Distantly Related - A Meeting

[Lillianne Prévost]

I giggled at her vow, able to see that she was in earnest. "This is going to sound silly, but I've never actually spoken with him. I don't think he even knows I exist."

[Sarielle Shahrizai]

"Well then that, my dear," I said amicably, a lilt to my voice, "is the fiorst step. This is good, because first impressions hold a great deal of importance, and since you haven't really met yet, it will be easier to make it on your terms, looking your very best, and feeling your very best, and knowing eactly what you want the outcmoe to be," I was really enjoying our conversation. I never had the chance to teach the wiles of women to my younger sister, I was robbed that, so in a way it felt like I might be able to make up for something here. "Where do you see him most, and is he usually alone? A noble, an adept, a peer?" I asked. I think she understood that this was not me scheming, and that I genuinely wanted to help in any way I could. Plus the excitement was catching.

[Lillianne Prévost]

"I've only ever seen him in Eisheth's Salon, and he's never been alone," I described. She was obviously enjoying this, and to be honest so was I. I missed these sorts of conversations with Mama. "If he had been I might have approached. And I found out that he's a vicomte."

[Sarielle Shahrizai]

"Ah so you have been doing some research on your subject!" I said, smiling. "Alright, so then we know that he is in Eisheth's Salon. This is good, you could even 'stumble upon him'." I stroked my temple in thought. "And a Vicomte. Have you been able to find out whether he is attached any at all? And when he is not alone, what kinds of people does he surround himself with? And also, how do you want to present yourself to him? I don't know you well... I can get glimpses into your personality, and I can read somewhat about you, but not all. Mayhap I should teach you how to read some signs regarding male attraction," I said outloud, pondering. Then I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. I laughed then. "I appologize if I have gotten rather carried away."

[Lillianne Prévost]

"Oh no please, I'd love to learn," I said earnestly. Oh, to actually know when men were agitated because they were attracted rather than upset... "I'm afraid I don't have a lot of experience in matters of the heart."

[Sarielle Shahrizai]

"Not a problem, my dear. The best way to learn is always to observe. That is why the Hall of Games is so much fun. Even if you are not partaking in the flirting, it is always good to watch how others do it, their reactions, learning the meaning behind a crooked smile, a flash of a look to another area, things like that." I waved my hands. "Alright so let us talk about attraction. Women, when we are attracted, we tend to shift a great deal, using our hands, sometimes absentmindedly, we play with our hair, or a dangling jewel, which comes off as very obvious. Men, however, are fairly different as they do not have these sorts of items at their disposal. Sometimes, they will fidget with their belts or suspenders, or put their hands in their pockets. They will make eye contact if they are confident, but if they are shy they will often have a downward gaze. If they do look you in the eyes, and they tend to glance just a little bit down, to look at your lips, that is a sure sign of interest. If they angle their bodies towards you as you speak to them or lean in to hear what you are saying, they are interested in what you have to say, and any form of contact, well gentle form of contact," I added laughing lightly, "is a showing indicator. Also, if you would like to show that you are interested, when talking, lightly touch his arm at random, but not too too often. Mild flirting is always a must, a signature for women is to look up at a man through her lashes. A signature for men is that half crooked, curled-at-the-corner smile. They know how well it works on barriers put up against advances." I hoped that these little tips were helping.

[Lillianne Prévost]

I giggled. "Well they haven't fooled me yet," I said with a smile. "So should I not do those obvious things, playing with my hair and such?"

[Sarielle Shahrizai]

I laughed at her proclamation. "Exceptional. Now, as for whether you should do those things that let a man know, it all depends on how you want to present yourself, and whether you want him to know you are overtly interested in him and flirting with him, or if you'd rather play the at-first-disinterested woman. Since, I am guessing you know not as much about him as you'd prefer, it may be a good idea to get to know him first."

[Lillianne Prévost]

I nodded in understanding. "What if I wanted to flirt just a little? I don't want him thinking I'm just another silly girl," I said, trying not to make it a confession.

