driftfleet | may-time mingling (starstruck!)

Entry tags:

may-time mingling (starstruck!)

Who: Starstruck crew + visitors
Broadcast: N/A
Action: Aboard the Starstruck!
When: The merry merry month of May

[ there's been a tiny regime change and doubtless some debriefing after that masquerade! have at it, starstruckers. mingle away! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Which word?

Fun, Mister Alistair.

[ That gets a grin from him. ]

Yeah, they do have weird ideas of fun. And they don't like dogs - never trust a person who doesn't like dogs.

Is that your metric, then? [ it's as good as any. ] You must be pleased with our resident canine. Max has done wonders with him.

Of course. What kind of person do you have to be not to like dogs?

He won't name him anything interesting, though. Not Ser-Barks-A-Lot, or Barkspawn, or anything.

[ -- AHEM.

stiffly: ] Actually, he left me the honours of naming Rock.

[ :| ]

[ ...

........

oops. ]

...Well it's not that ... bad... I mean... it's... sure.

I assure you -- [ she smiles, amused ] -- the name wasn't chosen at random. Quite the opposite. But if I tell you why, you can't repeat it.

[ Oooh, it has ~secret meaning~! That gets him to perk up. ]

I won't, I promise!

The dog's a bit of a grumpy old stray whose affections are hard to win, but not impossible. A bit banged around. A bit unloved, in his time, I imagine. Not unlike his owner. [ ... ] Have you ever had the opportunity to learn Max's full name?

No, um. He usually just ignores me when I try to talk to him.

[ Lots of people do that with Alistair. ]

[ her answer is a single word: ] Rockatansky.

Oh, so... you named the dog after him.

[ Makes sense. ]

He actually talks to you?

He does. For a given definition of the word talking. Perhaps it's more accurate to say I talk with him, and he on occasion deigns to give me a response. It's a work in progress.

That... sounds a little more accurate.

...It really was a bit like talking to a rock. Which occasionally grunts. I knew a fellow back home - called himself Sten, though I think that was his rank, not actually his name. He was a bit like that. Actually, I think he talked more than Max.

Give him time. He talks more. [ ... ] Perhaps I shouldn't be proud of it, but I named the dog the way I did in order to tease the owner. Not that it means you should like the name any more or less, I suppose.

[ in the end, it hardly needs to be justified to anyone. ]

It's all right - I'm used to it.

[ Being ignored. It's kind of the story of his life. ]

Anyway, I do like the name better, now I know there's a story behind it. It makes more sense.

And yet I concede I've no talent for naming things. Not truly. Lovely story aside, it's not exactly the most thoughtful name. Had it been my dog, however, I might have named him Dodger.

I'm not really good at thoughtful names. You know, names that mean things. 's why I'd name him Barkspawn.

[ Because it's punny!! ]

What's a Dodger?

Something akin to a baseball player. Or so I'm lead to believe.

Yeah, that doesn't help me at all.

It barely helps me. [ a sympathetic smile. ] It's an American thing.

That's... some other kingdom in your world?

[ laughter. ] Quite the opposite. They defy kings, Americans.

What? They don't have one?

may-time mingling (starstruck!)

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