Blood and Ink

[Thalia]

She'd drifted off a little, content with the silence broken only by the shuffle of papers, but the sound of the door opening drew her attention. She twisted round, eyes wide. What the-?! Her chest pounded loud in her ears, erupting a brief flash of fear. The building her studio was housed in employed decent security, but it all counted for shit when you forgot to lock your own door. Or perhaps Thal was just too trusting; a hard trait to preserve in the heart of Moscow. Nothing was an innocent as it seemed.

Old, forgotten memories scudded the surface of her mind, bringing a light tingle to her skin. That scared her more than the man bursting through her doorway, but fortunately Rune broke the tension by barrelling into the guy's arms. They had the same twang to their voices. Clearly they knew one another. A strange sense of relief washed out the spike of uncertainty. Thalia blinked a few times, clearing the sudden dullness from her eyes. Otherwise she took it in stride.

"You couldn't have knocked?" A half smile pricked her lips, though she didn't mask the good-natured scold to her tone. Rune had gripped on so tight she doubted either was apt to pay her much attention anyway; it had the look of a reunion. Curious now her heart was on the descent and her brief touch with the unnatural unknown was already half buried, she took a sip of coffee. Was that a cowboy hat?