Closed Swimming as opposed to Soaking (Edreina)

[Matthew]

It seemed to have some effect on her. He watched closely as she gave a distant nod, and then lost herself in her own thoughts. Hopefully his words had helped. He knew it had been wordy and perhaps a little too logical, but he had a hard time emotionally connecting. He was one who gave fact and logic when it came to problems, and could perhaps come across as a little blunt when doing so. He could have said that love and lust are just two emotional reactions that may feel powerful, but actually don't really matter in the scheme of things. The pain that could come from those emotions wouldn't kill you, at least most of the time. But, who really wanted to hear that? So he kept quiet, plodding along as she tried to figure out her personal issues. To him, her and Razkar were a simple thing. Painfully simple. They were just being like every other person, and overcomplicating it. He really wanted to lure them both into the same bedroom, and then make his quiet escape. That'd probably be the easiest solution. No doubt they would thank him for it. After they were done being so complex. Very briefly, he considered offering to be Razkar for a night. He could find Razkar a nice fire-head to be Edreina for the night. They probably wouldn't thank him for that considerate offer, though. A faint smile touched to his lips as the sea was revealed before them. He found peace and beauty in nature, even if quite a few different aspects of it completely terrified him. Even with her chuckle and teasing words of before, he still wasn't completely okay around water. He was noticably distant as he took her hand and followed her onto the ship, and definitely quiet while he found a place to set his folded clothes. As he walked around, trying to get a feeling for the ship, he noticed that it was slightly rocking underneath him. Blinking, he glanced down at the wood beneath his feet, finding that he was swaying and slightly off balance. Furrowing his brow, he took a step forward, only to realize that it put him further off balance to move. He stepped surely and landed perfectly, but the ship kept weaving underneath him, making him feel like he was going to topple over. Blinking a few more times, he glanced over to Edreina as she stripped down to her underclothes, opening his mouth to ask how he was supposed to handle all of this. Seeing her freckled hips caused him to pause though, and his mouth slowly shut, an idea coming to him. She might remember the skills she herself had taught him, the Harlot glancing down at his hips and clenching his jaw. Suddenly, his hips took on most of the minor rocking motions of the boat, his stomach muscles working as he braced himself. Soon, his feet and legs were slowly bobbing, but his upper half wasn't moving an inch. He used it like a core of control, like a steady center, and slowly walked up beside of her. If anything, this made it easier to walk in the seductive and feminine manner. Was this how she had taught herself? Feeling a bit more comfortable about being on the boat now, he quietly followed along with Edreina's actions. First there was the toes, which he couldn't even reach down to. He did his best, slowly crawling his fingers down the front of his legs, but had to stop when the straining sensations in his body began to blossom into sharp pain. Then there was the move where he was supposed to pull the foot backwards, which nearly cost him his balance. The only ones he actually managed to quickly and skillfully perform were the hip twists, back strength, and various little tugs. He popped quite a few times, body protesting all the new things he was doing to it. And then she was gone, a sassy remark thrown his way as she hurled herself carelessly into the sea. Matthew snorted, and leaned over the edge of the boat, peering into the depths. Yeah right. In a rather comical show, Matthew took his sweet time slowly climbing down the side of the boat, lowering himself into the water inch by inch. When he was fully in it, he doggy paddled out a bit, and then back in, clinging onto the ship with this look of intense concentration in his blue eyes. Then again he went, circling about in his slow little paddling motion before clinging back to the sturdy wood. Peering around the water, as if expecting something to eat him whole, he waited for Edreina to surface before commenting. "So when you said 'go out on your boat', you actually meant something completely different. Or did this idea only occur to you after I mentioned the doggy paddling?"

[Edreina]

