What's the word?

A subtle blush crept onto Ollie's cheeks, his bashfulness plain on his features as he struggled to find the right words to express himself. Absinth couldn't help but chuckle at his flustered demeanor, finding his awkwardness entertaining. She didn’t remember a time when she’d been nervous as a kid, it had always been eat or be eaten, no time for stumbling over words, you understand.

He vehemently disagreed with her description of herself as brutish, and to this she purred thankfully. “Oh, You sure know how to make a girl feel good about herself.” The monochromatic fae smiled, delight dancing in the gleam of her eyes. It was fun to poke at the boy’s innocence.

When Ollie expressed his excitement at the prospect of learning about knives, Absinth couldn't suppress her smirk, her tail flicking playfully behind her. His tentative suggestion that she teach him some knife moves had Absinth's smile widening into a mischievous grin. “I'd be delighted to show you a few tricks,” The idea of sharing her skills with him appealed to her adventurous spirit, and she nodded easily in agreement. “You don’t mind a few scrapes and bumps, do you, Ollie?” She replied, her voice tinged with temptation.

wormwood