She confirmed his suspicions, and Mikhail felt a fleeting sense of satisfaction. It quickly simmered out into a warm curiosity, an eagerness to know more about the woman in front of him. He felt surprised by her compliment - handsome had never been a word used to describe him before, or at least not readily. His mother may have said it to him, back when he was still a spry yearling. Never before had a stranger approached him to issue such compliments. He found himself slightly taken aback, his mind quiet and his throat dry. He couldn't find the words to respond, momentarily stunned into silence. Finally, he finds his voice. "Thank you," he murmured, shifting his weight nervously from side to side. He could feel her dark gaze upon his body, his skin prickling and heart stuttering within his chest. "I am Mikhail, formerly of the Lagoon." He felt unsure of how to make conversation with her. Small talk seemed inadequate. He struggled to grasp at coherency, his brain unusually addled.
"You're looking for herd members?" he repeats, tilting his head in consideration. It was an awkward attempt at warding off the silence that lingered between them, the space between their words uncomfortably quiet for him. Deep down, he feared it. Never had he felt this type of tension, the way it danced like electricity across his skin. It was enthralling, enticing, and terrifying. He felt drawn to her like a magnet, yet part of him wanted to turn and run, back to the comfort of what he knew.
Swallowing thickly, Mikhail took a step forward, reaching tentatively towards her. He wondered what it would feel like to touch her, to slide his nose along the curve of her body. To lose himself. Before he could find out, he stopped, feeling unsure of how - or if - to continue. He never wanted to be like his father, forcing his himself on those with little regard to their well-being. So he waited, and instead chose to speak: "I could come with you. If you want."