She had avoided talking about herself altogether. He took in the stark lines of her dress, the absence of adornment, the crispness of her uniform. There were tiny things, little things, that informed the type of person she may be. Elias smiled, faintly. She wasn't much younger than he. Yet, he felt during the night of the blackout -- and still felt, tonight -- a strong sense of protectiveness with regards to this girl.
Woman. Really, she wasn't a girl anymore. He ... Elias realized that he thought of her as a girl. Odd. Odd, indeed.
It was doubly odd that she seemed to want to fight with him. Elias flexed his fingers, then dropped his hand to his side.
"Perhaps," he said, with no emotion in his voice. "Better than you. I have asked about your welfare. I have given you my name and you have not returned the favor. I have extended a respectful greeting, which you have dismissed. You have been mostly combative for no reason that I can fathom. Explain yourself."