He is back. We think.

After doing many important offscreen things: such as waking up with freakish and upsetting teeth, licking more things he probably shouldn't, and grieving for those lost in the rolling dunes of Hydra - he'd wandered into Lacerta in search of more Bad Things to taste.

He clacked his teeth thoughtfully (one must assume.) The giant anteater took a moment to watch the orb light peek through the thick foliage of the jungle, absorbing... Something, from it.

@Friend

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WELCOME, [UNIDENTIFIED USER] !
> load file:THE_SLIMER.txt
Accessing document . . .

It'd gotten used to this form. Specifically, it'd spent a long time observing other skrunglers and, after a few days, had even slipped into a pack of them and studied up close. They were active when the lights went off, usually, and they were ambush predators. Friend hadn't yet gotten a good chunk of anything the pack had killed yet, which meant it didn't have any usable data it could use to improve itself with.

So, it split off for a while, keeping to the shade beneath foliage to hide itself in. Eventually, it did find something: something large and hairy and feathery with an... interesting mouth. And face. And claws.

This would do quite nicely. If it could pull it off.

Reaching into its head where its core lay, it felt a familiar prick of magic against its skull. A voice, hushed, came from the bushes nearby where, hopefully, Friend would be at a good angle to get its teeth into the creature without immediately being found. "I need help," the magic whisper murmured. "Come here."

Save file ? ( Y / N )

@k'cil

The anteater stiffens at a distant noise, recognising the sound of a voice. He is not the sharpest tool in the shed, but to be fair to him, he'd never encountered a predator like this one before. Something that twisted the sense of duty he had to others to lure him, closer and closer to his end.

He was unaware of the threat, only that whatever was calling him needed help. He liked to help!

Kcil approached the ruff of leaves, snuffling curiously. There was a flash of concern in his big, brown eyes.

@Friend (you are able to tag this account now lol)

████████ ███████ ███████ [Version 07.0.26200.8655]
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WELCOME, [UNIDENTIFIED USER] !
> load file:THE_SLIMER.txt
Accessing document . . .

Friend watched with giant, bloated eyes as K'cil approached, sniffing, like he wanted to help. What a fool. Crouching low towards the forest floor, the mimic stared at its target: the back of the anteater's neck.

And then, it lunged.

It sprang up and tried to latch itself onto the back of his throat, jaws clinging tightly onto the ruff of his neck and chomping.

Save file ? ( Y / N )

ROUND 1/?

100%

ATTEMPT: latch onto the back of k'cil's neck
DEFENSE: venomous
INJURIES: none

@Kcil

Oh god. Oh no.

To be fair, it wasn't that the anteater was unprepared for this outcome. This was Lacerta, and he'd seen its predatory titans roaming the jungles. But the timing? That was a little odd.

He'd never been trapped before. Never betrayed.

But maybe all that had carried him this far was luck.

The blood was immediate, the skin on his spine shredded by razor-blade teeth. The bite was frighteningly strong, the pressure pushing him past panic - terror rocketed through him as the anteater began to buck, swiping blindly.

ROUND 1/?

ATTEMPT: flail around and throw friend off
DEFENSE: quills along back
INJURIES: chomped neck ow. venom kicking in

@Friend

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WELCOME, [UNIDENTIFIED USER] !
> load file:THE_SLIMER.txt
Accessing document . . .

The harder K'cil bucked and swung and shook, the harder the 'skrungler' bit down on his scruff. It wasn't letting go-- not without a fight. Its snout crinkled as it applied more and more pressure to stay on while the anteater tried to throw it off.

It didn't have arms in this form-- not like Brother. But it did have feet. It swung its legs up for K'cil's shoulders, half-ripping and clawing at his pelt aimlessly, and half-looking for further purchase to stay leeched onto his body.

Save file ? ( Y / N )

ROUND 2/?

100%

ATTEMPT: clawing into k'cil's body, mostly to stay on, partially to be an asshole
DEFENSE: venomous
INJURIES: none

@Kcil

The anteater hissed, unable to shake the attacker off. Something was wrong, something more than the injury... His vision began to blur, colours splitting and marbling, spots dancing in his vision.

The thing clinging to his back scrabbled, wrenching tufts of fur with its claws. The anteater switched up his strategy, throwing himself to the ground and rolling back and forth, hoping to catch his attacker unaware and trap it under his weight.

ROUND 2/?

ATTEMPT: roll around and squish friend
DEFENSE: quills along back
INJURIES: chomped neck ow. venom kicking in

@Friend

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WELCOME, [UNIDENTIFIED USER] !
> load file:THE_SLIMER.txt
Accessing document . . .

Friend let out a krr--RAAAHHH of pain as the anteater rolled, becoming trapped underneath the bulk of K'cil. At least that had worked for now-- its jaws unlatched and it screeched, kicking its hind legs up to try and rake into him again.

Save file ? ( Y / N )

ROUND 3/?

88%

ATTEMPT: claw the fucking shit out of k'cil from under him
DEFENSE: venomous
INJURIES: squished

@Kcil

As soon as he felt the creature's grip slip, the anteater wasted no time in scrambling back to his feet, leaving it on the ground before it could retaliate. He'd fought his way to an advantage, finally.

He couldn't savour the success. His eye were wild, whites showing as they danced in their sockets. He was surrounded, teeth gnashing and hands reaching, the sands of hydra kicking up around his feet...

The skrungler on the ground begun to swell, changing before his eyes. Bile swelled in his throat. He turned on Friend, lunging with claws and bone-teeth, hoping to beat it into submission, to stop it from changing into something worse.

ROUND 3/?

ATTEMPT: clawing and biting and such
DEFENSE: quills along back
INJURIES: chomped neck ow. tripping balls

@Friend sorry if this double tags

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WELCOME, [UNIDENTIFIED USER] !
> load file:THE_SLIMER.txt
Accessing document . . .

There was a half-second where Friend was very proud of the blood that splattered out of its body when K'cil raked into it. It'd made that! It worked! It looked very real! Of course, Friend also had to endure the fact it'd made pain receptors, and those too, were working very well.

This ambush thing was proving very difficult.

But, the anteater's face was turned to it now. It could tell because the teeth were sinking into it. It shot a leg up with a shriek, claws going for its eyes. Surely that would help.

Save file ? ( Y / N )

ROUND 4/?

73%

ATTEMPT: clawing k'cil aiming for eyes
DEFENSE: venomous
INJURIES: squished, clawed and bited at and such

@Kcil