Naosu had believed in ignorance that the plant she had found was only a good one, and while she knew enough about medicine to understand dosage was important, she hadn't expected that the incorrect dose could have such potentially deadly consequences. She had accidentally found the right dose by chance, but only for a Soquili her size. Giving the same amount to a Usdia on the other hand had nearly killed them and if she hadn't acted quickly, they would have been lost. She could not make that mistake again. She would not!
Only trial and error would help her to find the perfect mix for every size from mini to the awesomely towering, but from now on she swore to be more careful when dosing. Not to mention that she still needed to find out all of its uses. What it could help cure, whether it had to be taken internally or if it also worked if mashed into a paste and applied to the skin.
Well, she could test some of these things on herself at the very least. With the help of her brother Ichiru, she could apply the paste to her skin and see what happened, see if it made her sick or did nothing or made nausea go away, or what have you. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of potentially poisoning his sister, but they were both half unicorn and angeni, so Naosu was convinced she would be alright so long as she was careful and her brother stuck close by to keep an eye on her.
The symptoms began slowly and at first she didn't really notice. It was just some tiredness, but being sleepy wasn't itself so very strange, and she did her best to ignore that when she had so much to do that day. But then she began to feel dizzy and the compulsion to just lie down became stronger until she finally succumbed to it and asked her brother to bring her some water while she nibbled on grass. The water tasted metallic to her when he brought it to her in a broad leaf, but it tasted fine to him. That was when she realized what was happening and tore at the wrappings so viciously she bit herself along the way.
"Naosu will be alright." She stated afterward, even as blood ran down her leg, but she didn't utter a protest when Ichiru used the water he'd brought for her to drink to wash her leg and clean off the blood as well as the mashed up plant poultice.
"There's more to learn." She stated afterward. "Maybe Naosu just used too much."
"Maybe you should stop experimenting on yourself." Ichiru replied testily. He paced back and forth, stomping heavily in a show of his agitation along with the whipping of his tail. "What if I lose you, Naosu? Huh? What then? All we have is each another!" He turned to her, baring his teeth.
Naosu winced at the concern and frustration etched on her brother's face, her own expression softening with remorse. She understood his worry all too well, since if something was to happen to him she would be just as devastated. She hung her head, pinning her ears back in shame.
"Naosu is sorry. Naosu took a risk. She was foolish to experiment on herself without fully understanding the risks. Ichiru is right, we only have each other."
She lifted her head again to meet his distressed and angry gaze. "Naosu will be more careful from now on, she promises. Naosu will study and research the plant more carefully. Naosu wants to learn its true potential, but not at the expense of her health."
She forced herself to stand. "Ichiru means everything to Naosu." She took a shaky step forward to gently rubbed her cheek against his. "Thank you for helping Naosu."
"Of course I'll help you." Ichiru stated with frustration. "You're my little sister, after all." He let out a heavy breath and rubbed his horn against hers. "Just be more careful! Just because of what we are doesn't mean we're safe from everything."
"Naosu knows. Naosu will be more careful. But Naosu still learned something important. It doesn't have to be eaten to work. Naosu just needs to find the right dose for that as well." She took a step back and shook herself from nose to tail. "Naosu will wait a few days before trying again, and she'll use a lot less this time."
"You'll try it on me next time." Ichiru stated, and stamped his foot when it looked like she might protest. "You already know what it does, so you'll catch it in me if I start to show similar signs and we can catch it before I go as mad as you did and bite myself to get it off."
"Naosu just panicked, that's all." But she nodded. "Okay, Ichiru. Next time Naosu will watch over you." Together they would solve the mystery of this plant, and find the best way to use it.
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