witchesreign | (fifth punch) BBS; a PSA

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(fifth punch) BBS; a PSA

On behalf of the infirmary, please be careful if you're going outside, as we'd rather not see any more cases of frostbite. [Alas, poor frostbitten NPC. HE'S OKAY, I SWEAR.]

Here are some ways to help prevent frostbite: Wear many layers of clothing, not just a couple of thick layers. The extra layers keep your body heat in. Wear mittens instead of gloves. Gloves have more surface area in contact with cold air than mittens, and thus offer less protection. Wear a hat to protect your ears, and if available, a skimask to protect your nose. Some winter gear is available from the uniform supply office. If possible, junction a Blizzard family spell to your Elemental Defense. This will strengthen your resistance to the cold. Pain and red skin are the earliest signs of frostbite. If you start experiencing these symptoms, immediately return to Garden and come to the infirmary. Please also be careful with the monsters in the area. Though they are not as strong as the monsters on the Island Closest to Heaven, they are still stronger than the usual monsters on Balamb continent, so go out junctioned. This area's monsters are Snow Lions, which are weak against Fire, Forbiddens, which are weak against Holy (Life spells and Phoenix Downs can kill them instantly) and Fire, and Blue Dragons, which are weak against Ice. Touma H. Norstein

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Okay, one question, one I never get answered.

If I have fur I can't really notice any red skin or anything. How aside from pain would I tell?

Don't worry, I'm not actually in danger now, but it's something worth knowing, especially since I've got a mission coming up out there.

Forgive me if this is different in your species - I'm basing this advice off of a near-canine - but the areas of the body most susceptible to frostbite are those that have the least fur anyway, such as the ear tips, face, paws, and tail, so you may be able to brush aside any fur there and check for pale or gray skin. Another early sign is a body part feeling cold and/or hard to the touch.

I'll keep it in mind.

Moogles are a little closer to the rabbits of this world, though... at least in build. It's good, sound advice no matter what kind of mammal you look like, though.

I don't think I have any data on moogles. Would you mind coming to the infirmary and answering a few questions for me? I'd rather not make incorrect assumptions about your physiology if I end up needing to treat you for anything.

No problem. Should it be right now? I have a mission coming up, so it'd probably be better to get it done sooner as opposed to later.

If you're available, I'd appreciate that, thank you.

[When Emias turns up at the infirmary, he'll find Touma in his office on his laptop, starting to construct a new species file.]

[It takes about half an hour, but eventually Emias does come in, peeking his head in before stepping in properly, wearing his cadet uniform - he figured it'd be easier to take off should Touma need to do any examinations.]

E-Emias Oaks, reporting for assessment, kupo.

[He stands, crossing over to Emias and offering a hand to shake; whether Emias shakes or not, he'll close the door afterwards.] Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Emias. I'm Touma H. Norstein, apprentice to Dr. Kadowaki.

[Emias nods his head for a moment, considering the offered hand. He does eventually take it, though, shaking it and sitting nearby.]

Not a problem, kupo. Whatcha need out of me? I mean, I've already heard that I'm not like the moogles native to this world...

[...In passing, by people muttering where they thought he couldn't hear.]

Truth be told, I don't have any experience with this world's moogles anyway - I've had some experience with non-humans from my work back home and with some off-worlders, but my training here was unfortunately very human-centric. [It's a little apologetic.]

So, take a seat. [There's one before his desk; Touma is heading back to his own chair.] I'd like to know some general species information first, in case we ever get any other moogles from your world: Things like how many hearts or other organs you have, whereabouts they are, any substances it's not safe for you to touch or ingest... The basics that are common knowledge back home. Later on we can touch on some more personal medical history, like allergies or old injuries.

[Hearts? Huh... he hadn't actually THOUGHT that'd be an issue - then again, single hearts seemed to be a recurring trait in the sentient species of Ivalice.]

Well, as far as I know, moogles work similar to humes, kupo. Most of the organs and bones in similar places, though I'm not the one to ask about the finicky differences. I dunno if you'd call it... "unsafe", but certain varieties of nuts kind of... make us weird out, kupo. Like, if you've ever been drugged up? Kind of like that. Euphoria, possible hallucinations, that sort of thing.

[He considers, flapping his wings before nodding, reminded of something.]

Moogles in other worlds can use their wings for flight, it seems, but ours are too weak to be little more than vestigial. We can keep balance or cool ourselves off, but that's about it, kupo.

[Hey, they've had the Doctor in-game...

