Even as he leaned closer, Sophia remained unmoved, matching his tease with a quirked brow. He was right, of course; even if he emulated the trick, there was a certain je ne sais pas to the technique that rendered an unparalleled effect. Timing had everything to do with it.

“Hmm,” she nearly purred, blue eyes alighting to his teasing brown ones. “How familiar are you with the Russians' brand of magic, Mister Dempsey?” Not very, she gathered, though if he was it might stir a clue about the bigger picture. Witches and wizards from the far reaches of the Russian arctic were particularly known for their ability to manipulate and create their environment, with innovations that worked at impressive scale for the sake of survival. Not that they had to worry about such survival techniques here. Sophia was thriving.

The woman met his height with a gentle lift to her toes, closing their distance another hair’s breadth so that their noses gently grazed against each other, so that perhaps he might feel her full effect. Turning somewhat demurely from his face, her lips sought out his left ear. Her left hand gently caressed brunette tresses there, smoothing his hair back in the way she’d been tempted to before – a confident misdirect. For as she leaned into his ear and her index finger grazed his earlobe, her right hand moved up as though to hook around his neck, intended instead for completely different purposes.

“Confundus,” she whispered her spell aloud this time, directly into his ear as her right hand doled the charm. Wandless magic - her most versatile skill acquired as a young teen touring world stages. 

Before it could catch up to him, the ballerina dropped to her feet and moved swiftly below the right arm that trapped her. She took great care to drag her fingers across his waist as she did, on the pretense of keeping her balance as she maneuvered around the tight space.

“Allow me to take your coat, sir,” she joked from behind him, moving quickly before the effect should fade. He had not been exposed to some of the techniques that left their audiences a bit more prone during performances, after all, and would likely come-to quickly. Wandless magic was never particularly strong without an accelerant. Her hands gracefully maneuvered over his broad shoulders down his arms, before working quickly to tug off his overcoat without much fuss. Sophia took great care to ensure he turned to see it - the second her lips feigned a dramatic ”oh!” of surprise as she balled up his coat and tossed it over the railing behind her.

---