The Shikkotsu Forest is a tropical forest area which is the home of the slugs. The humidity in the air opens the pours of the skin and allows for all inside to breathe easier. At the heart of the forest is a large lake with glistening water. This serves as the home for Katsuyu; leader of the slugs. The lore of the slugs is stable, but unreliable. It has been said that many years before written text that there was some sort of great, incomprehensible war. Although the victors manage to drive back the opposition, the losses were so grave that it almost ended in mutual annihilation. That is when Evergreen, Goddess of life and nature, bestowed the survivors the Katsuyu. Through Katsuyu and the forest the survivors were able to be restored. The accuracy of this mythology is still debated. The facts certain about the slugs is that they have innate healing properties. They also have various means of supporting ninja such as sensory and poisons. Although it has never been proven, it is said that the waters which Katsuyu calls their home recall all of history within them. Humans who have tried to drink or bathe in it succumb to horrible genjutsus which last for days on end. Finally, a note about the slugs. Because of their fluid nature, slugs can be at any point male, female, both, or neither. There is no correct or incorrect gender to call any of the slugs, and the slugs are far too polite to correct a person either if they misgender them.
Way of the Slug: The slugs primary purpose is to heal and assist those who are treated as allies. As such, medical techniques empowered by sage chakra not only heal trauma at a tier higher than the rank of their technique, but it also grants the healed target an extra activation to perform a technique equal to the ranked of the medical ninjutsu used on the target. This feat can empower the same target up to three times in the same fight.
โฐโฐโฐ Plory Rank D | Chakra: 400 | Stamina: 290 Str: 0 | Spd: 0 | Agi: 0 | End: 2 Plory is an eighteen inch gold and red slug. They have large green eyes and prefer to be held, despite their mucus making them super slippery. Theyโre gluttonous and timid, which makes them more of a pet than a combatant.
Ability:Inhale Despite Ploryโs size, their mouth can open to triple the size of their body and inhale poison of any kind. The slug can either suck it out of a body or breathe it out of the air. Once they do so the slug secretes an antidote to the poison from their skin.
โฐ Gooey Gun | Rank D | Cost: Chakra Plory opens their big mouth and fires a wad of goop at someone. The target hit suffers no damage but loses one point in reflexes. In addition, the mucus of the goop causes the target to be more susceptible to disease based status effects, meaning that they take any status involving disease at one rank higher tier. These effects last for three post.
โฐ Slippery Sleight | Rank D | Cost: Chakra Plory applies their goo to an ally who is bound in some way which restricts their movement. The goo slides along the personโs body and lubricates them to the point where they can slide free of the restraints. In addition, the goo also has a soothing quality which cures the target of any level burning status effect.
โฐ Inwards Out | Rank C | Cost: Chakra Plory regurgitates something that theyโve eaten and hurls it at the opponent. This can be as small as an apple or as large as a watermelon. The stomach acid coated within it causes tier two disease in addition to the physical damage of getting hit with the object thrown up.
โฐโฐโฐ Yoop Rank C | Chakra: 600 | Stamina: 550 Str: 0 | Spd: 0 | Agi: 0 | End: 4 Yoop is a large, golden slug. They have green spots along their body and have aquatic blue eyes. The slug is six feet tall and ten feet long. They are an incredibly thick slug, although their mucus allows them to slide along the ground with the speed of a shinobi.
Ability:Living Ambulance The user can place themselves or an ally along the belly of Yoop. This will cause Yoop to slowly envelop the target until theyโre swallowed up into the slug. The target can breathe easily and has a feeling of being in a sensory tank. While inside the slug the patient is cured of one tier of any tier one status effect, including trauma, per post. Two post cures a tier two status effect, and so forth. If Yoop is unsummoned at any point then the person inside just plops right where the slug was.
โฐ Ally Switch | Rank C | Cost: Chakra Allows Yoop to sacrifice themselves for the sake of another summon. In return for Yoop disappearing, either the user or one of their allies may call upon a summon which was defeated and forced back to the sage lands. If the summon has no stamina left it will be granted half of its stamina pool back and Yoop is rendered unsummonable for the rest of the fight.
โฐ Misty Terrain | Rank C | Cost: Chakra Yoop secretes an excess of mucus from their skin which erupts into a steam cloud. This cloud covers the topic. Everyone in the topic has tier one blindness to any object more than fifteen feet from their current location. In addition, the steam cloud also prohibits anyone from taking status effects while the cloud is up. This does not extend to trauma or status effects associated with genjutsu. This steam last for six post.
