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“I had no idea your awful fashion sense carried over to picking names too!”
“Oh yeah? Well, at least I knew there was no word for ‘good taste’ in the Kremnoan language!”
The two men argued for at least half an hour now. Multiple baby names books lie scattered on the table, each one of them scribbled with two colors. Some of the positions circled with red ink were furiously scratched by a blue pen. Meanwhile, next to the blue underlines a big ‘NO!!!’ was written in bold red multiple times.
“Archidamia is an old, traditional Kremnoan name borne by multiple talented women in my lineage. It will be a perfect name for our daughter,” Mydei says with his chin turned up pridefully.
“It sounds like a species of deadly spider! Besides, it's too long and you can't shorten it to a cute nickname,” Phainon refutes, standing his ground. “Lanike would fit so much better.”
“At least a deadly spider strikes fear and commands respect. This one just sounds like leukemia.”
Phainon gasps at that. “No, it doesn't!? It's cute and we can even call her Lani for short.”
He doesn't back off. It's about their daughter's name after all, it needs to be perfect and there's no way he's calling her arachnid or whatever Mydei's idea was. They've been trying to choose the name since last week and have gone through probably every single one at this point without success. That's why they eventually decided that they'd pick their favorite and just go from there, but looking at the situation now, it clearly didn't work. They stare each other down, neither of them willing to give up.
“Let's settle this with a duel then.”
A blunt statement leaves Phainon's jaw hanging open.
“Have you lost your mind!? I'm not sparring with you when you're pregnant!”
“I don't see how that's relevant. My mother fought on the frontlines during the pregnancy and nothing happened to me,” Mydei argues and Phainon is convinced it actually left the Kremnoan with some brain damage.
“No, absolutely not! We're not fighting.”
“So I win by walkover,” Mydei claims, a smug expression on his face and hand propped on his hip. It makes Phainon's eye twitch. No way he will let the man win so easily.
And that's when the idea pops into his head “I only said we are not fighting. We will settle it in a different way,” he starts, quickly gaining Mydei's attention. “We'll simply ask other Heirs and whichever option gets the most votes wins. All tricks allowed.”
Phainon proposes with an outstretched hand. It's the simplest solution and the only one that won't end up in another argument. Mydei looks between him and the palm, thinking about the proposition, but Phainon already knows the Kremnoan won't back off from the challenge.
“Bring it on, Deliverer,” the blond shakes his hand, golden eyes lighting up with competitiveness. Phainon shoots him back a determined grin as he nods his head.
“Deadline today at six.”
They immediately set their little competition into motion. Under the guise of buying a crib, Phainon calls Aglaea and Castorice for help. When Mydei notices what the man's plan is, he quickly makes a move of his own. He texts Cipher and Hyacine, asking them to go buy baby clothes with him. At first, they were shocked by the sudden request but eventually agreed. Mydei even tries to ask Cerydra, the two of them becoming relatively close friends after a few drinking sessions and political talks (plus she always comes in a package with Hysilens). Unfortunately, the great Imperator was busy winning yet another chess tournament, her girlfriend accompanying her. Phainon, desperate to gain advantage, asks Anaxa and Tribios, but the man leaves him on read and the latter is busy with the school she has opened. It's two for two then.
“I'm heading off to the market with Aglaea and Cas to get some stuff for Lanike's room,” Phainon says with a saccharine smile, getting ready to leave.
“You meant to say Archidamia's room, but it's perfect timing because I'm going with Cipher and Hyacine to look for baby clothes.” Mydei responds with the same fake sweetness as he packs his wallet.
“Haha very funny but you should know your daughter's actual name.”
“Oh, I think I know it better than anyone considering I'm the one who's always with her.”
“Hey! This one is a low blow, Mydei!”
The Kremnoan just laughs at the man's objection as they walk out the door. They exchange glances for the last time before parting ways, ready to claim their victory.
The three friends walk through Marmoreal Market. It's full of people at this hour and they have to squeeze through the crowds to get to various stands and shops. Aglaea scrunches her nose at some extremely overpriced clothes while Castorice's eyes shine at the sight of cute, albeit useless, trinkets. Phainon goes through a stack of colorful blankets when the seamstress finally speaks.
“What is the real reason you asked us to jo- No, no, put that down. It's atrocious.” She interrupts herself upon noticing Phainon picking up the ugliest duvet she's ever seen.
Castorice just giggles softly when the man drops the item back to its place like a scolded puppy. “I think it has its charm, Lord Phainon.”
“See Aglaea? Cas agrees with me.”
