Nnnnngh.

He's outside the room after she's done with food the next morning. He's even using his muscles to stand rather than bullshit.

This surprises her! But she does smile at him and say, "Good morning!"

"Good morning."

She tilts her head.

"Do you want immediate resumption of hugs, Nai."

"Why do you call me Nai?"

"Oh. Zash said it was your name? And it seemed friendlier to call you that instead of the things you make. I guess I can switch to Knives if you'd rather, I wasn't thinking much about it."

"Zash. And you care."

"Yes? Of course I care? I kind of feel like just calling you 'Knives' is just sort of. ... Judging you by what you can do, instead of seeing you for who you are. But if you'd actually rather be called Knives, that's fine, I can stop getting my weird human psychology all over your self presentation."

"I didn't pick it. Humans did."

"I mean... yes. That is the standard procedure, I didn't pick my name either. Usually names are things that are given. Sort of like gifts. Except sometimes the recipient doesn't want the gift and shouldn't... be stuck with it forever just because someone meant well but missed."

"Zash is the only one who calls me Nai. Used to. And now you. ...and Rem."

"Right. Zash mentioned her, he said she was like your mother."

She can't help but notice he's evading her question. Possibly he's still thinking about it?

He summons a single blade right next to her neck, close enough a single wrong move could draw blood.

Eep. "Um. Sorry. You disagree?"

"You're scared. And confused. And you'll still help the plants."

"Yyyyyyyes? If you are making a point can you please make it with... sharps not so close to my very squishy neck because, um."

The blade vanishes. "They're part of the point.

"There's a reason I use knives. I am knives, but I am not Knives."

Blink blink blink this is very confusing and she does not understand at all.

"...... yes?? I'm sorry I'm still a little bit freaked out by the knife that close to my jugular thing can you please not do that again."

"I'm not going to hurt you. Ever."

It's a real pity that she doesn't have the ability to project, because she just cannot possibly string her thoughts into words right now. One of them is 'not all ways you can hurt people involve physical harm' and another is 'but accidents can happen so why take a needless and dangerous chance with something precious' and 'I am really really not seeing what point you are trying to make here or the line of logic from where we were at to here' and 'I kind of feel a bit hurt by suddenly being threatened by a knife, actually!!!!'

Instead she just makes a "Nnnaugh!!" sound.

"It was not a threat. I never cut anything I do not mean to cut. But I am sorry for scaring you."

"Apology accepted," she huffs. "Okay. Uh. Let's go through the points you were trying to make again?? With less actual physical points."

("Oh that was good we're writing that down.")

"I... don't know how. I will try. I said much more in my mind than with my mouth."