Mens Sana in Corpore Sano

"I... Sometimes do... But I must stay strong." Eri was determined to not let that little misstep affect her for the rest of her life, even when the taste came back to her head, she had to focus, think of something else and luckily for her, the Ambrosia potion she needed to drink to keep the fever away had a pretty strong taste, enough to make her forget about that milk. "When it happens I just think on the potion's taste, the Ambrosia tastes pretty bad so that helps."

So she had been feeling the effects. At least she had something to keep her mind off of it and stuff it down, but it was still there. Zoe might not have anything like that to keep her focused and away from those thoughts, but she didn't care about that. Eri's safety, and happiness, took priority over her own, and if she was suffering through this too, then they both needed to find some way to kick this, before it got too big for either of them to stop. And Zoe didn't have a singular thought to pull her back like Eri did. If she dropped that hard like earlier again, she might not come back on her own. Zoe would have to come up with something of her own to beat down these cravings, or they were going to end up getting so strong that she might not be able to stop it...

"Well...alright, but if it starts getting really bad, you tell me right away, okay? We'll...find some way to fix this. I promise." Zoe's face was serious, but also worried. Pleading, almost.

Eri nodded, she had to remain strong, for herself and for Zoe, she had to be there in case Zoe got lost again. Her train of thought was interrupted by sudden movements inside of her hood and the head of a rabbit soon popped out of the hood and started to sniff the delicious scent of the food. "Ah, Maya, you are awake, are you hungry?" The rabbit popped out of the hood and hopped on to the floor where she kept sniffing the food before directing her gaze to Vienna.

Vienna's eyes widen as she covered her mouth in shock and horror as Zoe recalled the tales of accepting the hospitality of holstaurs and getting drugged. She was well aware of how addiction could sap the will of anyone. Even moreso than most midara charms, chemical addiction was a constant threat even after the encounter.

"Oh my goodness! They...drugged you..." For a moment she wasn't able to formulate proper words until she took a deep breath. "I cannot imagine what it is like, the constant craving for something...to go back to your captive even." Another deep breath. "I see why you have been troubled since you came here. It is like a relapse of that moment isn't it? I would even understand that you would find me suspicious seeing similarities between them and me."

Somehow, Vienna was able to lay out words that were capable of perfectly describing her inner turmoil. Zoe had to admit she was quite perceptive of these things. She understood her plight with what little she had told her. Could it be an example of Vienna's own experience? Maybe she had seen people like Zoe in her work?

Zoe brought her arms onto the table as she rested her chin on them. It was likely not the most polite thing in the world, but she was starting to feel down on herself so hopefully Vienna would forgive her this one time. "It's not like I want to distrust you...it's not even your fault. It's mine, really. It's...hard, not to think about, sometimes. It's like I don't know better, anymore. Not just that I fell for it...not just because I start feeling it again, but that...but that I told Eri it would be okay. I told her that we could trust them."

Vienna would notice Zoe's hands tighten around her arms at the mention of it. It was Zoe's greatest failure, that she hadn't noticed a thing, and even convinced Eri that it was safe. How wrong and naieve she was, at the time. And she's never forgiven herself for it, even when Eri has.

"That's why we need this. Not just for Eri, but for me, too. I have to get stronger...in every way. If something like that happens again, then I have to be ready. I've got to be stronger, to keep people from...from even thinking about that in the first place. That's...what I'm hoping for, from all of this."

Eri placed her hand over Zoe's and gave her a kind look and a warm smile, Zoe's inner struggles, she was trying her hardest to overcome what happened for the both of them, so the red kitsune was more determined than ever to do the same, she had to grow stronger, even if Zoe didn't want to admit it, Eri knew she had to grow stronger in order to keep her safe, to be able to return in kind everything she did for her, she took care of her since the first day she arrived in this world and Eri wanted to protect her, see that Zoe could be happy without being worried about her everyday.

There was another reason as to why she wanted to be stronger, Maya, she wanted to save Maya, to protect her friend with everything she had, she made a promise with the witch, she would return to the mansion and she would rescue her, but in her current state, she knew she would be a burden more than being able to help...

