Beyond the Saga "Makes Three" | Cara/Din & the Child, Vignette Collection

Title: Makes Three
Author: Mira_Jade

Time Frame: Beyond the Saga; The Mandalorian
Rating: PG-ish
Characters: Carasynthia Dune/Din Djarin, The Child, Ensemble Cast

Summary: Because families come in all shapes and sizes. A collection of ficlets and vignettes.

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Index​

I. A Second Breath (below) | MMM # 8 "KISS" Challenge

II. Know This By Name | OTP #15 "Things You Said" Challenge

III. Koja-nut Butter and Meiloorun Jelly | OTP #15 "Things You Said" Challenge

IV. A Great Honor to Hold You Up | OTP #15 "Things You Said" Challenge

V. We're Swallowing Light ('Til We're Fixed From the Inside) | OTP #15 "Things You Said" Challenge

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Title: “A Second Breath”
Genre: Drama, Romance
Rating: PG
Time Frame: Post-S1

Summary: "Sometimes, the universe did not always take, sometimes, it gave back." Cara, Din, and a first kiss – of a sort. Written for the eighth Monday Mush Mania kiss in less than a thousand words prompt!

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“A Second Breath”
by Mira_Jade ​

Carasythia Dune’s life fell into something of a routine on Nevarro. Somewhat, at least.

Serving as Greef Karga’s enforcer saw that she had the most stability she’d known since her days as a shock trooper, tied to a single place and goal. Oh, she still glanced over her shoulder and kept a wary eye on her six – the price on her head hadn’t wholly disappeared, no matter Greef's help – but she felt secure enough, if not completely comfortable with her course. She knew better than that.

Even still, she would never admit aloud – not even on pain of death – that the days she looked forward to most were those when Din returned to Nevarro with the little one in tow. As well and good as job security and a set routine were, Din offered variance and perhaps something more, something that she hadn’t known since her old days of camaraderie with her fellow soldiers (or since even longer ago, before Alderaan’s destruction). She smiled when she saw him, sincerely so. She enjoyed his company even when it was just for refueling and stocking up on supplies, and she was never far behind when he took Greef up on jobs – after all, searching for an unknown species and/or race of mystical, could be enemy wizards to reunite the Child with required funding, which Greef was happy to provide. She was always eager to be the partner he needed; they were a good team, whether it be taking on enemy fire together or figuring out exactly how the Child’s species teethed and tricks to stop him from chewing on every spare bit of soft, gummy materiel he could find aboard the Crest.

Her mother, Cara knew, would be horrified by her current life choices. Helianthus Dune had no such future in mind when she raised her daughter to be a proper Alderaani woman, and yet . . . Alderaan was long gone now, and Cara was making do putting the broken pieces of her life back together again. If that life now included a masked Mandalorian warrior and his adopted, strangely gifted child, then it simply was what it was.

She didn’t consider, however, that they had any further pull on her heart until a particularly bad day on Cordag III. A hunter got the drop on them, and they passed ten whole hours with no idea where the Child was or how to retrieve him. When they did finally pick up on his trail, and swiftly dealt with their assailant, Cara hung back and watched as Din ran his gloved hands over the little one, practically checking him over for injury just as much to assure himself that he was returned to them and safe from harm. Din muttered in a language that Cara couldn’t understand all the while, and the Child flicked his long, green ears in familiarity for the sound. When Din finally paused, and simply rested his armored brow against the Child’s – an intimate gesture, for a man who never went without his helmet – she couldn’t help but stare. She felt something in her heart, long since hardened over and forgotten about, twist for the sight, warming and filling a place that she had previously made so small and cold out of necessity.

These two were, she thought, quickly becoming a danger to her. Yet, she'd never backed down from a fight in her life before, and she certainly wouldn’t start now.

It wasn’t until months later that she found herself in just as perilous a bind on a job, and took a blaster bolt to the shoulder when fighting a band of mercs for the same puck. She was lucky that the shot had missed her heart, even as her head spun and she cursed in frustration. Stupid, stupid, stupid – she hadn’t left herself so blindly open like that since she was a cadet; she knew better. But Din was there, and Din was her partner; she had already lost so much, too much, to even consider taking the smallest risk that he could -

“I had that covered, you know,” was Din’s droll remark, bellying his concern as he gently set the bacta patch in place over her wound.

