Author's Notes: Wow, this fic is doing a lot better than I expected! I'd like to take this moment to say "Thank you!" to all my reviewers.
I still don't own anything except Hariele and the kitten.
But I would like to own Sand. *brick'd*
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Neeshka hadn't known it would be so hard to think of a name. Combinations of vowels and consonants were swimming around in her head, and none of them seemed to fit together, nor did they suit Neeshka's new friend. She had to wonder if it was this hard to think of the name "Neeshka."
But the name "Neeshka" meant something, didn't it? Yes, it meant something in the Lower Planes - she wasn't sure what, but did that matter?
What's the demonic word for "cat?" she asked herself, glancing over to the spot where the kitten slept. Maybe I should ask Elanee how to speak animal.
She shifted under the sheets, closing her eyes. I'll ask the rest of the group tomorrow...
-x-
Early the next morning, Neeshka woke to find the kitten still asleep in the corner. Quickly and quietly, she dressed and headed out the door to the common room, careful not to disturb its rest.
Of course, Elanee was awake and alert. Neeshka always figured that she rose with the sun, though she could never be sure. She guessed it was a tree-worshipper thing, and didn't ask about it. Khelgar was also sitting nonchalantly at a table, though as always, Neeshka ignored him.
Unsurprisingly, neither Hariele nor Qara were up yet. It was incredibly obvious that unlike Elanee, the two of them were not morning people.
The silence in the common room was a strange thing indeed. Neeshka didn't usually wake this early. It was oddly chilling, though maybe it was because Neeshka usually attributed silence to stealth. However, it was probably because of the fact that with their party, nothing was ever quiet. Hariele was always complaining, or Elanee was sensing something, or Khelgar was arguing with Neeshka over another moral/ethical/whathaveyou clash.
Even though it put her slightly on edge, a part of her was afraid to break the silence.
"Neeshka?"
She jumped a little, startled. Composing herself once again, Neeshka turned to Elanee. "Yeah?"
"You wanted to say something?" The druid was arching an eyebrow in the sort of way only elves could. It seemed to give her an air of otherworldly curiosity. Neeshka had always wondered how they did it.
"Well... yeah, I did." She paused. It was awkward trying to make casual conversation with someone you weren't on particularly good terms with. Neeshka and Elanee had never quite seen eye-to-eye. "I was wondering about a name. For the kitten, you know?"
"Ah," Elanee said, smiling that borderline arrogant smile that, again, only elves could pull off. It irritated Neeshka so much when she did that. "A name for a kitten, hm?"
"Yes," Neeshka groaned, rolling her eyes.
"I think you should name it Scrappy," said Qara, looking disheveled as always as she strode into the room. "She looks like a Scrappy."
"She does not," muttered Neeshka, feeling somewhat indignant. Scrappy? What kind of a name is Scrappy?
"Huh. Scrappy Ironfist," mused Khelgar. "Hum."
Neeshka was about to protest when Elanee jumped in. "Khelgar, I don't think the kitten is a dwar-"
"Don't mind me," he mumbled. "I'm not gettin' involved with namin' kittens."
Neeshka's eyes were drawn to Naloch the badger, sitting at Elanee's feet. "Elanee, how did you name your badger?"
"Naloch?" Elanee stared up at the ceiling, trying to recall a certain time. "Ah... when he came to me, he was simply Naloch. There is no other explanation for it; he was Naloch."
"That's it? He just was?"
"He just was."
Drumming her fingers on the table, Neeshka sighed. "Well... this isn't going anywhere, is it?" She turned to Hariele, who was entering the room rather sluggishly. "Hariele, what do I name the kitten?"
"The kitten?" Hariele blinked a few times before she could finally remember. "Ohhh. The kitten." She shrugged, taking a seat at the far side of the room. "I don't know, maybe Safiya?"
There was a beat of silence.
And then, everyone burst out laughing.
When at last the laughter subsided, Neeshka wiped the tears of mirth from her eyes and all of a sudden felt confused. "Safiya isn't a funny name. Why were we all laughing?"
Hariele shrugged. "I don't know. I've never heard it before."
"Well, anyway, I don't think the kitten looks like a Safiya," Neeshka decided."
She looks like a Scrappy," Qara declared.
"Noo," Neeshka grumbled.
"Why don't we ask the kitten herself?" Elanee suggested. "She is awake now."
Everyone turned their heads to see the little calico kitten make its way towards Neeshka. "Mew?"
Neeshka picked it up, smiling. She turned the kitten to Elanee, whispering, "We're trying to find a name for you. Go ahead and tell the tree-worshipper some ideas, okay?"
Elanee sighed at the familiar derogatory nickname, but went ahead and plunged into telepathic communication with the kitten.
A brief silence passed.
"Judging by the brief exchange of thoughts we just had," Elanee said, looking back at Neeshka, "you could name her something to do with the moon. She seems to be quite fond of it."
"...Selene," Hariele suggested, appearing slightly hesitant, as if she wasn't sure she was remembering right. "I was going through my friend Amie's books one day as a child, and Selene, I think, means moon."
"Do you like that name?" Neeshka asked, watching for any sign of a "yes" or "no" from the kitten.
"Mew."
"Yes," Elanee confirmed.
Neeshka grinned.
"I still think we should have named her Scrappy," Qara muttered.
"Meww," said the newly named Selene, as if to say, "Quiet, you."