"I would say that I understand, but it would be a lie," Ari said after a moment. She couldn't pretend to understand the mentality of fighters; their goals and methods seemed so foreign to her. The ideals required for such an attitude... she could not entirely fathom. Duty and honor, she imagined. That was what it would be had a playwright been describing it; she often attempted to understand the things with which she had no experience by invoking theater. It worked more often than it didn't, which had to be good enough.
"I am glad that you intend to go," Ari told her. "It would be a shame to miss it. I am quite looking forward to it myself." Her dress was lovely, and it seemed Drake was feeling well enough that she would be able to wheedle that dance out of him after all. Once this was over, she would hurry home to get ready.
"You are... rather unique," she said to Aspel's next statement - from her, a tremendous compliment. Many people were pleasant, or beautiful, or talented. Far fewer were original, and of those even fewer interesting. It was the interesting people whose company she valued, and Aspel fell into that number. "I am unsurprised that your point of view is likewise unique." Not to mention uniquely flattering. At the very least, Aspel did not usually treat her like a silly, airheaded girl. She appreciated it a great deal.
She was glad to step into the shop, though she had to shake her head slightly at the misplaced chivalry; shouldn't the invalid be entering first? "I have never been past this public space, so you will have to show me where to go," she said. Somehow, she doubted Aspel would remove her armor here, and there was nowhere to lie down, either. In truth, she was rather excited; one's living space revealed a great deal, even if not everyone realized this. Aspel was quite reserved, but getting a peek into her apartment might also provide an unexpected peek into her life.