“Well now, I couldn’t let you have all the fun, could I?” she joked through gritted teeth, wincing nonetheless when Din pulled the bandage tight. She could well imagine his raised brow, even when she couldn’t see it, and sure enough he drawled, “yeah, Dune – seems fun to me.”

Ha ha, very funny, Mando. But Cara was kept from a pithy reply when he exhaled, long and slow. He leaned forward and rested the dome of his helmet against her brow, just as she’d seen him do with the Child . . . except this felt different, so very different. The metal was unexpectedly warm against her skin, humming as if charged to the touch. The contact lasted only a moment, but it left her senses whirling in its wake, taken aback by the sudden, unexpected familiarity of the gesture.

“I’m okay, Din,” she found herself whispering, though she didn’t have to – he could see as much with his own eyes. She was tougher than she looked, which was saying something. Still . . . she couldn’t keep the words to herself. She wasn’t the only one who'd lost, after all; she wasn’t the only one holding on tight to the little bit she did have and refusing to allow the universe to claim but one thing more.

She was slow to reach up and touch her brow to his again. This time, she heard him suck in a breath, even as she exhaled. A sudden pulse of warmth bloomed low in her belly, a jolt running from her fingertips to her toes the same as if she had kissed his mouth. Just as satisfyingly, she felt his fingertips flex from where he had taken to absently stroking the healthy skin of her arm below her bandage. He seemed as hungry for the assurance of the contact as she suddenly was; she didn't want the moment to end.

So, is this how Mandalorians do it? she wanted to flash her teeth and quip, but something about the moment felt too hushed to allow for humor. She couldn’t help but reach up to brush her fingertips against the metal cheeks of his helmet, feeling as if she was a young girl all over again, and Alderaan was still in its spring.

Softly, Cara smiled, knowing in that moment that the universe had given something back to her – this man, and this child. She was ready, she admitted then, to see where that knowledge took them next.



FIN

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End Notes: So . . . it counts as a kiss, by Mandalorian standards, at least! Tapping helmets is a sign of affection between two Mandalorians in full armor. Ironically, a head butt is also called kov'nyn - a Keldabe Kiss - just to keep things Mando, and all.


~MJ

 

Yes, this is definitely how Mandalorians do it! This was a new and different kind of kiss, but no less sweet, no less full of love, and no less full of sparks, judging from Cara’s reaction! Pretty impressive the way you got that across even without any skin-to-skin contact—but of course, as you make clear, beskar has a living resonance of its own and is very much an extension of the person wearing it. I love, too, that you describe the Mando making the exact same gesture to the Child, also to show affection! (And with his Force-sensitivity the Child no doubt feels the living quality of the beskar and its wearer in a very special way.) And those kisses, both parental and romantic, are the beginning of forging these three characters into a found family. Thank you for this wonderful, beautiful, and unexpected take on the KISS prompt!

 

So! First of all, I have to offer a most sincere apology: I have an awful habit of not replying back to comments on my vignettes in a timely manner, and I have left all of these wonderful, wonderful reviews neglected for far too long!

I have exciting news, though! Well, exciting news for me, anyway. I have decided to turn this into a vignette collection for Din, Cara, and the Child! Because I have a few ideas to share for this little found family, especially before Season 2 arrives, and I may as well keep them all in one place here as I go.

But, before I get into my next offering, I have to take a moment to thank . . .

Aw, thank you!! These are two such strong, stoic characters, and to allow them a moment just to be soft together was all sorts of satisfying. Thank you so much for reading, my friend, as always!

Thanks so much for the kind words! Honestly, we have all wondered about exceptions to the helmet rule for lovers. Just sayin'.

Yes, this! A hundred times yes!!

Honestly, I've always been on the "Mandos are Kewl" train - the Legends!Fetts have interested me for years now, just because I've always enjoyed watching Boba struggle to accept the more family-centric aspects of his heritage and come to terms with his culture, even when he constantly falls on his big, dumb face. It makes him so much more interesting than the Marty Sue uber-thug much of fandom portrays him as. Watching the culture that has developed around one helmet/armor design has been so fascinating over the years! They are such a space!Viking culture, which really ticks off the boxes for a few of my RL interests, as far as history is concerned. While there are parts of their past and fractions of their present that aren't so admirable - like Death Watch or Mandalore the Ultimate - they are a really well rounded and developed culture, just like you said. They just fascinate me, and it was great to see their lore added to with the Mandalorian.

