a b y s s

“i know it tires me out just hearing it.” he replied. “well i would say it’d help so people don’t mix you up with someone else, but i’m guessing no one around here would have the same name as you. which is a nice thing, i’m sure.” sonny smiled, again he wasn’t used to someone complimenting anything about him, even in a small sense. “are you talking about my real name or my nickname that makes it easier for people to understand?”

“It’s definitely unique in that aspect,” Achlys murmured, thinking back to the many, many people she’d met over the centuries. Many had shared the same name, but of those she’d met, it was the few who hadn’t that she could recall in vivid detail. Strange how that worked. “Could this be why some hum - ah, people - decide to change their names?” She’d thought it was an odd practice when she’d first heard about it, but they were a ... complicated lot at times, so it wasn’t entirely unexpected. “Both, actually.” She offered a light chuckle in return - no point in choosing one or the other when both worked equally well. “But if you would really prefer me to call you Sonny, I can.” He was right about one thing; it was easier to pronounce. But she had no trouble saying the other. Practice makes perfect.

“well either or would be a cool name to have.” sonny laughed a bit. he liked this girl, she seemed down to earth and not out to get him… still couldn’t be sure though… “no surname? i know at least in my tribe–i mean… family… we still practice the idea of having surnames.” 

“a matthew, eh? hmm…” sonny thought about it for a moment. “i don’t know about that. too american sounding.”

“Hm ... W e l l,” - an emphasis on the well, the syllables drawn out in an exaggerated fashion - “I think Otorinolaringológos would tire anyone out after awhile - imagine having to write that all the time. My hand would learn to hate me, I’m sure.” It was even exhausting to sound out for the common folk ... or perhaps she was just being overly lazy. “And where I come from, surnames were never that important. But I can most definitely see the appeal of having one.” It offered yet another moniker with which to identify yourself, which in itself would be neat.

sonny nearly giggled, but choked it back. “is that… you’re full name?” he was shocked. no one ever even considered his opinion, he was just used to saying his name was sonny to please others. he also remembers telling those evil people a slew of fake name to protect his identity. he hasn’t been called song wo tae in years. he couldn’t help but smile, and a real one. 

“it’s doesn’t matter, really. i’m so used to both i’ll respond to both. just don’t call me something crazy like… zachary.” he laughed. 

“Achlys? ... Or Otorinolaringológos?” She raised her eyebrow in a joking manner, but added after a silent moment of contemplating laughing - she hadn’t laughed, truly laughed, in a long, long time, “From my understanding, Achlys is my full name - I don’t recall ever going by another name.” Since surnames could be considered a mortal thing; it might be nice to have one, though, even a fabricated one. “Oh?” A smile in her exhausted eyes - no matter how often she slept, she couldn’t get these awful bags to disappear - Achlys tapped her bottom lip, pretending to seriously mull over his words. “I wouldn’t dream of it ... Besides, you look more like a Matthew to me.” Or a Leo ...

sonny couldn’t help but smile, he’s never met anyone that was willing to own up to their mistakes. it was… pleasant. “that’s a cool name.” he said simply. “my full name is actually song wo tae, but no one remembers that, so i just go by sonny. it’s easier, i guess.”

“At least it’s easier to pronounce than, say, otorinolaringológos,” Achlys replied, exaggerating her r’s in such a way that it was almost a satirical impression of a Grecian accent - before allowing seriousness to take over once again. “Song Wo Tae,” she repeated aloud, wanting to try her hand at pronouncing it at least once before she resorted to calling him sonny again. “Which would you prefer to be called?” Easier wasn’t always best.

sonny softened slightly, his face no longer showing anger, more sadness. “good. i don’t… take lightly to phrases like that just being thrown around.” he knew he was being too harsh on the girl, and he didn’t even know her name. sonny sighed, eyes showing more forgiveness. “i’m sonny.” he said with a low mumble, hoping his introduction would ease the tension he could feel growing in his chest.

She nodded in understanding, filing that bit of information away in case she had need of it at a later date. “Understood. I’ll keep that in mind.” Some people exhibited a little more sensitivity than others to what was said; perhaps this man - Sonny - was of that ilk. Besides, it wouldn’t do to make an enemy out of someone she’d only just met. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Sonny. I’m Achlys.” 

sonny quickly retreated his hand away from the girl, giving her a strange look. “and what do you mean by that?” he replied, offended by her words. how dare she… “i can just as well blab about you, or better, someone else could see you trip and fall flat on your face. you going to threat death to them, then?”

