Absinth stood tall and rather imposing before her children, her gaze sharp and unforgiving. It had to be. Her dark, gleaming emerald eyes pierced through them, ensuring she had their undivided attention. The atmosphere was tense, the air thick with expectation as she stared at some of her brood.

"Listen well," Absinth began, her voice a low growl, dripping with authority. "In this life, you will face countless intense situations. You will be pushed to your limits, challenged beyond your comfort, and tempted to lose control. But remember this: losing your composure is a sign of weakness, and weakness is something we cannot afford."

She took a deliberate step forward, her eyes locking onto each of her children in turn. "You must learn to maintain focus no matter the circumstances. Distractions are your enemy. They cloud your judgment, make you vulnerable. In the heat of battle, in the midst of chaos, you must train your mind to remain sharp, to cut through the noise like a blade."

wormwood

Xairo listened to Absinth's words, his heart pounding in his chest. He was barely more than a pup, yet every syllable his mother spoke felt like a weight he was expected to bear. He watched her stern expression, her eyes like shimmering emeralds, cold and hard as the stone cliffs of Polar Sound that surrounded their sheltered valley. It was here in this harsh terrain that she anticipated they would come of age, in the midst of short grasses and lichens, under the shadow of freshwater waterfalls cascading down steep cliffsides. It was here in this cradle of ice and stone that they would have to prove their mettle or fall prey to the creatures lurking beyond their home- or perhaps, to maintain their strength against those lurking within.

"Xairo Saxe"

Ludovic observed Absinth with an intensity that mirrored her own, his mismatched eyes unwavering in their focus. His posture remained relaxed and attentive, exuding an air of calm confidence. He absorbed every word she uttered, his expression inscrutable but thoughtful. It had to be.

As his mother’s words cut through the tension-filled air, Ludovic's mind sharpened with resolve. The lessons of control and composure struck him. He could understand the weight of her words and the expectations they carried. His gaze briefly shifted to his siblings, noting their reactions, before returning to her. His silence spoke volumes if any cared to notice, a careful acknowledgment of the gravity of her teachings and a promise to uphold the strength and focus she demanded.


ludoviciana

Sericea sat apart from those of her siblings who had gathered. Listening intently as their mother implored to keep a sharp mind no matter the circumstance. Her acidic gaze roved from Absinth to the distant cliffs, studying the way the waterfall cascaded down in a veil of ice. It was beautiful but deadly, just like their mother's words. The reality of their existence began to settle into her bones, and she shivered not from cold, but from an odd sense of apprehension. Her green eyes turned to Ludovic and Xairo, noticing the weight of their silence, the tension tucked neatly under their calm façades. She too bore the pressure of her mother's expectations, but unlike her brothers, she found the sternness in Absinth's voice grating, like a stone against sharp flint- igniting a spark. There was a sternness in her voice, yet there was no hiding the undercurrent of affection that slipped through the gaps between her quietly spoken words. Her gaze switched between Xairo and Ludovic, meeting their own with a fierce intensity that matched their mother's.

"Sericea Praetor-Inferos"

Xina crouched before her mother, she felt the cold earth beneath her toes. Her muscles contracted tightly as she focused on what her mother was saying. She didn't want to focus, she wanted to be doing just about anything else but focus. No weakness. Can't lose control. She glared at her own mother as she stepped forward, daring her to take another. No distractions. A bird cawed overhead. No distractions.

She'd prove to them all she was going to be the best, the most controlled, the least distracted, the sharpest of all her siblings and not siblings. She'll cut through the noise with her own blade!

Her voice hardened, growing colder with each word. “Emotions are a tool, not a master. Use them to fuel your strength, but never let them control you. Anger, fear, pain – they can all be turned into weapons if you harness them correctly. But if you let them dominate you, they will lead you to ruin.”

Absinth's gaze bore into her eldest child, Ludovic, her eyes unyielding. “You, of all, should understand this. Your strength is meaningless if you can't control it. Power without focus is like a wildfire – it consumes everything, including yourself. Channel your energy, direct it with precision. Be the eye of the storm, not the chaos within it.” Her lips curled upward in both a grin and a snarl as she looked over her other children, ensuring they did not think themselves above her scrutiny,

wormwood

Xairo was silent, absorbing his mother’s words like a sponge. His large, green eyes were wide and alert but held a flick of rebellion. He struggled with control- even now. Every fiber of him yearned to push boundaries, to test his limits, to prove himself. It was easy to feel like the odd one out, like he could possibly be overshadowed by his adoptive siblings. It evoked a compulsion to demonstrate his own power- a growing beast with him constantly howling to be released. And yet, here he was, being instructed to harness it. He wasn’t sure that he could.

"Xairo Saxe"

Ludovic met Absinth's unyielding gaze with a steady intensity, his mismatched eyes reflecting both acknowledgment and determination. Her words about emotions and control… they spoke to the internal struggles he often faced. The hidden ones. He remained silent, his expression a mix of contemplation and resolve, as if he were etching her advice into the very core of his being.