[Touma nods, typing this in shorthand on his laptop and eying the wings.] I might X-ray you later on to get an idea of your bone structure, if you don't mind, and I'd also prefer even just a quick point through of where your organs are - an emergency surgery's the wrong time for assumptions and estimates.

Which kinds of nuts have those effects on you?

Like I said, pretty much the same as humes, kupo. [He reaches up to indicate across his torso.] Heart, lungs, stomach, the usual. Brain's in the head, obviously.

I dunno their exact genus, they grow back home - moogles just took to calling 'em kupo nuts, kupo. If any here have similar effects, I'll be sure to let you know. Lessee... what else...

[He pauses, for a few moments, thinking.]

Oh, right! The poms! [He reaches up to poke at the fluffy bobble hanging over his head.] Kupologists say that ancient moogles might've used this to keep themselves upright when we were still flight-worthy, but nowdays it's just a sensitive spot - we can feel the wind currents with it, and it's real sensitive to the touch, kupo. I've heard that a moogle could live without it, but it'd be real rough going - your balance'd be all screwed up, and it'd be almost like losing a sense, you know?

...plus, it'd probably hurt like the dickens. That's why we do our best to avoid mooglebanes, kupo.

[Quickly, Touma reaches for a pad and pen and doodles out a stick figure with labels for the organs he's pointed out.] Thank you.

[The pom is more interesting, and he sits up a little straighter to examine it before taking notes.] A bit like a tail in some species, then. How strong's the connector [he gestures at whatever's keeping the pom from flying away] - do I need to be any more careful with it than, say, your fingers? And what's a mooglebane?

Edited (missing word) 2013-05-06 02:50 (UTC)

[It's a thin 'string', almost, keeping the pom up.] Most moogles won't wanna test it out, but I'd say it's pretty strong. Can't really snap it off normally - please don't try, kupo - but if you've got something sharp or heavy enough it'll break.

An' that's why mooglebanes are so scary, kupo... they're... kind of like... [It takes Emias a moment before he fully replies, shaking it off.] ...they're a variant species of dreamhare, kupo. They live in the mines of Goug, the biggest moogle city back home. Their incisors are specially adapted to be sharp enough to sever that, and they've got a... taste for moogle poms.

Best way to approach them is with heavy machinery an' intent to kill.

Edited (closing stray HTML tag) 2013-05-06 05:51 (UTC)

[Type type type.] I certainly wasn't intending to try; I just didn't want to break it by accident.

So, mooglebanes aren't normally a problem on this world, then. But the advance warning's good to have in case they do ever get pulled here, so, thank you.

[He pauses, thinking of other useful information to know.]

Would you happen to know your resting heart rate and normal body temperature? It's easy enough to measure if you don't.

[The moogle thinks about it for a second, before shaking his head.]

Not the exact numbers, though being used as a guinea pig, I have found out that my heart rate can apparently spike to "five times normal" before it's normally lethal.

[Clan Tiamat really milked their judge's protection for all it was worth.]

[Touma's eyebrows go up.] That's interesting. Ah, let's leave all our testing for the end...

[A few clicks as he opens another file on his laptop.] We'll move on to some personal medical history. Do you have any old injuries or ongoing or recurring illnesses I should know about?

It could just be because of the Judges... they're kind of like Guardian Forces here, but not exactly. [He shakes his head, leaning back in his seat and kicking his legs kind of aimlessly.]

Cure magic's pretty potent stuff where I come from, so I don't have any lasting scars or anything, though I have developed a minor allergy to muskmallow. Doesn't mean too much, but normal potions occasionally make me nauseous, kupo.

[Seems like the more relaxed he gets, the less the verbal tic comes out, too.]

[Judges... Remembrance dawns on Touma's face.] Ah, you were the one on the BBS thinking about hiding behind GFs. [Touma doesn't often converse on the beeb, but he does at least skim everything.]

Scars, I don't mind so much as things like old breaks or sprains that might cause problems again - my world doesn't have cure magic at all, so I don't put all my faith in it. [BUT THAT'S LIKE JUST HIS OPINION MAN.] Plus, some people start to build a resistance to it if they've been spelled better too many times.

What are your allergic reactions, and do they occur only after ingesting it or is the pollen enough?

Yeah, that was me. [He shakes his head.] From what I've seen they're mostly similar in that they keep the wielder from sustaining terminal illness or injury, while doing nothing to numb the sensation or stop non-terminal damage. The other intricacies need to be sussed out a little at a time, kupo.

[He nods at the comments about cure magic, thinking it over.] No different than traditional medicine, really, just a different sorta drug, you know?