Hm. So that last idiom had been a little too much for the man. Lesson learned. “Mm, no,” she responded candidly, nothing about her demeanor leaving one with the impression that she was capable of following through with any threats she made, even teasingly. “Unlike my sisters, I don’t believe in the whole might is right malarkey.” They could be quite brutal when they wanted to be. “So rest assured, the death threat has been retracted.” It hadn’t even been that much of a threat, but better safe than sorry. 

sonny didn’t have an answer, so instead he just scoffed, ignoring it entirely. “sure we can shake.” he reached his hand out towards the other girl. 

Feeling as though she’d secretly won that round - he’d chosen to ignore her comment rather than offer some kind of excuse she could later debate - Achlys stifled the urge to grin in triumph, which was much easier than she would have thought possible. But then again, her very nature had a tendency to quell the strongest feelings associated with happiness. Still, surprisingly, smiling came easily to her when the mood struck. They just rarely stuck around long enough to make any kind of lasting impression.

he scoffed at her words. “it wouldn’t have been rude, it would have showed you can do things on your own… no matter how ‘accident prone’ you are.” once hearing her small proposition, sonny couldn’t help a small smile to form, despite his recent attitude. “deal.”

“If you feel so strongly about this, then why offer your hand in the first place?” She asked curiously. Had it been an impulsive gesture on his part? Inquiring minds would like to know. 

〝A little bit of color wouldn’t kill you, no.〞Lilith shrugged. She was no stranger to misery, herself, but unlike the other girl it had become her only consistent company over the years, and she was happy to do what she could to inflict it on others. 〝Hell, even your hair is still going through a gothic phase.〞 She shook her head, clicking her tongue in disapproval.   

When the other woman mentioned her hair, contempt for its style and appearance clear to hear in her voice, Achlys calmly wrapped a loose strand of thick, black hair around her forefinger, bringing it eye-level for a closer inspection. “What do you suggest I do with it then?” It wasn’t that she was interested in another’s opinion; she was just curious to hear what she had to say. “I thought my look was appropriately dreary.” Because that was exactly the kind of look any normal, self-respecting woman would aspire to. Right.

“isn’t that just a lazy excuse for saying you’re clumsy?” sonny retaliated. “welcome, but you could have gotten up yourself. don’t think i just go around giving people favors.”

“Maybe, but I prefer accident-prone. It sounds slightly better when spoken aloud,” she returned with a shrug, simply finding the word lacking when compared to the other. “And you’re right. I could’ve,” Achlys agreed, her tone serious. “But ignoring your hand would have been rude of me. It’s not every day someone offers their help.” It was actually a pretty rare instance these days. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone about these favors of yours if you don’t let it slip that I trip over my own feet.” 

“whoa, and i thought i was bad.” sonny said, looking down at the girl. his arms crossed slightly, but he sighed, reaching a hand out to help her up. “you’ll be fine, it’s nothing.”

Achlys gave a sardonic laugh, directed inward, then took his hand, allowing him to help her to her feet. “I’m used to it.” This was nothing compared to the mishaps she’d fallen victim to in her previous life - before Project Stratox. “The woes of being accident-prone, I’m afraid,” she murmured, a slightly teasing note in her tenor. “I don’t recommend it.” Not even to her worst enemy.

Lilith couldn’t help but scoff at the other girl. She was clumsy, & the only thing that could make it slightly better was if Lilith had caused the incident herself. Unfortunately, she just couldn’t take credit for this one. “What a shame. The outfit wasn’t that ugly.” 

She was no stranger to snarkiness; when you lived among the keres as a ker - and an abnormal one at that - you learned a thing or two about a thing or two. 

      WELL … that wasn’t something you saw every day — someone tripping over virtually nothing and nearly face-planting the asphalt. “THAT HAPPEN A LOT?” Judging from her initial reaction to her misstep, it would appear so. “BUT IT’S A GOOD LOOK FOR YOU, I’LL ADMIT.” The ripped stockings certainly added character, but he couldn’t decide yet if that was a good thing or not.

Brushing off the knee of her stockings, Achlys blew out a breath of regret for the ruination of yet another pair; she’d hoped these would last at least a week. But that was what she got for wishful thinking. “More than I care to admit,” she replied sadly and shook her head. No point in going into detail when those very details were so depressing. “What is - ripped stockings and bleeding knees?” Sad to say, he wasn’t that far off in his observation.