โฐ Iron Defense | Rank B | Cost: Chakra & Stamina Yoop hardens their body to the point where it is harder than steel. In return to only being able to perform this technique during the post it is used, Yoopโs body is allowed to endure techniques up to two ranks higher than the rank of this technique. This technique can only be used once every three post.
โฐโฐโฐ Zark Rank B | Chakra: 1200 | Stamina: 640 Str: 0 | Spd: 0 | Agi: 4 | End: 4 Zark is an unusually thin slug of brown and blue coloring. They are approximately two feet long and rather flat. Zark has bright purple eyes and has four antennae instead of the slugโs typical two. It usually prefers to wrap themselves around their user in some way, such as resting in their sleeve or gluing themselves to their back.
Ability:Diagnosis Zarkโs extra antennae allow them to be proficient at sensory. While attached to the summoner any target the summoner heals or assaults with their medical chakra Zark will be able to relay information about them. Theyโll be able to alert the summoner of if the target has any abnormalities such as status effects or trauma for six post after the userโs medical chakra has afflicted the target.
โฐ Cloud of Acid | Rank B | Cost: Chakra Zark will fire out from their mouth a cloud of acid with a circumference of thirty feet. This acidic cloud applies tier three burning to all targets within it. This cloud last for six post.
โฐ Poison Jab | Rank B | Cost: Stamina Zark will lunge their tail out toward the target which can extend up to thirty feet. The tail is coated in poison of the summonerโs creation, and performs a tier three version of its effect at the point of application.
โฐ Healing Wish | Rank A | Cost: Chakra Zark will open their mouth and bite gently onto the summoner. They will then drain out all status effects the user has suffered with the exception of trauma. After absorbing all of the status effects Zark returns to the sage lands to recover from the damage they absorbed.
โฐโฐโฐ Xarsi Rank A | Chakra: 1070 | Stamina: 1000 Str: 2 | Spd: 2 | Agi: 0 | End: 4 Xarsi is a thirty foot slug in a suit of black armor. Despite the metallic look the armor is actually made of harden mucus. In their right hand is a giant spear of forty feet. In their left hand is a massive round shield. Sticking from the helmet are the two eyes which extend three feet above it. The eyes are white in color.
Ability:A Hero Has Risen As the most offensive of the summons, Xarsi gains a surplus of adrenaline once every three post. They can either use this for themselves or provide it to their summoner or their allies. Xarsi cannot hold more than one boon of adrenaline at a time.
โฐ Slug Splitter | Rank A | Cost: Stamina Xarsi strikes down with their spear to cleave them in half. This technique has +2 in strength. In addition, if Xarsi empowers this technique with adrenaline, then the strike also gains +2 to speed. The technique also lets off a shockwave which delivers tier three vertigo to any targets within fifteen feet of the impact range. Stat boosts by this ability temporarily break stat caps for the use of this ability only.
โฐ Mucus Might | Rank A | Cost: Stamina Xarsi raises their shield to block an oncoming strike. This block increases Xarsiโs endurance by +2. In addition, if Xarsi uses adrenaline for this technique, then the block increases by +4 instead, and causes the opponent who collides with the shield to take tier four burning status effect as the mucus from the shield causes an acidic burn upon their body. Stat boosts by this ability temporarily break stat caps for the use of this ability only.
โฐ Vibe Check | Rank A | Cost: Chakra Xarsi fires off a beam of chakra from their eyes. These beams are imbued with sage chakra and can cause one of two effects. To a target with access to nature chakra the target gains eighty chakra. To a target without such benefits it causes tier four petrification. Does not work on other summons or demons. This technique can only be used once every five post.
โฐโฐโฐ Katsuyu Rank S | Chakra: 2100 | Stamina: 890 Str: 2 | Spd: 2 | Agi: 0 | End: 4 Katsuyu is the just ruler of the Shikkotsu Forest. Kind to a fault, they will always treat their summoners with the highest of respect. Although they act humble and small, the size of Katsuyu scales easily to around five hundred feet. They are a white slug with large blue stripes which ride along their back. Upon dividing into smaller slugs each one appears as a miniature version of the original. The eyes of Katsuyu are a slimy green and they extend above the creatureโs head.
