K: [I don't want to annoy you by asking the same thing again when you are likely preparing for tomorrow. That's why I'd like to propose something else. Instead of meeting somewhere for dinner, can I order something for you tonight from the same place that I will eat? You won't have to go out that way and I'll still get to feel like we've shared a meal.]
My thumb hovered over the keyboard while considering how and whether to reply right away. Vrika sends me warm impressions of approval, but I ignore the wolf in favor of reading the message again.
It's a slow step forward for her, but there's something almost clever about that kind of compromise. Saying no to it… and not feeling like I'm being harsh for no reason would require me to come up with extenuating circumstances.
Essentially, she dismantled all of the viable routes of refusal without ever making an actual demand! My fingers start typing before I've fully decided whether to compliment that tactical sort of psychology or not.