[Sarielle Shahrizai]

"Ah, so maybe looking to seduce as opposed to flirt flippantly?" I asked, rasiing an eyebrow. "Well, definitely the eye contact, and going from his lips to his eyes. Also, the touching is a must," I laughed then, thinking about what I had just said. "Appropriate touching, of course, at least for now," I added with a wink. "It creates a subconscious bond. Of course, not too much, especially if he might be the type that doesn't like to be touched too often by strangers. If he shies away you will know not to. If he moves closer, you will know he doesn't mind. Although, upon seeing you, I am sure he would have no porblem with that," I added with a sly grin. "Nod in agreement when needed, it shows that you are interested in what he is saying. Don't always laugh at his jokes, then you will give off the vibe that you are trying, especially if his jokes are terrible. Don't play with your hair overmuch, no twirling of the strands. However, you can move strands away from your eyes. Sometimes that will prompt them, if they are bold enough, to help you out with it. I hope I am of some help," I said, smiling a genuinely happy smile. Now we should talk about how to tell if he is being receptive."

[Lillianne Prévost]

I let myself soak in her words. I realized that I had seen women doing what she described.

"You are very much of a help," I told her honestly. "Yes, what comes next?"

[Sarielle Shahrizai]

I smiled at her, leaning in as if we were close friends, sharing a secret. It seemed very comfortable, very fitting for some reason.

"Well, aside from the signs I mentioned earlier, it's generally easier to tell with men, well some men," I thought as I remembered some Shahrizai men. They were more difficult to fool. "It may be easier to focus on the signs that show you you are losing their interest, or they are not interested at all instead of the other way around. You see, for example, if you are losing his attention or he feels uncomforatble with you or the surroundings in which he is talking to you, he may look around, his focus will be divided. He may also do this if he is searching for a way out of the conversation. If they distance themselves from you, it may be out of social decorum, but it could also be because the proximity makes them nervous, or they do not wish to be close to you at all. Also, the look on their faces and in their eyes give them away. Unless it is a man who has spent time schooling his emotions and the exterior expression of them, men are generally open books. If his brows are knitted together and his lips are pressed tightly, he may be concentrating, but if his eyes are not on yours and they are wandering then you know he is not enjoying the conversation. Often it is a combination of items if you know what I mean. But the eyes tell all," I said. That part was a little bit more difficult to explain.

[Lillianne Prévost]

I listened studiously, nodding in the appropriate places. She was having great fun imparting her knowledge, and I wasn't about to toss away such an opportunity to learn. "And what if he is being receptive? Should I leave him wanting? Pursue it further?" Then I realized what I was asking and blushed.

[Sarielle Shahrizai]

I smiled slyly at her words. "You know, Lilliane, its okay to want to 'pursue things further' so long as it is what you want. If you are not sure as yet how far you would like this romance to go, then I would say string him along for a little while, see if he really is worth your time, and really waht you want for yourself, or at least something fun that is worth whatever you might be giving up in return. Remember, this is about you, not him. It is about what you want, empowering yourself and fulfilling your desires. If you find you just want to be friends with him, then you can change the situation easily enough, and if you find you want to be more than friends, well..." I trailed off. "Well, then you become more than friends. Of course, if that is what you think you might want," I ventured with a serpentine smile, "then I may have a few ideas that could help, although keep in mind, it does vary slightly from man to man."

[Lillianne Prévost]

"I'm sorry, I've just never... seduced a man before," I said, blushing still. "I haven't done a lot of things."

The only excuse I could think for explaining how the words came out of my mouth just then would be to say that something about her made me trust her. I had no idea what, but she didn't strike me as the conniving type, unlike so many of her family members, my uncle excluded.

[Sarielle Shahrizai]

I took her chin gently in my fingers, angling her head towards me so I could look her straight in they eye. I smiled at her, not taunting or mocking. "It's okay, and there is nothing to be shy about here." I released her, putting my hand back in my lap, then smiled.

"I totally understand. You see with... my family members, we get a lot of this out of the way fairly early, teasing and teaching at the same time. But I can certainly understand how you feel. Your introduction to the world of men is like my introduction to the ... well... world really. It can be very confusing, and often takes more than one attempt to get it the way you want it to be. As for seduction, yes, I could tell you quite a thing or two about that!"

[Lillianne Prévost]

I sat back slightly when she released me, uncomfortable with the casual touch.

"Would you?" I asked.

[Sarielle Shahrizai]

"Well first, it would not necessarily be a good idea to recoil from him when he touches you," I said with a slight smile, noting how she pulled away. "Sorry about that." I didn't want to make her uncomfortable. I could tell the next few thinsg I would be discussing would be embarassing enough for her.

Then I straightened myself before continuing.

"Alright so seduction. I believe that the first and foremost in seduction is eye contact. Eye contact is extremely important, and not just staring at them, that could be construed as a little .... awkward. More the way you stare at them, raising an eyebrow, lowering your lids, so that they appear heavy lidded as if you may be thinking on other things at the same time. Also, other aspects of the face are important, like the lips." I turned to her meeting her gaze, showing her what I meant as I looked at her, lips slightly parted with a sideways smile.

