"Yes, that sounds familiar.  A fascinating array."  He turns toward Decima.  "I'm impressed you and Moira can bear to make use of your daemon's ability at all."

"Oh, we're not bothered at all. Don't you think there's a certain intimacy, in death? You never know someone quite as well as when that fear enters their eyes, and, well, that's all we need, isn't it?"

"That's a fascinating perspective on killing!" he says earnestly.  "I don't think I've ever thought of it that way."

"We each have our own ideals, I've found. But it's certainly interesting, all the reasons."

"Is that why you do it, then, that intimacy?"

"Somewhat. But more - death is special. The perfect zenith. If I could be but one thing, it would be that from which all things emerge, and to which they all return."

"That's beautiful.  I'm afraid my own reasons are comparatively pedestrian."

"I'll admit to being a bit of a poet. Do you mind sharing?"

He muses.  “For a long time, it was for the challenge.  It’s difficult to get away with, if you’re maintaining a civilian identity.  And there’s just something about choosing not to be a good person that feels very liberating.  Well, you must know, of course.”

"The challenge is very enjoyable. I don't really engage with concepts like 'good' and 'evil', I don't think, beyond 'playing the villain' being an amusing pastime. You should try having a philosophy debate with Tyrannissa sometime, though, ze has a delightful view."

"I," ze says, "Have a correct view." (Ze has shifted into a washed out appearance, hair blurring with galaxies).

"Sounds like a longstanding disagreement.  I'd love to hear about it."

"Maybe you two should have that philosophy debate, then. Later, perhaps."

"Perhaps."  He turns toward Maystadt.  "If you don't mind me asking - your name always sounded familiar, but I could never place it...?"

"I am named after the man who proposed the process of intercision."

He snaps his fingers.  "Of course.  What about everyone else?  Well, some of them are obvious."

"Well, the obvious meaning - to decimate - but Decima is also the Roman name of the Fate who measures the thread of life. The Fates are also where I got Moira's name; he's a bitis atropos, too, which is named after the Fate who ends life."

"Fire. Egni sounds better than Ignis," Egni says.

Kreus, then, shrugs and says, "I'm a bit of a word geek I guess? Kreus is a really old word for ice, is where we get 'crystal.'"

Tyrannissa nods and says, "Tyrannissa means Tyrant. In Middle Latin, but prettier. I got it from a poem:

"When, with flame all around him aspirant,

"Stood flushed, as a harp player stands,

"The implacable beautiful tyrant,

"Rose-crowned, having death in his hands;

"And a sound as the sound of loud water

"Smote far through the flight of the fires,

"And mixed with the lightning of slaughter,

"A thunder of lyres."

"There's a lot of verses. I know them all."

"Implacable beautiful tyrant," he repeats, tasting the words on his tongue.  "I can see why you like that."

Ze seems satisfied with that response.

"It is a good poem."

"I shall have to read the whole thing one day."

Tyrannissa nods.

"After dinner we should demonstrate our abilities in more detail, and find a room for our new member."

"Assuming you intend to stay with us?" her daemon adds.

"Oh, I think so."