[quickly doodles out a goat-shaped animal upon the squeaky latex. makes sure to give it big horns and a squiggly beard so it looks less like a dog.] There. A sacrifice.

[it helped buy some time to go over her options] So last time you asked me, for a hypothetical... [about why he couldn't envision a happy future for himself.] I suggested Casimir. And you called me a nerd. [because it's from quantum field theory but whatever.]

Something else then?

[pops the balloon with a swift stab right into the goat doodle.]

Men do it all the time. That's why they're all junior and the third.

[but she's not about to dub him Sir Sparkles the IV. nor does she want to name him after anyone, the way he's taken inspiration from literary figures in the past. because he should be his own being, defined by nobody else.

the truth is, Ava prefers simple names with good meaning rather than anything pretentious or flashy. her own means a variety of things, she read in one of those little baby name books once. voice, like a bird... to live. and hasn't that been such a driving desire.

and she knows his greatest as well.] Azad. I believe it means free.

[relieved smile, wouldn't want him stuck with something he'd hate being called

although...]

Do you want me to use it, or keep it secret? [there's power in names, she's been told. even if she doesn't quite understand what that power is. wouldn't be nice of her going and giving that away.]