Her current trail of thoughts was suddenly interrupted by a rabbit staring at her, Maya had, somehow, probably hopping from one of the chairs, got on top of the table and was staring at her owner. "Oh? Maya? How did you get here? Are you hungry?" The rabbit started to lovingly lick Eri and Zoe's hands, tickling them both with her whiskers. "Hehe, here, have some magic..." The red kitsune created a small ball of magic and fed it to the rabbit who seemed to enjoy it a lot, with her free hand, Eri started to pet Maya between the ears.

From Zoe's tone and words, Vienna could tell that her wounds run deeper than Eri's did.  The fox girl was not able to forgive herself for convincing Eri that their hostesses were trustworthy just for them to fall under the influence of the drugs.  It was probably a wound that was deeper than anything than what the holstaurs can even do to her.  Vienna sighed.  She wasn't sure if she has the capability to to help them in any meaningful way.  She knows of a few people that could but-

A tiny motion on the table drew her attention from her thoughts as she found a rabbit had hopped onto the table with Eri feeding her...mana?  The elder didn't pretend she knew what was going on but it seemed to be normal compare to everything so far.  

"Well it is unfortunate that this is not within my area, that I cannot help you with.  And I do not want to make it any worse to pretend that I do and give you false solutions.  The only thing I can do is ask around and see if anyone is able to help you."  She paused and gestured to the food on the table which had largely been ignored in the midst of the depressing talk.  "But for now, let us focus on the good things in life and cherish what we have."

Zoe knew the truth to Vienna's words. There was an air to her that became more apparent the longer she heard her speak...a level of authority to it, but also a mature edge that felt like it had seen much through her long life. She didn't think it'd be an easy fix, anyway. Just something to shuffle under the rug and pretend didn't happen...no, as much as she'd like it, that didn't seem likely.

Without saying a word, Zoe reached over to Maya herself and started to give her a little scritch along the back as well. Originally, she didn't know what to make of the magical rabbit Eri had picked up. Mainly because of who it came from, her namesake. At the time, she didn't know much about the witch, or if she wasn't plotting something against the two of them, but especially Eri. It's not like their first meeting had gone all that well, either. But now, she knew that Maya was someone with Eri's best interests at heart, just like Zoe. And even if they bickered back and forth, that would always be true.

An uncharacteristically soft smile crossed Zoe's face, as, for at least this one moment, the raging torrent of her mind started to slow, just a little. Even her tail started to wag in the seat, along the back of the chair she was seated in.

"Yeah...I can think of a few things I cherish, right now..."

Vienna watched as Zoe relaxed for a moment, the troubled expression was gone at least for the time being. The elder herself smiled. Seems the tempest of emotion has subsided for now. "Keep them close to your heart...for when you need strength to go through the toughest of times...you will at least have light and something to look forward towards...." Her gaze moved to each of the two foxes as she spoke. Her words was soft in tone but with firm conviction.

Dinner passed pleasantly and soon there was nothing left of Eri's dish with 3 full and content diners at the table. "Goodness...that was quite heavenly. I hope you both enjoyed dinner as much as I have. There is still some time before night sets so you have some free time before bed time. Do either of you need anything before I return to my room?" Vienna rested her hands together on the table, awaiting their question or request.

Eri looked at Zoe and smiled, it was obvious that Zoe was still affected by the incident in the forest, those holstaurs had a pretty strong impact on her with their drugged milk, it would take time for Zoe to fully recover if she ever did but Eri was sure of something, she would stay by her side no matter what.

At Vienna's words, Eri looked at the woman. "Allow me to help washing the dishes, it's the least I can do Ms.Vienna." The red kitsune got back on her feet, starting to gather the dishes from the table.

At least for the time being, Zoe could focus on something else in her life besides the failure. Her laughs were genuine, and her smile was big and meaningful. Behind the mental scars, all Zoe wanted was moments like this, that could be permanent. Not to mention, the food was amazing. The two of them had really outdone themselves, and it was perfect.

