A Soviet's Struggle

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Mariya's school-issued clock ticked quietly as it hung silently on her dormhome wall. In it's reflection, Xiao walked, a tray with 4 freshly brewed Thai Teas in small teacups in her grasp. She bent down, placing the tray at Mariya's coffee table and walked over to her spot on the couch. One by one, paws grabbed each cup; leaving one for Xiao herself, who chose to leave the tea on the tray. Throughout the months Mariya had been missing, she changed, and in unhealthy ways. On top of already smoking marijuana, Xiao took up heavy drinking to cope with Mariya's disappearance, a decision none of her friends approved of, despite their outgoing and party-filled nature.

"So," Gerwalt started, parting his lips from his cup of tea and looking to Xiao. "How have you been?"

"You tell me." Xiao chuckled, slightly delirious. As she sat, Gerwalt took notice of her bouncing leg - indicating stress or anxiety at most.

"Well, how long have you been sober?" Chahsa asked, pitching in to the conversation. Next to the Ram, Gerwalt's brother, Burhardt, sat, drinking his tea calmly and quietly; watching and listening.

"I don't know. I don't really keep track." Xiao remarked, chuckling softly. "Maybe a day? Maybe two? I dunno. I get so drunk I don't even remember."

"That's a problem, Xiao." The Polar Bear said, his ears folding at the news in worry.

"Why? You all, except Chahsa, drink. What's the deal?" The Tabby hissed back, furrowing her brow in irritation as she made eye contact with Gerwalt.

"Correction," Burhardt chimed, causing both Gerwalt and Xiao to glance in his direction. "We drink - in moderation."

"This is moderation!" Xiao attempted to argue, throwing her paws into the air. She felt anger overwhelm her as Burhardt closed his eyes calmly and shook his head, taking another sip of his tea.

The arctic fox chuckled, swallowing his tea in his mouth and parting his lips:

"See? This is exactly what I mean. Gerwalt and Chahsa, hell, even the others, are probably tip-toeing around the fact you're mentally declining Xiao, taking it easy with you. I'm telling you for what it is: this isn't you. The Xiao-ling I know wasn't very irritable, nor was she..."

He gestured to her figure with his free hand, eluding to her decline in hygiene and self care.

"...like this. Xiao, you need to get help, man. If several of the animalloids who care about you are this worried about you? It's alarming."

Xiao rolled her eyes, itching the scruff of her neck as she turned away from his gaze. She scoffed, an attitude that Burhardt was expecting, and did not phase at all to. The group remained silent for a moment, all three friends watching Xiao for any rebuttal to the intervention they were attempting.

The Tabby took in a sharp inhale of air, priming herself for a full fledged argument.

"Hold on," Burhardt said, lifting his hand up. "I know what you're going to say. Losing Mariya was - is - hard on all of us. The difference between us and you is that we are handling it in healthy ways, honouring her and spending time together. We are healing together. We haven't moved on yet, but we are coping with ourselves with support."

"Burhardt's right." Chahsa said, rimming the teacup with her finger. "You don't need to suffer alone! I mean, you barely leave her dormhome, Xiao. It's unhealthy."

Xiao snorted, turning back to face her friends and their concerned faces.

"Have you heard anything back from the detective?" The Ram continuing, attempting to fix the stale air that hung around them.

"Not in awhile, no." Xiao muttered, still gazing off to the side.

Chahsa and Burhardt exchanged glances, unsure of how to proceed. It was clear to them that Xiao was disengaged and uninterested in the conversation any more. To Gerwalt, however, this served a new question; one that might pique Xiao's interest and pull her back. As he drank the remainder of his tea, he inhaled deeply and bellowed a simple sentence: