un: bahamut | text

[oblige]

Good day, fellow Etrayans.

Concerning Antigone's warning regarding our real names, it occurs to me that we would benefit from collaborating on this front.

To that end, I wish to open discussion.

For those who have chosen a name, please respond with what you have selected, that we may know what to call you.

For those who have not, you may use this posting to discuss your ideas or invite suggestions from others.

As for myself, I shall be using "Lucien", the name of a character from a novel in my world.

Mission Names
Dion → Lucien
Antigone → Shadow
Dwayne → Harry M'Egg
Jayce → Prometheus
Sunday → Dominicus
Prompto → Vesper
Odin → Joss
Mayuko → Murasaki
Vax → Kalas
Clive → Crandall
Percival (Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III) → Scanlan (Keylethus Pikegratia Taryon d’Shorthalt-Grogson, Heir to the Shattered Glory)
Samil → Whiskey
Noctgar → Navyth
Accelerator → Isuka
S.Rogers → Ruirthech
Nico → Slash Brightburn
Jason → Edmond
R.B. → Harker
Lady Vex'ahlia de Rolo → Velora
SquirrelPower → Sally Awesomelegs
Shinra → Evan
Emet-Selch → Eubulus
Vincent Valentine → Garm
Sciel → Céline
Vivi →
Gustave → Jean-Napoleon
Maelle → Esmé
Scott → James Bond / 007
Sleeper → Stevens
Joshua → Praeclarus
Zagreus → Dionysus
Gladio → Heliodorus
Apollo → Artemis
Dylan Brock → Reed Richards

Note: This list will remain available until the date of our deployment. At such time, it will be omitted as a precaution.

[ ooc: Free-for-all on responding to one another, of course. ]

Comments

[oblige]

[ Oh, he wants to sound like one of those Saturday morning animated characters. Dion understands. ]

If it must be unrelated to darker themes, perhaps something such as Ray Brightburn.

[ He...is the light guy... ]

[demigoth]

[ Hm. He can tell that the man's only trying to help, but it doesn't have the same weight as Tenebris Gravemourn. ]

Brightburn's not bad. I've never met anybody named Ray, though. What if the fae know that everyone named Ray is at least fifty years old with a mustache?

[oblige]

Surely children must be named Ray if there are adults bearing the name.

[ But if he mislikes it, that is reason enough for Dion to bring a hand to his chin and consider alternatives. ]

Does "Cyrus" strike you as an old name?

[demigoth]

Or there were kids named Ray, and then they all grew up and swore they'd never name kids Ray ever again.

[ He shrugs. ]

Besides, Ray sounds like he should be one of Apollo's kids. I don't want to call myself anything that might offend my father.

And yes, Cyrus is old like Niccolò. That's why I go by Nico.

[oblige]

[ It occurs to Dion that he may not be the best person to select names that don't sound old. His world seems rather antiquated compared with others. ]

Could you provide examples of names you deem young? That may be a place to start.

[demigoth]

[ Nico thinks that sounds like a swell idea. ]

I guess names like Will, Austin, Paolo, Jason...

[ He goes a little paler on that last one and looks down at his hands. ]

Frank and Leo are good, too.

[oblige]

[ He notes that, and it's evident for a moment as his lips thin, yet he doesn't comment. ]

Why not Leo then? It should lend itself to most any surname, I should think.

[ Leo Brightburn has a certain ring to it, so he thinks. ]

[demigoth]

Because if I get in trouble with the fae, I know Percy can handle it. Leo's awesome, but I don't want to put that on him, especially with the no-iron rule.

[ He shrugs a little. ]

I was worried I might not remember a fake name, so I picked one of my friends. He's not here.

[oblige]

[ He nods along. Remembering is a reasonable concern. ]

Very well. I will add the name to the list then.

[demigoth]

[ He's seen the post. ]

Can you put my name as Nico please? When this is over, I don't want everyone calling me Niccolò.

[oblige]

Allow me but a moment, and I shall amend it.

[oblige]

[ A few moments later, because he meant what he said— ]

There. It is ready for your review.

[demigoth]

For my review? Yeah, it's right now.

