Naal, though, failed to stop her. The elf was used to being the serious, even dour end of a conversation, and letting others contribute some levity to balance things out. She thought she was doing pretty well being personable so far, but still there were things she wouldn't ever think to do. Like that silly, facetious boasting that took the joke a little past its expiration. It was the sort of small act that made Naal feel like Nariko wasn't trying too hard to match her or being guarded. The act of a friend and complement, however new.

Instead Nariko was rewarded with another flash of that grin, small but an unmistakable contrast on Naal's face.

"Were you with your family before that?" She asked curiously. "We're very different about what independence means."

Ageless elves, especially the nobility who could afford to support sprawling families, had their own approach with their children.

Naal took the glass but held it wide, leaving an obvious opening for Nariko as she patted her lap. "Come, you know there's no where else I'd rather have you."

It was a different experience for Naal, too. As they'd discussed before, most of the humans she'd met like this had narrow expectations of her. If they had an interest in talking at all it was in harrowing stories that confirmed her exotic and dangerous nature.