Thalassa
A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.
He steps backwards, further into the darkness. His piercing eyes serve to pull her like a magnet in his vicinity. Each step is silent in the caressing shadows. Yet the ocean breeze winding through the tunnels does little to keep her from enjoying the heat of his proximity. It seems to pulse like a heartbeat, somehow matching her own while simultaneously being her inverse. Almost hypnotic, Thal wants to lean into the heat and explore its intricacies. Screw semantics. Maybe she just wants to explore his intricacies. The purred response settles in her ears comfortably, eliciting a hum of acknowledgement and approval from her. Although she is tempted to ask more questions, the anticipation surrounding them takes up more air than words would require. Thal is content to glide through the maze of caves, following behind this tantalizing stranger in silence.
When he stops suddenly, she takes the opportunity to steal a fleeting moment of nearness that is promptly followed by the searing touch of his hand on her arm through the fabric of her clothing. It makes her want to pull him inconceivably closer. She has never felt such a comfortable warmth. Thal almost doesn't notice the alcove he pulls them into until his palm leaves her.
As her thoughts reorient, she takes a moment to observe her surroundings, always conscious of the stranger's presence. The torchlight glistens against metals of every kind. Gold. Silver. Steel. And others she couldn't name. Her profession often gave her access to large amounts of wealth, but the treasures held in this room are overwhelming. And yet, unimaginably, her mind isn't focusing on any of them. It is lingering with the man against the wall, his gaze ignoring everything but her. Watching. Waiting.
Thal smirks mischievously as she pretends to continue her analysis of the trove. She drifts amongst the boxes, letting her hand skim their surfaces, careful not to make a sound. It wouldn't do to ruin the moment. Instead, she lets her fingers brush each item gently, overemphasizing her movements from the trailing tips of her nails to the elegant sway of her body. Perhaps it is slightly dramatic, but she enjoys the thrill it gives her to act under his attentive eye.
When she has finally finished her "assessment," Thal stops near him and sighs loudly. "It disappoints me to think that you thought trinkets would be enough to assuage my boredom." She is exaggerating slightly. Although the treasure would have excited her an hour ago, she has found something much more stimulating. "Is this the best you've got?" Despite her acknowledgement of his power and the dangerous game she was playing, the challenge is present in the angle of her hips and the tsk from her tongue. Dancing with fire is a hobby of hers after all.
