"Yeah - quick look seems to say that your... I suppose in that analogy 'inner ear' is disturbed? You're gonna have a harder time keeping your balance, and your control is going to be a little shot without a ton of mental energy going into it so..." 

She shrugged. 

"For now, go rest, or chat, or whatever - you need and deserve it." 

"Alright. To the..." 

Long bemused snort. 

"'Cultivation couch' I go - it still helps for basic regeneration of resources, and with the injuries, right?"

"Your breath is a little shot right now, and the results won't be great, but it'll help a little, yeah. Might even clear it up a bit, and actually, more tea might stabilize you a lil, getting an extra shot of aligned energy should help with the aches and stuff. 'll brew some more, then spend some time cultivatin' and chattin' myself." 

"Okay. And thank you for doing that, by the way - it's... a nice touch." 

"Np."

Phew.

Cultivation (and Ruby, she idly noted) was exhausting, but...

It was still good, even if being treated like an invalid was...

No.

You don't have to be sick to be worth taking care of.

She sighed. 

I feel like I'm finally starting to get what Ruby said about 'cultivators cultivate' - it's just... nagging at me, even though I know full well that it's not really safe for me to continue. How do you all... deal with it? 

Take a restorative pill for your issue

Heh. 

That's honestly not too uncommon a response, unfortunately. 

I know that it can be a lot more appealing to just... sit back and type up some conjectural pill lore, or try to wade through possibilities or do something that arguably counts but... 

It does get easier. 

Yep. 

Techniques to thread the processes of the mind are a thing by Spirit Soveriegn, and what your body is actively going to do isn't... always the most relevant thin'. But well...

It's more then that! 

You're encountering a lot of the initial excitement, and Ruby's actually a pretty great teacher for those that she fits, so I bet she pumped you up. 

...I suppose she really did get me engaged. Her presence is...

A lot? 

One could say that, yes. 

That's a bit of an understatement :p 

But even beyond that... 

There's only so hard that it makes sense to work, for any number of reasons, and once you feel that there's a limit of what you can practically get out of the day you just... do that? 

That seems like such an obvious answer but... 

I have no idea how to convince myself that's remotely reasonable. 

I understand the feeling. 

It's also just... 

Cultivating makes you more yourself, and I know that a lot of people from the mortal world feel that they don't have the impact or progress they should but... 

There's a way for them to be happy, and satisfied, and ok, somewhere, and they find there way to it as they discover more. 

It also just becomes purposive, and it'll change a little what feels 'efficient' - there's different rates of progress in cultivation, mediated by any number of things, and it'll recalibrate to be more of a simple value then something that's overridingly important from the very depths of your soul. 

But above all else...

It doesn't stop. 

Yeah...

wistful sigh

You adapt, but it's still there, just adjusted, that's all. 

So it's... a mix of scarcity mindset, a clean up of motivational problems from brain issues and just... being objectively more useful then other things that you could do with your time mixing in with some... exotic instinct? 

Basically!

"'ere." 

She handed over a large mug of the tea, and plopped herself down to rest against the side of the couch, head stretching back over the armrest to look up at her. 

"'nd seriously, relax. Fretting over social stuff rn a lil is ok, just know that it's ok to just take it easy, or just plop down and sleep."

"..."

She grabbed one of the pillows, and pressed it up against her chest. 

"Oi none of that. 'f you're gonna do this, do it properly." 

Gone, and back again, a heavy set of sheets draped across her shoulder. 

"Let me." 

She laid them across her chest slowly, lightly pressing them down around her form to stably sink in against the sofa, covering her from head to toe in warmth. 

"You're safe here, ok?"