Ability:Re-Construction Katsuyu is able to break their body into thousands of smaller Katsuyu at any time, allowing them to disengage from all binding techniques not genjutsu based. In addition, the slugs can reconstruct into any shape of the user or slugโs desire. This includes a ship or a building in order to better house allies and the summoner. Finally, when Katsuyu performs no offensive actions, their legendary armor is enhanced by one rank higher and regenerates. This allows them to better protect themselves and allies from harm.
โฐ Acid Spray | Rank S | Cost: Chakra From Katsuyuโs mouth comes a spray of acid approximately fifty feet in diameter. This spray can melt through rock at ease and can burn down to the bone. In addition the opponent suffers tier four burning if they succumb to the acid. This technique can only be used if Katsuyu is in her proper slug form.
โฐ Medic for All | Rank S+ | Cost: Chakra Katsuyu will spring from their body a miniature clone of themselves for each ally they have on the field. Each ally will then be embraced by the slug and, through the use of medical chakra, healed of all trauma and status effects the target has suffered through the course of the fight. All targets healed will have 320 stamina restored to them. This technique can be used once every three post.
โฐ Civil Servant | Rank S+ | Cost: Chakra Katsuyu will spring from their body a miniature clone of themselves for each ally they have on the field. Each ally will then be embraced by the slug and, through the use of medical chakra, provided a boon of adrenaline. This adrenaline can be the fuel for a technique requiring it, or can allow the target to be given overwhelming to one technique which does not have it. This technique can only be used once per fight.
( i ) i can see the look in your eyestab ( ii ) don't give me that look cause you seetab ( iii ) you're the last person I need to pity me tab ( iv ) crying wont pave a path to forgiveness, every sin is everlastingtab ( v ) I'm lost in this maze of emotion, who am I waiting for?
Sonyo stood at the mouth of the forest, looking in to the depths of the trees, her arms folded in front of her. Getting to this location had taken a couple of days of research and reconnaissance, but it overall had not been difficult. It's almost as if the universe was guiding her here, to where she was supposed to be. With a soft hum, almost as if weighing her options, Sonyo entered the forest without a backwards glance.
Once inside the forest, each step inwards made each breath she took easier; as if the stress and responsibility was rolling off her shoulders like water. Every once in a while, the jinchuriki could swear she could see a shape slithering about in the undergrowth, but she paid it no mind. She knew how strong the summons were, and knew that if they wished they could attack her quite easily. Perhaps they were wary? She held a slumbering mass of demonic sand inside her, after all.
Almost too soon, it seemed, the forest opened out in to a clearing with a lake. As Sonyo stopped at the water's edge, a shadow became visible under it's surface. One eye popped out, probably as large as Sonyo's whole body, and looked dead at her. It was in this moment that the woman became innately aware that she was wearing a mask, and wearing masks did not make for a trustworthy first impression. Carefully reaching up, Sonyo undid the muted blue tengu mask pressed against her face.
Now that Katsuyu could see her face, the massive slug popped her head carefully above the surface. "Child of the Snow, why have you come to our lands?" The matron slug's voice was pleasant and quiet, and at it's sound snails began to pour from the underbrush. The moniker set Sonyo aback, she had been called many things, but never that. But that's where she had come from, right? Yukigakure was where she was born, and it's chill ran through her veins. Moving her mask so it was tied to the opposite hip than her quiver, Sonyo folded her hands in front of her once again.
"Katsuyu, yes?" When the slug nodded, Sonyo gave her a reassuring smile. "I was hoping to come to an agreement with your people. I've known many sages, many summoners, but have never taken to a contract myself. None have spoken to me like these lands do, I feel... at home here." Further the slug raised above the surface of the water, so now Sonyo could see the top of her body and the purple markings that splayed across the otherwise unblemished surface. "A contract? You wish to become a contract holder? We haven't signed a contract with any child of man in a very long time... How can I trust you to take care of my kin?"
She understood. She understood the worry, like any other mother Katsuyu was worried about Sonyo using them- betraying them. Carefully, Sonyo knelt down, first on her hands, then her knees, then finally pressed her forehead gently against the ground. With all the sincerity she could muster, Sonyo continued. "I have been a mother, a protector, a healer for as long as I can remember. I cannot find it in myself to put myself before others, I am not capable of it. No matter what happens, I can promise you that none of the residents of this forest nor this lake will find themselves in harms way. I am a mender... It is all I am, and all I search to be, despite this beast of rage deep inside me. I do not bend to his will, we are at a compromise."