His puppy frame remained poised and controlled, proving the very lessons she imparted. The fiery red and monochrome hues of his fur seemed to ripple subtly with his breath as he maintained his control over his temperament.

Her grin and snarl were met with a calm, almost serene focus, a declaration that he would be the eye of the storm, harnessing his emotions and strength with the precision and control she demanded. As the eldest, he had to.


ludoviciana

What, really? Xina looked up at her mother, a confused scowl over her features. How does one control their emotions? How does it fuel? She has to find a way to make that work. She was already aNGRY at having to sit here. She was always angry if she was called upon to do something someone else wanted to do.

Her muscles started to ache from holding them so tightly, she wanted to BITE something!!! NO! She'll BE the wildfire! Woe to all who cross her path, when she's older she'll be strongest! She'll be the storm, how do storms have eyes? How do you be the eye of a storm? Xina raked her claws into the soil, scraping the surface.

Sericea shifted her gaze from her mother to Ludo. His struggle resonated with her, echoing in her own chest. The notes of defiance clashed against the strict cords of discipline their mother was attempting to weave around them. But of course, she was explaining that emotions were a tool- not a master. To use them in their favor, not struggle against them. She could see the draw to wanting to harness any sort of aggression. To vent it appropriately rather than be ruled by it. But of course, as a child subject to big emotions, it was easier said than done. Besides, it couldn’t have been a coincidence that the majority of her siblings had tempers.

"Sericea Praetor-Inferos"

She turned her attention to Araxina, her tone softening but losing none of its intensity or bluntness. “And you, remember that composure is learned through practice and discipline. It will not come naturally at first. You will struggle, you will fail, but each failure is a lesson. Embrace it, learn from it, and grow stronger. Or fail. Lose. If you want to live you will adapt.”

Absinth took a step back, surveying all her children with a mix of pride and harsh expectation. “My loves, you are destined for greatness. For survival and tribulation. But those things require control, focus, and unyielding composure. Never forget that. I have my troubles with temper as well, but intelligence will always reign supreme. You cannot win wars without strategy, though equally you will always need strength to conquer.”

wormwood

Ludovic watched as Absinth directed her intense words toward Araxina, the shift in her tone not escaping his notice. He admired the way she balanced expectation with a nurture, a blend of harshness and care that shaped them all. Or at least, that was his impression. Her words about composure, practice, and the inevitability of failure imprinted upon the boy, stirring a renewed determination within after his own verbal lashing.
He stood tall, absorbing the full weight of her message. His mismatched eyes reflected a combination of understanding and resolve, a quiet vow to embody the control and focus she demanded. He wanted her to be proud of him. He knew that greatness, survival, and tribulation awaited them, and her words served as a guiding force in his journey toward mastering both his emotions and his formidable strength. She had said so.

ludoviciana

Xairo's gaze flared with a defiant spark at his mother's words, his hackles rising slightly. He felt a surge of resentment, a burning hot enough to singe the frigid air surrounding them. Be controlled? Be focused? These were things he knew he should strive for, yet the wildness in him rebelled against the constraints. His heart pumped with a fiery energy. Xairo's mind churned with the swirling storm of his mother's words - control, strength, strategy. Each word crashed against the shores of his defiance and washed over him with an icy resolve. He felt compelled - no, driven - to challenge her expectations. To prove to her, to them all that he was more than just a hot-headed pup. He was a future Sultan, a leader who would rule with an iron paw and a sharp mind. He would not just meet his mother's expectations - he would exceed them.

"Xairo Saxe"

Her own mind had betrayed her and distracted her. When her attention was called by Absinth she literally startled from looking at the marks her paw had made in the soil and snarled audibly. Showing all that perhaps she needed this lesson more than the others. She huffed at her obvious failure at composure. She sat up tall, finding her limbs released from their tensing. She will learn from this. Holding oneself tensely leads to unreadiness! She had been startled! Her face relaxed as she absorbed her own internal lesson and applied it to what her mother was saying! She was destined for greatness! Yes! She mirrored Absinth's facial expression and pose the best she could, setting her face to pride and expectation. Be *smart* about controlling her own emotions, got it.

Sericea's acidic gaze seared through the thickening resolve between them. Her mother's words echoed in her ears, a symphony of command and expectation that made her heart pound in her chest. The icy air of Polar Sound bit into her, but she sat still, resolute. She would not be swayed by the harshness of the environment or the enormity of her mother's expectations. The waterfall, cascading down from the steep rock faces of the valley, offered a soothing rhythm that momentarily softened the weight of Absinth's words. It drew Sericea in, its powerful rush mirroring her own turbulent emotions. The harsh lessons she had been delivered were not lost on her, but they collided with her fierce independence, creating a tempest within her. She listened as the falls roared, each drop like a whispered secret of the strength and focus required to endure Absinth's teachings. The pull was undeniable - a call to harness her emotions and assert her power. Just as her mother had taught.

"Sericea Praetor-Inferos"