Following the scent trail of a hare, Vaia was begrudgingly on the hunt. She didn’t enjoy having to harm another creature, even if it was for food. But she knew it was necessary to keep herself alive. Wolves couldn’t survive on berries and fruits, as much as she wished they could. And given she had failed her last few hunts, and hadn’t found a carcass to pick on in several weeks, she was starving. Almost to death. Slow in her movements, and noticeably frail. She also didn’t want to burden others with her inability to feed herself, which left her in quite a predicament.

Closing in on the hare, stalking through the underbrush, and coming within striking distance. Vaia launched herself at the foraging creature- but she was too soon. The hare heard her rustling through the bushes, taking off and vanishing into an underground burrow just as Vaia lunged-  leaving the girl with paws full of dirt and another failed hunt.


"Vaia"

Code by Shelby

The Polar Sound was becoming more and more boring. With so many vile souls accumulating within, she was hard pressed to find something to toy with that was not already being ripped to shreds. So with the thought of seeking out some excitement Absinth departed from her den, sending Vita off ahead of her in search of anything particularly interesting. She made her way through to the Red Forest after some time, when her raven returned with news. It croaked two words out, it’s beak clacking all the while. ‘PREY’, ‘WEAK’. And then it took off again, leading the way for Absinth as she followed from below.

The raven led her to the scent of another wolf, a female. Absinth couldn’t help but quirk a brow, curious about what the bird might have seen to lead her to such a trail. Though, upon catching sight of the girl… she could see why the carrier bird had described her as such. A small girl, young and mostly ivory in color. Her body was accentuated with russet and cream, and such a dainty thing she was. Absinth felt the bite of predatory urges swell within her, but she wasn’t quite the murderous sort… so she approached with hidden intentions. Though for how long she could maintain her facade, should the girl prove docile – she did not know.

Her approach was marked with obvious footfalls, making herself known before her voice rang out. “My little lamb, you look awful.” Absinth purred out, her voice dropping far more ruggedly than she had hoped for… but the closer she got to the girl, the more fragility she saw. “Why?” She questioned tactlessly, scrutinizing the bone figure of the rose-eyed stranger. What good was a life so poorly spent? Perhaps she had a condition, or an injury?

wormwood

Huffing out her frustration, squinting her eyes, and fighting the urge to cry. Vaia felt so defeated with yet another failure, as the hunger pangs in her stomach were becoming relentless and unable to be ignored. Instead of picking herself up right away, she wallowed in her misery, lying in the dirt on the forest floor, burying her face in her paws. What was she going to do? How was she going to survive?

She might have laid there for a while too, if it weren’t for the sound of footsteps resonating from behind her. Picking her head up slowly, and shifting her rosy-colored eyes upwards, Vaia watched as a woman approached her, analyzing her with beautiful, emerald eyes. “H-Hello,” She said, wiping her face with a paw and shifting into a sitting position. Vaia sniffled a bit to clear her nose, as she still fought back the urge to cry. “I-I,” She said, shifting her eyes away from the woman, focusing on her paws. “I-I’m hungry, a-and I,”  Her front paws shuffled against the dirt, tail curling tightly against her hind end. “I c-can’t k-kill,”  The word tasted so bitter in her mouth. “anything.” She still couldn’t look up at the woman, as she was overtaken by embarrassment and fatigue.  

"Vaia"

Code by Shelby

Absinth was thoroughly unimpressed with the sight of the pale female on the ground, in the dirt. Her pitiful visage only heightened the vexation Absinth felt. It wasn’t that she was crying, or that she was skin and bones. The monochromatic fae wasn’t looking at that, though it did lend a hand to her ire. No. What she saw before her was exactly as her raven had described – Weak. Prey. It was a visceral hatred she had developed in her homeland, the land of opportunism and survival of the fittest. Her body screamed at her to complete the cycle of strength versus weakness, to cull what was not meant to live. This girl looked to be on the verge of tears. Really it was all so dramatic. That thing inside Absinth was treading a fine line, and she so badly wanted to see where it led. Charcoal tail lashed behind her dangerously, raised above her spine against this lesser female. Waiting for an answer.