As the night wore down, Zoe felt for the first time in a while, stuffed. The future was on her mind, but it was mostly positive. Maybe she could get a little extra training in before bedtime? She would need to be in top form for this job.

"Oh, I'll help, too! You guys already made all the food, after all. I can at least help with this much!" Zoe hopped to her feet, walking over to the sink to get it ready for Eri who had already gathered up the plates. After the two of them get done here, maybe she can sneak out for a little late night practice...working in the dark would be a good skill to have, too. And the work earlier hadn't worn her down too much.

"Now, wait just a minut-"  Before she could finish her words, Eri and Zoe had already taken off with the dishes, not helped that her slow reflexes allowed speedy foxes to get a sizable head start to the kitchen.  The elder sighed and shook her head, though her expression was not of exasperation but of fond resignation.   The young are always so hasty and full of energy, energy she doesn't have anymore.  As she herself gets up, she finally called out to them.

"Well fine...but once you are finish, make sure to power down the lights.  It is the dial to right of the sink.  Your rooms will be in the hallway, the first to the right.  And make sure not to stay up too late.  Good night you two."  With those last words and a fond smile, she scuffled over to the hall to her room.

The boundless energy of the two was enough to keep them going even as the night went on. Zoe was no stranger to a little dish washing. It was one of the many, many skills she picked up in that hell hole she was forced to call home.

"...we haven't had a lot of time to just kinda, you know...talk, about things, Eri. After everything that's happened...how you holding up? I know it's been a lot to take in lately, and, I dunno...I guess I just wanted to hear how you were feeling after all of this." Zoe was cleaning a plate with a rag, absentmindedly moving it in a circular motion to get it more clean. The motions came naturally to her, even if it looked like she was focusing on it.

"Well... I feel... Worried, I didn't know it affected you so badly and it scares me, I don't want to lose you Zoe..." The red headed kitsune grabbed Zoe's hand. "Why didn't you tell me before?" Her eyes were blue pools of sadness, the thought of losing Zoe, specially after almost making the mistake of leaving her in that house, were eating her from the inside, she felt really guilty and would probably continue to feel like that until she managed to find a way to heal Zoe's addiction, if there was any...

"I...I, uh..." The words seemed to catch in Zoe's throat as she tried, and failed to get them out against Eri's look directed at her. She felt at a loss as to how to answer that question, especially since she had kept that from Eri for her sake. But now, it was being thrown back at her.

"I...I didn't want you to...worry about me..." Zoe felt a little ashamed at hiding it from her closest person, but she did it for her sake. "You've already got so much on your mind lately! And..I didn't want me to be something else that was weighing you down..."

Zoe took the one hand Eri had in both of hers. "Besides, you know I'm tough! Sure, it might look, well...kinda bad sometimes. But I'm not gonna let it beat me!" It was a lie, but one she could tell really well. In truth, she couldn't deny that she was terrified of the worst case scenario. But, she wasn't going to let Eri share that burden. Not when she has enough she has to worry about, as is. And not if she can do something about it.

"You're not going to lose me, Eri. Promise."

Eri didn't bought it for even a second, she had spent enough time with Zoe to know when she was lying, the red haired kitsune wasn't mad at her, she knew that Zoe would only lie to her for her own good. "Zoe... Don't lie to me, please, and talk to me... I will worry about you anyway..." Eri's grasp on Zoe's hand tightened. "Please..." Zoe could see not only concern on Eri's eyes but also fear.

Zoe sighed, defeated. "Eri...you've gotten good at picking that stuff out. That's good...I'm really happy." The fox knew she couldn't hide it from her partner anymore. Not when she had her pegged that well.

"Alright, alright...fine. You win, Eri." She looked up to face Eri, and, at least for right now, Zoe wasn't hiding anything. "But what else can I do? Every time I stop to think about it...it gets worse...all I really can do is just, pretend it isn't there, and hope it doesn't creep up on me. That's...that's all I can think of! I'm...I'm powerless, Eri...and it terrifies me! What even can I do, Eri?!? I don't-!"