"So when you said 'go out on your boat', you actually meant something completely different. Or did this idea only occur to you after I mentioned the doggy paddling?" There was the high, cheerful melody of Edreina's laugh as she shook out her hair, flinging droplets at Matthew. "Yes, actually," she admitted cheekily, satisfied with the sight of something that she could do better than the harlot. As he doggypaddled, though the Svefra had a far more vulgar name for it in which the animal was changed to a cat but the last bit remained the same, Edreina automatically found herself coming up with a list of corrections for him. A tick of mental debate later, she decided that such an intellectual fellow would find it easy to take a bit of criticism. "What your doing is an incredible waste of energy. If you had to do it for very long, you would not get very far and then you would lock up and drown. As for all the sea-monsters you are worried about..." Edreina hesitated, pursing her lips and closing her eyes tightly as she opened up the flood of sensation that her Oceanus made her aware of , cringing gently under the weight of it. But, at least now she could answer honestly. "There aren't any within a mile, but I will stay alert, if it will make you feel safer?" There was always a trickle of sensation that Edreina left open while she was in the water, leaving her aware of anything large enough to cause real damage coming towards her. But, for Matthew, she mentally blocked out any creature that was a vegetarian, leaving her open to even the small, multi-toothed fish who would dart in and out of schools of even smaller fish, simply because they could attempt to make a meal out of one of Matthew's wriggling toes. "Now... about your swimming..." With a sly look glinting in her blue eyes, the woman moved ever so slowly to the harlot as he continued to cling to her ship. "If you stretch out on your stomach, or back, your natural buoyancy will do most of the work when it comes to keeping you afloat. From there you just have to chose a stroke." Eyes narrow, as if to stress what she was saying, Edreina quickly lay back, bringing her toes out of the water and allowing the Suvan to rise up to her ears. Utterly still, the woman floated, face a mask of unimaginable serenity. Like, this, she felt at home, at peace. All worries over her family, her freedom, and - now - whatever the petch was going on between her and Razkar seemed to be washed away. After a tick, Edreina began to slowly windmill her arms, using them to drive her backwards; this made her shoulder absolutely scream, it made her shoulder pound and claw at her brain anew as it was assaulted by the motion. Proving that she could move with just her arms, Edreina then began to pump her legs up and down, giving her more speed. She moved like this for a moment or two before rolling onto her stomach, altering only the movement of her arms. Instead of windmilling, they came out from her chest and then arced around and back; this motion hurt her shoulder less, but the burning ache from her first actions lingered. Each exhale came in the instant that her hands were coming back around to push out form her chest, she inhaled as her arms moved her forward. Finally stopping, wading before Matthew once again, Edreina smiled. "I don't expect you to try that right now, simply to be aware of it. Not only is it a better way to move through the water, it also is a phenomenal work out. You would be surprised how much better swimming can make you in bed." Despite her claims that this was a workout, the Svefra was far from winded. Instead, she shrugged and proceeded to grab the railing and haul herself up by upper body strength alone. Once on deck, she leaned over and offered a hand to Matthew. "Now I will show you the Suvan..."

[Matthew]

He instantly regarded her with a bit of suspicion, and almost defiantly paddled around in a little circle again. He didn't look at all offended, her guess that he could take criticism being on the mark, but he wasn't all that incredibly trustful of her ability to close her eyes and apparently sense sea monsters. Almost like a child, he quickly retorted, his voice sullen. "What if they are invisible?" It was a completely off-the-wall remark, especially for the normally calm harlot, but she would be able to tell that the unknown ocean brought out a different side of him. Still, here he was, paddling around with some level of confidence, stroking his way through the waters. Even if they did scare him to some extent, he wasn't going to let that stop him from experiencing it. He had always wanted to go and jump in. He just didn't want to get eaten all alone. At least this way, she would be devoured too. Or maybe she was right, and there was nothing nearby. In that case, they wouldn't have to deal with being devoured at all, which was a much more reasonable outcome. Blue eyes were soon distracted from his suspicious staring as she showed him how to swim the proper way, and he watched closely, brow furrowing in utter concentration. He watched her nearly intimately, soaking in every single detail about her movement, from the rippling of any visible muscle to the steady rise and fall of her chest, to the way she cleanly moved through the water. Before she had even finished telling him that he didn't have to try it now, he was faceplanting forward in the water, apparently quite brave in trying out things that horrified him. For a moment, it was probably hilarious to the fire-head. He didn't just face-plant, he practically lunged his whole body forward, rippling up out of the water to belly flop himself down onto his chest. He looked like a petching handicapped dolphin for a moment, and was quick to gurgle as he got salty water in his mouth. Coughing and spitting, he windmilled a bit, splashing about. He forced himself to calm down though, grabbing onto that calmness that he knew so well, remembering how Edreina had been. Serene and apathetic, simply letting everything wash away. He took a breath, doggy paddling a bit to keep himself afloat, and then tried again. This time it was on his back, and amazingly, he found himself floating. Gingerly, he slowly rotated his arms, windmilling them at a snails pace. He added his feet in too, and eventually started to crawl along the surface of the water, practically at the speed of something floating along. After a few seconds of this, he smiled briefly, apparently pleased with himself. Blue eyes flickered over to Edreina, the delight apparent in his gaze, and he once again took off in his sluggish backstroke. It took him forever to get to her, and when he did he was breathing hard, but he did get to her. Reaching up, he grabbed her hand, using it to help yank himself up onto the deck. Once there, he instantly glanced back, a small look of yearning that Edreina was probably quite familiar with. Now having experienced this little piece of the Suvan, he wanted back in. He contained himself though, turning to her, narrowing his eyes as he let his stomach muscles control his balance. His hips swaying again, he stepped towards her a bit, blue gaze once more suspicious. "What exactly does that mean?" He was suspicious of her definition of things now. She was too playful for her own good in her natural habitat.

