Happy News With Bad Delivery

[Doctor Azure]

Lor shrugged a little. He knew Rawnie probably understood what he was talking about.​

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"Well, I mean curvy. It's not like pregnant women gain the weight for men's viewing pleasure. It's what the baby's weight rests on."​

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He kissed her on the forehead and jokingly poked her in the thigh with a finger.​

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"I'll help you fix up your armor to fit, if you want me to. Or, rather, the bodysuit you've always got on under it. The plates should be able to adapt enough."​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

She made a face, thinking about the changes to come. First things first- she needed to stop drinking. That was very important. And she had to cut down on the coffee too. She'd heard somewhere that to much caffeine was bad for growing babies. And then...

"Hey, Lor? can we get married before I start to gain weight? I just... want to still fit in my armor properly for my wedding."

And nobody had to know she was pregnant yet. Except maybe his sister. She could keep a secret, right?

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor nodded, understanding the problem... Mandalorians usually got married in their armor. Hell, he was going to wear his armor that day. He gave her a little squeeze.​

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"Absolutely. Just wait until I tell Zandra, though. If anybody should be at our wedding, it's her."​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

Zandra. Her mother. Rawnie shrugged. She knew her husband and her mother were friends. It was a little unusual, but she supposed that it was better than the two of them hating each other.

"Alright. Then we should probably hurry the wedding along a little," she agreed. "So. Are you excited, Lor? To be a Daddy?"

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor shifted himself and Rawnie a bit so they could lay a bit more comfortably on the couch, giving her a little squeeze again.​

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"I'm excited... and sort of amazed. I spent a really long time alone, and I didn't think this would ever happen to me. Any of it. Love, marriage, kids... A job I enjoyed. I'm really happy."​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

Rawnie was smiling as she snuggled with him. Honestly, she didn't think she would have this either. She figured she'd die before she found someone to love again. Most men were intimidated by her. Afraid of how she rushed things. But Lorane had understood her need to move quickly. For that, she was eternally grateful.

"I'm happy too," she replied, running her fingers along his shoulder, "Have you considered names?"

Honestly... she had, but she wanted to hear his ideas first.

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor wasn't particularly worried about names, yet. Between the fact that Chiss nams often changed with adoption, and the fact that they wouldn't know the gender of the baby for a couple of months, it mostly hadn't occurred to him. But there was one weird little quirk in his head.​

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"Something with a 'k' in it. Until we figure out whether we're having a boy or a girl, that's all I'm going to decide on."​

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He stuck his tongue out at her a little tiredly.​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

Something with a 'K'? Thatwas oddly specific. Threw half of her ideas for names right out the window. She bit her lip.

"Alright," she nodded, "Honestly, a lot of our names are pretty gender neutral. I never even considered whether we were having a boy or girl. It means a bit less in Mandlaorian society."

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor raised an eyebrow at Rawnie again, smirking a little.​

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"Visahot, you're the only Mandalorian I've met with an even vaguely gender neutral name so far, but don't worry about it. The 'k' thing is mostly a joke. You got somebody you'd want to name the little one after, or something?"​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

Rawnie made a face. Really? Her's was the only one? She thought Calico was pretty neutral, same with Corrin. She shrugged. Maybe she didn't even know what made something sound feminine or masculine simply due to having no real exposure.

"Well... Galaar? Boy or girl, that is what I want to name my first child. Galaar was one of my fathers brothers and my mothers friend. My Uncle, you could say. He died only a few months before Corrin was born. My father killed him with his own hands."

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor just sat there, blinking at Rawnie for a few moments. Her uncle, who her father had killed on his own... Did all the sanity genes come from Zandra's side, or something? That was a little sad.​

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"So, Galaar, then. There more to that story, or was he just a mad dog your dad shot?"​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

Rawnie shrugged. Her father had never said much about it. She could always see the hurt in his eyes clear as day light when he did.

"They were on opposite sides of a war," she explained, "One of them was going to die and they both knew it. Galaar... went to his death loving my father. They burned his body and scattered the ashes behind our cabin."

She bit her lip, hoping this explanation would be enough for him. War was complicated. Sometimes, no matter how much you loved them, you dearest friend might just be your enemy.

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor hugged Rawnie a bit closer to him, as comfortingly as he could. The phrase for that sort of thing was accepting the inevitable, or ch'avsat'cah to ch'ittocasi ch'an'ciuh hah k'it in Cheunh. That sort of thing had always felt like crap to him. No matter what you had to do to survive for the people who loved you, no matter what you had to do to keep them alive and healthy, you did it.​

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"I hate that kind of story. If it's honor or killing somebody I don't want to, my employer gets a bullet to the head."​

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It was an uncomfortable truth, but one that he felt like he had to say. If there was ever a matter of keeping himself and Rawnie, or now their child, alive... He'd kill whoever he needed to, and steal whatever they had, to make sure his family was healthy.​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

Family or honor? There had been no question in her mind before about what she would pick. Before Lorane came along, before today when she found out about the baby, she would have picked honor in a heartbeat. But now...
She squeezed him back. No. This was the most important thing in the Galaxy now. Not her Mand'alor. Not her people. Not her pride. Not even her honor. None of that was worth more. She hadn't met her child yet, but her mind was already made up. This was her purpose now.

"War is complicated, Lor'ika," she murmured into his shoulder, "but I promise you now, I will tear the Galaxy down piece by piece before I hurt you."

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

"Ch'acah rot'ar vun'ur, Rawnie. Nothing will ever hurt my family... Or my friends."​

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Even if he had to take them away from the rest of the galaxy, Lor thought as he gently kissed the side of Rawnie's head. He did have friends, by the definitions most people. He hadn't realized that. Zandra, Vassara, Rusty, Ydrin, and even Roxy. People he'd kill almost anybody for. Those he'd trust with his back. And Rawnie was his friend, as well, despite any other attachments they had to each other.​

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"If there was ever a time when I felt like I needed to... get away, you'd follow me, right?"​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

"Lor'ika," she sighed, moving so she could look him right in the eye, "I don't think you understand. When I said I loved you, I wasn't just speaking words. I was making a promise to you. No matter where you go, no matter what you do, I will follow you."

She put her hand on his cheek, leaning in to touch his forehead with hers.

"Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, Lor'ika," she whispered, "We are one when together, we are one when parted. The first half of the mandalorian wedding vows. Not just pretty words. They really mean something, Lor."

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor smiled as Rawnie looked into his eyes. His hand came up to wrap around hers, and gave her a light kiss.​

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"Similar to the first half of the vows in Cheunh, but the second is rab tir nen nan'eo cart ch'at'ist. 'And may we never be apart'."​

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He held her that way for a few minutes, feeling how warm and happy they both were. Would they be able to be like this forever? Hopefully.​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

And may we never be apart. Rawnie smiled at that. She liked that better. It sounded so much more... hopeful. Yes, well... this was a marriage, right? Compromises should be made.

"Lor, let's mix our vows," she suggested, "Mhi solus tome...."

She squeezed his hand, inviting him to continue in his language.

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor smiled back at Rawnie as he managed to remember the next part in Cheunh.​

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"...Nah cart in'a veo nah cart ch'at'ist..."​

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This was a rather happy compromise, he thought. The two of them saying the vows, knowing what they meant, holding each other as they said the words. This was nice.​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

"mhi me'dinui an..."

She squeezed his hand. She felt like she was already married to him. If she declared it to be, then it was official in the eyes of Mandalore. There was no legal process for marriage here. No time for that. But they had promised his sister. Rawnie never went back on her word. Not when she could help it.

[member="Doctor Azure"]