Pet Names

Sweetie

    This was getting ridiculous. Imogen decided after a particularly long day with the child. The Mandalorian had left at first light that morning after landing in a pretty forest sometime in the night before. The child was adorable, and Imogen adored him, but she just didn't feel right only calling him "kid". He must have a name, right?
    Imogen hadn't asked. The Mandalorian didn't do much talking, and out of respect for him Imogen didn't try to get him to say much. She would talk at him, but make it clear that he wasn't expected to contribute to the one sided conversation. In fact, after the first day on the Razor Crest when the Mandalorian had to tell her-somewhat awkwardly-that she didn't have to change out in the open, there was a separate fresher, he hadn't spoken at all except to tell her when he was going out. Imogen huffed lightly as she remembered the interaction, the armored warrior having come down from the cockpit just as she was pulling up her pants. Despite not being privy to his facial expression, Imogen considered his frozen posture to be his "deer in the headlights" look.
    So of course, two weeks into caring for the child, Imogen didn't know his name. Her discomfort with calling him "kid" was starting to become a problem. She would call for it but "kid" would get stuck on her tongue. After having brought the child back to the Crest after playing in a stream nearby, Imogen resolved to ask the Mandalorian. Her clothes were soaked through, as was the robe the child always wore, and she froze just outside of the ship as she heard frantic clanging coming from inside. It sounded like objects were being thrown around, like someone was looking for something. Imogen's arms tightened around the child, knowing people could still potentially be after him. She crept forward, peaking around the edge of the crest and sighing in relief when she saw the glint of beskar armor. Her shoulders relaxed.
    "We're here!" she called to him, and he spun around quickly, helmet moving jerkily as he scanned both Imogen and the child, taking in their soaked clothes and Imogen's dripping hair.
    "What happened?" he demanded, and Imogen giggled as she glared at the child playfully.
    "This little one thought it would be funny to levitate some water over my head," she said, pausing for dramatic effect. "And then drop it," the child giggled with her, seemingly knowing she was talking about him.
    "Ah," the Mandalorian muttered.
    "You know, I know you like your silence, but maybe you should've warned me he could do that stuff?" Imogen teased with a soft smile, having found out a couple days before that the child could do some freaky stuff. She noticed the way the Mandalorian's shoulders tensed, and immediately felt a little guilty. "Oh, it's okay!" she quickly soothed, walking onto the Crest. "It was just a surprise," she quickly went to the child's little sleeping space, pulling out a cloth robe that she had made for him when she realized he only had one article of clothing the week before, and changed him out of his soaked robe and into the soft dry one.
    "And you're..." the Mandalorian paused as his helmet tilted up and down to assess her state once more. "Okay," he confirmed, and Imogen nodded with a smile.
    "Of course," there was silence for a moment before Imogen perked up, remembering she needed to ask the Mandalorian something. "Sweetie?" she asked, and the Mandalorian startled, still not used to the pet names she used to refer to him. He was stunned every time he realized she was addressing him. "What's the child's name?" she asked, and the Mandalorian shrugged.
    "He doesn't really have one," he said, and Imogen pouted, obviously displeased by the answer.
    "Is there a cultural reason?" she asked, knowing some cultures didn't name their children until some coming of age ceremony or milestone. The Mandalorian shook his head, and Imogen's pout intensified. She pointed an accusing finger at him. "Well you should come up with one, I'm not calling him 'kid'," she demanded, slipping into the fresher to put on some dry clothing. She didn't expect the Mandalorian to still be where she left him when she exited, but her eyes widened with surprise when she saw him sitting at the table by her cot.
    "I don't know what I'm doing," he confessed eventually, gazing at the child who he had placed in his lap. Imogen kept quiet, this being the most the Mandalorian had spoken to her since he hired her. "I wouldn't know where to start with naming this womp rat," the insult was said affectionately, and Imogen gave the father and son duo a soft smile.