[Edreina]

"What exactly does that mean?" Rolling her eyes, Edreina set about casting off, untying the docking lines, pushing the ship away from the dock. Once they began to drift away, Edreina ran below deck and returned toting her sail. After a few more bells of aimless floating, Edreina had attached her sail and moved over to the ship's stern, taking a place next to the tiller. With the mainsail's line in one hand, Edreina carefully adjusted the tension until the mainsail was mostly unfurled. Matthew may have been surprised, if he was more intent upon the captain than the scenery, to notice Edreina slip her hand into the water instead of placing it upon the tiller. All of a sudden, the ship lurched forward as Edreina adjusted the currents with enough energy to lift the bow for an instant and cause the deck to roll oddly beneath the harlot. Hey, this was still a new skill to her. Blushing fiercely, Edreina then began to angle away from Syliras, relying heavily upon the lovely tailwind they were graced with along with her own alterations. Every once in awhile, as Syliras grew smaller and smaller on the horizon, Edreina would adjust a current too drastically and cause them to shudder one way or another, lip getting caught between her teeth each time she made a mistake. Eventually, Syliras was naught but a thick black line on one side of the endless ocean that surrounded them. Here, Edreina felt oddly at peace, so small in the grasp of Laviku. Through her submerged fingertips, Edreina felt the medley of life that surrounded them, her brothers and sisters of the Sea. It was so beautiful and perfect that she could have sat there all day, just watching, listening, feeling the Suvan around her. But Matthew was here, and she had to make him understand why she felt this way. Walking over to the side of the ship, Edreina opened her mind to the power of her Gnosis and sought out creatures that were within her range of control. The first thing she encountered was a large school of Jumpers circling not too far away. Though she was not strong enough in Oceanus to control the entire school, she was able to convince a few to come her way, and with them came more of the school, naturally. "Look," she commanded quietly, bringing the little creatures up to the surface so that their enormous fins could glitter and twinkle beneath the water. With a little more will, she was able to get one of the fish to fly from the water, across her ship, and then disappear once more into the Suvan. To most, she would have appeared to be a bit of a nut, sitting there with her hand in the water, beckoning fish to do her bidding in a whisper. But in all reality she was just a Svefra trying to show another the beauty of the Suvan without going for a dive. There was a coral reef some way away, teeming with thousands of little points of life, but it was too deep for the novice swimmer to reach. And besides, the salt would likely bother his eyes. After a moment of searching, Edreina found a pod of dolphins and while the adults were too big to summon, she called to one of the slate-gray infants. As it approached, the Svefra examined Matthew carefully, hoping to see some sort of understanding in his expression. It was so rare for her to share this side of herself with land-striders... And yet she chose to show Matthew.

[Matthew]

