Mama Fox

<Zuri>

What is libido?

Going strictly by simple medical terminology, libido was the desire for sex, or sexual desire, one experiences consciously or unconsciously. Three core elements were involved in this desire: hormones (testosterone/oestrogen), brain chemistry (dopamine), and physical health. From them, two metrics of desire could be deduced. Spontaneous desire, which can be defined as a random urge, and Responsive desire, which can be defined as an urge brought out by outside stimulation.

Staring into the crystal-clear pond before him, Zuri’s eyebrows knitted.

It was hard to determine which of the two Cleodora was more inclined towards.

From a quick glance, one would assume her desire was only spontaneous. Appearing at the most random of times regardless of the current situation. A fact that Zuri could even testify to. The very first time they were… intimate, he couldn’t have guessed that was what she had on her mind. One moment she was normal; the next she was out of her mind, spouting nonsense about getting him pregnant.

But.

As much as one would believe she had only Spontaneous desire, that just wasn’t the case.

On closer inspection, elements of Responsive desire were also present. Zuri would be lying if he were to claim he doesn’t notice Cleodora… checking him out non-stop. She was rather responsive to his body. Every instance Cleodora would look at him, her gaze would wander from his face to his chest and then finally his lower body before swiftly looking away. Most of the time, unless she became too blatant about it, he was willing to look past it. This was mainly due to having grown tired of reprimanding her constantly. There were only so many times you can chastise a person before going mad.

So, with all that said, where did that leave Zuri?

… It left him right where he started.

Understanding was the first step required to find a solution to a problem. With that in mind, Zuri tried to break down the problem in order to understand it better. Unfortunately, not only didn’t it help, but it may have added to the confusion caused by the problem. Zuri was right back to where he started but now with the clutter of useless information.

‘Relax, it doesn’t matter, really…’

Reassuring himself, Zuri analysed the problem again.

While it was true a deeper understanding of a problem can help find a solution, it wasn’t applicable in this case. Zuri already had a solution in mind, multiple in fact; a deeper understanding wouldn’t serve him to the same degree. Knowing the problem by heart may make it easier to beat, but it wasn’t mandatory at this point. The best it could do now was end things slightly quicker.

“I’m back!” (C)

An energetic call-out stole Zuri’s attention away from the pond.

He turned around and observed the fool dressed in fine silk, black robes running to him.

“…Did you really go back to the house?” (Z)

“Yep!” (C)

A proud Cleodora stood before Zuri.

Quickly inspecting her appearance, Zuri searched, in vain, for any signs of exhaustion.

Seeing none, he clicked his tongue.

There were many ways a person could bring another’s libido down. Zuri planned to use today to figure out which one would be most effective against Cleodora. And, for his first attempt, he went for the most obvious driver for low libido.

Fatigue.

Physical as well as emotional exhaustion were the quickest ways to kill someone’s libido. The common trope of a couple, tired from a long day, being unable or unwilling to engage in intimate activities held a modicum of truth. Exhaustion makes even the keenest of people second-guess themselves. It doesn’t matter how attracted you are to your partner if you are too tired to lift a hand to do anything. With this principle in mind, Zuri sought to tire Cleodora and direct that excess energy elsewhere.

A hubristic thought in hindsight.

“I brought back some snacks and the blanket so you can sit down!” (C)

Watching Cleodora spread the blanket near the water’s edge, Zuri felt like kicking himself.

He had wasted his time.

There were no number of exercises he could give Cleodora that would tire her. All of Zuri's attempts to render her tired through this method were bound to be fruitless. Cleodora, for a lack of a better description, was a superhuman. The superhuman of superhumans. Being the great hero who slew the Demon King, her stamina was endless. And that applied both mentally and physically.

“Should I do a thousand more push-ups?” (C)

Cleodora, who had finished setting up the blanket, smiled brightly at Zuri.

This seriously wasn’t working…

“Never mind that.” (Z)

Zuri gestured toward the blanket.

“Come.” (Z)

Just because he had one setback didn’t mean he would give up. Zuri still had plenty of tricks up his sleeve. The odds were in his favour. Surely, one of his methods would work. He merely had to keep trying. This was a numbers game more than anything, and Zuri planned to count on those numbers.

Meditation had been a disaster.