THIS, again! The Mandalorian penchant for found family and adopting foundlings was developed in spades in the show and I love Filoni and Favreau forever for that.

I am such a sucker for found family tropes anyway - like I think most of us here are! - so their misfit little clan really, really strikes a chord with me! Cara and DIn are taking missions and kicking shebs, all the while figuring out the whole parenting thing to to a mystical, fifty-year-old-toddler of an unknown species who is most definitely chewing on things he ought not. The opportunities for humor here are endless!

Exactly! Cara has lost so much as a survivor of Alderaan, and to lose Din too, who she's come to care about more deeply than she even first realized - that's a danger to her. But, our girl laughs in the face of danger, doesn't she?

Thank you so much, again, for your kind words! It was a trick, trying to convey warmth and intimacy with a forehead touch, without skin-to-skin contact. The scene just sort of wrote itself without my conscious direction and in the end I was just like: this. Yep, this works.

Also, I agree! I adore how the same motion that's used to incapacitate an enemy is also a gesture of love. Also, also! It has a RL correlation, did you know?? The Hongi is a Maori tradition; they touch foreheads and noses as a greeting and sign of love and respect. The hongi is even done officially in political ceremonies! It's literally viewed as an exchange of the breath of life - which, according to their lore, is how the first woman was born. And, seeing as how both Temuera Morrison and Daniel Logan are Maori - hush, Disney, the Fetts are too Mandalorian and you will take that from my cold dead hands - it was especially fitting when that tradition was developed and adopted back during the Legends days.

Honest to goodness I almost spit out my coffee laughing when I first read your review. That's why The Tribe is so keen on adopting foundlings. OMG, ha!

But, yep! I too had a very teenage moment wondering how certain things work. Maybe there is a rule for lovers, and even your immediate family. I like to think there is.

And I can't thank you enough for hosting such a lovely challenge! The MMM is one of the best traditions on the boards, and I'm so grateful that you are keeping it going.

EXACTLY!

Thank you so much for the beautiful, insightful review, as always! I always appreciate your comments. This was a new and different kind of kiss, to be certain, but all of the important elements were there: the warmth and the affection and the sharing of that warmth and affection with another. Definitely still enough for swooning and sparks!

I loved your insight of the Child also sensing the resonance of the beskar, too - most definitely!

These three are on their way to forging a found family all their own, and it was wonderful to explore here in the small way I could.

Oh my goodness but your review completely made my day, and is probably one of my favorite reviews I have ever received on a story, ever. Thank you so, so much! You're really too kind!

Also: Carasynthia Dune is completely swoonable, it's too true! I am so glad that this hit all of the right notes, especially as I'm loving how you've captured her voice in your diary! That is the highest of compliments.

EXACTLY!!! She may have a cynical head on her shoulders, and the muscles and the bravado to make herself stronger than all of the hurt and trials life has thrown her way, but she has such a big heart that she's been careful to keep protected until now. With stumbling into the opportunity to love and immerse herself in a family again, she can't help but look forward!

This took me a truly awful time to reply, but: OF COURSE!!! I would be more than honored if you adopted the name. (And, honestly, I just can't wait until your muse lets you find your stride with the DDC again! )

Helianthus is the proper Latin name for a sunflower, too, for a little bit more background if you were curious. I couldn't resist with another floral sounding name to match Cara's!

Oh I can only imagine! Poor Helianthus does not know where her daughter came from, and is shocked from the beyond, that's for certain!

She really, REALLY does!

Exactly, exactly, EXACTLY!!

She's already suffered more hurt than any one person should ever have to bear! How much more pain and loss can she endure? Until . . .

Because our girl is a FIGHTER. And she will fight - and triumph! - over this too. Just watch her.

THIS!

That's why their bond works so, so well for me. Honestly, when we were first introduced to Cara onscreen, before we learned anything about who she was or where she came from, I was hoping that they wouldn't shoehorn in a romance. But now, knowing what they know and watching how their bond has grown, I've dove off into the deep end and I ship these two with a fierce devotion, all because of this. Both Cara and Din have lost everything, and to find a new place to belong, a new family in each other and with the Child . . . that's the stuff good stories - the best stories! - are made of!

