[There's a slyness to the way he tilts his head and narrows his eyes at them in response. If they're going to be like that about it—he can be a bit of a smartass, too.]
Exactly.
[When he hears it from them, he doesn't have to think about anyone else saying that name. He doesn't have to think about every complicated feeling he's had about it before. It's an entirely new set of sounds, put together for him alone, by the only person who can make them that way.]
... Hmm. I was right.
[Whenever revert to the older habit, he certainly won't have any complaints; expecting them to remember every time after months and months of knowing him as Altius would be unfair. Besides, it just means he'll like it more the next time they get it right.]
no subject
Exactly.
[When he hears it from them, he doesn't have to think about anyone else saying that name. He doesn't have to think about every complicated feeling he's had about it before. It's an entirely new set of sounds, put together for him alone, by the only person who can make them that way.]
... Hmm. I was right.
[Whenever revert to the older habit, he certainly won't have any complaints; expecting them to remember every time after months and months of knowing him as Altius would be unfair. Besides, it just means he'll like it more the next time they get it right.]