But Absinth could not have prepared for the choked out explanation the girl gave. Not being able to kill. What sort of bullshittery was that? She looked the pitiable stranger over for injury, for sickness lingering in her eyes or nares – and found nothing. Nothing but teary eyes. Absinth felt the corners of her lips twitch and pull back in a sneer, moving to circle the now sitting girl as she assumed a submissive posture – her tail tucked and her eyes downcast. Ah. Ah. Saliva had to be swallowed back. Tongue swiping against the inside of her maw, tracing her fangs.

Absinth chose to give her the benefit of the doubt, thinking perhaps… She was just a poor hunter. Truly, it was just a final chance before she stopped her already flimsy pleasantries. "Can't?" She pried forcefully, eyes blazing green fire as she stared down at the smaller wolf. Limbs planted firmly into the ground, the disciplined musculature of her body rigid as she stood above the girl – completely dominating the space between them. Absinth had not seen a wolf so emaciated since that little red one with the silver markings on her face... and the little lone thief that Aresenn had mauled to death. Haha. The woman grinned at the memory, the imagery flashing in her skull of that predator-prey encounter…

wormwood

Even if she wasn’t looking at her, Vaia couldn’t deny the tension that was coiling in the air between them- tightening with each second that passed, pushing its limits, until perhaps, it would snap. The scrutiny coming from the woman was something she hadn’t expected. Weren’t women supposed to be nice to each other? Weren’t they supposed to look out for one another? And yet, Vaia was starting to feel like a worm, writhing beneath the woman’s paws. Waiting for the moment she would be plucked from the earth and whisked away into the unknown. It was frightening, yet familiar to the girl. Something about the encounter reminded her of the red man who tormented her.

Clearing her throat, Vaia couldn’t help but play into Absinth’s interrogation. And as the predator circled, Vaia felt herself sinking closer to the ground, until her belly was pressed against the cold, hard earth. As if she were being crushed by Absinth’s dominance alone. “C-cant…”  She reiterated, echoing Absinth’s words, ears folding against her skull. She wasn’t sure what else to say.

"Vaia"

Code by Shelby

Absinth was quite displeased with the reply she got. Can’t. Can’t. It was so pitifully reiterated that it actually made her angrier, despite the fact that her own aura was likely the cause of the girl being intimidated beyond speaking full sentences.

“Such a waste.” Absinth spat, anger rolling off her in waves. Just like that day with Aurelia, the sheer stupidity of not fighting to survive. Only this girl here was even more infuriating. She hadn’t an ounce of fire or worldly knowledge at all, it seemed. Instead, she became a worm at Absinth’s feet the moment she was shown any hostility. This was not the sort of creature the monochromatic woman liked at all. She could forgive a weak body, if there was a spark within. She could enjoy innocence and naivety, if the body was strong and could be molded into something powerful. But this? This was an insult to all that had come before who fought tooth and claw to live, only to die. Perhaps… if Absinth provided the fire, the girl would temper.

“Life requires death. That’s a natural fact, little hungry one.” Absinth rumbled out, her gaze returning to trail the prominent rib cage of the writhing pale girl before her. If she hadn't been such a bug, Absinth would have gone out to hunt for her. But why? What was the point? “You should have survival at the forefront of your mind, willing to do anything for it. Weak, frail, broken, none of these things should stop you. Why let them? Luck aloneis not enough to keep your life.” Absinth had dropped her maw to the girl’s ear. A low, guttural tone hissing out, brimming with hate and condescent.  “Did you think someone would come along, and save you?” She wanted to laugh, wanted to giggle at the thought! Her lips pulled taught into a wicked grin, her thoughts swirling in a maelstrom of depravity. A brutal paw shot out, falling on the girl’s skull as it lay against the ground, petting her pathetic discovery roughly. “I’ll save you. You just have to endure a little discomfort first.” She was formulating a plan, one she so badly wanted to enact. But it had to be worthwhile, to see what results it gave.