[ Nico hadn't expected to be asked to inspect a simple switch. ]

How long do we have to memorize these before you delete them?

[oblige]

[ His eyebrows pinch together. ]

Delete them?

[demigoth]

We're going to a realm where they can own you if they have your name.

[ Nico is trying his best to explain this nicely, but there's a touch of why are adults so dumb in his tone. ]

You have a list of everyone's fake names and the real names they match with. When are you going to delete them?

[oblige]

[ When the adult is a medieval man, alas.

To open our devices at all once deployed poses great risk, for the people of Auriel favor magic over technology.

[ And so, he reasons, they would not be looking at this list. But he hears the concern. That he's turning it about in his mind is plain on his features. ]

...Just prior to our deployment would seem prudent.

[demigoth]

If you really think some of the people here aren't going to try to use their devices there, you're dumber than they are. I don't know everyone, but I know someone's going to do it.

[ He might have a dim view of the average person's self-preservation skills. ]

Yeah, I think so. There's nothing wrong with taking precautions.

[oblige]

I said nothing of expectation, only that it's an ill-advised risk to take. One would hope that most would consider it well, yet it is only a hope.

[ Dion takes no offense, knowing well enough that it would be folly to expect ideal outcomes. They are a mixed lot, and most are not trained soldiers or otherwise accustomed to deployment to hostile territory.

For his part, covert missions were never his purview, for light reveals... But he'll endeavor, for his world. ]

I agree that precautions are for the best. I will add a note to my posting, that others may prepare accordingly.

[demigoth]

Isn't that the same thing?

[ Dion lost Nico on that statement, honestly. He thinks he gets it, but... ]

If I think it's stupid for somebody to run off on a quest with no weapon and no real pants, isn't that the same thing as expecting them not to do it?

[oblige]

Not as such, no. Expectation would mean that I draw assumptions about a broad swath of people, many of whom I'm unfamiliar with. I would reserve expectations for those I've better knowledge of.

[ Dion would have expectations for his men, for he knew his dragoons well, but not people he knows little and less. ]

To hope is more wishful, I would say, lacking anticipation of results. One can but try to prepare should those hopes not be answered.

[demigoth]

Maybe it's different when the people are older? Or if they're not Greeks.

[ They all tend to rush into everything face first, Nico included, but he thinks he's more pragmatic than most. ]

Or maybe just not demigods. The Roman kids are more disciplined, but you can still make assumptions or have expectations. And they're usually right as long as you're only worried about the big picture.

[ Huh. ]

I think that means I do the opposite. I expect things from cohorts, but I hope individuals make better choices?

[oblige]

It sounds that way. Neither strikes me as wrong, rather... A reflection of our experiences.

[ That in itself gives him pause for thought.

Their worlds are diverse, but so are the backgrounds and knowledge they come with. Imagine if they were all to leverage that. It could be what Echo hopes for, or it could be something he hadn't considered at all, simply hoping for some savior. ]

I'd imagine there are many reasons to incline one way or another.

[demigoth]

Your way might not be wrong, but I'm right.

[ ... he's fifteen. He's very good at it, and this something of a concession to admit that Lucien may be right as well.

But not that he's wrong. ]

I know a lot of people who charge in like Errol Flynn, and that often means sword in hand? Half of our parents just encourage us to do it... so I can expect things from cohorts.

[ Including himself. But then he remembers something important. ]

Can you change my "name" to Slash Brightburn? I won't change it again.

[oblige]

[ It seems agreement enough to him, so Dion lets the words pass without comment. Neither of them is wrong, nor do they need to be. ]

I'm unfamiliar with this Errol Flynn. Is he a swordsman in your world?

[ He's doing his best to follow along there, though the bit about being encouraged he believes he understands. Plenty of noblemen's sons are spurred to join the military... Yet he's unsure that's quite what Nico means. ]

Of course I can. I'll do so now, that others have time to see it.

[demigoth]

I thought he was when I was a kid, but he was an actor. I haven't seen any of his movies in a long time, but I wish I could. They were swell - cool.

[ And then Nico realizes something, and frowns. ]

I don't know if I can watch them here or if I want to. If he wasn't any good with a sword, it'd ruin Captain Blood forever.