She didn't answer his question, causing Matthew to pause, then try again. "...uhm. What... exactly does that mean?" His voice was smaller this time, as if he knew he wasn't going to be answered, and was dreading the silence. It wasn't like he could escape now anyways. The boat had started moving, giving Matthew a bit of pause as his hips adjusted. Oddly enough, his method of dealing with the rocking ship was working out quite well for himself. His hips continued to bob and his upper body stayed still, his balance keeping with him. He had to move slowly and surely, but if he took his time, it was easy to walk back and forth on his little section of the ship. Sucking in a breath of the salty sea air, he turned to watch Edreina, quietly observing as she started to mess around with the sails. When she dipped her hand into the water, he did raise an eyebrow, and was quick to raise two when the ship jolted underneath him. He had to reach for a railing on the side of the ship, letting out a small noise, blue eyes darting about for a moment as he tried to figure out what manner of sea creature was attacking them. It took him a seconds to realize there was nothing there, but even then he didn't let go of the railing. Now he clung to it, almost glaring at her as she blushed furiously. He had certainly not signed on for any of this. He didn't remember her mentioning actually sailing out, or any of that swimming. They lurched once or twice more, and Matthew grunted each time, his knuckles white as he held onto the rail. While his face was ever-so-calm, his bright eyes were quite expressing, screaming mixtures of fear, suspicion, and delight. He seemed to love the blue surrounding them, was suspicious of Edreina's odd sailing ability, and was quickly a bit fearful when he noticed how far away they were from the shores of Syliras. "Uh. Did you know we are rather far out?" He gestured toward the shore, fairly certain without her even speaking that she would only roll her eyes and go back to her questionable steering. Soon, she drew his attention to a little school of creatures, the fish swarming up to the surface to display themselves. One actually popped up out of the water and shot across the ship, Matthew letting out a bit of a squeak before clamping down on his lower lip to stop any further noises from coming out. A mixture of that previous fear and childlike wonder crossed his eyes as he watched the little Jumpers blur back underneath the water, and then saw the little infant dolphin shooting towards them. A unique expression of adoration crossed his face as the cute little creature popped a head out, making some sort of noise in their direction. Matthew was silent, glancing from her to the dolphin, then back across the ocean. After a few moments of thinking, he suddenly moved, perhaps taking Edreina by surprise. He hopped over the side. A soft splash signaled his departure into the endless blue, and his jump took him underwater. He opened his eyes, even though the salt stung it, taking in the surroundings. There were colors everywhere, jumpers swimming away from him, and an infant dolphin slowly coming over to him out of pure curiosity. Holding his breath, he remained underwater for a time, fighting his fear of the great unknown. Instead, he slowly spun himself in an underwater flip, the motion foreign to him, but the technique known after quite awhile of studying acrobat buskers in the Syliras streets. Soon enough though, the harlot broke the surface, gasping out for air and paddling around. The dolphin, sensing his moment, sped forward and tapped Matthew on the back. The man shrieked out suddenly, flailing forward, then clamped his hands over his mouth and turned a nice shade of crimson as he stared at Edreina with wide eyes. It was a whole new side of him, some immensely young and innocent side that was likely buried very deep down inside of the ice he had shown so many times before. It was an odd contrast, to know him as someone who bedded so many women without a single blink, and then this man who looked to be a little boy. He just kicked his feet, keeping afloat, the infant dolphin making all sorts of delighted and amused noises as he sped little circles around his new plaything. After a moment, Matthew slowly withdrew his hands from over his mouth, blue eyes and cheeks both burning with shame as he weakly spoke. "Are you coming in?"

[Edreina]

"Are you coming in?" Without hesitating, Edreina ran towards the railing on the ship and leapt into the cool, churning Suvan. Upon entering the water, Edreina was not surprised to realize that the infant dolphin's pod had joined it, and now they were surrounded by eight long, lean, finned masters of the deep. The dolphins were not agitated about the intrusion into their territory as some land creatures would. Quite the opposite, in fact. The dolphins quickly began to show off for for Edreina and Matthew, swimming in tandem, leaping over one another, squeaking and clicking out the songs that fueled their dance. The redhead was easily recognizable to the dolphins because of their Gnosis, and so they quickly began including her in their play. She would splash at a dolphin and it would snap its lower jaw closed, splashing her back with a tittering laugh; dolphins would come up and swim a circle around her, their bulk creating a miniature whirlpool that spun the laughing redhead. A bit more hesitantly, they would also include Matthew, for if he was with a child of Laviku he must also be a Sea-friend. They would offer him a dorsal and pull him about should he take it. With Edreina, they would pull her under the water, pull her into spirals and loops until the human ran out of breath. Each time Matthew's composed mask broke in a grin or a moment of surprise, Edreina would feel an odd sort of joy warming her chest. Perhaps the Suvan was just what the harlot had needed. "If you ever want to come back out here," Edreina offered quietly as she felt the dolphins lose interest and begin to swim away, "Just let me know. I will take you." Her smile was, as usual, utterly luminous as she made the small gesture of friendship. Matthew was in his own category of companions in Edreina's mind. He was a man that was not kin, not a once-lover nor a would-be-lover. He was, most simply, a friend. It was rather odd by entirely welcome for Edreina to finally be able to put a man into that category. In the past, she had attempted to simply be friends with a man, but it was rare that they remained in that singlular category. "Come now, we can have lunch on deck and then return to the city." Despite the fact that he may have wanted to continue swimming, the veteran knew that it was unlikely that he had enough endurance to stay in the water much longer. So, with her gentle but concrete insistence, Edreina offered to help Matthew into the boat and then trotted below deck to retrieve a simple set of rations which, though simple, would give them a bit of energy back. Perhaps the harlot would expect a towel to dry off with, but drying off in Syna's warm gaze was half of the fun of swimming. Once they were both situated, Edreina lounging back against the mast with her legs out in front of her, ankles crossed, Edreina decided that there was no time better than now to ask the question that had been burning at her mind. "Matthew... Can you teach me how to... seduce a man?" The moment the question left her lips, Edreina hung her head in shame. She knew how to lay a man, but the entire process of what came before that was nearly lost upon the woman. So often the act would be as simple as asking. But, after working in the Herald's Arms, Edriena had seen women get a man panting from across the room, simply by- well she did not know what. And that was what she wanted to learn.

