JP - Drinking at the Gym

Alex closed his eyes as he laid down on the van he dreamt of the first time he went with Susi to see the deer. He remembered the moment when she marked, the feeling of her teeth on his neck and the trust they showed each other that day. He remembered how they watched the deer before running back through the woods smiling and laughing. Waking up he looked around the empty Van and sighed. Reaching under the seat he grabbed a bottle of moonshine and began drinking it.

*****

Klaire stepped away and watched Alex silently before looking at Tzeitel. “He’s not okay…”

Megan blinked. “I’m…gonna go to Klaire’s hotel room and shower.” She said and went up to said room.

“I know.” Tzeitel said, hugging her arms. She had enough breakdowns in gyms herself after Canestone to recognize it in another. “We need to find Susi. I’d follow him but all my powers can do is be a bandaid… Even with what I can do now it’s a temporary fix.”

Klaire nodded and hugged Tzeitel. “I’ll do some more digging for information.” She said.

Tzeitel hugged Klaire back after making sure her arms did not have any more pheromone oils on them. Klaire had not appreciated that in the past, wound up burning her clothes. Tzeitel was still rather embarrassed about the accident. “It’s only been getting harder for Alex as more time passes… What they used to do Susi before they gave her to Canestone- no one should go through that once, much less again.”

“I have a gut feeling they aren’t able to do anything to Susi this time…” Klaire muttered as she stretched. “Should we head upstairs to our rooms or work out a bit more?”

“I still need to work out more.” Tzeitel said, thinking about Canestone and Susi gave Tzeitel a nervous energy she needed to work off.

“Just don’t push yourself too hard or I’ll call Frisk. Again.” Klaire warned her.

“I’ve been better about it…” Tzeitel said, hoping Klaire did not remember Piritta carrying her out of a gym just last week.

Klaire set her hands on her hips and frowned. “Says the woman who had to be carried out by Piritta last week. You’ve seriously got to stop hurting yourself, Tzeitel. We’re not getting any younger, you know.”

Tzeitel scowled back at Klaire. “Maybe if Piritta didn’t pour my vodka down the sink I wouldn’t have needed to work out so much.”

“You don’t need vodka to help you feel better, Tzeitel.” Klaire growled. This was the only thing they ever seemed to argue about - her friend’s bad drinking habit.

“My pheromones don’t work on me.” Tzeitel said moodily, glancing at her arms. “I’m more powerful than ever and I still can’t make myself feel better.”

“Drinking is only going to kill you faster, though,” Klaire snapped. “And I don’t want to see my best friend die!” Turning on her heels, she stomped out of the gym, growling at a man that tried to touch her tail. “Do it and you’ll go home without a few fingers, buddy!”

“I’m not going to fucking die!” Tzeitel snapped after Klaire, angrily turning a treadmill to its highest setting. She swiped some oil off her arm along with some sweat and expertly flicked it right in the perv’s face, he immediately began vomiting. Teach him to touch Klaire’s tail. Fucker. I hope he chokes on his vomit and dies. Tzeitel started running.

“UGH!” Klaire screamed and the man soon followed in that screaming because of how hard she hit him.

Tzeitel was struggling to keep up with the treadmill. She knew she had set it too fast but she was too angry to do the sensible thing and turn it down- or off. She panted as she ran, her T-shirt clinging so close to her skin from perspiration the raised burn scars from the GCS brand on her bicep was visible. Noticing this only made her want to run faster. Tzeitel grew angrier, now at herself for acting this way after being better for so long. How she wanted a drink. Maybe she would sneak off to a bar after taking a shower if she was able to walk after this workout.

Alex entered the gym having obtained a decent buzz looking around he noticed Tzeitel still on the treadmill “and I thought Megan was working out some issues.”