Sonyo did not move, despite what must have been five minutes of absolute silence. It seemed as if the matron slug would not speak, but eventually she did. "You promise to uphold our views, Child of the Snow?" Again, without budging and with absolute clearness, Sonyo answered in the affirmative. Katsuyu was quiet for a moment more, before she let out a gentle sigh. Sonyo was unsure if it was relief, or pensiveness that caused it. "Stand." Carefully, Sonyo raised herself to her feet and dusted the sand off of herself which included a bit on her forehead. The gastropod beckoned her closer, so Sonyo moved across the surface of the water carefully.
On the back of a flood of slugs, a scroll made it's way to Sonyo. It was huge, and dotted along it were only a handprints-- the previous summoners. Why had there only been so few? As if hearing her thoughts, Katsuyu spoke. "We are very rarely sought out-- not many understand the potency of healing. The world is overfilled with those who only wish to cause harm. It is an imbalance we hope that you'll fix." Surprised hazel eyes looked up at the massive being in front of her. She could only hope she didn't let them down...
Biting down on her thumb, and wincing at both the pain and taste of blood that followed, Sonyo wrote down her mark on the scroll with her left hand. Once she pulled away, the massive roll of paper was whisked off on the backs of the flood of colored slugs just as quickly as it had come. Katsuyu carefully broke down in to a million versions of herself, which scurried off in to the forest-- most likely to do their daily tasks. One Sonyo-sized cloned of Katsuyu remained, tilting it's head at her. "There are many of us here. Ploy is but a child, but useful. They like to eat, so beware. Yoop is one of the eldest, and thus one of the largest. They tend to be closed off, but open up easily once they can trust you. Zark is the most matured out of our kin beside myself. She is a valuable ally, and quite smart. Xarsi is young, but quite large and has somewhat of a temper. You much watch them closely in combat."
Sonyo nodded, carefully choosing her next words. "I will. Thank you, Matron Katsuyu." The jinchuriki jumped suddenly, as weight hit her back, unsure whether or not to attack. The chuckled from the Katsuyu set her at ease, however, and after stumbling for a second the woman looked back to find a mass of white fluff with black spots attached to her back. The snail had to be at least three and half feet in length, and from it's head spouted furry antennae looking appendages. "That is Yatsuyu. You can take her with, if you wish. She does not like being trapped in the forest, and dreams of adventure. Something tells me she'll find that with you."
Nodding, Sonyo completed her goodbyes to Katsuyu and the brood, and then made her way out of the forest with an slug attached to her side, excitedly quivering.
โโโโโโโโโโ P A S S I V E S โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
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โข Shukaku will protect the host with Shield of Sand no matter the host's desire. Sand will collect around and follow the host, able to be kept in a gourd or not, and also as strong and fast as a D ranked technique at this stage, passively. Considered a spiritual defense. Increases by one rank per mastery stage added up to, but has a cooldown of two posts per defense applied. Cost subtracted from Shukakku's chakra pool. โข The user is able to combine their medical techniques and bloodline techniques for a single activation, paying only the total resource cost. Doing so allows the harming elements of the technique to impact foes while the healing aspects are able to heal allies in it's area of effect simultaneously. Once every three posts, the user may use this effect with offensive medical ninjutsu. โข Blood Knight: Your bloodline techniques possess greater power, allowing them to overwhelm techniques of the same rank and preventing them from succumbing to elemental weaknesses. You can cast bloodline techniques through one-handed seals. โข Combat Medic: Shinobi of this discipline gain the ability to pay for their simple taijutsu as complex. This does not alter its strength in collisions in any way from a standard simple technique. The user's body is more attuned to adrenaline, which allows them to receive a benefit from their techniques which use them every other post versus every three post. In addition, the user gains a 1 point increase in a chosen stat per body rank but must utilize all increases in the same stat. The user's body is treated with the durability of medium armor without any drawbacks. Furthermore the medical learning reductions gained from this class also count towards taijutsu learning reductions. The shinobi gains three tai slots, one at D rank, one at C rank, and then one at A-ranked. Finally, the user is able to augment their Genesis Rebirth Technique. Not only does this discipline allow the user to utilize the technique twice, but each time the user is restored of 250 chakra. The user also deals with trauma they receive at one rank less than other ninja. โข Maladies Physician: Shinobi of this discipline are experts in iryojutsu and are especially well-versed in afflictions. Their medical techniques cure all