Chapter Two: The Name
After what seemed like an amazingly long time to Angel, the two women re- entered the room(Thankfully, fully clothed). "It's about time." He said distinctly from his position behind the desk, spinning slowly in the chair. "Geez, do all women take that long to get dressed?" He was silenced by yet another look from Cordelia, and backed off on his surprisingly sarcastic stance. He didn't understand why he was so touchy around this newcomer, only that he felt exceedingly guilty and defensive when she fixed him with one of her questioning gazes that contained an impossible innocence.
Cordelia scowled and replied, "I don't know, Angel. When I find out, you'll be the first to know." A healthy dose of sarcasm wasn't missing from her statement and, honestly, Angel didn't blame her. "Anyways, we have a problem. She doesn't have a name." It was a source of amazement to Angel that Cordelia didn't seem too unnerved by all this. Of course, he supposed, he really shouldn't be either. After all, he had a couple good centuries on the seer; he should have more stamina in things such as this.
"Well, name her then. What's the big deal?"
"I already have a name!" Insisted the girl indignantly.
"Then what is it?" Cordelia questioned in a monotone, rolling her eyes, having heard this response a million times before.
A long silence ensued, and the higher being-turned-mortal sounded sulky when she finally spoke, "You couldn't possibly pronounce it in your tongue." The remaining silence was palpable, broken only when Angel couldn't restrain his laughter from rolling out into the open. The girl looked at him, the unnerving quality of her gaze lost in bewilderment and confusion. "What makes you express yourself in such a way? Have you found something to be of amusement?"
When Angel had finished, he cleared his throat and smiled at her, now knowing that she told the truth about herself. The naivete proved it all. "No. It's nothing. I've decided to help you after all, on one condition: even though you've got a name, you have to go by one that we can actually pronounce here on earth–Got it?" After a tense moment, she nodded slowly.
"So what will you call me, then?" Her head tilted to one side, wet, platinum hair slipping off her shoulder. Angel studied her for a second, taking in her appearance. The former seraph actually wasn't that pretty, but she had an air of innocent empathy exuding from every pore, and so it made her washed out features all that more extraordinary. A swift glance sideways passed the responsibility to Cordelia, who was rendered silent for the first time in 30 minutes.
"Uhhmm..." Came the extremely articulate response, "I don't know...Jane?" The gleam in the girl's and Angel's eyes was all the answer she required. "Okay, not Jane." The girl grew more impatient and antsy as the seconds ticked by, and Angel couldn't help but noticing how terrible she was at hiding emotions and such. Finally, he intervened.
"Caitir." It was a name from the far past, once common in the land that the Celts occupied. "It–It means pure." He shrugged off any questioning looks, "I figured it suited her." Angel felt satisfied when Caitir smiled distantly and nodded, accepting his choice. The rain continued to beat steadily on the window, reminiscent of the grey interior of so many souls.
Caitir suddenly snapped her gaze from the window and onto Cordelia's eyes, sensing a foreign presence invading the seer's mind. A sharp cry of warning was torn from her lips as Cordelia's back suddenly arched, mouth open in a silent scream of pain. A type of seizure convulsed her slender frame, and thrust images of the future into her mind, laying bare what was to come. Angel held Cordelia's body so she didn't thrash about into the furniture and hurt herself, but he couldn't stop the vision she was being given.
Moving pictures flashed into her mind, unseen by all around her. The vision started with a picture of the back of a very blond girl, chatting amiably with someone at a bar...There it was! A name...a flash of a sign...there! Caritas! And a clock above the bar...11 pm, on the dot...Then the flash was gone and it showed a blurred demon, dragging someone out the back. It was almost hidden from her view because of two people chatting in her line of vision. A few more seconds passed, and the sight fades to white, leaving a serpent hissing and coiling...rearing back...ready to strike! And then Cordelia opened her eyes, looking up at the two anxious faces above her. Gently, Angel helped her to sit up, brown eyes searching her own worriedly. "What did you see?"