Thank you so much again for your kind words! I am incredibly touched that this piece resonated so well with you, and I hope that you continue to enjoy this collection as it goes!


~MJ

 

Title: Know This By Name
Genre: Humor, pre-Romance
Rating: G
Time Frame: Post S1

Summary: It’s a long way to Dantooine, but Cara has an idea for how to pass the time.

Notes: This was written for the OTP Things You Said Challenge. I picked #7: things you said while we were driving. Or, more accurately: things you said while we were flying through hyperspace. This was quite the trick to write, since these two characters are usually more show than tell, and I'm admittedly still figuring out their voices. But, it was a fun exercise, and I'm relatively pleased with the result. Relatively. Also! This is exactly 500 words according to wordcounter.net. Which was also quite the trick for my loquacious muse, lemme tell ya!

But, enough of my rambling! I thank you all for reading and hope that you enjoy.

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"Know This By Name"
by Mira_Jade​

“We can’t keep calling him the Child.”

“...”

“It’s a long way to Dantooine; I’m sure we can think of something better before we arrive.”

“...”

“What, do you have another idea for how to pass the time? Or did you turn off your audio receptors again?”

“...”

“Well, you were comfortable being called Mando by any and all, but where I come from . . . came from, anyway . . . we name everything. Oftentimes more than once. The more syllables the better. My poor baby brother got stuck with four middle names before Father finally cut Mother off. Four."

“How many middle names do you have?”

“Ha! He can speak – and, nice try, but a diversion won’t save you this time. The Child; he needs a name.”

“...”

“Fine. I’ll figure this out with the kiddo. Come ‘ere, scamp. What do you think of Purpureus, huh?”

“No.”

“No? But look at him, his ears twitched. He clearly likes Purpureus.”

“His ears twitch before he eats a frog. That doesn't help your argument.”

“Well, to each their own. Especially when you aren’t coming up with anything better. If not Purpureus, then how about Sesquipedalis?”

“...”

“Your silence implies consent. Hear that, kiddo? We figured it out! Or, should I say Sesquipedalis - ”

“ - clearly, that wasn’t a serious option. Why should I give a serious answer?”

“For all you know Sesquipedalis is a family name. It’s a fine Alderaanian praenomen going back generations of Dunes. I had an Uncle Sesquipedalis who was the fifth of his name, even - ”

“ - no.”

“Fine! What would you call him, then?”

“...”

“Din?”

“...”

“Hey, you know you can talk to me, right?”

“It's only . . . why name something that isn’t mine to keep?”

“Oh."

"..."

"Honestly, when it comes down to it, what’s really ours to keep in this life? No, really. Hey – look at me. You know, better than most, how fleeting good things are. But this child is yours now; you’re bound together; you’re clan. It’s okay to hold onto him, just like he’s holding onto you. He’s not going anywhere, not just yet.”

“...”

“And . . . Din? Neither am I.”

“...”

“Alright then, if you’re so hells-bent against Sesquipedalis, then - ”

“ - Vor’ika.”

"Huh?”

“I’ve been . . . I’ve been calling the child Vor’ika. Vorpan, really . . . but, Vor’ika.”

“Ah . . . I thought that’s what I heard. The ‘net doesn’t have much on Mando’a anymore, but it had enough for me to piece together. Little green, isn't it?”

“Are you laughing at my naming abilities, Dune?”

“Oh, never that, Mando.”

“Well, it’s better than Sesquipedalis.”

“Ha, so says you! I still think the kid likes Sesquipedalis; you're outnumbered by those with better taste!”

“...”

“But, in all seriousness, it means a lot. You know: you trusting me enough to tell me.”

“Thank you . . . for wanting to know.”



FIN

Spoiler: End Notes

Vorpan/Vor'ika: Mando'a for 'Green' and 'Little-Green', respectively.

Purpureus & Sesquipedalis: Part of the proper Latin names for the Hyacinth bean and the Asparagus bean. Because Baby Yoda is a little green bean. Cara is just as clever as Din here.