Zoe had noticed mid-sentence that her hand had balled up on its own, so tightly that her fingers dug into her skin, drawing blood. She hadn't even noticed the sensation of pain from it...Zoe looked over at the sink, the two of them done by now. "I'm...I'm sorry. Eri, I didn't mean..." She had raised her voice in front of her trusted partner, over something like this. The fox couldn't help but feel ashamed at her outburst. "...I need to, clear my head a little. You should get some rest, Eri. We're both going to need it at this rate, but...I'm probably not gonna get any sleep like this, anyway. Least I can do is get some of my own practice in." Zoe put a hand on Eri's shoulder, looking her directly in the eyes. "I don't know what's gonna happen, but...I'll figure something out. Somehow." Her hand slipped off of Eri's shoulder as she walked past her, towards the door.

Before Zoe could leave the house, Eri walked towards her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Good night Zoe, don't stay awake until too late, okay?" She bid farewell to Zoe with a smile before heading to the room that Vienna had prepared for them. Looking towards the door, Eri whispered "Be careful..." Before heading into the room to sleep for the night.

Some part of Zoe was worried that Eri had gotten upset at her. That her anger and frustration had only led to more anger and frustration. All of those worries went away as she felt her soft kiss on her cheek. Deep down, Eri loved her as much as Zoe loved her back.

"I...I won't..." Zoe couldn't stop a light blush coming across her face as she waved to Eri who went to bed. For a moment, she just stood there, looking at where Eri had went off to, as if her mind needed a moment to bring itself back from the sudden haze. She quickly shook her head and turned back to face the door. She had to force herself to get some air. She'd never be able to focus when it mattered if she couldn't. Taking a deep breath, she walked out into the darkness.

It took her eyes only a moment to to adjust. She had always had good night vision, although she never really knew why. She wasn't one to question it, though; anything to help her get through things was a boon. Closing the door behind her, she started off to wherever she could find some open space to practice. She could do a little on the way, too. Simply moving from place to place, unnoticed in the dead of night, is a skill in itself, and one she needed practice of. She was going to have to bring her best talents if she wanted to succeed. And she had to, if she was going to actually be employed.

Keeping a mental note of the home they were staying, Zoe wandered through Alexandria, taking in what she could of the city. Some of the buildings reminded her of home, large and imposing. Seeing a few of them, alone like this, was enough to send a shiver down her spine from the nostalgia. Others were more modest, and much smaller. Being as late as it was, not as many people were out and about, but even they didn't pay much attention to the small fox, just as she wanted.

For the time being, she considered her options. Taking in the sights, she knew she needed somewhere out of the way where she could focus. There were too many people she didn't know out here, and the last thing she'd want was to get into trouble this late. A few people gave her a look as they went by, but they didn't go any further then that, going about their business. She didn't quite understand why, but she wasn't going to ponder it too deeply. Her gaze eventually settled upon collection of gates that surrounded a large mass of green. She hadn't seen anything like it before, and though her ability to read wasn't great, she was able to make out a few words on its entrance: "Nature's Reserve." A few people were coming and going through it, so it seemed to be open to the public at least.

It reminded her of the forest the two of them had gotten lost in. Something about that both put her on edge and at peace at the same time. It was the mindset she was looking for, enough of a push to keep her senses high, but open enough to have it simply be practice.

Eventually, she found a place away from the path, surrounded by nothing but greenery. Taking a deep breath, Zoe brought her heartbeat to a stable level, settling her gaze on a nearby tree. It would have to do, she thought to herself. Reaching her arm out, one of her concealed claws shot from her sleeve, colliding with the tree and sticking itself to it. Pulling back, the claws had left tiny cuts into the thick bark. She repeated this action, aiming to hit the same spot as she did. Not always being successful, but that's what practice was for. Precision was important, and could be taken advantage of. Eventually, the small cut in the tree had grown larger, enough that she had grown satisfied with it, and instead had shifted her focus to practicing a few motions against another, less damaged tree instead. Her own physical strength would have to come into play as well; she couldn't rely entirely on her tools in a fight, and she knew this. Zoe felt her fists and legs collide with the solid tree, not hard enough to injure her, but quick enough to feel the impact beneath her. She could feel her blood pumping at the thought, and she was getting more and more into the motions, letting the rest of the world blur around her.

