What's in a Name?

[Tsukikage]

Tsuki was recovering well enough. His eyesight was a bit fuzzy still, but he could make out rough shapes and colors. Suddenly, he saw a big white blob burst from the greens and browns.
"Shimo? I thought I sent you to bed?" Tsuki asked.
Dante grinned, "I'm... not Shimo. I need a name -- I can't be Dante anymore. Do either of you have a good name?"
Tsuki blushed, "I-I... was saving a few for a special occasion, actually... W-what do you think, Hitoban?"

[hitobannofokkusu]

Hitoban saw Dante appear through the brush, but she didn't quite know how to react. She was beginning to trust him more, but after what had happened, it wasn't easy. She finally decided on a smile and nod, while shifting minutely closer to Tsuki's side. She wasn't sure what to expect from him-whether he would speak, or just sit down, or something else-but his words took her completely by surprise. A new name? A name besides that of Dante, the real Dante that they'd known once. That wasn't what was particularly surprising. The surprising part was that he wanted to know what she and Tsuki thought. He wanted them to name him.

It was an odd feeling, trying to think of a name for this being that looked like Dante, but was not Dante. Tsuki's words "saving a few for a special occasion" rang in her head, and the wondered what kind of names he had saved. She tried to think of something suitable for the wolf in front of her, and one name continuously bubbled into her mind. It was Greek, one of the few Greek words she'd learned from Dawn, meaning "new." She didn't know if it would sound strange, calling him this name that continued to surface in her mind, but she figured that as long as he'd asked, she might as well say it.

"Well there is one name I think might suit you well. I don't know that you'll like it, but it's all I can think of. What do you think of 'Neo'? It means 'new' in Greek. If you don't like it," she added hastily, "I'm sure we could hear some of Tsuki's names."

[Tsukikage]

Dante tilted his head curiously. She kept saying "If you didn't like it" as if she were embarrassed. "Neo..." He repeated. He liked the sound of it. "New... I like it."
The smile that lit up his face was like a sunrise after a horrible storm. He felt at ease at last, like he could continue to live with these wolves that had once known a wolf named Dante. "But, I'm forgetting my manners. What would you call me, Master Tsuki?"
Tsuki blushed, "Oh, none of that 'master' business... just Tsuki will do. As for a name... I-I..." He stopped a moment to swallow the lump in his throat. "The names I have are meant for... others. For you, I like the name Neo. Or perhaps, if you'd rather, there are a few family names you might like. My grandfather's name was Renji, and my uncle on my mother's side is called Cobalt -- though that would hardly suit you. Um... there's also Raul, and Bjorn -- or maybe Inviere, which means 'resurrection' in some foreign tongue."
The white wolf bowed, "I thank you, Tsuki. Those are all fine names, but I think I like Neo best. Inviere... is an unusual name. It somehow sound familiar, who was it?"
Tsuki shrugged, "No one I know of. I just... remember hearing it when I was little."
"Interesting..." The other mused, "I shall be henceforth known as Neo." He said proudly. His coat shone like silver, his tail held erect, in a stance best described as iconic. He bowed and took his leave of them, thanking Hitoban again for such a wonderful name.

After he'd left, Tsuki turned towards the reddish blur he knew was Hitoban, "Neo, huh? It's a fine name, Heets."
He blushed slightly, "Um... d-did you want to hear those others now?"

[hitobannofokkusu]

Hitoban smiled at the white wolf's reaction to her name. She wasn't expecting it to be accepted, but she couldn't say exactly why. It was a name she had hidden in her heart, from the days of her youth. She couldn't remember who it was that held the name, but she knew it was someone close to her. A relative maybe, or perhaps even a half-sibling. She didn't remember much about her family, especially any siblings she may or may not have, but something about the name "Neo" was reminiscent of family.

She blushed slightly as the newly dubbed Neo continued to thank her for the name. When he was gone, her attention returned to Tsuki. He was blushing, and she wondered why. When he spoke, it became clear. She tried to think of what names he might have been saving, and who they were for. She could only think of one option as to who they were for, and the thought made her skin prickle. Had he been thinking of names for their pups? They weren't yet born, and he already had a thought of what he might want to name them. It was the only solution she could think of, and she hoped, for embarrassment's sake, that she was right. She smiled and nuzzled her love's neck.

"Yes, let's hear them."

[Tsukikage]

Finally, Tsuki felt something in his heart, though... it wasn't the same. It was a connection with Hitoban, yes -- but it was not the kind he'd felt with his power. It was a strange sensation, but a welcome one.
The red in his face deepened, making his pale blue eyes seem to almost glow. "Well... I've been thinking... about if we ever had pups..." He paused a moment to gather his thoughts. "I was thinking -- I mean, it probably won't happen like I have dreamed about it, but... I have these pictures of what I imagine them to be like. The males' names I've thought of are Torin, Argos, and Ale. For girls... Yuki, Youko, Tarah, Rebeca, or Praxis."
He took a long pause afterward, imagining his unborn pups, as well as letting the names sink in. There was a different feeling, now that he'd finally said them aloud. Even Kage hadn't known about them, or about the dreams Tsuki had had in his heart.
"S-so..." He said at length, "What do you think?"