~MJ

 

Aw, loved this! Wow, you did a very impressive job of expressing Din's taciturn nature even within the context of an all-dialogue minific, for Pete's sake--really kind of amazing what a few ellipsis can do! But those silences show us just how hard Din is thinking over this question of naming the Child--a very important question for a Mando, as we see, because it ties directly in to the question of creating a clan/family bond, as well as to the larger issue of trust between him and Cara. I think Cara, too, picks up on the connection of names to family connections, given the way she starts recommending highfalutin Alderaanian names that come from her own family. And what an extra-cool touch that those are also part of the scientific names of various Earth green beans, well played there! Hey, any and all of those names are more than fitting for that cute li'l space!green!bean. Mighty nice work, as always, and what a fun and unique ddition to this challenge!

 

Alrighty! I have another viggie to share, but first! A few replies to all of you lovely folks who stopped to leave your thoughts. I appreciate your kind words so very much!

I'm not going to lie, that was the first bit of dialogue that came to me when I was fleshing this ficlet out and I all but slammed the keys to get it down.

And thank you! I was scrolling up and down the Mando'a dictionary looking for something that fit, but, in the end I just kept on coming back to Lil' Green and then there you have it.

I just adore Cara and Din's back and forth - she's loved nettling him from the beginning, and they've both settled into each other's orbits quite nicely since then, which is saying something! Even the little bit Din does share - and Cara's lowering her guard to talk so openly about Alderaan! - is very, very precious indeed.

I am glad you enjoyed this! Thank you ever so much for reading, my friend, as always!

Oh thank you! Yeah, some of those hoity toity Alderaanian names were rough! Vor'ika is much better, I agree.

And yes! I tried writing this without the ellipses, and the flow and Din's 'voice' were all sorts of off. So, the magical periods it was!

And I am ever so glad to have you here as a reader! Thank you so much for stopping in!

Thanks! Yeah, there hasn't been much Mandalorian fanfic on the boards yet, but just watch me singlehandedly change that. Maybe I'll set a spark and start a trend, because there is just so much fun potential with these characters that I just can't even.

Aw, thanks! Like I was saying to Kit' above, I tried writing this without those magical little dots, and the pace and Din's 'voice' were just all sorts of wrong. I knew I was setting myself up for a challenge writing these two 'show' over 'tell' characters in an all dialogue minific, but that ended up being half the fun!

Exactly! Names are so important, and one of the only things the Alderaanian and Mandalorian cultures have in common, at that. And, with the few surviving Mandalorians hiding their faces - and their names, too, if Din only being called 'Mando' is anything to go by - it's a huge act of trust that he tells Cara what he's been calling the Child, along with allowing her to so casually use his name in the first place. Then, for her to talk so easily about everything she's lost from her own family and culture - something tells me that's a first for her too as they create a sort of clan/family all their own - she's returning that trust, all without explicitly saying so. Gah, have I mentioned how much I love these two lonely, hardened survivors finding something more in each other - and with the Child? Because I really do.

That's totally my dorky RL interests coming to the fore, what can I say? Cara's full name just sounds so floral that I got the idea of taking Alderaanian names from the scientific names of Earth plants - that's how I gleaned Cara's mother's name, too, in the first entry, from the sunflower's proper name. Plus, you're too right! Baby Yoda is our cute lil' space!green!bean! I just loved her and Din arriving at the same conclusion by opposite roads. I couldn't resist!

Thank you so much for reading, again, and for taking the time to leave your thoughts! Your comments never fail to make my day.

Aw, thanks for reading this even without knowing the characters very well! YES! If you can the Mandalorian is the best thing Disney has given us since RO, hands down.

Unusual, yes, but it works! Which really sums up this little space!family.





Again, I thank you all so very much for reading and taking the time to leave your thoughts! It means the world to me as an author!


~MJ

 

Title: "Koja-nut Butter and Meiloorun Jelly"
Genre: Humor, Family
Rating: PG
Time Frame: Post S1

Summary: "So . . . do I even want to know what happened here?"


Notes: This is an ad hoc entry for the OTP "Things You Said" Challenge, this time using prompt #22: things you said after it was over. This was actually my original plot bunny, but it ended up being a trite too OTFamily rather than OTP, and almost twice the allowed word limit, at that. But, I still wanted to polish it up and share, so here we are!

I thank you all for reading, and hope that you enjoy.

