(I'm back! Thanks for waiting)
Sequoia had been watching Aniña for any signs of discomfort and she held back a laugh when her wife blushed. "It's good Habibi. It means you're strong. It means you can survive." She patted Aniña on the head, hoping she was comforting and not condescending.
(No problem)
Aniña nodded slowly and looked back up, “I’m not a princess like you… you’re elegant and poised and fit for your roll and I’m just… nothing…” Her words got quieter as she spoke and she leaned back in the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
"No" Sequoia shouted, wincing at the loud noise. She cleared her throat and tried again, keeping her voice more calm and soothing. "No, Habibi. You're… a warrior. It's why I was chosen to marry you. If you weren't a fighter, I wouldn't be here." She resumed stroking her hand lightly up and down Aniña's side. This felt right. Good. If only Aniña weren't being poisoned.
Aniña winced when the other shouted but quickly regained herself and sighed a little, “I-I’m not… I don’t deserve you, Liran. You’re… you’re too good to me. I don’t deserve a star like yourself.”
Sequoia bit her lip. "No, Habibi. I don't deserve you. You're… brave. Strong. I'm not. I hide. I lie. I'm no star, I'm more of a… a dark cloud. Lighting may seem bright, but it's destructive. Painful." She smiled, pain writhing behind the weak mask. It hurt to see Aniña putting herself down because that was Sequoia's domain, thank you very much. It was strange to see someone so impregnatable falling apart.
“No. You’re not a dark cloud, Liran. You are a star, my star. The brightest star there is in the sky and I-I don’t want you to think like that… ever.” Aniña took one of Sequoia’s hands in hers, bringing it to her heart and holding it there.
Sequoia blushed when Aniña called her 'mine'. She was strange, this woman. Someone who could hate her so easily one second, save her the next, and then tell her to love herself the one after that. "Okay, Habibi. You need to be kind to yourself too. No more comparing yourself to me." She cupped Aniña's cheek with one hand, running her fingers over cheeks, nose, and eyelids a few seconds later.
Aniña leaned into Sequoia’s hand with a small sigh, “O-Okay… Liran. I won’t compare myself to you if you stop bringing yourself down.” She whispered, reaching up with her own hand to place hers on Sequoia’s. She’d try, try her best to continue acting like this, for Sequoia.
Sequoia smiled. "We have a deal then, I suppose." She moved her hand off Aniña's face, bringing her forehead down until it rested on her wife's. "Do you know how deals between lovers are sealed in my country?" She asked, lips nearly grazing Aniña's. In her culture, promises were sealed with kisses. On the lips for husbands or wives, and on the wrist for friends.
Aniña swallowed and shook her head a little, “No… I don’t.” She whispered, her gaze flicking from Sequoia’s eyes to her lips to back again. She wanted to kiss her and she could if she wanted, but she wouldn’t if her wife didn’t want that and she didn’t know.
Sequoia leaned down slowly until their lips met. Little fireworks burst behind her eyes. This was nice. Soft. It felt better than all the one night stands Sequoia had ever sought out. Aniña's mouth tasted acrid because of the poison but Sequoia couldn't really bring herself to care.
"We seal them with kisses," She murmured a few moments later, pulling away just enough to catalog Aniña's face. This was something she couldn't allow herself to forget.
Aniña’s face was bright red as her eyes scanned Sequoia’s face, lingering on her lips for a moment longer before they shot up to her eyes, “I-I um…” She was speechless for once in her life but practically didn’t care. Damn her now she wanted more.
"You taste terrible," Sequoia said, voice filled with equal parts happiness and worry. It was a strange combination but one she balanced every day. Her parents were horrendous at taking care of things. "I think we should do this again when you've taken the antidote, just so I can get the best experience." There was a teasing sparkle in her eyes.
“Aww…” Aniña whined, pouting a little, “I guess you’re right, even if I don’t want to wait to kiss you again.” She smiled up at her wife sleepily, suddenly feeling tremendously tired. Before she could say anything else, a burst of pain shot through her arm and she cursed in her native tongue, back arching off the bed slightly.