Getting Cleodora to sit still, clear her mind, and embrace silence for more than ten minutes was a feat beyond Zuri’s capabilities. The tonics were equally useless; she seemed stubbornly immune to every concoction his limited knowledge could produce. With a heavy sigh, Zuri took the brush in his right hand and struck a thick line through the last item on his list. That was item number thirteen. He then stared at the page filled with indignation, completely baffled.

How was it that nothing, not a single damn thing he tried, actually worked?

“Are you in a bad mood?” (C)

“No… not really.” (Z)

Zuri sighed.

He wasn’t in a bad mood per se, more so just disappointed that nothing he tried actually worked.

What was the point of having knowledge if you couldn’t leverage it?

Cleodora coughed into her fist.

“Ahem, erm!” (C)

Zuri faced Cleodora at her dramatics.

“…W-Would you like a hug to feel better?” (C)

Zuri immediately frowned at her suggestion.

“L-Like a friendship? Remember the ones I used to give…?” (C)

She was really pushing boundaries with this friendship thing….

Zuri looked away.

“I don’t need one.” (Z)

Honestly, it was sometimes hard to know where to draw the line. Friends were supposed to be people who you shared a close but not too close relation with. Friendships themselves weren’t supposed to demand high intimacy. From observing other people and watching films featuring such, Zuri was confident in that assessment of friends. Yet, his lived reality was much different. Cleodora was the closest thing he ever had to a friend, and she broke all those conventions. She was clinging, attached and hard to get rid of.

A real pain in the butt.

“…You can sit here.” (Z)

Pointing to a spot slightly closer, Zuri gave Cleodora a tiny reward—the go-ahead to move her stool marginally nearer.

A small practice of his that was steadily becoming the norm. It had become apparent quickly that she wouldn’t be satisfied with small tokens every once in a while, after their date. Cleodora expected them semi-frequently and would enter a depressed state if withheld. Zuri ignored her pathetic display at first, but when he thought of the consequences of her not believing in their ‘relationship’ progress, he swiftly cooled that attitude. It was part of the reason they had gone on a number of friendship dates.

“T-Thank you.” (C)

Now closer, Cleodora asked in a low voice.

“Zuri… Are you okay?” (C)

“Yes.” (Z)

She paused, stared him right in the eye, and then asked again.

“Are you sure? You’ve been acting a little off….” (C)

‘Huh?’

How had he been acting off? If anything, she was the one acting off!?

Lightly annoyed, Zuri replied with heavy words.

“Yes, I am sure.” (Z)

A short silence descended between them as Cleodora pulled back.

‘Serves you right…’

Sadly, the silence was short-lived, as she decided to ask another question.

One three times as annoying as the last couple.

“…How are they coming along?” (C)

“Fine… I think. I’ll visit the healer tomorrow.” (Z)

Cleodora’s face twitched at those words, but she managed to quickly shake it off.

Her voice high.

“Oh, is that so?” (C)

“Hm.” (Z)

Zuri answered plainly while turning back to his canvas, flipping the page, and beginning work on actual art. He had to hide the smile drawing on his face after seeing her reaction somehow, you know? It just felt too good to see her crack after bothering him so much. Cleodora’s new favourite question, which she asked every day, irked him to no end. And the worst part is, he couldn’t ignore it without her fussing over him for the rest of the day.

“Would you like me to call her to come to the house?” (C)

“No, I’ll just walk there.” (Z)

With all the other plans failing, Zuri’s true backup couldn’t be compromised.

Cleodora would undoubtedly want to sit and listen.

He couldn’t let that happen, no matter what.

“Is that really a good idea if you are—?” (C)

“I would like to walk while it’s still possible.” (Z)

Cutting her off, Zuri paused painting.

He, a former man, was going to… give birth to three babies. \

Not one, not two, but three!!

How absurd was that!

Zuri pinched the bridge of his nose before muttering underneath his breath.

“Ugh, why did it have to be three? Don’t you think that’s too much?” (Z)

“S-Sorry… Hehe?” (C)

Hearing that idiot laugh, Zuri sighed.

Was it because she was the hero that her ejaculate was so potent?

‘Gross, gross, gross, gross….’

Immediately filing the vulgar thoughts away, Zuri forced himself to think about tomorrow.

He had initially been hoping to solve this problem through his own methods.

The last time he called for help, he had been let down spectacularly.

But.

It appeared his own methods weren’t enough.

He would have to rely on that old hag again.