Ai sat quietly as Galina explained herself to the Takahiro Matriarch, frown remaining firmly in place. Still as a porcelain doll, she watched the Russian Spy speak, Souma forgotten beside her. No glance aside, twitch of the face or quiet fidget of her fingers betrayed her feelings, locked firmly behind a disapproving facade. 

That was the responsibility of a clan head, to betray nothing. Openness was a luxury allowed only when among true family, and no one else. [i]That[/i] was something her father hadn't learned, and while it hadn't been the fault that had killed him... She could not risk the same weakness.

As such, she remained still and silent, even after Galina had finished speaking. Her eyes bored into the Russian's own, seeking out any hint of falsehood, any attempt to evade or avoid the truth. Even her brother would be hard-pressed to stop her, should she find a reason to take offense to Galina's words. Siblings or not, Galina had done too much on her own for Ai to suffer much more, something Galina seemed to understand implicitly. Nothing in her words rang false, no hesitation gave reason for suspicion. So, after a moment more of silence, Ai finally sighed, shaking her head as she reached out to down Souma's cup of Sake.

"Chopsticks please, Brother." She reached out with one hand, turning to look at Souma only when he did not immediately comply with her request. He sat there beside her, eyebrow raised in quiet regard, as if what she said was somehow surprising. Ai's eyes only narrowed in response. "[i]Please[/i], Brother."

After another moment's pause, Souma shrugged, placing the lone chopstick he still had in her waiting palm. 

"..." Ai's lips drew into a tight line, glare wavering not an inch from Souma's own, impassive gaze. She did not move, the two siblings continuing to dare the other into blinking. They held that pose until Daisuke came to the rescue, quietly retrieving the second chopstick from the mats where it fell, wiping it with a clean cloth and placing it gently before Ai.

"Demidova... has the spare." Daisuke followed the words with a slight bow, as her gaze switched to him, stepping away to retrieve and clean his own utensils.

"Of course..." A second, heavier sigh escaped Ai's lips, before she pulled the bowl of eel closer to herself. Souma remained quiet during the exchange, eyes flicking between her and Galina. He broke his vigil only when Daisuke came to his side, the Fist offering his own now-cleaned Chopsticks for his Boss to use. Ai, meanwhile, sampled the food arrayed between the three of them, speaking up again when she had swallowed down a dainty mouthful of ramen.

"Galina, then..." Her gaze came back to rest fully on Galina before her. "Russian asking to help Souma, yes? I see..."

"Baronessa Demidova was... opponent, was she not? Shizuka was... betrayer, was she not?" Ai's gaze narrowed, Souma growing tense by her side, but the Takahiro Matriarch only continued to speak. "Both dead, can't blame you, can I?"

Souma relaxed enough to refill his cup with the last of the Sake. Ai took it shortly after, draining it's contents yet again.

"Souma is, currently, not Takahiro." She gestured towards her brother, who was now regarding [i]her[/i] with narrowed eyes. "I cannot meddle with his plans, can I? But..."

Her voice fell low, Souma and Daisuke growing tense in the wake of her next words. 

"I [i]am[/i] Takahiro. Come near clan... die. Understood?"