxiety.

As the choir reached the end of the song. Yujo sighed as she was left to her thoughts again.

“Hey, Sister Psalms, are you alright?”

Yujo opened her eyes to see one of the older members of the congregation. An impressively built old man with a golden beard.

“Oh, Brother Hogan…” Yujo said, unable to will the energy to correct the clergyman.

He smiled. “You haven’t been as energetic are you used to be since Sister McKenzie brought you back. Is everything OK?”

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

Yujo started to carefully construct what she was going to say in her mind. She was told to keep the whole affair with what had happened when she went diving and the offer to herself and Rosemary.

What laws she had broken her her pique were not to be discussed.

As far as anyone was concerned, she had run off to take more photos, nearly drowned and was saved by her boat hand.

For what it was worth that suited Yujo just fine. She had had quite enough of getting on the wrong side of the law for one life time. The thought of having to face the Grand Marshall’s thousand-yard stare again sent a cold flush of dread down her body.

“Oh, I…I’m just tired, Gene.” She said, burying her face into her hymn sheet. “The accident just took the wind out of my sails, that’s all.”

Out of the many things that was on her mind, the ever-present need to not make the children worry about her ‘accident’ took centre stage. Avoiding the matter altogether was, she thought, the best way of doing that.

“Well, OK.” Hogan nodded. “Just know we’re here for you, alright, Yujo?”

“Yes, Brother. Thanks.” Yujo said, avoiding his gaze.

Before anything else could be said, Rosemary’s clapping called everyone to attention.

“OK everyone that’s 10:00. Before we all leave for the day’s activities I would like to make an announcement!”

The room lit up with excited chatter as Rosemary made another call to order.

“A member of our congregation is going to be leaving for a little while. It is a very sad moment for us all as she has been with the Order and St Aldrins’ for as long as it has been running.”

Yujo’s heart sank to the floor and her cheeks burned as she realised what Rosemary was doing.

“Our fellow sister, Yujo, is leaving to begin her national service starting tomorrow.”

The chatter exploded as a room full of eyes trained themselves on Yujo.

Yujo shot a hard look at Rosemary. She wasn't sure if she should be embarrassed for herself or very annoyed at Rosemary. Part of her began to pray to the goddess to have Mem break open and swallow her whole right there and then.

“As some of you may know service in the militia is a lot of hard work. Because of that she won’t be able to contact us often during her time. Please be considerate to her today as this is a big moment in her life. Is that all understood?”

A collective song of confirmation rang from the mouths of the chior.

As soon as Rosemary dismissed them, the excited chatter returned as they filed out of the church. Slowly but surely as the members of the congregation passed Yujo each one congratulated her and wished her luck.

Her blush intensified, both out of self-consciousness and a little bit of shame.

Soon enough only herself and Rosemary remained in the building.

“You know that was a lie…” Yujo’s authoritative voice trained right at Rosemary who shrugged it off with a smile.

“Well, just a little bit.”

“J-Just a” Yujo sputtered. “Rosemary! I don’t you think that-”.

Yujo’s thought trailed off as she pulled out her terminal to look at the time.

“I-I don’t have time for this!” Yujo declared out loud as she turned around and made for the door. “I have to referee this morning football game and-”

Rosemary grabbed Yujo’s arm, stopping her dead.

“You’re doing no such thing, Yujo Sippe Palms. I booked today off for the both of us and for once you’re going to take your leave and you're going to use it for yourself.”

Yujo turned around, ready to rebuke the head nun but the smile she faced immediately disarmed her.

She looked down at the ground.

"…Yes, Sister McKenzie"

With that, Rosemary let go of Yujo’s hand.

“Good. Let’s go have some coffee…”