Continuation of Big Gay Chi and Little Gay Jess

Link to previous time - https://gladiusrp.forumotion.com/t3509-big-gay-chig-and-little-gay-jess-in-rattowndonkey-kong-racing-i-mean-rat-race-mission

Exp earned so far [mission] -
Chi - 5 × 20 = 100
Jess - 6 × 20 = 120

**Major development for Jess, completion of Altered Reality Personal Saga. Major personality shift and healing over mental trauma will occur next. Request high amount.

Chigetsu starts the next round:

The compliment made him blush. Jess was incredibly enthusiastic about this situation, and with how open and talkative she was being it was hard for Chigetsu to not enjoy her company already despite having just met her. It was a little of that positivity that Chigetsu really needed in their life. Even if Chigetsu was a lot lower energy than Jess, having that high positive energy attitude was enough to lift everyone around her up. Even though they hadn’t really spoken much about the Chunin Exams yet, Chigetsu couldn’t help but think that Jess would be a great Chunin. Someone with a lot of energy, a positive attitude, was friendly, and was pleasant in general to be around were all traits that Chigetsu couldn’t help but think would make Jess excel at the role, and in general leadership positions. She was basically leading them on this mission, but also encouraging Chigetsu to pick up some work and take things at her own pace too. Immediately Chigetsu couldn’t help but admire the girl a little bit.

“Last one. Yeah! This wasn’t so hard. Not at all.” Chigetsu smiled, a bit of that energy from Jess leaking into his own attitude. Even if it was gross and they were in the sewers killing rats Chi was beginning to have a good time doing it. Maybe company was what really mattered, and now the activity? “This has been a good time… I mean, being in the sewers isn’t nice, but I liked meeting you-- I mean… It was just nice to talk to you and have you here with me.” He fumbled with his words a bit, but the message was clear. “I hope we get to go on more missions in the future, just maybe less that involve dirty places like this.”

They came to the last nest, and Jess would jump forward to take care of it. The girl was strong, and Chigetsu could see it just from how she had killed those earlier two nests. Very strong, beyond what Chigetsu could accomplish in terms of pure strength by far. She would jump up and put both her feet into the nest, caving it in easily.

More than just the nest would cave in. The whole ceiling would fall in, colliding down into the sewers around them. First the roots and then the majority of the tree. More than just the tree though. Rotten food, various living supplies, fresh food and drink, a decent amount of garbage, as well as what looked like four little skeletons that exploded down onto the floor and were left as splinters and fragments.

Jess fell down to her knees, breaking down. The explosion already made Chigetsu jump back in fright but the scream only added to the situation.

It would take Chigetsu a few moments, but he would slowly approach. Slowly he would pat down at Jess’s shoulder, attempting to cautiously comfort her as she broke down. He didn’t know exactly what was happening, or why any of this had just happened, but his instinct was to comfort her even still. Slowly he would kneel down, getting down on Jess’s level.

“Are… Are you okay, Jess?”

"Meeting you, Chigetsu, has truly been a pleasure, I’m certain we will be assigned together in the future and you will see my true lack of skill in person" Jess delivered a very rare self derogating joke, normally her humor consisted of observations and goofy shenanigans like dressing up and using prop humor. Today was truly a day for breaking new grounds and stepping out of her shell, the chemist was very glad for the opportunity bestowed upon the two even if it was in a disgusting place. “Honestly, I agree, I’m done going near garbagey gross icky stuff I think" Jess beamed with positivity at this statement her trip pants jingling as her legs shuffled in excitement. A break through indeed, the day kept getting even better though it would shift after this. 

