Slowly opening my eyes, I see the door is cracked open… sis is standing there, watching me. “Hey Yuna… how are you feeling?”

  Groaning and sitting up, she nods and vanishes, coming back with a plate of breakfast and setting it on my lap. “Here’s some food… I’m sure you’re hungry.”

  “Thanks… how’s Sal?”

  “She’s alright… told me a bit about other arcane creatures. That not all try to hurt us apparently.”

  Nodding a bit, I start slowly eating. Makes sense… Mira told me something like that once…

  “She also told me… this is how we heal your souls.”

  Blinking in surprise, she leans against my side. “Being relaxed and cared for.”

  Smiling a bit, I lean back into her, wrapping my tail around her back. “Thanks… is that why you’re so openly lovey?”

  She blushes a bit, shaking her head. “I’m not that bad, alright? I just need to make sure you two know how much you matter.”

  Smiling more, I eat my food in earnest, letting a more comfy silence fill the room.

  ‘My chest… it feels a little fuller… is that what soul damage feels like? A hollowness in your chest? Scary…’

  “Hey, you’ve got some cobwebs in your room. You haven’t been cleaning, have you?”

  Looking around, I spot it in the corner, tucked behind my bed. “What? No, I was… well before I got hurt, but yeah I was.”

  Grumbling and shaking her head, she swats away the webs. “Mhm, sure. Still need me to take care of you, huh?”

  Pouting, I hand her the plate with a little smirk. “Well could you take care of this for me then?”

  She stares at it, before laughing and taking it. “Alright, I walked into that one, sure sure.”

  As she walks out, I look around in thought.

  ‘...what now? …I want to check on Sal.’ Slowly climbing out of bed, I head over to her room, spotting her staring at herself in the mirror.

  “...sal?”

  As she turns, she nods and sits down. “Come in. How are you feeling?”

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  Walking over and sitting next to her, I nod. “Fine. Sis fed me and now I was wanting to check on you… thanks, for everything. And saving my life, again.”

  Seeing her smile, I can’t help but want to smile a bit as well. “Of course… I’ve gotta take care of you, after all. Even if now it’s Lumi taking care of us.”

  Chuckling a bit, I look around in quiet thought. “...so… this hollowness… you feel it too?”

  Clutching at her chest, she nods. “Soul damage. We should be rightfully dead, but the spell saved us. Now… we need comfort, and for one’s will to exert itself alongside ours to heal.”

  “Will?” My ear cocks like sis’, and Sal smiles a little.

  Her face shifts into a more calm expression, as she makes little hand gestures as if picturing something as she explains. “Well… it’s a bit complex. Souls are extensions of the person. We can’t recover them on our own; it’s like trying to pick yourself up to fly. But if we get a boost from someone else to lift us up, via their honest will, we can. Just like how a strong enough will could tear us apart, like that thing did.”

  Slowly, I nod. “...makes sense… so could we do other things to pick us up? Give ourselves a boost? This feels really uncomfortable… and a bit painful.”

  Leaning back on her hands, she nods. “Yeah, we could… through acts of exerting our will on the world. It’s… complicated. I think it boils down to cementing who we are with actions, the more bold, the better. The more defiant, the better.”

  She seems pretty well ready to explain this to me… “were you thinking about how to do that already, when I walked in?”

  Looking at me, she nods. “Am I that obvious now?”

  Leaning back alongside her, I shake my head. “No. I just know you that well.”

  “Well thanks I guess, heh. Yeah, well… I was thinking about my implants. My blades are ruined, so I need to get them replaced. But… well, I could also get something new.”

  “New? What do you have in mind?”

  She hesitates, before shaking her head. “No, it’s not that important.”

  Blinking in surprise, I lay back properly. “That’s not like you. What is it? I’m sure it’s a good idea.”

  Sighing, she lays next to me, hesitating before actually speaking. “Well.. I’ve come to be close to you two… thinking of you like family… so… why not get implants related to my place here?”

  Eyes widening, I speak slowly. “You mean…”

  “Yeah… exotic cat implants. Ears, tail, claws, eyes, you know. But… would that be too much? Clingy?”

  Shaking my head sharply, I speak in a sterner tone, sounding like Lulu. “Not at all! Actually, it sounds more defiant against the world, right? You’re defying your own doubt and what you were made as, to become something you want to be! …that is, if you want to be like us out of your own will, and not out of just wanting to fit in.”

  “Huh?” Now it’s her turn to be confused.

  “...you’re not just doing it to fit in? Right? Because you’re already a part of us, you don’t need to change for us.”

  Sighing, she shakes her head. “No… that’s not it. I guess it’s… just something I might want to do. Maybe I’m just weird. If it is, just say so.”

  “No… no, I think it’s a nice idea. I’ll be happy to see it… so, will you?”

  “...I think I will.”

  Smiling, I hug her side, and she nuzzles my cheek. “Oh… and don’t tell Lulu. I wanna see her reaction to your implants.”

  Chuckling, she nods. “Yeah, sure.”

  ___

  We’re getting a new cat now, excited? Oh, if you would humor me, if you could be any kind of exotic, which would you become? A dog kind, a cat, a rare lamia type, etc?