"The different things are what you brought in," Tani said, tipping her mug towards Minalla. "You asked me if a woman could have company of the sharp minded in both her trade and her personal pleasure. I asked if you could give me a reason why she couldn't, and you responded with a fear of intimacy."
Tani paused, eyes sliding upward in thought. She brought in her mug, tapping it against her chin as she mused, "I would say that, if a woman had such a fear, a possible reason to not have both would be that her fear of intimacy kept her from allowing such a person into her personal life. Reason being that someone who is sharp of mind and wit might be able to see past whatever guard she had up. See into her, into what makes her tick, into who she is in a way that might lead to emotional or mental intimacy. Being that that scared her, she'd be more likely to keep such people at arm's length, preferring to interact with them on a professional level. By nature of one's trade, it would be inappropriate to descend into the personal, and so she'd easily be able to deflect away from her personal life with just such an excuse of 'oh, we aren't here for that' or some such, teasing and leading on without actually ever allowing for a true connection."
Tani shrugged, and grinned, and it was a couerl's grin: all toothy and full of predatory glee. "You see? Such was the game -- a theoretical matching of cause and effect and reason where you indulge me in my need to be contrary."
At the very least, as she alternatively leaned in and away, gesturing with hands, eyes lit up and roving towards Minalla and then away, she was engaged -- but not necessarily combative. Opinionated and scrappy, but not unfriendly. Unkind, sometimes, but not intentionally hurtful.
Tani paused, eyes sliding upward in thought. She brought in her mug, tapping it against her chin as she mused, "I would say that, if a woman had such a fear, a possible reason to not have both would be that her fear of intimacy kept her from allowing such a person into her personal life. Reason being that someone who is sharp of mind and wit might be able to see past whatever guard she had up. See into her, into what makes her tick, into who she is in a way that might lead to emotional or mental intimacy. Being that that scared her, she'd be more likely to keep such people at arm's length, preferring to interact with them on a professional level. By nature of one's trade, it would be inappropriate to descend into the personal, and so she'd easily be able to deflect away from her personal life with just such an excuse of 'oh, we aren't here for that' or some such, teasing and leading on without actually ever allowing for a true connection."
Tani shrugged, and grinned, and it was a couerl's grin: all toothy and full of predatory glee. "You see? Such was the game -- a theoretical matching of cause and effect and reason where you indulge me in my need to be contrary."
At the very least, as she alternatively leaned in and away, gesturing with hands, eyes lit up and roving towards Minalla and then away, she was engaged -- but not necessarily combative. Opinionated and scrappy, but not unfriendly. Unkind, sometimes, but not intentionally hurtful.
Precise. ⚜ Vivacious. ⚜ Wicked.