The older woman just shakes her head at that but a small smile plays on her lips. She hands him a light blue blanket with golden stars embroidered on it. It's soft to the touch and definitely on the higher end when it comes to material quality.
“Take this one instead. And now tell us why you actually invited us here.”
“Can't I simply ask my friends to help me with shopping for my daughter?” Phainon asks as he packs the blanket. Both women just stare at him, clearly seeing through the facade.
“Okay, okay,” he smiles sheepishly and rubs his head before continuing, “Mydei and I have a… small… problem with choosing the name. I picked Lanike and he picked Archidamia and, obviously, there's no way we're naming her that so we made a deal to let you guys decide and I really need your help please,” he says almost pleadingly.
Aglaea puts her head in her hands and Castorice takes a deep breath, both knowing all too well the ‘small problem’ was a full-blown argument that turned into another competition of sorts.
“I must admit, even though I don't usually trust your sense with things like that, this time I agree with you,” the seamstress says with a nod after a moment. They continue through the market and Aglaea picks a bunch of pillows and another duvet along the way, adding them to Phainon's bag. “It rolls nicely off the tongue and sounds less archaic.”
“That's what I've been telling Mydei, but he doesn't listen!” Phainon groans, but the fact Aglaea agrees with him, makes him feel better. One vote on his side, that's a good start.
They move further down the street and finally reach a proper nursery store. Shelves are full of toys, bottles, pacifiers and other essentials. There is a section with bathing and changing items and even a bunch of strollers. Phainon makes a mental note to get some of that stuff another time, today focusing mainly on buying a crib. There's a solid selection of them in the back and now the issue lies in picking the best one.
“I've been thinking about these names,” Phainon turns his head towards Castorice, who finally breaks the silence after quite a while, “And I actually like Archidamia a lot. It's definitely Kremnoan, right? Maybe it's important for Lord Mydei and that's why he insists on it?”
Phainon must admit that he didn't think about it from this angle. Sure, Mydei did say the women in his family had that name, but he didn't consider that it could be of huge importance to the man. He falls deep into the thought, checking the sturdiness of the crib. He doesn't notice when Aglaea tells the cashier to pack the white cradle and add a bedding set too.
“Ah, sorry. I just thought it could be a possible reason,” the lack of response from Phainon must have prompted the girl to explain herself, “Oh! Lord Phainon look! This dromas plushie looks just like Prof Nax! We need to buy it.” She exclaims excitedly, holding a plush toy.
“No, you're right, Cas. I should have considered tha- Wait, it really does look like him.” He looks at the mascot, completely pulled out of his earlier thoughts. Aglaea rolls her eyes at the mention of that man and hands over the receipt from the cashier to Phainon, which he pays mindlessly.
By the time they left the store, three more plushies picked by Castorice and a carrier Aglaea chose joined the basket. Only when Phainon is carrying all of that does he realize how much stuff they actually bought without him even noticing.
At the same time, across the city, Mydei, Cipher and Hyacine are trying to find their way in a huge clothing shop. The man is frustrated already because they've been searching for a kid's section for at least fifteen minutes now. Finally, Hyacine notices the sign and leads them towards the shelves with baby clothes.
“Can you remind me why we are here again?” Cipher yawns as she starts rummaging through a collection of jumpsuits. “Agy would be more than happy to make your daughter some more cute clothes.”
Mydei sighs. “I know, but we need something practical too. It would be a shame if Aglaea's pretty garments had to end up in the trash after a few uses,” he explains further, “Besides, I need your help with something else.”
Cipher’s ears perk up at that.
“We still can't decide on the name so we plan on making you vote. I want Archidamia, Deliverer wants Lanike,” the blond simply says.
“It sounds like leukemia.”
“That's exactly what I thought.” Mydei furrows his brows, both at the reminder and because he’s struggling to pick the correct sizing of the rompers. Titans bless Hyacine for giving him a helping hand and choosing the one that should fit the best. The pattern is a bit ugly, a mix of purple and yellow swirls, but at least Phainon will surely like it.
“I think you both are being too harsh,” the pink-haired girl points out, “It's a really pretty name.”
Cipher scoffs at that, throwing a bunch of silly hats and socks into the basket. Suddenly, she speeds off with a gasp, noticing something at the end of the rack. Mydei and Hyacine exchange glances but neither of them have an idea what could possibly catch the woman's attention. The short girl uses the fuss to add a couple of colorful cotton bodysuits into the basket.
Cipher gets back, a big grin on her face as she holds out an orange chimera onesie. “You HAVE to get this. Your little princess will look just like you.” She laughs uncontrollably as she imagines the picture in her mind.