    "Well what do you think of, when you see him?" she asked, settling into the seat across from him. The Mandalorian's helmet tilted slightly to the side as he thought.
    "He's fifty years old," he said with a chuckle, and Imogen's ears delighted at the sound.
    "Really?" she gasped, staring at the child. "I know some species age differently but-wow!" she laughed slightly, gaze turning fond as she continued staring at him. "What is the word for old in Mando'a?" she asked, and the Mandalorian simply stared at her for a moment before answering.
    "Ruug," he answered. "You don't want to name him old do you?" he challenged, and Imogen shook her head with a full forced laugh at his question.
    "Of course not," she responded. "What's the word for young?"
    "Evaar," the Mandalorian answered again, and tilted his head in thought as he realized what she was getting at. "Ruu'Eva," he said, looking down at the child, helmet hiding his fond-almost teary-smile. "Ni kyr'tayl gai sa'ad, Ruu'Eva," he said, and Imogen's heart swelled as the warrior brought his little green son up to touch foreheads with him. The child-Ruu'Eva cooed at his dad, tiny clawed hands coming to rest on the cheeks of his helmet.
    Imogen stood to grab the newly named Ruu'Eva and herself some food, also putting together a plate for the Mandalorian to bring up to his quarters to eat later. She wished to give him some space, the tender moment obviously being very important to him. She was shocked when once again the Mandalorian spoke unprompted.
    "Thank you," he said, and Imogen turned to send him a confused smile.
    "What for?" she asked, of course appreciating the gratitude but not understanding where it was coming from.
    "For helping me name him," he explained, and for once Imogen had to look down to hold his gaze, the Mandalorian still sitting while she stood. "What I just said, it's the Gai Bal Manda, the Mandalorian adoption vow, and it literally translates to 'I know your name as my child' but the child must have a name in the first place," he continued, and Imogen smiled down at him as he almost rambled. "I couldn't-nothing fit-and you-" he cut himself off and took a deep breath. "Thank you," he said again, and Imogen nodded at him, her soft smile remaining in place.
    "Of course," she said, setting the his and the child's plate down in front of him as she put her own infront of her seat across the table. "Do you want to feed him? Or me?" she asked, and the Mandalorian answered by picking up a small piece of meat and lifting it to the child's lips. Imogen nodded again as she sat down at her own place, realizing that the Mandalorian was probably a little overwhelmed at talking so much. She didn't say anything more, she just ate her food and thought of the beautiful words the Mandalorian had said so tenderly to Ruu'Eva.
    It was only when the Mandalorian stood and grabbed his own plate that Imogen was able to gather the courage to ask one more thing of him.
    "Sweetie?" she called, and the Mandalorian paused and tilted his head, not turning back to her but showing her he was listening. "Will you teach me?" she asked. This time he did turn back to face her.
    "What?" he asked, and Imogen smiled shyly.
    "Mando'a," she murmured, scratching her neck nervously and averting her gaze. "I understand if not-if it's sacred to the Mandalorians or something, but I like language, and it sounds beautiful, and-" the Mandalorian cut off her nervous tirade.
    "K'uur," he said, and Imogen looked back up at him, with a curious expression. "It means hush, or be quiet," he explained, and Imogen smiled widely, taking that as his acceptance.
    "Does that-" she went to confirm that his words meant he would teach her, but he cut her off once more.
    "Tomorrow," he said instead, the word both ending their conversation and promising her more. Imogen nodded.
    "Tomorrow," she parroted, biting her lip as the Mandalorian ascended the ladder to the cockpit and his quarters. Ruu'Eva cooed softly at Imogen, and she picked him up gently.
    "Big day, huh? Let's get some sleep," she didn't even bother placing the child in his own bed, having found that he preferred to have her chest as his pillow. "Someday you're gonna have to sleep by yourself," she murmured, lips brushing his wrinkled forehead before both the newly named baby and herself succumbed to the call of sleep.

Mando'a Translations
Ruug - Old Age
Evaar - Youth
Ni kyr'tayl gai sa'ad - I recognize your name as my child
Gai Bal Manda - Name of the Mandalorian adoption vow
K'uur - Hush