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[Absolutely holding hands. This is nice and anchoring. That look on Stefan's face helps a lot too; Sorey had worried it would seem presumptuous.]

Ah, no no. -well, actually it might help me find a translation for your given name if I knew its meaning.

Oh, um... [He has to think about it for a moment.]

Stefan means "crown or garland," and Alesci means "defender." My other last name, Salvatore, means "savior." As for my middle name... Yunus means "dove." Or well, it technically means dove, it's also the name of a prophet from the Qur'an.

[wtf that is so many names]

Stefan, are you royalty?

Not even close. My parents were wealthy, but most people traditionally have three names.

[so many...what......even alisha only has two and she's a princess...............]

Hmmm...well. I think for a good translation for your name- probably something like Seirend, or Hauveth. For the other part... [Peers curiously at Stefan before blushing and looking away again.] To be honest, I'd had this part picked out a long time ago. Nathyurec. Seirend works better for the grammar, so...

So how about Seirend Nathyurec? It means, uh, 'Stefan of the Gentle Heart.' Or, uh, since 'Seirend' isn't a direct translation of your name it'd be more like, "Victorious is the Gentle Heart."

Edited 2016-11-20 07:34 (UTC)

[Stefan's quiet for a couple of seconds, pulling his legs closer to his chest.] Sounds perfect.

[It also sounds too good to be true, because him? Gentle-hearted? Sorey hasn't seen his true face, or his true powers or - or the part of him he likes to keep under lock and key. He just hopes that if that day ever comes, he still deserves the name.]

Thank you. You put a lot of thought into this, didn't you?

[Stefan's face definitely doesn't say that he thinks it's perfect but Sorey just smiles to himself, not offended, and mirrors Stefan's posture.]

I tried to. I'm not a seraph so I can't speak from experience, but from what I've heard, True Names don't always seem like they fit. My Gramps told me, sometimes a True Name is a goal, or what the heart cries out for, or even how other people see someone. Nobody really knows how it's decided what it'll be.

[He remembers what you told him in the clinic, dude. That definitely weighed heavily in his decision.]

What the heart cries out for...

[He hadn't been very specific, beyond well - beyond admitting that his behavior had once mirrored a hellion's. The Ripper was a hellion. Stefan doesn't ever want to venture down that dark and dusty road again.

His expression softens considerably.]

If that's the case, then it's one I'll wear with pride. [He's gonna wibble, he can already feel it.] Thank you, again.

[Sorey turns a little red at the attention. Coming up with the name and trying to explain it had felt sort of presumptuous of him and not a little self-important, but he'd wanted so badly to make it clear to Stefan what it meant for him to be called something in Stefan's own language. Being something of a linguist, it really gets him.] Don't mention it.

[He squeezes his knees and lets out a relieved sigh.] Anyway! Now we've both got secret names to call each other. Or not-so-secret. I think this is the point where we need to build a clubhouse and come up with a secret handshake.

It sure feels like it, huh....

[He picks up his mug again, if only because it'll give him time to mull over the clubhouses part. The Center is mostly complete, but there's plenty of space around the Iskaulit and - oh.]

Have I shown you the Fire Room yet? It hasn't gotten any use since Rei left, so. It could easily be our space.

[Okay he'd kind of been joking, but it's called the Fire Room,] Is there actual fire in it? Lailah would love that.

Not exactly. There's a gas stove-type thing? She wouldn't need a match to ignite it, but it's for reading fortunes and uh, I guess roasting marshmallows.

Oh, that kind of fire. [it's hard introducing normal things to a guy who flings fire from his hands to purify monsters]

[thinks] You know, I can ask Lailah if she knows how we can keep an eternal flame in there. She might know how to keep it safe too, so we don't have to worry about anything catching on fire that isn't supposed to.

Like me?

[He's gonna be blunt, magical fire - like the kind Sorey and Eithan wield - scares the living crap out of him. Give him a gas stove and a contained environment any day of the week.]

Because uh. Vampires and fire don't really mix.

Oh. Yeah, that would be good. We could also forego the whole 'fire clubhouse' thing and settle for something a little more tame. [He is still interested in making a special space for Lailah, though. He'll look into it.]

What? No, no way – if Lailah and you could get some use out of it, then you're welcome to it.

[The room really isn't used for much else. Except storage.]

Just, you know, lemme sit at a safe and comfortable distance.

I promise not to put any chairs too close to the holy fire. [Assuming there will be any.] Besides, I like meeting here with you. I know it's a room that's important to many other people, but this is where we first met face-to-face!

[Okay, now that Sorey's mentioned it, there had better be holy fire.]

You're just saying that to flatter me. [He laughs,] But no, you're right - this room's special. It holds way too many good memories for us to pick somewhere else.

[THE PRESSURE IS ON]

You made me tea for the first time in here! I don't even know what's in this, I just know what it's called. [Actually he's gonna have another cup if you do not mind, sir]

Oh! That would be Earl Grey - it's black tea with bergamot oil and sometimes silver tips, if I can find them. I usually drink it with milk, but if it's brewed fresh, you only need a little honey.

[He could go on for hours if he's not careful - this is a man who knows that he has a serious Tea problem.]

[This is the blank smile of a boy who followed maybe half of that.] That sounds like a lot of effort to prepare...I feel seriously spoiled right now.

It takes, like, five minutes. I promise, if I wanted to spoil you, you would know.

[To make his point even clearer, Stefan takes one very smug, satisfied, long sip of tea.]

Ohh, I see, I see.

-wait, does that mean you haven't spoiled me yet? What the heck!

I sure haven't. [Lies. Bold, blatant lies that are accompanied by yet another sip of tea.] See, that's the downside of being akhi, you'll have to wait until, like, Eid for the royal treatment.

Whaaat, [Sorey flops to the side,] that's months away. I would spoil you right now if you wanted me to! I would do that.

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