"Or, letting your tongue flick over your lower lip, right before worrying it between your teeth, especially looking up at him through your lashes. That undoes a man." I said, demonstrating then laughing.

"Plus the biting of the lip makes colour rise to them, making them look utterly kissable." I continued. "Second to the facial expressions I think is the voice." I waited for her to tell me to continue before going on with my explanation.

"

[Lillianne Prévost]

I nearly frowned when she mocked me for pulling away. My comfort level was none of her business. But she wasn't about to stop, so I let her speak.

"The voice?" I asked, suddenly worried. I thought I could do body movements, but I had never thought of using my voice to seduce.

[Sarielle Shahrizai]

I noticed I had upset her, and wasn't entirely sure how to make it right, so I kept my distance for now, and continued on.

I nodded my head. "Oh yes, the voice is a very important weapon... or tool... when it comes to seduction. A man would find a high, nasal and loud voice to be offensive, as I am sure any person would if they had to talk to the person for overlong. They also would find it annoying if they had to strain too hard to listen. Some things that are said need to have a certain lilt to them in order to get the meaning across, or if there is innuendo involved, the tone can help an otherwise clueless man realize you may mean something more than you are just stating. Usually when a woman is thinking lustful thoughts, her voice can change to something a littl deeper and sensual, and if you add a soft chuckle as well depending on what you are saying, they will pick up on thr tone change."

I stopped for a moment, then continued. "For example. Say you are at a fete or a place where there is food and you are both standing with a plate. Maybe you have somehtin gonyour plate he has not tried yet. You may say something like, 'I notice I have something you don't. Would you like a taste?'" I said, my voice turning low, sweet as honey and seductive.

"Not only does that have a double meaning implied, but if the man were utterly clueless, the fact that the voice changed my help him understand." I explained, moving on.

"If you are talking about something and you wish to pretend it is a secret, this is when you would lean forward, as if you are sharing confidence, and you would turn to a voice that is just a shade above a whisper. Whn youlaugh, do not chortle, it is rather offensive. When you utter a sound of agreement, lik 'mmhmm,' if you make it sound close to a moan it will pique his... sexual interest as well. Not necessarily overtly, but subconsciously he will respond as well. His voice may get lower, huskier, take on a sensual seductive quality as well. This shows that he is responding very much to you." I looked to her appologetically. "I am sorry. If I get to rambling too much, please stop me."

[Lillianne Prévost]

"I just... never thought about it like that," I mused, thinking hard on what she was telling me.

[Sarielle Shahrizai]

I smiled at her. "In truth, you will find in time and with practice it just comes to you without even thinking, once the initial shyness wears off, it's all human nature after that. These are just little signs for you to look out for, and to watch in yourself if you want the best possible outcome," I explained, sipping the last bit of iced tea from my glass.

[Lillianne Prévost]

"Once the initial shyness wears off?" I asked with a crooked smile. "That might take a while."

[Sarielle Shahrizai]

"Well, never force it," I said to her. "You can pretend, for all intents and purposes, and have things go your way, but if you are not ready for the outcomes, then all that work goes to nothing. But, practice does make perfect," I said with a wink. "Mayhap practice your wiles on some less significant players, then move your way to the big one."

[Lillianne Prévost]

"I think I might have to," I said with a laugh. "Thank you so much for your advice Sarielle. I'll be sure to let you know how it turns out."

[Sarielle Shahrizai]

I smiled back at her. "Nothing's wrong with a bit of flirting," I jested with a sideways grin. "And I would very much like to hear your progress on the matter. And if there is aught else I can do to help, promise you will not hesitate to seek me out?"

[Lillianne Prévost]

"I'll be sure to come to you," I assured with a smile. "Will you be at court much?"

[Sarielle Shahrizai]

I laughed softly. "I don't know... I will try to make it a point to be. I'm slowly easing myself back into society," I said with a smile.

[Lillianne Prévost]

I smiled. "Then I am sure we will be seeing each other again."

[Sarielle Shahrizai]

"Yes," I replied with a nod as I rose from my seat, curtsying to her. "I have a feeling we will." I smiled down at her then. It was so nice to have imparted some wisdom, and spend a little time with someone that actually spoke back, instead of with dusty old books. "Thank you for letting me join you here."