Ishaza looks over at Alethia, then shakes her head.

Oh, why that headshake- ah, Ishaza knows in advance that Alethia won't want food of any sort due to the whole vampirism thing.

Sophia curtseys, and departs.

"It's impolite for me to eat when you're not having anything, but years of this kind of interaction with Crin have desensitized me a bit to it." Ishaza picks up her chicken sandwich and takes a dainty bite.

"I'm glad it has, it means I don't need to delicately munch on one of Crin's servants for propriety's sake. I imagine said servant is pleased about this."

"You have good control for a newly-turned vampire, but you will need blood eventually. It's alright to be discomfited by it, though; that's entirely natural."

"I promise to request some before I become uncomfortable as a result of the lack."

"That's good to hear."

Ishaza takes another bite of her sandwich. 

"So," she says. "Crin tells me you're interested in the Winds and have strong sensing abilities."

She nods excitedly. "I certainly am interested! And Hysh is beautiful. Bright and intrinsically clean-feeling. I can- feel it on you, see it on your soul."

"That's magesight," Ishaza says. "It's a rare ability even among practicing wizards. Just another oddity in your increasingly teetering stack thereof."

"The stack teeters so. I can in fact shore it up, but doing so uses more oddities and the end result is a tower of them sufficiently tall that it reaches the heavens."

And thus she has to decide whether to grab one of the items from the very top and use it to rather conclusively demonstrate that something- extraordinarily odd is going on, and thus give credence to the rest of it. But- well, revealing any particular bit of oddness would be a bad idea if Ishaza and Crin were not precisely as trustworthy as they appear to be. It's likely clear at this point simply from observation that she can likely do something that demonstrates sufficient oddness for other claims to be defensible, but- well. She isn't sure yet that she should.

"And that would be why Crin has not invited you up to her room in the towertop yet. Despite the assorted facts that she finds you adorable, interesting, sane, kind, and quite pretty."

She endeavours not to combust.

She finds her pretty? And adorable?

She suppresses the urge to bounce happily in her seat.

"That's entirely reasonable of her. I wouldn't invite me into my room in the towertop yet either. Just not enough trust earned yet. I'm pretty sure we'll all get there, though, eventually."

"Indeed. But you seem the kind of person to underestimate her own positive qualities, so I thought you ought to be aware."

She feels warm and soft.

"Thank you, then."

This is the obvious strategy to use, if you're secretly untrustworthy. Being kind to her. But that's because it's the strategy that looks pretty much identical to how she'd be acting if she was who she was presenting herself as, so that's not really evidence. It might be if she hadn't taken the options that meant she would probably land on or near people naturally predisposed to like her, but given that she did it doesn't really tell her much at all.

Ishaza takes a bite of her sandwich. 

And, well, the preamble to her next question is long enough she'll be able to swallow that before she's actually been asked the question.

"I was talking to Crin last night and we touched on the subject of the gods. I mentioned that one- interacts with their followers and perhaps hears things about what they do, what they want, but this is all still- at a level of remove. And she mentioned that if I was curious about the gods I should talk to you, which, well, honestly makes quite a bit of sense. Would it be okay if I asked you some questions on the subject?

Ishaza nods. "Please, go on."

"So- forgive me if this is too personal, I won't press if it is. But probably the most obvious first question is just- why Rhya? What separated her out from other gods and made her seem like the one most worth following, to you?"

Her instincts are not in fact saying this is over some sort of line, but she'll hedge anyway just in case.

"Well..." Ishaza inclines her head. 

"Rhya's domains include, among them, the pursuit of companionship and romantic love. I was impetuous, in my younger years, and very devoted to romantic ideals..." 

She smiles slightly. "I still am," she says. "But perhaps tempered more by wisdom. I've seen the pursuit of sensation end in very ugly places since."

"My sympathies."

"Rhya guided me to safety through some very dangerous territory. I was lucky, or wise, or perhaps both. I will always be grateful to her for that."

"I find myself grateful as well. Was that guiding- literal and direct, or more that- there was wisdom in writings by organizations devoted to her that helped? I- don't have the strongest handle on how often more direct interventions like that actually happen."

Also, that sounds like perhaps not completely standard Rhya? She's not quite sure how puritanical the gods of Warhammer actually tended, but she certainly got the vibe that it wouldn't usually be so much- guided through dangerous territory as- denounced as evil.

"Initially, her faith's writings. Eventually I became involved in sanctifying a shrine, and felt Her touch opposing the Ruinous Powers for the first time. It was very light, passing... But in the shaping of Hysh I found deeper connection. It is hard to describe."