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The brows lowered, furrowed, creasing lines in the middle. He wasn't quite sure how this was a sticking point. "...Yes? I'll admit it's not pretty, but it's about as comfortable as the one my teacher uses. It's warm here, I don't need to share, and I don't ache when I wake up, so it does what it's supposed to." Apparently this wasn't the norm here. Having not been along on housecalls as yet, there wasn't much basis for comparison in Jauhar. Aire was beginning to think his teacher was a bit more eccentric than the neighbors had said.

"From the way you speak, he sounds nice. My siblings and I took care of a bird back in Belrea, nothing that size." At this point, shifting the topic looked to be wise. Intuition told the boy that there was a tension in the air, different than with her brother. And while it didn't seem likely, Aire might have offended her. Are sleeping spots taboo to show people here? Or is it just opposite genders? I should find a way to hide it, I suppose.

Judge? So it was a cultural thing after all. I'll have to conceal it from here out. Odd that the old man didn't say anything, but I can't imagine him much caring about it. Must ask about that later. The thin line of her mouth relaxed, widened into lips, and the boy in question relaxed a little more himself. Pleasant as she was, they were still fresh acquaintances. He was still out of his social depth and knew it. "It's alright. You've had an exciting day.

Never had a Janarim, so I couldn't say to which looks better. Besides, sounds like Tor keeps you from being lonely. Along with this Ethra you've just mentioned. Assuming they don't get on as well as they might, though, from context." Unfortunately, though he could talk someone's ear off about unique chemical chains and reactions in the process of a refinement process, small talk drew on a far more limited reserve of speech. Aire was still learning of most beasts, apart from those involved in most urban engineering projects. The bird, at least... "We weren't quite sure what he was. Looked a bit raptorish, but he only bit us a few times. Was healthy enough that most of his feathers stayed put, and we didn't chance plucking any. Wish I'd brought one of the few fallen along, actually; they were banded in sky blue."

The bent-nosed 'prentice nodded as he listened, a curious and attentive audience. Hands had secured pen and parchment once more, and begun scritching notes in his own tight script. He knew what a janarim was, having seen a few back home, and more here. Maglardilla, however, was a wholly unfamiliar word, and he was ever eager to learn. "Wait, so they just look like, or they are insects? You folks keep insects as pets here? Would've thought a janarim would've eaten Ethra by now if it's consistently annoying the bigger creature.

...That was a bit insensitive; I apologize." While Aire didn't know much about nature, he was learning how better to survive it. That did not, however, mean that he was comfortable inferring the death of someone's pet to another. Also, he'd already offended(?) this lady once, and had no wish to test her patience on that point. "I know they were pretty when my sister wore them in hers. Haven't put anything into mine, as it kind of murders combs sometimes. Wouldn't want it getting lost."

New and odd. He'd never thought of insects as viable pets before. Arthropods, perhaps, but never insects... Better, that it had simply chosen a symbiotic partner in a mammal and not been eaten by the existing janarim made for interesting listening. "That's not common, is it? They just decide to be your friend out of the blue?" He wasn't particularly squeamish himself, at least with different animals. Aire was, however, cautious about those he'd never seen. Now that they had a real possibility of becoming a regular part of his life on a new continent, learning about them was the course of prudence.

The skinny 'prentice kept politely still when she reached out to snag his braid. 'Braid' may have been a bit generous, though it had clearly been intentionally woven at some point. It was more akin to a wrist-thick tangle at this point, and hung down to his waist, tied off with a leather thong. It was, at least, clean, and fluffy in her hand, as hair of his curls should generally be. "Haven't tried either as yet. Probably do bands, if I get the chance. Less likely to break, more like to get 'em back when I'm done."

Once Rajani stepped back, the mild tension uncoiled from him, and the smile came easier. "If there's a next time, then yes, please." Having not kept up his note-taking while she was within arm's reach, Aire hastened to scribble down what information he'd missed. Thankfully not much. Behavioral patterns of the local flora were themselves valuable, even as outliers in data. It proved new things possible, suggested alternate routes to dealing with them. The tip of the reed tapped at his chin as the question was mulled. "Haven't thought of it. Could, I suppose. I'm used to it by now, and it would feel strange not to rebraid it every week or so. And if I managed to hack it off now, I'd need to worry about its' keeping out of my eyes. ...Less work overall, I think." Most of this last was just musing aloud, not intended as answer directly. Perhaps he didn't realize that he spoke.

The whole thing shook from the neck down with his head, more a tail than a hairdo. "I'm sorry, I get side-tracked easily. I've got to get back to work on the dyes before my teacher returns, or I'll have an earful to go with lunch. Your brother should be far enough gone by now that he won't spot you immediately. If you wanna pop back by another time, feel free! I'll try to keep a pot of tea going, just in case."