woe is (you and) me

Despite the fury boiling within her veins, she masked it behind a veil of tenderness, her touch gentle as she reached out to stroke Yarra’s cheek repeatedly. The Saxe woman's voice, though weakened by suffering, carried a resonance that stirred Absinth. It reminded her of herself, at rock bottom. To see Yarra, usually so strong and defiant, reduced to this state of vulnerability – Absinth’s mind conspired to bring great suffering in return to whoever had caused this… undoing. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

“He… did.” Absinth’s eyes narrowed, her muscles tensing as Yarrabelle began to try and explain what happened. It did not make a lot of sense, but she supposed in her condition Yarra was just trying to get the important bits out. Absinth's fangs clenched with restrained rage, her only desire became to begin cursing and snarling. To run wild, nose to the ground to seek out that salty ocean scent she had come across minutes before she had discovered Yarra. Even if she did not know if that had truly been the culprit. “He was a beast, a… a monster.” A chuckle from Yarra, a finely tread line between sanity and insanity hung over her features, which brought about a flattening of Absinth’s ears as she mulled the words over. What sort of soul would have Yarrabelle calling them a monster? Just what the fuck did she experience? The image of her wicked lady being brutalized fueled that angry fire of hers all the more. Fucking- UGH. Her teeth cut into her quivering lips at the force she was using to hold her tongue all the while. Yet, she tempered her wrath again, focusing instead on easing Yarra's suffering. Absinth listened intently, her green eyes seeking to lock with those of Yarrabelle’s, unwilling to dwell on concern, and most definitely not pity. That was simply out of the question.

When Yarra implored for her touch, for solace, Absinth's bloodied lips twitched upwards into a smirk. She leaned in, pressing a tender kiss against Yarra's forehead, leaving a lipstick mark of blood on the dark fur there. "You don’t need me to put you back together, lovely. You are perfectly strong enough, always were, always will be." She whispered, her voice a soft rumble as she breathed against Yarra’s skull. She knew that Yarra was strong, resilient in her own right, and deserving of the chance to stand tall once more. "But if my kisses will ease the process, I won’t deny you. Nor my shoulder, to catch yourself if you begin to fall." A rugged, airy laugh escaped the monochromatic woman as she cocked a brow at Yarrabelle – watching as the magenta woman attempted to rise to her feet. It was much too soon. Though she would not stop her.

And as Yarra struggled to rise, defiance etched upon her features, Absinth's fondness for her only deepened. She watched with unwavering support, ready to lend a helping hand should indeed Yarra falter. But just as she had been during her own maiming aftermath, she gave her the chance to try to stand on her own two feet. Yet, the pain and exhaustion was too great, and Yarra did not even get to test the strength in her limbs before she laid her head back down with a huff. Absinth leaned closer, her brow furrowing as she took in the look of displeasure on the other woman’s face. Infuriating, indeed. Gently, Absinth settled down onto the ground next to her, her body moving to conform against Yarra’s heavier figure. She would definitely need to see a healer, maybe she got on better with that cunt Aurelia than-

Yarra began to try and tell her something, but fought to convey her message through the haze of delirium she seemed to be experiencing. That wouldn’t do. Absinth hummed as she awaited a bit more coherence, but perhaps she needed more time, more recuperation with a side of warmth. That she could provide, though she briefly wondered if this was too stark a contrast to their usual intense cavorts. "Rest now..." She purred, her tone coaxing, tongue swiping out to clean away some of Yarra’s lifeblood from the side of her face. "I will be here when you wake, ready to listen to whatever you need to tell me." Absinth assured her, her mind lingering on the specific mention of telling her something.

wormwood