two stars walk into a bar

"Al's been trying to teach me the NATO alphabet," Seer says, spelling out the acronym as he speaks. "I like F and Q, but the others all seem so...arbitrary?"

As if "Foxtrot" and "Quebec" aren't arbitary - in fact, Seer only likes the French word because it's amusingly confusing, and xe's not a particular stickler for everybody else's clarity. The F word is forgiven for its transgressions in sensibility by being, well, foxy.

But Seren, knowing none of this, is happy to focus on the problem presented. "Arbitrary how?"

"Well, why are half of them names and half not? Why November instead of Nancy?"

Inefficient, for sure! "What's S?"

Seer thinks for a moment, then produces: "Sierra."

"Very confusing," Seren agrees with a nod. "Sounds like both of our names put together."

"I told Al we should put together a new alphabet made especially for BLADEs, and they seemed torn. I think maybe he had a friend named Victor? And it all reminds him of their past on Earth. But I'll use my own sometimes, I think."

"V is for victory, and vacuum," offers Seren. "That's what I usually say. I like vacuums better than vivohasts."

"Really? Even with those xe-doms flying around?"

Without stopping to think, Seren replies, "I'll xe your dom."

Seer's gone as wide-eyed as Seren usually looks, but it recovers with catlike ferocity.

"Taoman Muneria Iguari. I think."

(As if nothing had happened, Seren comments that this is a good choice for M - Mike was bad, and Mira wouldn't be much better.)