I assume she occasionally grumbles about wanting things but makes little effort to go out of her way to get them? Learning is its own reward for some, as her, but not all. And a task such as a new language, not the beautiful art of earth and fire and water and air that is magic, does not hold the mind as well. A clear reward is necessary to motivate, there.

"I think with little children they use stickers but you probably have something else in mind."

I would have to think of something. I don't know if this is what we want to do. I am thinking aloud. Maybe they will learn if we tell them it's expected if you wish to work with Amentans.

"It reduces friction in the long run if you're literate, at least."

With an annoyed tail-flick she carves a few curving lines into the concrete.

They say 'I am literate' in the Draak language if you assume a color or two.

"- in an Amentan language, sorry, I meant that to be clear from context."

Ah.

If I am getting twitchy like this I had better go nap. Or fly. Do you predict any issues if I fly around the desert at night?

"That should be all right if you can hear planes and give them space."

It would be hard not to hear them.

Ink nods at Ruan and goes to her corner of the warehouse.

One of the other students, the one called Star, comes up curiously after she goes. 

I think I would like to meet young Amentans.

"They'd - be delighted, I'm sure, but there was an incident once of one of them grabbing Bloom's feathers when she was out in public. I can't offer the same kind of guarantee about children's behavior that I can about adults."

I hear the protectiveness in your song. We are big and dangerous, as individuals. I admit that the natural response to surprises at close proximity is to lash out... But I swear by the Onesong that, forewarned, I can and will make my reaction to surprise stillness instead of motion. You can have someone throw something at me at an unexpected time and I will freeze instead of lashing out. I'll even wear claw padding if that seems best.

"I'm sure I can find an interested bunch of children - do you have any other specifications?"

Extensively caring for one's hatchlings is common enough among animals but I want to see how complex Minds, how aliens, do it. I am not sure who would be best, but I could visit or be visited by multiple sets of people in time... I believe four year olds are at approximately the same life stage as we Bloom-students?

"I think so, yes. Maybe a selection from one of those recursive orange schools where they have older ones looking after younger ones."

Orange to begin with, I see! Caste is an extremely major factor in Amentan life so perhaps I ought to see purples after that if I am still interested.

"If the first visit goes well there'd be no shortage of kids excited to meet you!"

Claw-pads if you wish! And the surprising me as a test thing if you wish!

"I might surprise you, if you aren't just going to telepathically predict it."

I think you overestimate it. Powerful music, yes, but I am not constantly aware of the inner workings of every mind around me. It is possible to remain silent, too. If I was looking at you and watching for an attack perhaps I could see you intending to move a moment before you did, but you should be able to surprise me.

Bloom will be back soon for our lessons, I hope. That will be a distraction. We kind of need it. I can't imagine living in a city for long.

"It does seem to put you under a lot of stress."

It's made worse by the proximity to each other. Could you sleep with an uncaged predator in your room - even if you knew it was tamed and well fed?

"...I had a cat that slept in my bed for four years."

Weird. I couldn't do that. It's just - very stressful and vulnerable-feeling to sleep somewhere you don't control.

"The water in the desert is looking to be going smoothly so far."