Don't paint wonderful lies on me that wash away
"What, now?" she asked, a little startled to find he meant right away. While the blue waters of the day seemed friendly enough, these dark seas seemed far from safe. Wouldn't it be better to wait for daylight? But she ended up following him all the same. Helpless to resist when he smiled at her like that. What a siren song it was, so alluring. Pulling her in, threatening to drown her if she forgot to keep out of the deep. Yet here she was again, ready to plunge headlong into it, in the wake of a man who didn't really care. Love was a cruel thing.
Maea lingered hesitantly on the shore as he undressed, looking everywhere but at him as he peeled off boots and shirt. There was that childish delight again, the pure joy of being near water that had drawn her to him from the beginning. It was impossible to look away when he addressed her, and if she blushed, it didn't show; the moonlight drained away all the colors, painted his tattoos in black against the gray tan of his skin. Oh, she'd no doubt he had been lounging here for hours or even days, just drinking in the sun.
"Alright. Turn around then." Waiting until he had his back to her, or at least wasn't looking straight at her as she undressed, Maea began to peel off her clothes. The precious shawl was entrusted to Haai again, along with her own light shoes, the knife he'd given her tucked safely into the hilt, and even the shift - knowing it would only get tangled in her legs if the surge of the waves was anything to judge by. The river had been swift; this was the ocean.
With nothing but the chest wrap and underwear left on, the girl stepped over to Sunjata, her feet bare upon the sand. Without any billowing fabric to shield her, she looked even smaller than before. Thin enough that the ribs and hips stood out sharply under the pale skin, with narrow waist and hips that were surprisingly full. It was easy to mistake her for someone younger, barely more than a teen, but she was very much a young woman. Nearly luminous under the moonlight, the silk hair a river that fell freely down over her shoulders.
"Done," she said, waiting for his cue. Watching the waves sigh and surge onto the sand, with a thrill of trepidation. Not even she could control that much water...
Maea lingered hesitantly on the shore as he undressed, looking everywhere but at him as he peeled off boots and shirt. There was that childish delight again, the pure joy of being near water that had drawn her to him from the beginning. It was impossible to look away when he addressed her, and if she blushed, it didn't show; the moonlight drained away all the colors, painted his tattoos in black against the gray tan of his skin. Oh, she'd no doubt he had been lounging here for hours or even days, just drinking in the sun.
"Alright. Turn around then." Waiting until he had his back to her, or at least wasn't looking straight at her as she undressed, Maea began to peel off her clothes. The precious shawl was entrusted to Haai again, along with her own light shoes, the knife he'd given her tucked safely into the hilt, and even the shift - knowing it would only get tangled in her legs if the surge of the waves was anything to judge by. The river had been swift; this was the ocean.
With nothing but the chest wrap and underwear left on, the girl stepped over to Sunjata, her feet bare upon the sand. Without any billowing fabric to shield her, she looked even smaller than before. Thin enough that the ribs and hips stood out sharply under the pale skin, with narrow waist and hips that were surprisingly full. It was easy to mistake her for someone younger, barely more than a teen, but she was very much a young woman. Nearly luminous under the moonlight, the silk hair a river that fell freely down over her shoulders.
"Done," she said, waiting for his cue. Watching the waves sigh and surge onto the sand, with a thrill of trepidation. Not even she could control that much water...
