The idea that a woman who had been born on Earth and still had yet to fully understand them after a couple of centuries was a daunting thought. Dhivael didn’t have that kind of time to spend on understanding Earthlings. Then again, the Rihan was used to approaching things from logical angles while she had never met a sentient being of Earth who was not emotionally compromised in their understanding of things. That was an advantage that she had. Her level of intelligence was also an aid.
“I would like to learn to better understand the depth with which humanoids feel and express their emotions. I believe studying cultures will aid in that pursuit.” It was true. Different cultures attached different value to different emotions. It all depended on the individuals and how they were raised. Some places pledged peace and calmness while others were more aggressive and war oriented. Understanding those various cultures would serve to bring her closer to the emotional drives behind them.
“I am permitted to have as much time as I wish to study on Earth, but I will not dedicate the rest of my life to these studies. I will give myself thirty years at maximum to learn what I can before I return to my home planet.” That was a good chunk of time, but it wasn’t even half of what she would live. Her people would need her to come home eventually, and while she enjoyed her studies, she did not want to abandon ch’Havran and the Rihannsu altogether.
Dhivael wondered how long she had known her family, but by the way Meda spoke, she probably had not encountered a kitsune who had reached her or his eight hundredth year of life. Studying things others had written about a species was not always reliable. That was why the Rihan herself had come to Earth to study its sentient life forms first hand. This made what she believed conjecture and speculation, nothing more. She would not place too much stock in such fantasies others held, but she would file away the information for future use in understanding beings. Religious and spiritual beliefs were a large part of many cultures, after all.
“You speak of bipeds as if you are not one. Is your humanoid form mearly an illusion, or are you able to transform yourself into any figure you wish?”