Well, at least she was trying. Styx would give her points for that. Seshat was not very good at it but somehow, she was getting the idea that no one had really forced her to try to curb her tongue before. They just sort of let her gums flap about and ask whatever sort of horrid things she wanted in her quest for knowledge without really pausing to consider the effects on the one being questioned, or how familiar or unfamiliar the relationship was with the one being questioned. Generally speaking, her children knew better and they were ages younger than this Egyptian. Even Philotes tried very much to not blurt out offensive statements if she could avoid it.
Seshat might be older than Hate, but it seemed -to Styx, that someone in need of some firm guidance in terms of socially acceptable behaviors and conversational manners. Were their previous meeting been arranged as more of a biographical interview, and done in advance, such shockingly personal questions might not have seemed to out of place. But for an initial meeting, in a social setting... wholly uncouth.
“Perhaps you can ask again later,” she said, lifting her wine glass and leaned comfortably toward the arm of the chair. Then, over the rim added, “or another time. It has yet to be determined.” Really, it all depended on how the Egyptian behaved but now Styx had the idea that no one had ever really slapped her hand to say no, you don't speak that way to strangers no matter how many questions you have. Well... she would learn. As gently as Hate could manage -for the sake of her son's relationship with this woman's husband, she would learn.
“After all, we're still basically strangers.” The expression on her face was muted as she set her glass aside on a coaster -there were always coasters. “All either of us really seems to know about the other is what exists in text and that will only take you so far, won't it?” There were certainly other minor details, but the point was to keep her steered toward social chatter in opposition to deeper conversation.