#igraine: worst boss of the year

[uniquevocashark]

Second person pov, tw gaslighting, implied/referenced blood drinking and physical assault

In which Catherine is comforted by Igraine

"Drink your soup, Catherine." Igraine chides gently, one hand pressed delicately against your stomach.

You blink, bleary, and make a motion to move the bowl in your lap up to your mouth. Igraine cups your hands gently, and you lean back into her even more, and she lifts it for you. You suckle at the thick tomato and onion paste and sound like a mud puddle sucking in a frog. You turned your head and Igraine pulled it away, slow enough that it stopped your head from spinning.

You hadn't meant to come here. You had wanted your bed, and the thin comforting sheets to pass out on, and the candles that never went out, and the group of people there to rest with and—

"—erine, are you listening? Don't fall asleep yet."

And you wanted comfort, you thought blearily, looking at Igraine's flat expression. Someone who could turn the bile in your throat into soft, indulgent, swallowable sins.

You blinked at her slowly.

"Catherine."

It took you a minute to wet your lips, weighed down by exhaustion and tomato flavouring, "Yes?"

Her fingers forces your eyelid open, and you could just make out the end lines of her squint along her face. When the candle had been snuffed, you couldn't say.

She rubbed your cheek in what you would call affection, later, "You're really quite out of it."

You're mind worked sluggishly. You had that meeting and then. You touched your neck, felt the soft bruise there, and winced. "Ow."

"Easy," Igraine murmured softly, rubbing your arm, "Do you remember what happened?"

"Vaguely."

"Describe it to me."

You shifted away from her, and she pulled you back with a simple hand on your chest. You collapsed into her and she brushed your hair off your cheek, your noses touching.

"I had a meeting with her," you said glumly, digging your nails into the bowl, "We were, she was—"

"Angry?"

She rubbed your collarbone. "Hungry."

"Hm. Continue."

"The wine wasn't right. Taylor messed it up, she took my blood."

"You gave it," Igraine suggested gently, her thumb stroking along your skin, "as was the right thing to do, in such a situation."

You rolled the words over in your muddled mind, and you thought vaguely that you had said something before she bit into you, hadn't you?

"Um." You said, frowning, and couldn't wet your lips to keep talking.

"Don't be silly," Igraine said, fondly. "You wanted her to bite you. You offered her your blood, didn't you?"

You nodded, unsure. "I might have."

Igraine's eyes were bright, and you realised you'd been pressed flush into her body. She was warm, and clinical, and sharp in ways that Lady Dimitrescu was soft in. Igraine's hand caressed your cheek, "It must have been magnificent."

You tried to shrug, more interested in the way her thumb was indenting a mark into your cheek, "It was."

"You are so lucky, Catherine," she sighed, prettily, "Alcina never asks for my blood."

You felt your face warm and Igraine licked the new droplets making gentle trails down your shoulder, and you watched them melt into her tastebuds and disappear into her mouth.

"I guess—"

She kissed you and you melted instantly into her lips, barely feeling the sting of the gauze she pressed onto your bleeding wound.

"Most can only dream of that privileges," Igraine looked at you and smiled against your bloodless lips, "you're so lucky."

You sighed into her mouth when she kissed you again and closed your weary eyes to the sound of her voice.

#turns out i dont like tomato based sauces for my pastas #dimitrescu staff ocs #igraine: worst boss of the year #catherine house steward of the castle #igraine wesker chief of castle staff #the real situation is that catherine almost died and igraine dragged her out before she did‚ and is now lying through her teeth #to keep catherine from freaking out too much #no catherine‚ you didnt get attacked because lady d was in a bad mood #you offered your blood #anyway #evil lady d is evil #not proof read i die like a maiden