As far as muskmallow, it's only ingesting it. Makes me start to get dizzy and sick to my stomach. It's usually not a problem unless I've been stuck in a situation where potions are the only thing keeping me safe, though.

I may just be biased because the measurement for para-magic is so different from traditional medicine.

[Type type.] You might want to check in with Instructor Slughorn about developing a potion variety without it, then, even if just for personal use. Something for your own first aid kit.

Alright, unless you can think of anything else, we can move onto some measurements: I was thinking average body temperature, resting heart rate, and normal blood pressure.

Sure thing, kupo. Just tell me what to do.

[The stuff at Garden was far more technological than what he was used to working with, after all, though it had similar purposes.]

I'll do blood pressure first.

[Touma produces a rectangular box, and opens it up on top of the desk to reveal a cuff, a stethoscope, a pressure gauge, a bulb, and wires.]

Please place your elbow on the table so it's parallel to your arm. Don't worry about which arm; I'll test both.

[Emias leads with his left arm, placing it on the table and glancing down, thinking about things for a moment.]

Better to roll up the sleeve or leave it down? I dunno how your cuffs work, kupo.

[He's definitely receptive towards getting his vitals checked, if nothing else.]

Roll it up, please - it's a bit thick to test through.

[Once that's done, Touma starts wrapping the cuff around Emias's arm, being careful not to rub any fur the wrong way or catch it in the velcro strap.] Let me know if it's too tight for you.

[As requested, the sleeve goes up. Naturally, fur is a bit thick to test through, too, but by this point, there's probably been plenty of allowances for creatures of his kind in medical equipment. He's actually not that different from a moomba, as far as vitals go.]

It's a pressure cuff, isn't the point to get too tight, kupo?

[He offers a chuckle and quickly follows up by shaking his head.]

No worries, I'll let you know if you're hurting the circulation.

[Not that Touma's worked with moombas: He's a doctor, not a vet, and there are moombas in Balamb even less frequently than Touma's in Shumi Village. He smiles as he straps the cuff secure.] Exactly: It wouldn't do to make it so tight that I get a reading which isn't actually reflective of your normal blood pressure.

[The cuff is attached to a stethoscope; he puts the earpieces on then gingerly feels for the artery in Emias's arm and places the wide head of the stethoscope there. After that, he picks up a rubber bulb wired to the cuff and tightens the valve on it, before pumping the bulb slowly but steadily, gradually inflating the cuff.]

[There's probably records somewhere in Garden, even if nobody knows to look for them. Regardless, Emias goes quiet, closing his eyes and focusing on staying calm. He's been through this before, though not with a cuff quite like this... usually the contraptions in his clan involved more "being actively strapped to a chair". Regardless, he stays still for Touma while the test is done.

His blood pressure is a bit low based on human standards, and his pulse a smidge high.]

[Touma's not actually checking pulse just yet, seeing as inflating that cuff eventually makes the pulse temporarily disappear. He looks at the gauge and inflates the cuff a little longer, before slowly releasing the air. Once it's deflated again, he types the pressure and which arm he'd tested, and removes the cuff.]

Your other arm, please. Thank you for your patience.

[Emias nods, pulling down his sleeve and shaking the numbness out of his arm before rolling up the other sleeve and turning to bring his right arm towards Touma. He's surprisingly patient about this sort of thing, all things considered.]

[Touma's quiet and efficient in measuring and recording his blood pressure from this arm, and once that's done he packs up the sphygmomanometer and puts it back on a shelf.

[Next comes a small digital thermometer from his desk drawer. He quickly wipes it down with a disinfectant wipe as he asks:] Did you eat or drink something hot or cold, smoke, chew gum, or do any strenuous activity right before coming here?

[There's a brief moment of thought and then he chuckles.]

Not unless you count changing into my cadet uniform, kupo. The clan gear may be good for protection, but it's an utter mess to take off.

[...Meanwhile, he's just silently hoping that's the kind of thermometer you put in your mouth.]

Edited 2013-06-15 21:23 (UTC)

And only go playing with Blue Dragons if you happen to have a death wish.

[And this is Selphie not being helpful. Sorry, Touma.]

[That's... minorly helpful.] While I agree that they should only be attempted by stronger fighters, people who happen to have a more genuine death wish should come see us at the infirmary, because we are also trained for mental health concerns.

Or they can always take a car but it's good to know that those services are available.

Drive carefully, everyone. Whether it's a car or a chocobo.

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(fifth punch) BBS; a PSA

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