"Fuck!" Sequoia pushed her back onto the bed, rushing to the first aid kit, which she had left on the dresser, and combining another round of painkilling herb blend. She poured it into Aniña's mouth, making sure she didn't spill it, although her hands were shaking something fierce. "It's okay, Habibi. You're okay. The maid should be back soon. You're okay."
Aniña grabbed Sequoia’s hand and squeezed a little, “It hurts… it hurts so much…” She breathed, trying her hardest to forget about the pain coursing through her. It wasn’t as bad as the previous burst but it still felt like she was dying.
Sequoia hushed Aniña with soft noises, petting her hair and running soothing touches down her arm. "The painkillers should kick in soon, Habibi. Perhaps you should try to sleep." She positioned Aniña so her head was on Sequoia's lap, pressing kisses to her temples and whispering soft words of love and comfort in her ears.
Aniña nodded slowly, curling in on herself a little. She had no energy to speak as it felt like all of a sudden it had left her body. Her eyes closed slowly, her body still feeling like it was dying but she slowly drifted off into an uneasy sleep but Sequoia’s presence was comforting.
Once Aniña fell asleep- or drifted off into some more peaceful oblivion than consciousness- Sequoia picked herself up off the bed, pressing a final kiss to her wife's brow. She walked into her room to grab an encyclopedia of poisons shivering in the chill of the hallways. She quickly returned to Aniña's bed, a stack of books in her hands. She was going to be doing a lot of research.
Even though sleep was slightly better then consciousness, Aniña’s dreams were filled with nightmares if the Night Stalkers, the poison and the usual nightmares she normally received. She guess it was better then being in agony. She shifted in her sleep with a small groan, bringing her legs to her chest.
Sequoia petted Aniña's hair as she read through her books, committing to memory things she found important. After a few hours, she set aside her books, curling up next to her wife and burrowing under the covers. She held Aniña tightly around the waist, unwilling to let her go. Unwilling to leave and allow her to suffer alone.
Aniña relaxed a little when she vaguely felt Sequoia’s arms around her. She snuggled into her a little before she fell into a deep sleep again. Even more memories and dreams plagued her while they slept.
The morning greeted Sequoia harshly, spiking bright rays of sun down into her eyes. A maid was knocking on the door so hard it was shaking in it'ss hinges. As soon as she processed what that meant, she shot out of bed, tearing open the door and snatching the ingredients from her hands without so much as a hello. She pulled open the encyclopedia and got to work, grinding away at the herbs with nearly professional skill.
Aniña let out a painful groan when she felt Sequoia move, blinking open her eyes to find that she’d gone she felt panic setting in. She sat, painfully, and relaxed a little when she saw her wife and what she was doing. Letting out a small sigh and a groan, Aniña leaned back in the bed again, pulling the covers over her body and her face.
"Are you okay, Habibi? I'm right here." Sequoia continued to grind up the herbs, setting aside the nightshade berries to crush and drain into a bowl. She summoned a servant and had the maid bring her a stone bowl. "How are you feeling? Is everything alright?" Her voice was tinged with concern, although by now Aniña was probably out of the woods.
Aniña answered with a long and painful groan, “I’m in pain… lots of it.” She muttered, rolling onto her side and curling into a little ball. She felt like death but without the dying part.
"I'm sorry, Habibi." She sounded truly sad- as if she were feeling Aniña's pain herself. She ground up the herbs a bit faster, casting the bit of fire magic she could do to heat the bowl and pouring in some water. She would need to bring it to a boil and add the nightshade juice, wait 15 minutes, stir in the herbs, let it sit for 30 minutes, and finish up by pouring it on the wound. It should leech the poison out of the wound and then dry and flake off, taking all the harmful shit with it. "Everything will be alright soon."
“I hope so… I feel like death but without the dying part…” Aniña muttered before another groan erupted from her throat and she rolled to the otherside, cocooning herself in the blankets. She felt cold but knew she was burning up.
"Sorry I can't be there." The water bubbled, loud in the quiet of the room. She plopped in the nightshade berries, memorizing the time on the clock so she could come back at the correct time. She started chopping the last of the herbs. An earthy smell permeated the room.
“You’re helping from over there, Liran… That’s okay by me,” Aniña’s muffled voice drifted up from under the covers. She tried to focusing on the sounds the antidote being made. Her head popped up from under the covers, “C-Can I have a glass of water, please?”