After what seemed like an amazingly long time to Angel, the two women re- entered the room(Thankfully, fully clothed). "It's about time." He said distinctly from his position behind the desk, spinning slowly in the chair. "Geez, do all women take that long to get dressed?" He was silenced by yet another look from Cordelia, and backed off on his surprisingly sarcastic stance. He didn't understand why he was so touchy around this newcomer, only that he felt exceedingly guilty and defensive when she fixed him with one of her questioning gazes that contained an impossible innocence.
Cordelia scowled and replied, "I don't know, Angel. When I find out, you'll be the first to know." A healthy dose of sarcasm wasn't missing from her statement and, honestly, Angel didn't blame her. "Anyways, we have a problem. She doesn't have a name." It was a source of amazement to Angel that Cordelia didn't seem too unnerved by all this. Of course, he supposed, he really shouldn't be either. After all, he had a couple good centuries on the seer; he should have more stamina in things such as this.
"Well, name her then. What's the big deal?"
"I already have a name!" Insisted the girl indignantly.
"Then what is it?" Cordelia questioned in a monotone, rolling her eyes, having heard this response a million times before.
A long silence ensued, and the higher being-turned-mortal sounded sulky when she finally spoke, "You couldn't possibly pronounce it in your tongue." The remaining silence was palpable, broken only when Angel couldn't restrain his laughter from rolling out into the open. The girl looked at him, the unnerving quality of her gaze lost in bewilderment and confusion. "What makes you express yourself in such a way? Have you found something to be of amusement?"
When Angel had finished, he cleared his throat and smiled at her, now knowing that she told the truth about herself. The naivete proved it all. "No. It's nothing. I've decided to help you after all, on one condition: even though you've got a name, you have to go by one that we can actually pronounce here on earth–Got it?" After a tense moment, she nodded slowly.
"So what will you call me, then?" Her head tilted to one side, wet, platinum hair slipping off her shoulder. Angel studied her for a second, taking in her appearance. The former seraph actually wasn't that pretty, but she had an air of innocent empathy exuding from every pore, and so it made her washed out features all that more extraordinary. A swift glance sideways passed the responsibility to Cordelia, who was rendered silent for the first time in 30 minutes.
"Uhhmm..." Came the extremely articulate response, "I don't know...Jane?" The gleam in the girl's and Angel's eyes was all the answer she required. "Okay, not Jane." The girl grew more impatient and antsy as the seconds ticked by, and Angel couldn't help but noticing how terrible she was at hiding emotions and such. Finally, he intervened.
"Caitir." It was a name from the far past, once common in the land that the Celts occupied. "It–It means pure." He shrugged off any questioning looks, "I figured it suited her." Angel felt satisfied when Caitir smiled distantly and nodded, accepting his choice. The rain continued to beat steadily on the window, reminiscent of the grey interior of so many souls.
Caitir suddenly snapped her gaze from the window and onto Cordelia's eyes, sensing a foreign presence invading the seer's mind. A sharp cry of warning was torn from her lips as Cordelia's back suddenly arched, mouth open in a silent scream of pain. A type of seizure convulsed her slender frame, and thrust images of the future into her mind, laying bare what was to come. Angel held Cordelia's body so she didn't thrash about into the furniture and hurt herself, but he couldn't stop the vision she was being given.
Moving pictures flashed into her mind, unseen by all around her. The vision started with a picture of the back of a very blond girl, chatting amiably with someone at a bar...There it was! A name...a flash of a sign...there! Caritas! And a clock above the bar...11 pm, on the dot...Then the flash was gone and it showed a blurred demon, dragging someone out the back. It was almost hidden from her view because of two people chatting in her line of vision. A few more seconds passed, and the sight fades to white, leaving a serpent hissing and coiling...rearing back...ready to strike! And then Cordelia opened her eyes, looking up at the two anxious faces above her. Gently, Angel helped her to sit up, brown eyes searching her own worriedly. "What did you see?"