[Matthew]

The dolphins were regarded with some level of suspicion at first. After all, the littlest of them had knowingly scared Matthew, so what would the older ones be capable of? The harlot kept a close eye on them for awhile, but eventually seemed to relax. After a few spins and twirls around Edreina, he cracked a small smile or two, though a laugh never really bubbled out. Even when he was obviously enjoying himself, he seemed to keep a fairly close check on exactly what he was displaying. Really, he was trying to keep a check on what he was feeling, but that was harder. The human condition was something that was difficult to overcome by willpower alone. When one of the creatures offered to tug him along, he glanced at Edreina, the look in his blue eyes sparking for a moment with that suspicion that he had earlier. After a bit though, he slowly reached out his long fingers, wrapping them around the dorsal and allowing the dolphin to try to give him a tug. He wasn't the most graceful of men when it came to the water, and almost the minute he was tugged, he started flailing about. The dolphin seemed to find this amusing, darting around Matthew in quick little leaps and chirps before offering him the dorsal again. Matthew sputtered up a bit of water, and setting his jaw, tried again. The end result was much like the first try, with the dolphin awkwardly dragging Matthew along before the harlot somehow slipped off and flailed around. Each and every time, the dolphin found it hilarious, jumping about and tittering laughs at him. He was fairly worn out by the time they lost interest, and he slowly swam back to the edge of the ship, trying his best to hold the form that Edreina had taught him. Sometimes he would slip back into the awkward dog paddles, but almost instantly caught himself and forced his arms and legs to move in the way hers had. At her quiet offer, he gave a nod, and a soft remark of his own. "Glad to know that I will have a fair warning next time." It was aloof in tone, but hopefully would be seen for the small tease that it was. After he had been helped onto the deck, he slowly sat down, folding his legs under himself and catching his breath. All of his muscles were a tad bit sore, showing that the swimming was more than just a fun thing to do. There was definitely some benefit to the body, and Matthew could see how it would help with his flexibility. If anything, he could actually practice acrobatics in the water, or at least use water as a soft landing point. Since the ship could go out to deeper waters, he could use it as both a diving board of sorts, as well as a safe anchor to cling to when the water started scaring him to much. He would have to take Edreina up on her offer sometime, teasing aside. He chewed his lip in thought as he silently accepted his rations, and quietly dug in. He was just as polite as the girl might expect when it came to eating, with tiny little bites and not a single peep. When her question was asked, he stared at her while chewing, and did not even make an attempt at answering until he had completely swallowed. "Why do you ask? From previous words traded, it sounds like you have successfully lured men into your bed before. Do you not seduce them there?" It sounded a bit rude, but he didn't mean it that way. He didn't care if she had slept with fifty men or only two. It was all the same to him. It mattered how she had gotten them though, and why that way wasn't good enough anymore. Had something changed? He briefly thought to Razkar, furrowing his brow a bit. Was the Myrian the cause? Tilting his head, he watched for a response, his food put on hold for the moment.