Despite that Zoe was training in a wild area in the night, there were a few that still lingered around the area.  The constant noise strikes against a tree caught the attention of one of them.  The figure used the combination of the night's darkness and the nature park's flora shroud to conceal the moment.  The figure's cloak's textured brown coloring with some green foliage patterns also aided in their camouflage.

Upon arrival to the area, the person found Zoe constantly punching and kicking the trees.  The repeated motion looked as if she was training.  Why was she not doing this in the gym instead?  Her inquiry was later answered when the person noticed her rather worn garbs; she was an outsider.  Regardless of where she can from, she cannot continue to damage the tree.  The person waited until the fox woman was recovering from a kick before they spoke out.

"You should not be doing that."  It was not a loud voice and the alto/tenor voice pitch made it difficult to determine the gender of the person.  The only visible sign of the shrouded being was a face peering from behind a tree trunk that was hard to distinguish in the night. A pair of ears jutted from the the hood that looked similar to a cat but slightly more rounded and swiveled towards Zoe.

Zoe had gotten into the training, the movements flowing together like a moving river. As long as she had something she could feel her blows connecting with, that was all she needed to practice. Her breathing was regular, and her hands and legs were holding firm. She had been hitting hard enough to even pierce a small amount of the bark lining the tree. She had delivered a strong side kick from her leg, letting it rest there as she panted, before jumping from the voice with an embarrassingly strong shout as she fell backwards. She hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings at all, during all of that, and hadn't felt the presence creeping up on her. Man, she really was out of sorts.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I just-" Zoe wasn't really sure how to react, until she saw...ears? Ears. Definitely not human ears. Cat ears? "I-I....uh...sorry if, I made a scene.." Zoe picked herself off the ground, brushing herself off, before looking at what she had done to the tree. Thankfully, it didn't look too banged up. Any marks she left on it were surface level at best and would probably grow back...probably. She wasn't used to trees, after all.

"I just, wanted some quiet to practice, I guess...I'm not great with people I don't know..." She didn't know this cat person either, so she couldn't deny she was a little nervous here, too, and it'd be easy for the person to see, with her hands fidgeting and her own ears twitching here and there.

The ranger moved from the bush before moving towards Zoe and the tree she was hitting before examining the bark surface for 3 seconds.  Then the person turned towards Zoe, setting an intense stare on the fox woman for a while, long enough to potentially make Zoe even more uncomfortable than she already was. Finally the person spoke in the same wispy voice.  

"The damage seem superficial and you seem to not intend any malice so I will you off with a warning, outsider.  If you intend to practice, then you'd best head to a gym to do so.  It is fairly late in the night though so the facility is closed."  The ranger flipped out a map of the surrounding district and handed it to Zoe.  Nature's Reserve was labeled in one of the green areas while several barbell icons were indications of locations of a few gyms.  One was located somewhere close but required a good amount of walking.

Under the sharp gaze of this cat woman, Zoe could feel her nervousness build as a few trickles of sweat went down her side. An audible gulp was the only noise that was met as she was being watched, and analyzed purely by strong eyes.