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"Koja-nut Butter and Meiloorun Jelly"
by Mira_Jade​

“Wow . . . do I even want to know what happened here?”

“ . . . ”

“It looks like a ronto went on a rampage. A herd of rontos, even.”

“ . . . ”

“And is that koja-nut butter?”

“ . . . ”

“It . . . it’s everywhere. Look, there’s even some on the ceiling - ”

“Try telling me something I don’t know.”

“ - I mean, did the kid really - ”

“ - of course the kid did. Do you think I made this mess?”

“Well, I’m technically still in the getting to know you phase of our partnership. This could be some really weird part of the Way that outsiders can’t properly appreciate without being in on the secret.”

"You know, if you’re going to stand there taking shots at me and my entire culture, the least you can do is pick up a rag and help clean up.”

“Fine, fine – no need to get your tin in a twist. Pass me the bucket; I’ll help.”

“ . . . ”

“ . . . ”

“Sooo . . . wanna talk about it?”

“ . . . ”

“You know I’ll get the full story eventually. You always crack. And the stars only know that you can’t stay mad at Lil’ Green forever.”

“ . . . ”

“C’mon: get it off your chest. I’ll listen.”

“Just give me a second – the koja butter got down in the grating here.”

“Fine, then. Whenever you’re ready. Eugh, did I ever mention that I hate the smell of wet koja-nut butter? You better be glad that I have a giant Mando and Child shaped soft spot; I wouldn’t do this for just anyone.”

“ . . . ”

“There, it's clean. Now: story time.”

" . . . "

" . . . "

“It's only . . . no, I should start at the beginning. You know how I’ve been trying to regulate the kid’s diet? Get him on a schedule of meals and sleep? That sort of thing?”

“Sure: the doc said that his species, whatever it is, isn’t strictly carnivorous. He should be eating carbs, too, and he needs a serving of fruits and vegetables at least once every other rotation – along with his daily dose of frogs.”

“Exactly. Since then, I’ve been trying to figure out what he likes. There’s a few kinds of nuts he’s partial to, especially in butters - ”

“ - ah, so the infamous koja-nut butter rears its ugly head - ”

“ - beyond that, he’s picky about his fruit, but not so much his vegetables and starches.”

“Okay, I'm following.”

“Meiloorun was on the list of approved fruits I was given.”

“Yet, from your tone, I take it that meiloorun is, in fact - ”

“ - the equivalent of giving a Human child twelve cans of fizz pop and his own body weight in spun sugar.”

“Oh sweet stars.”

“Yeah, that’s more or less what I said.”

“So, you’re telling me that the kid got sugar drunk?”

“More like a Kowakian monkey-lizard high on spice. I was outside for twenty minutes checking the sensors on the turbines – the kid was all fixed up with his snack and a holo – and when I came back inside there was this mess. I don’t know how he even got the koja butter on the ceiling. Or in the ‘fresher. You . . . you haven’t seen that far; I can’t get the ‘vac to flush. I don’t know what he did.”

“He didn’t!”

“Yeah . . . he did. How was I supposed to know that meiloorun would react with his system like that? There’s not exactly a Guide to Raising Your Fifty-Year-Old-Wizard-Toddler I can download from the ‘net. I’ve got no intel backing me up and no possible way to recon; I'm flying blind here. Maybe, in the end, I should just be glad that a sugar high was the worst of it."

“Oh, Din.”

“It’s just . . . I could have poisoned him, or worse. Just like that it could have all been over, all because he trusts me to know what’s best for him. He doesn’t know that, really, I don’t have any idea what I’m doing. I’m just making this up as I go, and he’s the one who will suffer if I get it wrong.”

“ . . . ”

“ . . . ”

“Honestly, I think there's a time when every parent feels exactly how you do right now.”

“It isn’t the same - ”

“ - no, really; hear me out. I remember my brother getting into all sorts of mischief when he was little, and my mother had stories as far as I’m concerned. She always said that toddlers are nothing more than sentient messes – and she was a Human mother raising Human children. She had all the information about what we could and couldn’t safely eat available to her, along with a partner in Father and a huge network in my grandparents and aunts, and there were still times when she got it wrong. Every parent is going to get it wrong.”