[Edreina]

"I-... I have bedded men before. But it was always just sex. There was no suspense... No... Thrill of having lured the man to my bed... I simply led him there... If that makes sense. " The redhead sighed, pressing her hand against her eyes. Things has always been so easy - so simple - for her. But now? Well of course the damned Myrian had come along and petched it up. Two nights ago they had finally admitted what they felt for one another, and yet they continued to refrain from the activity that they both craved. She wanted to call it sex, but something deep in her belly promised that it would be more. In all honesty, Edreina knew not what she felt for Razkar, only that it was different from anything she felt before. With a frustrated groan, Edreina rose to her feet and commenced pacing from bow to stern, and back. And forth, and back. From the smoothness of the wood along that particular track, one could venture to guess that this was not the first time Edreina had set to pacing in such a manner. Moving cleared her head, made everything feel just a bit more natural. Her thoughts were quickly laid out in an order before her, and examined in turn. After a few silent chimes, she stopped, pinching and tugging on her lower lip as she thought. Perhaps her feelings for Razkar and her view of sex were all becoming muddled simply because of how long it had been since she... Well you know. Maybe that's what it was. What all of this was. She was mistaking friendship for something more because she lusted after the Myrian's body, and because she knew that was the only way she would ever get it. It felt subconsciously manipulative, but seemed to fit well enough. Her heart thumped out a contradiction, but it was lost as the woman chased this line of thought. If that was true, maybe she would feel differently once they committed the act. Maybe all of these complicated and scattered emotions would fall back into Edreina's two primary categories: admiration and lust. Once things progressed past that point - as she felt they did now - the Svefra was naught but a bumbling child, facing things all too new and too alien to her. Could all of that really be caused by a pent up sexual urge? The more she thought upon it, and allowed her heart to comment, the more unlikely this felt. But there was only one way to be sure. "Matthew... I know this will probably come with a price tag... but I need you to kiss me." Despite her joke, the redhead was a vision of seriousness for once in her life, blue eyes roiling unsurely as she knelt before the harlot, palms resting carefully upon her thighs. "Go ahead... Gimme all you've got." Did her voice really just tremble? As she waited for his response, she felt her stomach flutter oddly, and wondered of which she was more afraid: being proven right, that she only felt things for Raz because she wanted him, or being proven wrong, which would mean that she still had to face a hydra of emotion.

[Matthew]

Just led them there? He supposed it made sense. There were certain things that were naturally alluring to men and women alike, and some people were born with this things. Edreina was a pretty girl, and her curves were attractive, even if she seemed to do her best at hiding some of them. With the right look and the motion of her finger, quite a few men would probably just walk into her bed without a second thought. Many people didn't understand seduction, or just didn't really want to spend the time that was required for it. They would much rather just go straight for the meal, instead of savoring it. As he contemplated this, he watched the girl suddenly rise, curiously following her with his sharp gaze. It was obvious she had done this sort of pacing many a time before. Perhaps over the same topic? He wasn't sure. While she had asked for lessons on seduction, it felt like the was actually asking something else. He couldn't really put his finger on it, though. Women could be such complex puzzles. Maybe that was part of the allure of his profession. He liked solving complex puzzles. Her question caught him off guard, causing him to glance up from his thoughts to meet her gaze. Kiss her? His seduction was apparently working without his permission today. He studied her eyes as she knelt before him, and eventually the pieces managed to fall in place. This wasn't about seduction, the rather scattered woman had moved past that. Now she was curious. Was she once again going to her question of before, where she had wondered the difference between love and lust? Between intimacy and just momentary intimacy? Her gaze was unsure, her voice trembling. So, she was going to try and prove something to herself, and he was apparently part of the test that she was planning on conducting? He briefly considered having her actually spell it out for him, but in the end decided not to. He was still a harlot, after all. If she wanted a service... His hand reached out, and he held it open. His voice was soft and serious. "1 gold miza." He very nearly upped his price on account of the fact that he was curious about her resolve. But he was a professional, especially when it came to this sort of thing. She would get the same treatment as everyone else. But his best? No, she wouldn't get that. His eyes burned for a second at her, briefly showing something quite... strong. Something hidden within all the blue. But then it was gone, and he calmly would wait until she paid him. She didn't want his best. That turned the kiss into something entirely different. Then he gave her what she wanted, moving to kneel just as she was. The harlot was painfully slow in his approach, though that was all part of it. His eyes found hers, and held onto them as he leaned in, sparks and suggestions suddenly dancing in the deep gaze. He studied her stare for an eternity, and only when he was almost to her did he glance down, eyes glinting with intelligence as he formed a plan. For Matthew, a kiss wasn't simply a kiss. It was constructed, for her and her lips specifically. His fingers would gently find her chin, pushing up just enough to arch her head back in the perfect angle. Then, he tilted his head and finally connected, lips brushing. It was simple and slow, a soft kiss placed on her lower lip, the harlot tasting of saltwater, mint, and warmth. It was only a light peck at first, though his lips did take their time pressing against her own. When he slightly pulled back though, he once again moved in, this time with lips parted. They closed softly around her lower lip in just a bit deeper of a kiss, interlocking them for a moment, a soft suck added to the touch. He was taking control, not asking her for a kiss back, merely taking his time showing her what he had made for her. A kiss for her. Another soft tug, and her lip was pulled out a bit, Matthew's eyes opening to look into hers. He released it slowly, making it drag free from his mouth, the kiss an incredibly simple one but sensually slow and drawn out. His nose nuzzled to hers, but he didn't lean forward, allowing her to take the kiss further or end it there. It was all up to whatever she was trying to figure out, and if that simple thing was enough. From the sound of it, most men she had probably kissed had no idea how to take their time. Hopefully the slowness, the way he had practically explored a little sample of her taste was something new and different, and something she could use for her internal struggle. If not, she would certainly be able to find plenty more in the lips of a harlot.