Oh god, what if this person's a cop? Did I break a law? What if there's some sort of...tree punching law?!? I don't know anything about this place! That could be a thing, couldn't it?!? Oh, jeez, I just wanted to go out and clear my head, and now all of this happened...I'm never gonna forgive myself if I get thrown in a jail because of something like this! What if I ran? Maybe she wouldn't be able to catch me? I have a sneaking suspicion that won't really get me far, though...dammit, I'm so sorry, Eri...I'm such a screw u-

The ruffling of a paper was enough to snap Zoe out of her mind's raging torrent. It took her a moment to grasp what she was being told, blinking repeatedly as she was not expecting anything like this. "O...Okay..." She didn't have much to say as she slowly took the map in her hands, looking over the locations she made mention of. She wasn't sure if she actually would do these things, especially now, but she definitely wasn't going to stay here, incase she actually had upset someone that mattered. "S-Sorry for the trouble..." She offered a small bow, mainly because it was the first thing she thought might suffice as an apology, and, using the map as a guide, started making her way out of the park towards the nearest barbell icon. Even as she left, she could feel the person's eyes on her, and she couldn't deny it made her a little uncomfortable.

Slowly, the greenery started to fade back into the grays of the city, and she found herself next to this gym...which looked very closed. She was out pretty late, after all. Even if it was open, it probably would have had quite a few people inside, but she might have at least tried it. So much for that idea. She slumped over to a nearby bench, frustrated at how things turned out.

She had wanted to find some way to get her mind off of everything, but that sure didn't work out well. At least she had gotten some practice in, and it felt great, but it didn't quite last as long as she wanted, and she could feel those cravings come back from working up an appetite. She groaned in frustration on the bench. Maybe it was better if she just went back....for now, she was at least going to memorize what she could of this place, using this map.

Trying to make sense of that paper was not easy, especially with so many strange symbols drawn on it that could mean virtually anything. Some she could connect to objects, but others looked completely alien - and the white puffs obscuring her vision did not help in the slightest. White puffs...

Zoe realized it was her breathing all along, and with the realization came a sudden sensation of cold that made her hair stand on end. And those whispers, those unsettling, unholy whispers - were they calling out her name?

"Zoeee... Zoeeeeee..."

She turned around, and there was nothing. She turned again, nothing. Yet she could hear footsteps very near, circling around her. It was all too much for her, too many questions, when suddenly, the tension and anxiety that had been building up were released with one word.

"Boo!" The voice of a woman appeared from behind her. Zoe could even recognize it if she wasn't made to jump out of fear, striking the air in front of her. To her surprise, she connected, her foot driven straight into a solid, albeit soft, surface - and more to that surprise, a familiar blue-haired witch was sent stumbling backwards, painfully clutching her stomach.

It didn't help that Zoe's own ability to read wasn't exactly the best to begin with, as she attempted to make heads or tails of the map given to her, but when did all this fog start rolling in? It was getting harder to read what she even could make out, and it felt so sudden, too. What in the world was going o-

"Wait a second." Saying her own thoughts out loud, she breathed outward, noticing that it came out thick and noticeable. Why was it so cold, all of the sudden? It was pretty normal until just now. Did a cold snap roll in or something? She couldn't help but shiver a little. The cold was the least of her concerns, as she heard...voices? Voices, calling her name...her ears twitched involuntarily, as if trying to find the source.

Every time she thought she had it pinned down...nothing. On a night like tonight, in a city she had very little knowledge of, and was already in a depressed mood...she could feel the feelings growing, each time seeing nothing and each time growing more anxious. It was another notion of how out of her league she had been lately, but if this thing wanted a fight, and her life, she'd do everything she could. Internally, she was screaming, just to get on with it, and stop making her feel so small, and weak, and worthless...

The sudden voice was enough to make her jump. That was the second time tonight she'd make an embarrassing squeak in surprise, and reflexes kicked in this time, planting her food directly into the noise. They were going to kick in further when she noticed a familiar color that made her stop. Bright blue...

"Maya?!? What the hell?!?" The young fox was both upset, and a little relieved, at seeing it was just a prank by the familiar witch, until she realized she had actually kicked her by accident. "Oh, damn, sorry Maya..." She didn't say much as she helped Maya to her feet, brushing her off a little. Thankfully she hadn't left a mark. Even Maya might be able to notice that Zoe wasn't in her best spirits, just from the way she moved, and from her expression. "I just sorta...acted on instinct...what are you doing here, anyway?"