With the deed complete, Jess was now in a catatonic state as Chi tried to grab her attention from seemingly so far away. An incomprehensible distance to the orphan who’s mind was flashing through memories real and constructed through a mind who didn’t know which was which. Luckily Jess had shut down instead of went into a rage denial and thus Chigetsu's hand was not attacked by someone who was suffering mass trauma. Had Jess actually been there she would have informed Chigetsu that even though their clan had hydrophication it was never a wise idea to touch someone who may be suffering an event of post traumatic stress disorder. She wasn’t here however in that sort of capacity instead being there only enough to catch the care given by her new friend.
 
Still what was real? What was false? Jess looked back to the tree to see two sets of images, one covered in blood. The other dust. Driven by clockwork, I try to keep my eye open and I realize I havent closed my eyes in a long time. I am trying. 

Images splitting in two or overlaying was a common occurrence in those scant three seconds, time was rather messy like that. To the fracturing mind of the one who believed herself the most darkest of sinners it seemed like the last ten years had unfolded. Two sets of reality were layered in front of her on this front. It would be fascinating to the genjutsu artist if it was not her own life. As that it was, it was rather distressing instead. A reflector hive of eyes upon which the soul was consumed, essence faded and chaos bloomed. A mind unravels and restructures itself in a unique way each time, one can never be too certain how much damage or where or if or when it will occur. Either way Jess' innocence was completely stripped away and never again would she not assess her surroundings. In fact now she would make certain to try and unlock the skill of sensing chakra as well as sensing through other means to ensure that no such thing happened in the future. To the chemist this was a true horror show, more so than watching the effects of some drugs and poisons ravage a victim. 

This would be an event that would shape Jess for the rest of her life regardless of outcome. 

Looking back to Chigetsu she would say, “Ah-ah killd dum, my" at this point the orphan and now sibling slayer would pause to stop the effects of crying from becoming too gross, aware of her appearance somehow even now in front of those that she cared about. Chigetsu did not want to see anything disgusting and as her new friend she would strive to make sure to allow him not to see things that were gross after such an awful event. How could she possibly achieve it? It did not matter, the mind of the delusional enforced to itself that it would and that was enough to placate the grey matter. 

“Wait, what did you see Chigetsu?” her intellect had pulled the best of timing and came through in the clutch asking a question that could stop her mind from fracturing. This question alone could shape how the Orphan's recovery would go, after all it would probably be easier to process that her siblings had died long ago than just now. Even if it was not reality, which it was in fact. 

For after all, in this fragile state Chigetsu became the person Jess trusted the most. If they said jump the chemist would ask how high? This would probably keep up until and unless that trust was abused. It was the first time such a trust was extended and was done so not just in desperation but in faith that it was not misplaced. Time would only tell but Jess was not a fool and her mind had came to a conclusion based on what had been perceived and understood before the incident.

She would be left gently comforting Jess, patting at her shoulder in an attempt to make things even the slightest bit better. But this was a situation in which she had no understanding, no comprehension, and no real involvement. She barely knew Jess, and the only thing that separates her right now from being a bystander to the emotional torment was the fact that she had chosen to step forward and take an action to try to help, even if it was useless in the end. Maybe the action of trying to help didn’t mean anything unless it really produced any results. Maybe Chigetsu was just making it worse by trying. It was impossible to know. Jess looking back to Chigetsu, sobbing and crying as she did, was something Chigetsu didn’t know how to deal with. Just more gentle patting, as if he was afraid to touch her.

“What did I see…?” The question was strange, bizzare. Why was she even asking this? Jess had sort of pulled herself together to ask it, but the entire situation here was just bizzare and made no sense. The response would just be a look at first, one of confusion and bewilderment and a lack of understanding.

“It was… It was a tree that fell down, and some roots. It crashed down, and a bunch of trash and skeletons fell out.” Exactly what happened would be recited back to Jess. “I’m sorry if it scared you. You don’t have to look if you don’t want to. I can take you back home, where you can rest. There’s no need for us to continue down here.”

"Do you need me to help you stand up? I can help you if you need help. Don't worry." She cautiously would offer a hand down to the girl, waiting for her to take it or refuse it if she wanted. Whatever Jess was okay with. Situations like this, even if Chigetsu didn't understand what was happening or why, obviously needed to be handled delicately.

