we are not truly immortal

[dark_light]

After Glass's party is over with, Amariah and Kas go home.

Amariah fetches down their alethiometers.

"It's about time I took care of Alethia's afterlife, whatever it may be," she says quietly. "What can the alethiometer tell you about what I'll find?"

Comments

[sicaria]

She shrugs.

[arenaria]

"It's interesting that I couldn't do it even when I was motivated to, though."

[sicaria]

"Interesting how?"

[arenaria]

"If you'd asked me before if I could change it if I really, really wanted to I would've thought I probably could. Maybe I need better reasons than feeling horrible and selfish, though, not just the plain want."

[sicaria]

"...I cannot imagine what sort of reason that might be."

[arenaria]

"I don't know either or I bet the harpy would've made me think of it."

[sicaria]

...Sherlock kisses her forehead.

[arenaria]

Snuggles.

[sicaria]

Yes. Those.

Snuggles and hair-preening.

[arenaria]

Shell Bell likes the hair-preening.

"They need names," she murmurs.

[sicaria]

"We do," the gyrfalcon agrees. "We haven't thought of any."

[arenaria]

"Hmm," says the smew.

[sicaria]

"Any ideas?" says Sherlock.

[arenaria]

"I think daemons usually have longer, fancier names than their people," says Shell Bell. "And different ones. Cam's already had a name, but it probably wouldn't sound like a daemon's name to Alethians."

[dark_light]

"Right," says Pathalan, from where Petaal's holding him. "But shortenings are common, so no one will notice if you go around Alethia with a daemon who you only ever call by one syllable." He addresses the gyrfalcon. "If you want an idea, how's Tinia? I think it suits you."

[sicaria]

"Tinia," he says thoughtfully. "I like it. Does it mean something?"

[dark_light]

"Yes," says Path, "an Etruscan sky god."

[sicaria]

Sherlock laughs. Tinia preens himself.

[arenaria]

"What about me?"

[dark_light]

"Nothing's jumping out at me. I can think of something relatively ordinary for a daemon to be named, if none of you have any ideas. Pathalan is a pretty ordinary daemon name."

[sicaria]

"Poseidon," Sherlock suggests cheerfully.

[arenaria]

"Hmm," says the smew, rustling his wings.

[sicaria]

"Whom you might know as Neptune."

[arenaria]

"Neptune," says the smew thoughtfully.

"Tune," says Shell Bell. "For short."

"Neptune. Tune. All right."

[sicaria]

Sherlock smiles.