symptoms of status effects applied to the user, rather than where most of the techniques cure them one at a time. In addition, medical techniques which inflict a status may inflict three different applications of the status, rather than just one. The user's crafted poisons also carry this property. The shinobi also obtains 5 custom techniques for medical ninjutsu as well as a Medical Ninjutsu Keystone technique. Refer to the Keystone Guideline for more information. โข Blood Knight: Your bloodline techniques possess greater power, allowing them to overwhelm techniques of the same rank and preventing them from succumbing to elemental weaknesses. You can cast bloodline techniques through one-handed seals. {The Overwhelming Trait does not apply to anything above S} โข Deep Freeze: Water and Wind release techniques of the user may apply frostbite status at the following ranks. E-C Rank: Tier 1, B-A Rank: Tier 2 and S-S+ Rank: Tier 3.The user is able to replace hand signs for their bloodline techniques with any other type of hand sign replacement at character creation (following PA rules). [ SOMATIC GESTURES ] โข Frost Reaper: The user's body has become as cold as ice, even turning their veins ice cold. The user's taijutsu, bukijutsu and basic combat variants of the two allow the user to transmit frostbite at the convsion rate following this sentence. E-C Rank: Tier 1, B-A Rank: Tier 2 and S-S+ Rank: Tier 3.In addition, the user gains a style slot of their choosing at creation. โข I Am Life: If Sonyo retrains a non-damaging technique with the [ Medical ] tag, because of also having the Medical class, those techniques exhibit healing properties equal to their rank, and are labeled instead with a [ MEDIC ] tag. โข Of the White Sand: Any sand used by Sonyo becomes encased in a thin layer of ice, allowing for it to accumulate rank-applicable frostbite hazard, for 1.5x the cost. โข Priestess of the Mother: When around areas that flourish in life ( such as forests or oasises ), Sonyo can use one extra jutsu as a supplemental attack that does not take an activation once every [5] posts. โข I'm a lost girl from Neverland: When not in active combat, the Desert Suspension and Sand Creation jutsu draw from Shukaku's chakra pool instead of Sonyo's. โข Dance of Yuki-Onna: Sonyo can channel any bloodline technique and any taijutsu technique together for 1.5x the cost. Still takes 2 activation. [ Bloodline-class PA ] โข Rapid Response: Gains a [Slight] increase to [Speed] or [Reflex] per Medical Career Title. The Emergency physician can emulate the use of the ability [Diagnosis] on sight alone when an individual is in critical condition without requiring chakra. If a medical kit is in their possession they can emulate the effects of [ Adhesives ] and [ Delicate Stitching ] without requiring chakra. When using said items they are treated as having [3] charges per item. This takes a full post while not in a combat heavy scenario. โข Absolute Precision: Ever delicate and precise the Surgeon with their bladed physical attacks may severe muscles and veins knowing exactly what interacts with what. For each hit with a bladed weapon or something of similar sharp and severing degree, the Surgeon reduces the opponent's stamina by [5] per Career title per hit on the opponent. If a medical kit is in their possession they can emulate the effects of [ Necrotic Flesh Removal ], [ Extraction ] and [ Muscle Realignment ] without requiring chakra. When using said items they are treated as having [3] charges per item. This takes a full post while not in a combat heavy scenario. โข Fast Learner: Sonyo needs half as many posts for job missions
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โข Kiri Shikaku no Jutsu [ Mist Vision Technique ] [ D rank ]: The Shinobi causes the area surrounding their target to be covered in fog. The low visibility causes T1 blindness allows the Shinobi to silently and secretly assassinate their target. The mist lasts [4] posts. โข Mist Vision Technique [ Kiri Shikaku no Jutsu ] [ D rank ]: A technique usually used with the Hidden Mist Technique, the Mist Vision technique allows the user to see through the heavy mist, steam, or any other condition caused by water in the air. The technique is passive and activates when the user's vision would otherwise be obstructed by mist. When within a fog or mist, the user must use D-Rank chakra during the first post of use followed by an E-Rank amount as upkeep, this allows the user to see through all mist or steam as long as this is active regardless of rank. Does not consume an activation to be used. Negates any blindness status caused by moisture in the air. โข โข โข
evanescently magnificent
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2021 6:40 pm
The journey wasn't as difficult as the first had been for Kameyo, back when she was a little younger and a little more adventurous. However, Kameyo knew her task was a little different this time. She had been plagued with odd memories for far too long, something she believed was a remnant of the lives tied to the hearts she possessed. Usually, she never remembered such fever dreams. But lately, they had consumed every sleeping and waking thought, and she continued to get flashes of a place she knew had to be Shikkotsu.
