milliways_bar | (no subject)

Gorlim pounces! Flinging his arms around Namo's neck and giving him a tight hug.

"Hello hello, orchalmyl!"

He returns the embrace with equal affection and eagerness.

"Good evening, titta aiwë." He lingers in the hug for long moments, inhaling his scent, missing him already.

"How are you?" he asks. "Sit with me, have some egg nog or something? Cider's good, too."

"Egg nog?"

He sits, still smiling at the Man.

"I am well. Both eager to depart and eager to return. And you?"

"I miss you already." He takes the Vala's hand and kisses it almost reverently.

"Egg nog," he explains, "is a mixture of egg and buttermilk and booze. It's not bad. Although I think I prefer cider."

His hand tingles where Gorlim touches and he moves to cup Gorlim's cheek. "It is nice to know I shall be missed."

He ponders the question of drink and then nods. "Then we should have cider, I think."

Gorlim nods, waves down a rat, and orders to mugs of it. With caramel and whipped cream. And extra cinnamon.

You can't REALLY fault a man for his obsession with mulling spices, can you?

Well, one could try to fault him, couldn't they?

"When I return, Nerdanel and I will have to begin making decisions and preparations," he says softly, keeping one of Gorlim's hands in his.

Ah, but why would they? It's such a charming way he has with stirring the cider with his finger and gnawing on the end of a cinnamon stick or cloves for hours as if it's the best thing in the world.

"For the bairn?" he asks. "What is the name you chose for him again? I do not recall it."

He nods.

"I have chosen my name for him -- Fëahelcë -- but Nerdanel still has yet to choose hers." He flushes a moment. "I would also ask that you and Lee choose his epessë."

"Oh!" Gorlim's eyes grow wide. "Do you truly think us worthy of such an honor?"

His smile grows more bashful... if the Vala could ever be bashful, this was it.

"It is a name chosen by those closest to the child other than the mother or father. I would like for the two of you to make that decision -- give him a name those in the bar and in Aman would call him that are not of his direct blood relation."

Gorlim glows, red-cheeked, and sips his cider, getting whipped cream on his nose.

"We would be honored indeed, and pick a very good name for him. Would you prefer one of our world or of Lee's?"

Námo chuckles as he reaches out to wipe the cream from Gorlim's nose, licking the sweetness from his fingers.

"No offense to Lee's world, but I would prefer he have one from ours. Nerdanel would likely ask for a Sindarin one, but the choice is truly yours. If you believe there to be a name from Lee's world that is meaningful and beautiful, then we would not deny you that choice."

Gorlim chirps in surprise and rubs his nose shyly.

"I will ask him. I know very few names from his world but some of the older ones are pretty enough. Mercutio, for example. I like that name."

Námo winces.

"Yes."

It is all he says.

Gorlim senses he has stumbled upon a sensitive subject. Which confuses him, but he lets it go.

"Or um... Trillian. That's a pretty na--it's for a girl. Ummmm." Boy. It's a BOY. "Jack's a good name?"

Which his Vala is thankful for. No disagreements or sourness this night -- not before it would be a four month parting from Námo's perspective.

"Jack. Jack Bauer is a lovely man, but I do not think 'Jack' is what I would like to refer to my son as."

Though Námo knows he will call him Fëahelcë regardless of his epessë.

"It would be kind of funny though," Gorlim points out. "Or a flower name like Hobbits have. Hibiscus!" he exclaims with a chuckle.

He eyes him with a growing grin.

"I think, perhaps, not."

Námo shakes his head as he chuckles.

"No matter. We have some time yet before such a name should be chosen. Tonight it is not necessary. But, Nerdanel tells me I must equip my room properly -- whatever that means -- for the three nights each week I am to keep him."

"It means you need a laundry basket and a bar of lye, if Ramon's report is to be believed." He smirks and adds, "beast."

He laughs.

"Somehow, I do not believe that conversation would lend itself very well to teaching me child-rearing skills."

"It had better not!" Gorlim gives him a playful slap.

Námo continues to laugh, capturing Gorlim's hand and pressing a kiss to the palm.

"So, if lye and laundry baskets are not needed to keep a child, then perhaps you can tell me what is."

Gorlim rolls his eyes as if adding a silent duh to the conversation.

"A cradle and bottles and diapers, a hot plate to warm up his milk unless you'd rather go down to the bar, you'll need toys, you'll need to make sure your room is babyproofed--" Her cuts off, considering Namo's room which contains nothing but the furniture and his feather. "--No you won't, but you'll need blankets for him and herbs to calm him and you'll need to be sure you can keep the room dark and WARM."