Assessment 2: Viking and Princess (Arkin/Hime)

"I would like that. It seems as though you possess quite an array of books that I could lose myself in for days." She replied in a polite tone to his offer. She continued to observe him as he browsed through the pages of one of his books. He turned to her with a cheeky grin and asked her a question so unexpected that had she not been a woman of some composure, she would've dropped her cup of ale and covered her face in embarrassment.

Her own maturity served as an impressive tool here as she gracefully smiled, gazing at him from the small distance between them. To be sure, it was the most unprofessional question to ask someone but she had been warned well beforehand that such were his antics; she found that brutal honesty of his humorous.

The composure she held, however, was quickly compromised as soon as he closed the distance between them. His calloused fingers softly graced her chin as he tilted her head upwards as their gazes met. There wasn't a blush that followed but rather, a gaze that was held longer than Arkin would've expected. Her eyes had traveled down to his well-toned musculature, a body that seemed as if it was chiseled out of marble.

Tightly corded, held in the right place, and a source of temptation for the eyes of the graceful shinigami. If his body wasn't a form of distraction enough, both his gaze and his tone - to say nothing of the very confidence he exuded - was enough to leave her speechless.

Curiosity had compelled her - even in her silence - to trace her fingers along his skin. She wanted to keep things professional but right now, she was failing horribly. Her only wish was that word of this - if it went further than intended - would never reach Abalia's ears.