“Oh, you can not like others on principle and still enjoy the company and whatever may come of it,” Gertrude offers, smirking. She wills herself not to add in a comment about enjoying sociability unless it’s on her terms since she can only imagine how that would go over with this man. She gives him a cheeky grin. “Oh, you flatter me,” she says with a light laugh. “I can get my way in some cases, I’m sure. I’m very persuasive at times.” How so? A mix of irritability, threats, and charm. Lovely trio that was.
He reads her well, and while her own expression reads blank for a moment, she breaks the steely facade to offer a cheerful congratulations. “Ah, I see. Well, that’s very clever of you.” She dusts at her cuff, despite the fact he had mentioned it was a stain. She was immensely performative that way. “I keep plants, yes. Lots of them in planters in windows.” Then she hums a thought. “And a biology teacher, specializing in botany and horticulture. As for the accent, you’ve got a keen ear. A mix of standard radio English and German. Family history with the war, see. And… old soul? I’d like to think it’s only my soul and not my appearance. Again, family history with the war and a very formal background. At least in terms of language. It’s a consequence of an inter-family shift,” she explains coolly. She gives him a wink. “Yes, I suppose that shall suffice. Indulgent, aren’t you as well? In others’ whims. I’m suprised you haven’t pushed past me minutes ago. Are you that much of a gentleman? Should I be impressed? I am, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“Yeah I can’t say I understand that. I’ve never really liked people in principle or their company. There’s a few people I enjoy the company of but it’s a very selective few.” Basil shook his head not at all understanding where she was coming from. He rarely did understand it when people said they enjoyed spending time with others. He had never done great in social situations especially not ones with crowds. It was just overwhelming, too many people and things to possibly deduce, too many different overlapping conversations. “Some cases or most cases? I have a feeling you’re a lot more persuasive than you’re claiming to be.”
He shrugged at her comment. It didn’t really see that impressive to him. It didn’t seem like he had figured out anything that difficult or exciting. He had gotten a very simple, minimal reading of her nothing that would be very useful to him if this woman ever ended up involved in one of his cases. “It’s really nothing. I do stuff like that all the time, lot more in depth, exciting deductions than that,” he said shaking his head. “Ah so I was pretty close there. Wouldn’t have guessed horticulture right away, not exactly the most common subject. I’m pretty good with accents. I deal with different ones in my line of work, sometimes even don a few of them myself.” He shrugged again when discussing accents. He didn’t think it was a big deal, he was pretty sure most people could have heard it, maybe not have gotten a detailed answer but they would have heard something there. “I wouldn’t say you look old. I also wouldn’t say you look very young, not like someone in their twenties. You look like someone who has lived long enough to have quite a bit of life experience but also still has quite a bit of life ahead of them.” He fervently shook his head at the gentleman comment. “Oh no definitely not a gentleman. Nowhere close to that. I definitely do not have the manners for that. Well thank you, I’m glad I impressed you.”