“ . . . ”

“You . . . you’ve just got me and a weird uncle in Greef and some backworlds doc who gave his best guess. All we can do is guess, and hope we get it right.”

“ . . . ”

“And, Din? We’ll figure this out together; I promise.”

“ . . . ”

“ . . . ”

“Thank you . . . I appreciate that.”

“Of course you do. I’m a veritable fount of wisdom.”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“Oh ha ha. Careful – I’m sure that there’s still some koja-nut butter left over somewhere and your armor is looking a mite too shiny right about now.”

“Ah. Point taken.”

“Really, though – not to swell your head or anything, else your bucket won’t fit – but you are doing a good job with him. You know that, right? You’re doing your best, and Lil’ Green just adores you. Cut yourself some slack, okay?”

“I . . . I’ll try.”

“Good. If not, I’ll be here to kick your armored backside when you need it, so don’t forget this conversation. Now, hand me that sani-spray; I think the kid got some jam in the carbon freezer here. I’ll clean that up, and then we’ll see about fixing the ‘vac.”



FIN

Spoiler: End Notes

Koja-nut (which seems to be more of a coconut equivalent rather than a peanut one - but mmm, that sounds delicious too!) and good ol' meiloorun are both canon! Poor Din, this whole parenting thing is even harder than tracking down bounties, but, they'll figure it out together.

Also: Carasynthia Dune's Guide to Raising Your Fifty-Year-Old Wizard Toddler For Laser-brains was almost the title of this collection. Almost.

~MJ

 

Oh, man, what a situation... and what priceless fun! Love that you tackled another one of the "Things You Said" prompts with Cara/Din and the Child! Full of fun and banter and warmth all mixed together—even Din's laconic silences have a lot of all three of those things in them! But he and Cara are indeed figuring out this Whole Parenting Thing together, and I love the way Cara, once she gets past some very understandable righteous indignation (do I even want know what happened in that 'vac... ), reminisces about her brother's mischief and the times her own folks got it wrong... because she's right, it happens to 100% of parents in 100% of galaxies, and 100% of them do indeed figure it out in the end. (And as someone who once had a toddler, I can say that "sentient mess" is a pretty apt description! ) Thanks so much once again for adding this to the challenge—it's so much fun having both you and these wonderful new characters on board!

 

Thanks so much for the wonderful feedbacks and likes, all! I appreciate each and every one of them. Now, after a few replies to your kind reviews, I have another ficlet to share.

Aw, thanks! Just what I was going for.

And now isn't that a thought! Thanks for the wonderful comment! I'm so glad that you enjoyed.

Aw thanks! In all honestly I'm still trying to get their voices down - Din's laconic silences and all - so this is actually a great exercise for characterization while I plan out some of the further plot points in this collection. I just love this unusual little found family - and this challenge! - to pieces, and my muse seems to as well.

Yeeeeah my muse didn't even tell me what happened to the 'vac - though I'm guessing that in the great youngling tradition, Lil' Green was flushing things that Should Not be flushed. And it's just too true! I don't have children of my own, but my niece is the ultimate Human Mess, as my sister called her at this age, and I had ample inspiration to take from her antics. The great peanut-butter disaster of 2017 is still talked about in our family. Because parenting is all about getting it wrong as much as you get it right and figuring it out in the end. Din - and Cara, too - will get there.

Thanks so much for your wonderfully kind words, and for hosting this stellar challenge in the first place! It's been a blast!


~MJ

 

Title: "a great honor to hold you up"
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Rating: PG
Time Frame: Post S1

Summary: "Careful, Dune, I might just start to think you care."


Notes: This is yet another ad hoc entry for the OTP "Things You Said" Challenge, this time for #38: things you said while I was sick. These prompts are just so, so inspiring, and I couldn't resist! I should have just one more of these to share before the challenge is over, and it's my favorite one yet, so stand by! For now, though, enjoy the banter and the flirting and even the feelings that sneaked in at the end here. Yep, these two are moving at glacial speeds but they are getting there.

Then, as a last note, my title is taken from Two, by Sleeping At Last, which fits so many of my OTPs but particularly Cara and Din as far as my muse is concerned right now.

Enjoy!

---

"a great honor to hold you up"
by Mira_Jade​

“So. What happened to: I can’t catch this from you, I’m shrouded in magical Mandalorian armor and no germ can touch me - ”

“I never said that.”

