[It may be what they are best known for, but Rilan doubts that the citrus trees are what convinced the Barrithian nation to come to Pollux V's aid. No doubt there are resources here, minerals or power sources or technology that has been requested in return for their support.
But Rilan pushes his mind away from that, instead regarding the woman sitting across from him. She's graceful in her movements, enough so that he decides it cannot all be from practice. He gauges her reactions to his question, the lift of eyebrows, and knows it is unexpected, but him taking things off the normal track of getting-to-know-you conversations doesn't seem to perturb her. Either it doesn't bother her, or she is skilled in hiding her reactions. Perhaps both.
He notes, also, that when he asked if she would mind a blunt question, her response was not whether or not it would, but rather giving him permission to do so. Interesting.]
I was wondering if instead of engaging in polite small-talk to ease into our acquaintance, you might appreciate or even prefer that we begin at the heart of our arrangement with more forthright and open honesty.
[Not everyone is comfortable with it, but Sola is, by profession if not at heart, a politician. It's possible she would enjoy a more veiled conversation to pick apart later for nuggets of information given unwittingly, but at the same time he thinks she may also enjoy a rare moment of plain speaking. It's uncomfortable for some, he knows, but it's also the one element of Barrithian social conditioning that actually took with him. So, in a way, it's his first offer of really introducing her to who he is.]
no subject
But Rilan pushes his mind away from that, instead regarding the woman sitting across from him. She's graceful in her movements, enough so that he decides it cannot all be from practice. He gauges her reactions to his question, the lift of eyebrows, and knows it is unexpected, but him taking things off the normal track of getting-to-know-you conversations doesn't seem to perturb her. Either it doesn't bother her, or she is skilled in hiding her reactions. Perhaps both.
He notes, also, that when he asked if she would mind a blunt question, her response was not whether or not it would, but rather giving him permission to do so. Interesting.]
I was wondering if instead of engaging in polite small-talk to ease into our acquaintance, you might appreciate or even prefer that we begin at the heart of our arrangement with more forthright and open honesty.
[Not everyone is comfortable with it, but Sola is, by profession if not at heart, a politician. It's possible she would enjoy a more veiled conversation to pick apart later for nuggets of information given unwittingly, but at the same time he thinks she may also enjoy a rare moment of plain speaking. It's uncomfortable for some, he knows, but it's also the one element of Barrithian social conditioning that actually took with him. So, in a way, it's his first offer of really introducing her to who he is.]