She laughs-- it's like water, the archetypal babbling brook which, contrary to its frequency as a simile for the description of perfectly human laughter, does not sound much like the aforementioned. Pretty but odd, which is frequently Ilde all over. It suits her, unreal as she is; here in Baedal it seems more natural that she should be otherworldly, making for a less distinct separation than she'd have had in London or in Florence.

"My father told me it means 'glorious warfare'." Ilde, anyway; Decima is the feminine form of Decimus and means tenth, or more accurately 'Emeric Featherstonehaugh has an unhealthy fixation on Decima Beauchamp and shouldn't name his child after a woman who is never going to love him back'.

He'd probably fall madly in love with Irene, too, for at least half an hour. She's rather his type.

"I think I saw you at the Vault earlier, too--" though she hadn't known she was looking at anyone she'd spoken to before.