“I'm not buying it. Put it back.” He doesn't need this kind of useless clothing. They were supposed to get just a few basic rompers, a couple of T-shirts and a pair or two of trousers.
“I guess I'll have to change my vote then, little lion,” Cipher says, completely serious and Mydei has no other choice than to snatch the attire from her hands and add it to the basket. She gives him a wink before running off again, probably in search of more stupid clothing.
With a sigh, Hyacine turns to Mydei again. “Coming back to the topic… I know choosing a Kremnoan name might be important for you but remember it's not only your child.” She tells him gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.
The girl has a point. He was so focused on picking a cultural name that he didn't even think Phainon might want to do the same or at least choose something not specifically Kremnoan. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the grace of wondering about it further when Cipher shoves four animal pajamas in front of his face. Mydei leaves the shop with an empty wallet.
They meet up at home, Mydei with his hands full of bags and Phainon struggling to get the crib through the door. They exchange glances between each other and the mountain of purchases.
“Remind me, how many children are we having?” Phainon sets the heavy crib in the corner and looks over to Mydei, who drops the bags next to a (huge) box of clothes from Aglaea.
“Just one,” he sighs, staring at the amount of stuff they have for the baby, “I don't know if she'll even manage to wear all of that at least once unless we change her five times a day.”
“Don't even tell me. I think I have a different blanket for every day of the week and with this many toys, we don't have to worry about gifts for the next three years.” Phainon chuckles as he adds the new plushies to the sizable collection.
When they're finally done with somehow fitting everything in the small room, they flop on the couch and order some food, both of them too exhausted to think about cooking. Not the smartest decision after blowing so much money at the market today. Mydei's eyes land on the baby names book still lying on the table. It reminds him of their deal and he checks the time before turning towards Phainon.
“Ready to lose, Deliverer?” He shakes the phone in front of the man's face. Just a few minutes left until six. With a scoff, Phainon shoves the device away before pulling up his own and sending a quick text to the group chat.
“You wish! This win is mine, Mydei.”
Soon the replies come in. First is Aglaea picking Lanike, just like she said before. Immediately after her, comes Cipher with a vote for Archidamia. Next are Castorice and Hyacine, who also follow their earlier choices, leaving Phainon and Mydei tied. Not surprising, that's pretty much how they expected this to go. The rest of the Heirs is what's more important, because their votes will be crucial. After a moment, Cerydra replies.
“Agrippina would be a more befitting name for a daughter of the King of Kremnos, but alas, since I have to choose I'll say Archidamia. I trust the judgment of a fellow ruler.”
Like on cue, Hysilens follows suit, agreeing with her Imperator. Mydei smiles at that. He's two votes ahead now, which means he only needs one more to win. Phainon slaps his shoulder lightly when he notices the smirk on his face.
“Don't be cocky. You haven't won yet.” Just as he says it, another message pops up, this time from Anaxa.
“I can't believe you drag me into matters like this, but I vote for Lanike.” A strike of determination hits Phainon and he turns to Mydei again just to stick his tongue out, making the blond roll his eyes at the childish display. Hmph, it's still fine. Tribios hasn't voted yet and Phainon has no chance of winning anymore, so the victory was practically in his hands. That's when Hyacine's words ring in his mind again. It's not only your child... maybe they should come up with another solution...
Tribios' message pops out, quickly pulling his attention back to the screen. "It's a tough decision and being put in such a decisive spot makes me nervous haha. But I'll go with Lanike. Sorry, De."
And that leaves them at-
"A tie," Mydei groans, slouching on the couch.
Phainon massages his scalp, trying to come up with a new plan. His eyes drift towards Mydei, skimming over his figure and setting on the prominent belly. He thinks about Cassie's words... what if it's really that important to Mydei? Maybe he really should let him name their kid. After all, he's the one carrying her and dealing with the issues of pregnancy.
"Let's pick your name."
They both say at the exact same time. Silence falls as they stare at each other wide eyed.
"All this," Mydei gestures frantically, "just to end up in square one. Nikador, strike me." He pinches his nose hard. All the time wasted and they came up with no solution because, of course, this idiot had to make the same move as Mydei. Meanwhile, Phainon looks like a lightbulb just shone above his head.
"Okay, listen, I have an idea," he starts, making Mydei lift his head and face him with a doubtful look, "We'll name her Archidamia because you deserve to pick the name more than me and then we'll make her a baby sister Lanike. Sounds good?"
Phainon finishes with a wink, clearly proud of his plan. Titans, this man is impossible but it’s one of the reasons Mydei fell for him so hard.
"What if the second one is a boy?"
"...We'll figure it out."