Growing pains

Absinth's grin widened at Wylan's warm greeting, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of pride and amusement. The winged embrace was a pleasant surprise, and she chuckled softly in response, appreciating the growth and confidence radiating from the once-naive boy. Really, how he’d grown! Was this what it was like to see a child become an adult? She had hardly done anything to make it so, but somehow… she felt an odd elation. Noticing that he now stood taller than her, Absinth tilted her head up slightly, acknowledging his newfound stature with a playful smirk. “Hello again, Wylan.” She leaned into his embrace a bit, to reciprocate his greeting.

When ‘Oleander’ appeared with a basket, she turned her attention to Wylan’s sibling, nodding in greeting. “Well met, Oleander,” She said, her voice smooth and warm and somewhat of an impish purr as usual. “Was it a lesson, or more of me trying to hammer words into your head back then?”

As Wylan tried to recall her old lesson, Absinth's expression softened slightly, a touch of nostalgia coloring her gaze. She chuckled again, a rich and melodious sound. “You remember well enough,” She replied, her tone a mix of approval and a hint of teasing. “The lesson was about the seriousness of learning, yes, but also about understanding your own potential and the harsh realities that come with it. It’s knowing when to fight and when to protect, when to stand firm and when to be flexible.”

wormwood