The idea
Long before dating apps had algorithms, the back row of every classroom had one: write two names, count the letters of L-O-V-E-S, add the digits down a pyramid, and receive a percentage with the full authority of a folded paper note. Its sibling ritual, FLAMES, delivered the verdict in words.
This instrument computes both, faithfully. Same input, same output, every time — because the ritual was always deterministic; the giggling was the random part.
How it’s measured
The percentage follows the classic pyramid. First we count how many times each letter of L, O, V, E and S appears across both names, producing a row of digits. Then we repeatedly add each pair of adjacent digits — writing two-digit sums as two digits, exactly as on paper — until only two digits remain. Those two digits are the percentage.
FLAMES strikes out the letters the two names share, one for one, and counts what is left. That count is used to cross off letters of F-L-A-M-E-S in a circle, again and again, until a single letter survives: Friends, Lovers, Adoration, Marriage, Epic rivals, or Soul-siblings. Both rituals ignore spelling order, so “Sam & Alex” and “Alex & Sam” always agree.
Questions, answered
Will the same two names always get the same score?
Yes — the whole ritual is pure arithmetic, so it is perfectly repeatable and the order of the two names never matters. If your result differs from a friend’s, one of you is spelling something differently.
Does a low score mean anything?
It means the letters of your names add up a certain way — nothing more. Wonderful couples score 12% and chaotic duos score 98%. Treat the number the way it was always meant: as a reason to laugh together.
What happened to “Enemies” and “Sister” from the original FLAMES?
We kept the classic six letters but softened two labels: E is “Epic rivals” and S is “Soul-siblings.” The ritual keeps its teeth; nobody’s afternoon gets ruined.