[Torin: Irish for "Chief"]
[Argos: derived from the Greek word for "Shining"]
[Ale: Finnish short form of the Greek "Alexis", meaning "Helper" or "Defender"]
[Yuki: Japanese for "Happiness" or "Snow"]
[Youko: from Japanese "You" (Yo--), meaning "Sunlight" or "Ocean" (Depending on which Kanji is used) and "Ko" meaning "Child"]
[Tarah: Gaelic for "Elevated place"]
[Rebeca: Spanish form of the biblical "Rebbecca"]
[Praxis: Greek for "Practical", also used as another name for the goddess Aphrodite]

[hitobannofokkusu]

Hitoban took in Tsuki's words-his hopes for what their pups would be like, the names he thought might fit them. Of course she loved them all, but she wondered if they would be able to use them all. After all, she was an only child, and who was to say that her children would be any different? Still, she had hopes, and the names Tsuki had thought of were wonderful accompaniments to her hopes. What if she truly had enough children to use all of the names and more? A warmth and longing filled her at the thought, and she couldn't help but smile outwardly.

Then she remembered what she had housed in her mind for the past few years of her life. She too had a name that she wished to give a daughter-only one, but one that was important to her. She knew she had to tell Tsuki, but as she counted the names-nine of them altogether-she wondered if they would ever get to use it. However, she took a breath, resolved, and began to speak.

"I love them Tsuki. They are all beautiful. There is one name that I have that I think would go nicely with these. It is close to my heart and dearly important that one daughter I have has this name. It is derived from my mother's name, Ai. It is Aimi."

[Tsukikage]

"A-i-m-i..." Tsuki exaggerated the name, letting it sink in. It was one of those names that made him feel happy, just by saying it. "Aimi," He repeated, "That's a wonderful name, Heets. I hope we do have a girl. I mean, I've thought of plenty of names, so how about we name our first after your mother, then?" He blushed a bit, realizing he had inadvertently implied that they'd have more. "I-if we only have one pup in the whole world, and if it is a girl, then we will name her Aimi."

[hitobannofokkusu]

Hitoban was suddenly filled with an all-encompassing joy, and as her love smiled, so did she. She loved that he loved the name, the name that she had thought of all her life. It was a special name, and the mere idea that Tsuki loved it as well was wonderful. She suddenly hoped with a flaming passion that they would have more than one pup. She wanted Tsuki to share in the feeling of having a child with a special name. She knew all of his names had to be special or she would have heard of them before. She hoped that they would have nine or even more pups, not only for the names. Having so much joy in her life, she could grow old and die in sheer bliss, surrounded by the ones she loved. It was her ultimate fantasy, and it made her smile to think of it.

"That's wonderful Tsuki, but I hope we have more than one. We can't have your lovely names go to waste, can we?" She rested her head on his shoulder and felt a blush creep over her face. "We'll just have to make sure we have more than one. Nine at least."

[Tsukikage]

Tsuki blinked in surprise, even though it did nothing to improve his vision. "Nine?" He chuckled, "What if we have more boys than girls? No. I think it's best that we just... see what happens. We'll have plenty of time for naming any pups." He licked Hitoban's cheek affectionately. He was looking forward to a family, but there was no need to rush into things... especially in his current condition.
How long did Shimo say it would take again?

[hitobannofokkusu]

Hitoban blushed more, having halfway expected Tsuki's response. "Yes, you're right. Plenty of time..." It was nice to talk of a family, but for now, talk was the only thing that was probable. She didn't mind waiting, dreaming. She had her love, and the rest of her family. Yes, she thought, they are my family. Not blood of course, but they were all family anyway. She and Dawn sisters, Mar a sort of father-everyone was something to her. It was a nice feeling, having a family again. All of her family had been long dead or long gone for a long time. Now her life was hitting its happiest time, and she wanted it to last as long as it was possible.

[Tsukikage]

Tsuki nuzzled Hitoban. "W-we should probably head back, Heets," he stuttered a bit, trying to sound reassuring, "it looks like it's getting dark, isn't it?" Of course, he could still only make out light and dark, which meant that if he did not get his sight back before dark, he wouldn't be able to navigate. The sun had almost completely gone, by his reckoning, which meant he had maybe an hour until his blurred vision was useless.

[ooc: It looks like there's a time difference between this thread, and Rin's, so I figure we'd just catch up there when Tsuki and Hitoban get back.]

[hitobannofokkusu]

Hitoban nodded, noticing the darkening purple sky. She was a bit worried that his vision hadn't fully returned yet, but it was good that he could see a little anyway. If he wasn't able to see on the way home, there was no telling what kind of trouble they might get into. She turned in the direction of home and leaned slightly against Tsuki.

"Alright then, my love, let's get going before the sun abandons us."

[ooc]Should I close it now?[/ooc]

[Tsukikage]

Tsuki nodded. "Right." He appreciated Hitoban's touch, as it darkened on the way back. He waited until she moved to make his own, always making sure he kept contact with her. They made it home without indecent, but too late for Tsuki to ask Shimo about his sight. It would have to wait until morning...

[ooc: Yeah, sure]