“Yeah, well, that's how I heard it. Here – one more step, and then you can collapse.”

“I don’t need . . . you don’t have to - ”

“ - don’t even insult me by trying to finish that sentence. No need to be all big and bad and Mando, not about this. Remember, this was my bug first and it had me tapping out – which, may I remind you, is something that even you have yet to manage. At one point, hugging the ‘vac, I was sure it was the end.”

“I was hoping you were exaggerating.”

“Yeah, not for a second, unfortunately. C’mon, now – you held my hair back for me, even when I told you to scram. It’s my turn to help you.”

“Telling me to scram is putting it lightly.”

“Yeah, but the kid is here and I’m trying to watch my language in front of his big ol' ears; who knows how much he's really taking in? C’mon, Lil’ Green, chin up – your dad’s going to be right as rain in about two rotations. It’s just going to be a rough go until then.”

“Egh.”

“And that was a sadly pathetic noise if I ever heard one, especially coming from you. Here, let’s get you settled. If you can just work with me, I can help you with - ”

“ - Cara - ”

“ - don't even try to say you've got this alone. We both know there’s no way you’re going to get this armor off by yourself. Humor me; I’ve been around enough gear in my time to figure out how this works. Besides, I’ve always wanted to know just how many weapons you’ve really got hidden away on you. Greef and I have creds staked on a final number, and I intend to cash in.”

“You don’t have to . . . it’s not . . . ”

“If you even try to say anything about propriety, I swear I’ll leave you here to rust and check back in a few days to see if you’re still breathing.”

“ . . . ”

“What’s that? I don’t think your vocorder quite picked up that last bit.”

“Always knew . . . you just . . . wanted to get me out of my armor.”

“Oh ha ha – in your dreams, buddy. Look at that, you’re actually funny with a fever. But . . . I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, in all seriousness. Let me help with your armor and then I’ll leave so you can take off your helmet. I’ll get a bucket for your bunk and keep the ‘fresher clear for when you think you can stand. I promise I won’t look. I’ve got the kiddo covered until you’re better.”

“Careful . . . may just . . . start to think you care.”

“Yeah . . . well, I guess we can’t have that now, can we?”



FIN


~MJ

 

So much fun! Oh, the snark you write for these two is pure pricelessness! Though poor dear Din--whatever he has seems to have really laid him low, and bless him for trying to keep being the Strong, Indomitable Mando Hero through it all... but yeah, Cara's right, all that armor in the way is going to be, well, difficult in a situation like this! Love the "you just wanted to get me out of the armor" crack, too! I wouldn't say that was her primary goal, but it might be a nice bonus, at least! As to Little Green, I'm now wondering if his mysterious powers include Force healing... I could see him at least giving a try for dear old Dad!

Another wonderful addition to this series--love that you've been keeping it up and really running with these prompts!

 

Thank you, all, for the wonderful feedback again! I appreciate every single word more than I can say.

Aw, thanks! Just too scrumptious is just what I was going for!

Thank you! And that's it exactly! These two speak through actions first and foremost - and their actions speak loudly. So when it comes to words . . . right now snarking and bickering is its own form of communication, as much as they'll allow. They'll get there in time.

Thank-you! The snark is covering up a whole lot of feelings that neither of them are really admitting to, let along actually dealing with, so it's a blast writing them at this stage in their relationship in the meantime. I'm glad you enjoyed their bantering too!

Yeeeeah, some things you can't just Mando through and this space flu is one of them! The body wins here, and Cara's not going to let him make the silly decisions he'd stubbornly rather make otherwise.

Ha! I had too much fun writing that one! Something tells me that Cara's usually the one flirting - just to see if she can shock and get a rise out of her very laconic companion - but Din can blame this one on the fever. Blame it, at least. And yep. Veeery nice bonus. These two will get there too. Eventually.

Indeed Little Green does! Just like @TheRynJedi showed. Poor little tyke will try, I bet, but some things the Force is just going to let run its course. And I'm betting a stomach flu falls underneath that category, or so says I for the sake of this particular plot.

Thanks so much for reading, as always, and for taking the time to leave such wonderful feedback! This challenge has been one of my favorites, and I thank you so much for hosting it again!



~MJ