Nova: (faux-cheerfully, voice cracking) "of course! Um—what exactly are you two doing now?"

Nova: [winces, suddenly remembering the two had been minding their own business in Kilrey when Nova had indirectly gotten them kicked out]

Nova: [quickly wraps their arms around themself, curling their legs under their butt as they float backwards from Scamall]

Nova: [avoiding their gazes, voice cracking) "r-right. I got you guys—I'm sorry. You'd probably just—" gotten settled in Kilrey—

Scamall: (interrupts, voice gentle and soft) "it's okay. We were just visiting."

Nova: [quickly looked back as Scamall interrupted, caught off-guard—and once again remembering the siblings had no idea What She Was] 😅

Nova: [face twisted and ears lowered, but can't help a weak smile]

Nova: (nervously) "okay…" 😅

Nova: [and then freezes, frowning, and looks away. Hugs herself tighter as she drifts backwards in the air, floating higher]

Nova: [now that she's taking a closer look… she sees another archfaerie's touch on them. One whose essence she didn't recognize]

Nova: (uneasily) "… what were you doing 'just visiting' an archfae dominion?"

Spéir: [suddenly steps forward, drawing Nova's eyes, and places a hand on Scamall's shoulder as he interrupts) "we've been looking for a place to stay better suited for us. An air dominion, or something like that. But we have to cross through archfae dominions every so often, and have to make peace with them so we can pass without problems."

Spéir: [had been watching them with a sharp, suspicious look all the while he explained… and his tone had turned accusing at the end]

Nova: [awkwarddddd—] 😅

Nova: [ears drooping onto her shoulders, drops her eyes to the ground as she drifts down to land]

Nova: [almost goes to apologize, but—]

Scamall: [snarling, turns to pierce Spéir with a glare and smack his hand off her shoulder. Sharply) "says the one who immediately interrogated them, making them scared enough to reach for ambrosia!"

Nova: [shocked—and appreciative—looks up at Scamall, their ears perking backwards]

Spéir: [face twisted, hand over his chest, but quickly just crosses his arms as he glares back]

Scamall: (finishes, not having paused) "—even though they're just a faeling!"

Nova:

Nova: [eyes wide, quickly puts their hands up as they float upwards in surprise and interrupt) "no! Nononono—"

Siblings: [both look at them, eyebrows furrowed—Scamall's in worry and Spéir's in suspicion]

Nova: (voice awkward, but words tumbling out in panic) "I—I know I don't have a name, but that's just because it's hard! I'm—I'm not a faeling!"

Siblings: [both quirk an eyebrow doubtfully; Scamall with a soft, sad smile and Spéir with a slight smirk]

Spéir: (knowingly, voice sly and amused) "sure thing."

Scamall: (at the same time, voice warm and gentle) "if you insist." ;)

Nova:

Nova: [whines unwittingly, pouting. Crosses their arms and drifts back onto the ground to stomp their foot]

Nova: (petulantly) "REALLY! I—I just—"

Nova: [huffs, drifting back into the air to fold his legs under himself again. Glancing to the side, apparates a series of six books around himself and gestures to them all in turn]

Nova: [ears low, voice somewhere between petulant and desperate) "I've looked through all these books, and none of the names work for me!"

Nova: [huffing, pouting, and crossing his arms again, looks back to the siblings with his legs crossed under him… though his irritation quickly fades]

Nova: [ears drooping and looking to the ground, despondently] "I'm just… Me."

Spéir: [drawing Nova's eyes, sassily) "oh, yeah?" [smirks] "Then what are we supposed to call 'Me'?"

Scamall: [huffs, cheeks puffed in anger, as she turns to smack Spéir in the arm]

Spéir: [just grins smugly, arms still crossed as he looks up at Nova]

Nova:

Nova: [pouting, crosses his arms yet again as he disappears his books and gives Spéir a tiny glare]

Nova: [but looks away, flexing his jaw awkwardly, before he answers) "I… guess you can just call me 'You'."

Scamall:

Spéir:

Both: [sigh heavily, lowering their faces to each put their heads in one of their hands]

Nova: [awkwardly looks back up at them, uneasy] 😅

Scamall: [taking a deep breath, looks up and opens her mouth to speak—]

Spéir: [but looked up before her, expression unreadable, to ask with a slight edge to his voice) "and you're sure there's nothing else to call you? Nothing you've ever been addressed by?"

Nova: [heart skips a beat, eyes widening and ears quirking back as she drifts backwards]

Nova: 'Dhia.' He means 'Dhia'. He does know, doesn't he?—but, then, why would he—

Scamall: [having rolled her eyes at Spéir, returns her eyes to Nova to offer her a sad smile. Generously) "just ignore him. But, yeah, are you sure there's nothing else to call you? Because even a temporary name—"

Nova: [anxiously turns away, ears drooping as she wraps her arms around herself]

Nova: (voice thick and uneven) "… no."