Kameyo was happy to simply observe the forest for its botanical value until she reached the destined place, but she did have to stop at the sight of a brightly colored slug. "Who are you?" The words would have sounded aggressive and sharp on younger Kameyo, but now they were just hurried and hushed, words from a woman who was possessed by a quest she could no longer resist. "Plory. Who are you?"
Kameyo smiled at the shaky voice the timid slug had. She was used to intimidating others back before she ever wandered into Arashigakure, so it was a strange nostalgic feeling that wasn't as comforting as she thought, though she guessed she did feel comforted by the fact she didn't miss it, that she didn't regret her choices. "Kameyo. Kameyo of Arashigakure, now." The slug seemed to want to say something else, but it stayed silent instead. Kameyo narrowed her eyes, briefly, but decided to leave it. She had done this before and understood the process.
Only a little further in was she greeted by another slug, about the size of a person. "Who are you?" It inquired fearlessly. It was moving so quickly across the forest floor that Kameyo had to keep moving her neck to keep up. "Kameyo," she answered again, but the resulting silence felt heavier this time. "I am Kameyo of the Jiongu clan, the earth grudge people hailing from the Hidden Waterfall." The slug was silent again, and Kameyo felt she could breathe.
"No, but really; who are you?" A thin slug inquired as it plopped down from a branch and wrapped around Kameyo's backside. She huffed a frustrated breath for a moment before remembering that she couldn't risk the mission at hand. She thought for a moment about what the slug wanted to hear. "I am Kameyo, experienced with the sage arts but, having seen unexplainable images that call here, I have arrived to experience the nature chakra as it interacts in this forest." The slug seemed to whisper its name in her ear as it departed.
She shook her head to clear it, but she found a metallic black slug not much farther in the forest. "Who are you, here?" She wasn't sure about the question. Was she supposed to be someone else here? "Here, I am a student of the arts.""What arts?"Those of nature, water, and healing.""Is that what lies in your heart?""Which one?" She quipped with a smirk as she passed by the slug that named itself Xarsi, though the lack of further response from it unsettled her.
"Who are you?" A large white slug asked her as she reached the depth of the forest. The air was sickly sweet. "Katsuyu," she breathed out in awe. How had she known its name? Had the forest whispered in her ear? Was it the same quietness from the other slugs? "Is that who you are?" The slug inquired, and it seemed to be amused.
"Er - no, not quite. I am Kameyo, hailing from Arashigakure, but originally from the Hidden Waterfall with the earth grudge originals, the Jiongu clan." There was silence. "I was the multi-hearted, immortal wanderer. The woman capable of stealing hearts and saving them with the same hands." She held them up, looked at them and tried to imagine blood and medical chakra and fire and threads all around them, but they were painfully blank in her mind's eye.
"I am capable of hurting and healing in equal capacity, but much of my days of hurting are past me, now. My hearts ache with trauma that I can't name, only some of it caused by me in pursuit of them. My hearts ache, and I don't know why. I've been possessed by dreams of this forest and your healing prowess.
"I don't know what brought here besides my feet. It was like an unescapable premonition. I have known the deep abyss for so long but I don't think... I don't think that's right for me. I need to avoid the darkness. I need to avoid the depths. I need transparency. I need to use my extended lifespan for good. What have I spent all my lives on thus far? What have my hearts spent theirs on before I claimed them? I need a legacy. I need purpose. Guidance. Light. I need to be healed, so that I may heal."
"Is that who you are?" Katsuyu asked, and it was without judgement. Kameyo could feel the eyes of the previous slugs and her spine didn't chill. Her hairs didn't rise. She felt safe, unjudged. Simply positioned between them all in suspense, their unweighted gaze simply perceiving her and her indecision. "I am. Yes. I am, indeed." She hoped her voice carried the conviction she felt.
It took only a moment before the whole forest seemed to stop holding its breath. The air was still sickly sweet, but Kameyo couldn't get enough of it. She approached Katsuyu, offering her hand and her blood on the fabric between them before Katsuyu carefully, almost maternally, healed her hand with a gentleness Kameyo didn't feel she had earned. Almost as if perceiving such a thought, Katsuyu seemed to tsk, but the blood and wound was gone as if it had never been, and the fabric rolled up easily.
A new contract. A new bond. A new purpose. Kameyo welcomed the healing prowess of the slugs and the new beginning it promised her.
