I see. So it's a term of endearment, a little like shortening one's name to a nickname. Almiria calls me 'Mackie'.

[ In her defense, she's known him since she was a literally infant. The nickname came about as a very sincere attempt to say his actual name, offset by Almiria having been barely 2 at the time.

Maybe he shouldn't have thought of Almiria though, even that is in itself a little painful. Ah... ]

You would be... Nie-xiong then, to those two? Or is it Huai-xiong?

[ Forgive him, his experience with Asian languages is zero... ]