umbrakinesis

Absinth's smirk widened, emeralds glittering with amusement as she observed the boy. She studied him, the subtle stiffening of his muscles, the faint shift in his breathing. But well. She couldn’t know what was going on exactly in that pretty horned skull of his, but expressions and body language were like worn maps—and she knew intimately how to navigate those nuances. He played stoic well, but how well?

“Jiro.” she repeated his name, voice lilting like a songbird; yet edged like a blade. “You know, in some cultures they believe that a short given name implies a short life.” Her head tilted, her expression a mix of coyness and appraisal as she took in his posture, noting his careful composure. Was that a sign of a well-to-do upbringing? A chuckle escaped her, dark and velvety as he mentioned his skills. “Hunter and a healer,” Absinth mused, her gaze dragging over him, looking for hardened edges, looking for scars. “Quite the useful combination. But protection?” Her voice twisted around the word, contorting it—tasting it. “You would protect my daughter? Risk your hide, your blood, if you had to?” Silly words, and what a grand moral code. The monochromatic fae had no reason to believe him, to even begin to understand why he had seemingly chosen to follow little Xina home. He was not beaten black and blue, nor was there a chain around his throat. A bet then? A wager? “Mind you, Xina can take care of herself—so what use is your shallow protection?” She stopped her circling abruptly, her gaze searing into his silver eyes, testing his fortitude. She could have simply nodded and dragged him into the border, but questions required answers. Absinth was full of questions, and even more so brimming with motherly love. “It’s admirable, I’ll admit, if you’re worth the weight of your words.” she continued, her tone dripping with mock sincerity all the while. “I hardly wish to crush my daughters dreams...” The Katil let her voice linger, trailing off as her tail swayed behind her in slow arcs. Enough interrogation. “You’ll have to prove you’re more than an idle body with polite words, though.”

Absinth’s focus shifted to Araxina, her lips twitching into a softer, more affectionate grin than the predatory one she’d given Jiro. Her emerald gaze softened slightly, though the sharpness never quite left them. She’d have to ask her daughter how the boy had been bested, if he knew what a Sidi truly was. “My Xina. So ambitious already. The first to claim a Sidi, are you?” Absinth stepped closer to her daughter, brushing her shoulder heavily with her own in a show of physical warmth, a rougish chuckle snaking out from her lungs. “And here I thought your brothers might have the gall to try first. I should’ve known better.”

She lingered a moment longer, contemplating the best outcome, preparing for the worst. Then, she straightened, stepping back to look at them both. “We don’t tolerate dead weight unless it’s rotting along our borders.” she said, her voice carrying both promise and threat. There was no sugar to coat her words, and she didn’t care to try and scare him with a whole spiel. The smirk never left her face, her paw raising to beckon the boy closer. “Show me you’re worth keeping, Jiro. Let me decide for you. Better I, than the other beasts that call this place home.” That much was certain.


"Absinth Artemisia Inferos"