"Liir," and the vowel sound was just a touch softer, the 'r' curled around the whole of it almost protectively.

"And I haven't the first idea what it could be. Generally, it's something to catch my attention."

He gave her a smile and was almost proud of how neatly he'd avoided dealing with his unique family situation.

"New? I don't think I recall seeing you at one of these things before and we usually have one or so a semester."