So it was not the worst that would come to pass as Jess first imagined, thank goodness for that, Chigetsu did not give any micro expressions to indicate lying so at this point to Jess the long term hallucination theory was looking better. This was something the genin could live with and adjust for though it would certainly take some long term getting used to as her nativity was stripped from her and she became innately aware of the illusionary nature of perception and thus reality. To be cliché they were all simply actors and even the most brutal war some staged play attempt for one to gain more power. Chigetsu had stepped forward in a direly needed moment and the orphan would not forget this. 

"Yes I would like very much to go somewhere else right now, I’m sorry it’s too fresh right now to explain fully but that’s my house so I hope we can go to yours" if she could not she would depart regardless as their mission was completely fully. Though she enjoyed the presence of the other person who offered to help her up, it was not needed and Jess stood to try an attempt at a smile for Chigetsu. It was very hard to act right now, the female hoped that they would get to experience some more goofy shenanigans in the future and emerge from this dark period though she was wildly uncertain as to how the other ninja would react to confirmation of that tree being Jess' home. The chemist fully expected to answer a barrage of inquisitive questions about this but as she warned she could not handle much at all right now.

This was still a crazy situation, one that Chigetsu didn’t really understand, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t try to help whenever she could. Even if it didn’t account for anything at the end of the day. Jess would stand on her own, not taking the hand that Chigetsu had offered down to her. In a sense Chigetsu understood. That and the pained smile. Emotions and thoughts that were hard to deal with, and a pain that needed to be suppressed. There was nothing for Chigetsu to say. She could only acknowledge Jess’s emotions, and then do her best to respect them.

The fact that she said it was her house wasn’t something Chigetsu missed. It was a terrifying thought, one that only kicked in a few seconds later, but not one that she would react to. Whether Jess was lying or there were some unspoken implications here were irrelevant, and Chigeetsu didn’t want to ask or know. Some things needed to stay private. At least, unless Jess wanted to talk about it, and then perhaps things would change.

“You can stay over at my apartment. There’s enough room for the two of us. It has some spare bedrooms… It’s actually really big, so having someone else staying there would make it feel a lot less empty. So you can stay as long as you need to!”

She wanted to half make a joke about not worrying about rent, but it felt almost like it would be in bad taste right now. Instead she would turn, ready to leave the sewers. Still, she wouldn’t lead Jess, but rather insist on walking beside her, or at least only a little bit in front of her if she really wanted to follow. Chigetsu wanted to keep an eye on her in her current state, turning every so often to check up on her and ensure she was still following around. It was born out of active worry, rather than any sort of experience with these sorts of things, but it felt important to do regardless.

[Exit]

Processing all of these things was intense for Jess but ultimately she was able to juggle multiple things in her brain though her innocence and gullibility were being forcibly stripped away. For the genin this was an odd process of digesting what her mind had done to shield her long ago. They must have starved when she was sick, it was the only logical explanation and in hindsight Jess despaired how her mind allowed them to continue on yet not noticing the conflicting evidence there. Thank goodness that Chigetsu had been there for them, a feminine perspective was needed for the comfort to get passed this and so after Chigetsu spoke and Jess answered she would sling her arm around the shoulders of the slim female friend she made that day. She would do so to show that she was accepting to help but also show that she would be there for the other ninja and would never forget this most charitable action.

 First however Jess would respond to the Hozuki's words with an earnest gratefulness behind it, “Well it would be better than living in one of the shops I run. Which someone's certainly earned perks at. If you ever need food, medicine, drugs, or to visit the armory let me know and I’ll hook you up. Once I feel better I’m going to have to show you them all.” After that the orphan who was slightly adopted would walk out of the sewers next to her new friend who she would make sure would never suffer like Jess just had.

[EXIT]