wormwood

The words that dripped from the woman’s mouth bore into Vaia’s skin like knives- wrenching and forceful, making her outwardly wince. Such a waste… some to come along and save you… Her ears pressed harder against her head, tail tucking tighter against her body. The stranger had it all wrong! Vaia wanted to survive, she wanted to be able to fend for herself. She tried, time and time again, to live on her own and fend for herself. But she was just so… weak. It was hard living in the wild, all alone. Especially without a companion to aid her. “B-But, I-“ Her words were cut off, body tensing and quivering as she felt a paw touch her head. Claws raking against her skin, as the woman started to pet her.

She wanted to defend herself; to try and explain that she was having a string of bad luck, and wasn’t thriving as a lone creature. Part of her wanted to deny the woman’s offer- but Vaia was no fool. She knew it was only a matter of time until hunger and fatigue overcame her. Maybe she could even protect her from the red man. She needed to accept whatever help she could get- even if it brought discomfort, like the woman claimed. Vaia didn’t know what that meant, but she didn’t allow her mind to dwell on it. She needed to accept the offer while it was still available. And so, with her weak, shaky voice, Vaia would say- “T-tell m-me what t-to do.”  A plea, as she waited for Absinth to give her a sense of direction.  

"Vaia"

Code by Shelby

It was lovely. This spineless girl, so… tender and mild. Hahaha! Perhaps.. She could see just why her father liked his little pets, why they were such a prominent part of his life. She had seen it first hand, the games he played, the way he circled like a shark until he was ready to feast. If this feeling, sick and gratifying as it was, came from the torment of souls too weak to withstand the… games – so be it. She was well and truly, her father’s daughter, wasn’t she? And if she could never shake her hatred of the weak, well, there was no guilt to be found within her anyways.

A chuckle pierced the tension around them, lips trembling in excitement. The pale girl easily accepted Absinth’s offer. Not a hair of hesitation to be found. Such desperation fed that vile part of Absinth’s true nature, and it was all she could do not to burst out into maniacal laughter. How long had she been holding this back? Was it the teachings of her youth, when her father would take her out and force her to watch him torture and ravage both men and women alike? Maybe it was always his intent. To sow a seed, or activate a horrible part of her blood? Whatever it was, she was willfully indulging it. “All you need to do is what I said, and follow me~” Absinth purred, her voice smitten with the idea she had settled on. A little… experiment, if you will. Oh. She almost forgot. She couldn’t go around calling the girl worm or bug, could she? With a measured tone of reassurance, the woman feigned comfort and concern - not caring if it sounded sincere or not. “What’s your name, little lamb?” The wicked fae said over her shoulder, ensuring that Vaia was indeed following her as she set off at a steady pace.

wormwood

All you need to do is what I said, and follow me. Her ears perked up a bit, rosy eyes daring to shift up at the woman- but only moving from her ivory paws, up to her chest. She didn’t have the confidence to look into those acidic, emerald eyes, which were sparkling with predatory thrill. “O-okay.” A whisper slipped through shaky breaths, her frame trembling as she slowly pulled herself up from the ground- watching as the woman’s overbearing frame casually sauntered away, as if she were a predator toying with her prey. For several moments, Vaia felt like her paws were woven into the earth- unable to find the confidence to budge from where she stood. Perhaps, it was her intuition telling her to disobey.

But alas, her naivety would win. She waited until the woman was several steps ahead, that dark face twisting to look back at her, peering into what felt like the depths of her soul. “My n-name is Vaia.” Finally, she forced her legs to move, though her steps were clumsy and foal-like, as she tried to match her savior's pace. She didn’t dare ask for a name in return- for now, she wanted to keep quiet, to avoid annoying Absinth and ruining her chances of receiving help.  

"Vaia"

Code by Shelby