“Well, I will have to send you my references then. I promise that they are impeccable,” she offered with a shy grin that she vehemently hoped made her embarrassed flush look… vaguely… whatever the hell men look for. Sheeplike and charming, she guesses? Ida was decidedly not flirting in this context, but she had no idea what Greengrass was getting at with these jokes, and it frankly threw her for a loop.

“Hm, people have told me that before,” she informed him grimly, right before she proceeded to take a deep swig of her glass. The move polished her drink off, and Ida’s frown grew a smidge deeper, because ladies are supposed to drink slower than gentlemen, and Mister Greengrass still had his glass. Furtively, she tried to hide the fact with the palm of her hand as she continued.

Ida pursed her lips to keep back her skittish laughter, lest she encourage this behavior (or worse, seem like she’s flirting back). Or, he’s just being nice, she chided herself. “You would be surprised, scholars can be quite possessive of their worldview,” she pointed out, hoping a Serious Topic might help keep them in safer waters. “It can be unnerving to have one’s philosophies questioned by someone who reminds them of their little sister.” There. If there was any ember of intrigue, which there certainly was not, then nothing served as a better wet blanket than likening herself with Clem. Probably.

---

Set by Lady!