[Edreina]

The fiscally responsible Whitewave in Edreina cried out at the price. One gold Miza? As in, a whole one? It had better be one damned good kiss. So, mumbling and grumbling all the while, Edreina stepped below deck to retrieve the the blasted coin and returned a short while later, mouth pursed thoughtfully. After slapping the coin down in his hand, she returned to her previous position: legs tucked beneath her, hands placed carefully upon her thighs, head cocked. At first, the woman was off put by the false emotions dancing through Matthew's eyes, being only what he felt she wanted to see. The fact that such feelings were fake made Edreina reconsider her experiment. Perhaps how much she disliked his businesslike air would taint the kiss he delivered? And so the redhead unfocused herself, closing her eyes so that she was not a creature of thought, but a creature of being. She was a pair of knees, pressed against the wooden deck, grain leaving odd lines in her flesh. She was a set of ears, abruptly overwhelmed by the strength of sound carried by the Suvan as it lapped against her casinor, by the harshness of her anticipating breath in that still moment. She was a pair of hands, twitching with curiosity as every hair on her body stood on end as he edged closer. She was a pair of moist, soft lips, parted ever so slightly in preparation, not puckered, but simply parted. She was blankness. Emptiness. Nothingness. And then, she was fire. In this heightened sense of awareness the initial brush of Matthew's lips over hers was ever so taunting, a tiny ember that set her body burning in a familiar way. In that initial moment of contact, Edreina felt herself become a tense ball of long-suppressed sexual-urgings, intense and primal and searing in her veins. Automatically, her body moved closer to his, hand sliding from her own thigh to rest upon his, fingers tensing and relaxing ever so gently, yet so insistently. But then, when Matthew returned for a second kiss - or was it merely an extension of the first? - something changed in Edreina as suddenly as a candle being snuffed, leaving someone in the cold darkness. She did not pull away sharply as the odd sensation rolled over her, but continued to allow him access to her lips, partially so she could see if it would return and partially to marvel at his skill. Gold miza? Totally worth it. When he pulled away to eye her, Edreina still did not feel the urge to lean forward and prolong the kiss as she did with Razkar. The act had not left a warmth in her stomach nor a silly grin on her face. It had been as simple, to her, as if she had accidentally brushed her hand against his as they walked. Nonetheless, the harlot had put for a good show, and Edreina could certainly speak with confidence now when tittering women whispered of his supposed prowess. If he could kiss that well then Edreina harbored no doubt that he was also fairly decent- Who was she trying to kid? Matthew was probably absolutely fantastic in the sack. And, despite the inkling and the images that automatically flashed through her mind, of two blue eyed bodies intertwined in a variety of inventive positions, Edreina was surprised to feel no urge to find out for herself, no biting curiosity. Damn shame. "Thanks," she finally said, rather lamely. As she stood and went to man the boat, to begin moving them back to Syliras, Edreina briefly wondered if his ineffective move bothered the harlot. It would be uncharacteristic of him, or at least of who she thought him to be, to take failure too well. If anything, he was already thinking of ways he could have made it better, made it actually get to the redhead. Then again, the harlot probably knew a losing battle when he saw one. It would take dusky skin, uncountable tattoos and scars, and a voice like an animal's growl to truly set the Svefra's body ablaze. And now, even she was becoming a bit more aware of it.