Thank the lord they were on safer topics now, Ari thought, releasing Mr. Aymslowe's hand. He gave a sheepish smile about the remark about his name; it wasn't quite a compliment - nor an insult - but unique was still something, and as casual as the observation was, it nevertheless felt like something peculiarly personal to discuss. Ari might have thanked him and left it at that, but instead found himself rambling again.
"It's, er, Hebrew, I think." It meant lion, he'd discovered once, but that had never fit him at all, besides the fact that he was a Leo and had pet cats, he supposed. If only he'd been a Gryffindor. But brave was not something he'd ever considered himself to be. "Not quite as strange as my middle name, either - Ajax," he said, despite feeling quite mortified about telling this story. "It's all my mother's fault; she liked to read far too much, picked everything from books."
He paused to pay for two slices of the apple cake - it was the least he could do now, particularly since bumping into Philip Aymslowe had only been the start of his missteps. His smile inched wider at the revelation that Mr. Aymslowe owned his own shop. "You'll have to be the judge of whether this is any good, then," Ari joked, passing one of the plates over. Would fair food be up to the baker's standards? "And I'd love to visit sometime," he added, which was true but also just an amiable thing to say - only, he found himself then murmuring, "though I'm sure you'll be glad not to see me again." He smiled weakly, just in case he'd heard that. With everything he'd said already, and somehow he was still stuffing things up.
"It's, er, Hebrew, I think." It meant lion, he'd discovered once, but that had never fit him at all, besides the fact that he was a Leo and had pet cats, he supposed. If only he'd been a Gryffindor. But brave was not something he'd ever considered himself to be. "Not quite as strange as my middle name, either - Ajax," he said, despite feeling quite mortified about telling this story. "It's all my mother's fault; she liked to read far too much, picked everything from books."
He paused to pay for two slices of the apple cake - it was the least he could do now, particularly since bumping into Philip Aymslowe had only been the start of his missteps. His smile inched wider at the revelation that Mr. Aymslowe owned his own shop. "You'll have to be the judge of whether this is any good, then," Ari joked, passing one of the plates over. Would fair food be up to the baker's standards? "And I'd love to visit sometime," he added, which was true but also just an amiable thing to say - only, he found himself then murmuring, "though I'm sure you'll be glad not to see me again." He smiled weakly, just in case he'd heard that. With everything he'd said already, and somehow he was still stuffing things up.
